【推荐1】One night, Andy and his mother played jazz music in the living room in their new home. The loud ________ filled the room and made them feel very happy.

The next morning, ________, their happiness disappeared. Someone had left a note under their door during the night and had written to ________ the sound of the piano. Later that morning, Andy suggested that they invite them to come here for a party.

They both loved the ________. Over the next few days, they sent out invitations and prepared desserts for their guests. Finally, the day of the party ________. Some guests brought presents. Others brought flowers. One woman, Mrs. Gilbert, ________ Andy’s mother with a book of piano music by Chopin.

“I heard you playing the other night,” she said. “The sounds woke me out of bed. I ________ that you might play like this every night. So I wrote a short note. I hope you don’t think I disliked the playing.”

Andy’s mother smiled at Mrs. Gilbert. “I didn’t ________ how late it was when we were playing. Maybe we should play some quieter music at night.”

Mrs. Gilbert said, “I like what you play! Just not so loud at night.” She pointed to the book she had given them. “These songs are not such ________ music.”

“And we won’t play so loud or late!” Andy said. He was already looking forward to ________ the new music. More than that, he was happy to see the big smile on his mother’s face. It gave him a feeling of warmth and made him feel that they were home at last.

On a summer evening in June, it took Sylvie longer than usual to find her grandmother’s cow. It was already eight o’clock and Sylvie wondered if her grandmother would be _______ for her being so late.

Suddenly a hungry and tired young _______ with a gun(枪) in his hand appeared on the road. He said he _______ his way in the forest and asked her for help. Sylvie took him home _______ she was a little afraid. Her grandmother said, “We don’t have much, but you’re welcome to _______ what we have. Sylvie, please get a plate for the gentleman!” Then they offered _______ to the man.

After eating, _______ of them sat outside in the yard. The stranger told them he was a scientist, who was _______ some strange birds. He also said he would give ten dollars to the person who helped him _______ the white bird named Heron. Sylvie’s heart began to beat ________. She knew that strange white bird! She had seen ________ on the other side of the forest.

That night Sylvie’s dreams were full of everything she could buy with ten dollars. She had a ________ that she would get the money for her grandmother. When it was almost time for the sun to rise, she ________ left her house and hurried through the forest. She was sure she would be able to see where the white bird had hidden.

About an hour later, Sylvie came back from the ________. But she was silent. She remembered how it came flying through the golden air. She decided not to tell the heron’s ________ to anyone and gave its life away. The young man went away disappointedly later that day. Sylvie felt kind of sad. But she soon became happy when she heard the sound of the bird.

A young man went to an expert on gems (宝石) and said he wanted to become a gemologist (宝石学家).

The expert didn’t want to talk to him because he thought the young man would not have the ___________ to learn. The young man ___________ a chance again and again. Finally, the expert agreed and told the young man, “Be here ___________.”

The next morning, the expert put a jade stone (玉石) in the man’s hand and told him, “Hold it!” The expert then said nothing and went about his business. The boy felt a bit ___________, but he said nothing. He just sat quietly and waited.

The following morning, the expert again ___________ the jade stone in the young man’s hand and told him to hold it. On the third, fourth, and fifth days, the expert did the same thing.

On the sixth day, the young man held the jade stone ___________, but could no longer stand the ___________. “Sir,” he said, “when am I going to learn something?”

“You’ll learn,” the expert ___________ and went about his business. The young man had to keep sitting quietly and waiting with the jade stone in his hand.

Several more days went by and the young man felt more and more ___________.

One morning, as the expert came and asked him to hold out his hand, he was about to burst out (大喊) that he could no longer go on. But as the expert placed the stone in the young man’s hand, he shouted without ____________ his hand, “This is not the same jade stone!”

“You have begun to learn,” the expert said with a smile.

【推荐1】Helen was going to leave college. Her father said, “Dear, I want to give you an old ________. I bought it a long time ago. Before I give it to you, ________ it to a car seller in the city and see how much they offer for (出价) it.” The girl did as the father asked. When she came back, she said, “They offered S1,000 because it ________ very old.”

“OK. Take it to the second-hand car seller,” the father said. The girl ________ back again and said, “They offered $100 because it is a very old car and it needs a lot of ________.”

The father asked his daughter to show the car ________ a car club. This time the girl got ________ different.

