5 . Have you ever heard about Polar Bear (北极熊) Club in New York? These “Polar Bears” are people who meet ________ in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. The members of the Polar Bear Club. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group; this is very ________ because there are above the age of 60. Members must satisfy two requirements because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.

Doctors don’t ________ the medical effects of cold-water swimming. Some think that the body’s temperature drops so low in cold-water swimming that finally the heart stops. But other doctors think differently. They point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during ________ swimming because the difference between the air temperature and the water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter.

The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the advantages of cold-water swimming. They say that their favourite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system (循环系统) because it makes the blood move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very ________ circulatory system and could not try cold-water swimming.

The Polar Bears love to swim all the year round. They find it fun and relaxing. As one 70- year-old woman says, “When I go into the water, I throw my ________ into the ocean and let the water carry them away. When I get out of the water, I feel happy again.”

6 . Jack London was a famous American writer. He was ________ on January 12, 1876, in San Francisco, California. Jack lived in a poor family, and he had to leave school to make money. He worked hard in many different jobs.

Later, Jack ________ to school, but he didn’t stay there long. He wrote, “Life and pocketbooks were both too short.” He wanted to take up something that would make his life different.

In 1897, he went to Alaska to look for gold. ________, he found ideas there for his books and stories. He went back home and started to work. His writings were so successful that he became rich and famous in his ________.

Jack London was not a happy man, however, long-term illnesses made him weak and sad. In poor ________, he took his own life in 1916. He was only 40 years old then.

7 . There are various ways we can help people in need. Big charity organizations commonly deliver food to hungry people, build homes for the homeless and volunteer at local charity centres.

________, there is a new way to help poor people living in distance, and that is by giving money to them directly.

Since 2012, the charity organization Give—Directly has been studying the ________ of direct money support to poor Kenyans (肯尼亚人). The charity gives them a one—year budget, spread over several months. They can spend the money on whatever they need, and they never have to pay it back! When Give—Directly tracked how the money was being used, they were glad to find that the Kenyans were using the money ________.

Many of the families spent the money on new metal roofs to take the place of their old grass roofs. While grass roots need ________ several times a year, metal roofs last longer and save money. Some bought land and cows from farming or started small businesses such as buying a used motorcycle to transport people around like a taxi. This helped them to have more money for food, clothing and health care and give their children an education.

The studies on giving money directly to poor Kenyans are going on. Some people are ________ that some of the families will waste the money or simply become dependent on these donations. Although its hard to tell if it is a good idea to give them direct money support, we can all agree that it is a ________ way of helping others.

Do you have any indoor plants in your room? Indoor plants might look as if they just sit around not doing much, but in many ways, they are the ______ heroes of the home. Not only do they look beautiful, but studies have shown that they can give people a sense of wellbeing (安适).What’s more, indoor plants are easy to look after and are not very expensive.

Indoor plants also known as houseplants or pot plants, are plants that like to grow indoors. Many of them are not ideally fit for growing outside, especially in winter. Instead, they grow better inside, where it is ______.

Several studies have backed this up and found that indoor plants can really lift your mood. Will Spoelstra, a British botanist (植物学家), tells us, “There are many ______ of growing plants indoors. I find that during the winter months, plants around the house can improve creativity and memory.” There is also research showing that pot plants can clean the air around them by taking in harmful gases. “Plants can ______ some harmful chemicals after the house is newly painted. Peace lilies and ivy are among the best,” says Will.

Most indoor plants are easy to grow. You can buy them from supermarkets, garden centers or online. Younger plants are often cheaper than grown ones, but you get to care for them as they grow. Will suggests people read the instruction on the label or find out more about the plants before ______. The process is part of the joy of planting. It can bring a new interest and focus into people’s lives and help to bridge the gap between home and ______. It can provide a sense of relaxation, allowing people to escape from the tiredness of daily life.

9 . Once there was a kind king. His people ________ him and were proud of him. One day, the king decided to build a palace on the river bank. Soon the palace was ready. After showing it to the king, the minister (大臣) decided to take a final look.

“Great!” the minister said, looking at the palace gate. Then suddenly his eyes fell on a hut just a few steps away from the palace gate. “What is this hut doing here?” shouted the minister. “Sir, it belongs to an old woman. She has been living here for a long time,” ________ his servant.

The minister walked up to the hut and told the old lady that he could give her anything if she sold her hut to him. The old woman thought the hut was the dearest thing to her, ________, she refused to sell it. The ________ was then taken to the king.

The king thought for a while, and then said, “Let the old lady have her hut where it is. It will ________ add beauty to the new palace.” Then turning to the minister, the king said, “Let us not forget that what seems ugly to us maybe ________ to someone else.”