“Some people in the club offered me $100,000 because it is a rare car, it’s very ________ to find, but it is still in good condition (状况) .”

The father smiled. “Dear, remember this. You are not worth (值得) anything ________ you are not in the right place. If they don’t like you, don’t be ________. That means you are in the wrong place. Don’t stay in a place where no one sees your value (价值) .”

【推荐3】My uncle is a farmer. He has ninety _____ trees on his farm. My uncle and my _____ can't pick (采摘) all the apples in fall (秋天). _____ they ask my parents and me to _____ them every year. It's Sunday. My parents don't go to _____ and I don't go to school. So we'll go to the _____. We get up early (早) in the _____. My mother is in _____ old clothes. My father buys many kinds of food for my uncle's _____ in a shop. She likes them very much. My uncle and aunt _____ us many apples, too. I like to work on the farm.

Zhang Jie was a 13-year-old student. He was on his way home last Monday evening. When he was in his lift (电梯), it suddenly stopped. Zhang decided to help ________ out. Although he felt a little ________, he still tried to open the lift door. But soon he gave up the idea and stood against the wall because he thought the lift might fall down suddenly. He then pressed all the buttons (按钮), hoping it would make the lift work again, but it didn’t. Zhang then pressed the “stop” button to lock the lift to ________ it would not fall. Without a phone, Zhang tried shouting ________ to get the attention of people outside, but nobody answered. ________, the young boy didn’t give up. He sent out a note to look ________ help through the door and hoped someone would pick it up and help him out. He knew it might ________ a long time before someone saved him. So he decided to do his ________ after doing all these. When he almost finished his homework, he was saved at last. On Weibo, many people ________ the boy, because he could be so calm (冷静的) and ________.

No matter how hard the situation is, we should face it and try to solve the problem.

【推荐2】Gui Haichao is not only an astronaut but also a teacher of a university. On May 30th 2023, he took the Shenzhou-16 Spacecraft with Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and flew to space. He won a great deal of ________ as he was the first man who wears glasses to space.

Gui was ________ in a village in Yunnan in 1986. His interest in ________ began at the age of 17 when he got the news of Yang Liwei’s trip to space on the radio. The news ________ him. At that time, he ________ being an astronaut like Yang.

Gui has got excellent educational achievements, but it’s not enough. He must go through ________ physical training. He never thought about giving up. ________, he realized his dream.

In the eyes of his students, Gui is ________. “During his training, he keeps reading our essays (论文). Sometimes during dinner time, he would call me to give ________ on my essays. He is really a helpful teacher and I like him,” one of his students says.

We have heard too many arguments about the “uselessness of studying” at our times, and we also know that there are many children in mountainous areas who may never got out of there. However, Gui ________ a good example to everyone. Studying can really change our life. So just dream big and study hard.

【推荐3】Where was that cashier (收银员)? Impatient, I quickly looked at my watch. I hardly had enough time to eat a sandwich and rush back to work.

I looked around the nearly empty ________, but the cashier was nowhere in sight. A woman stood wiping (擦) the far end of the counter. She looked at me coldly with sad, dark eyes.

I waited, getting angry. I’d been standing there for at least three minutes!

Controlling my anger, I remembered Mom’s words. “________ you find yourself in an unpleasant situation, just ________ what is missing. If someone is unkind, then kindness is missing. If someone is hateful, then ________ is missing. If we will be what’s missing, then we’ll provide whatever the situation needs.”

And here I was in an unpleasant situation, How should I “be what’s missing”? What was missing was _________. Maybe I should just jump behind the counter and take my own order.

Just then the woman walked slowly towards me. “May I help you?” she asked, still ________. She looked so tired. No doubt, she was overworked.

I took a deep breath. With Mom’s words ringing in my head, I gave the woman my order... and smiled. “How are you today?”

My question seemed to ________ her. She eyed me for a second before answering. “Not too good.”

“I’m sorry.” I said. “I hope it gets better starting right now.”

She almost smiled as she looked at me. “Thanks. I hope you’re right.”

I ________ to myself as I ate my sandwich. We’re all the same, really. We have problems and angers, we get tired and we hurt. We need to be ________ to each other.

After eating, I wiped the table cleaner than usual, and put the tray (托盘) back nicely on the stand. The woman was watching me, a big smile on her face.

“Be what’s missing.” It ________.