3 . In the late afternoon, Brandon finished his farm work and went home. As they often did, his two sons, Louie, 6, and Everett, 3, _________ him.

As they headed for the house, the two boys ran ahead of him, who stopped to close the gate. Louie _________ at an old well. The _________ covering the well was brittle (脆弱的) over time. When Louie stepped on it, it was _________ and the boy fell in the well. Brandon quickly _________ what had happened.

He ran to the well and heard Louie _________ the water and screaming. Without _________ , he jumped in. As he _________ the well, he grabbed a thin pipe, which slowed his _________ and kept him from hurting his son.

Brandon hit the __________ water at the bottom of the well. He grabbed Louie, who was __________. Knowing they could not __________ in the freezing water too long, Brandon carried his son onto his chest as he __________ his own legs and back against the narrow walls for __________. Then he asked Everett to go back out to the road and get help.

About 15 minutes later, Christi and Mark, nearby farmer, noticed Everett stood __________ by the side of the road, waving. They asked if he was OK. He told them the __________ accident. The couple put Everett into their car and drove onto the farm, and the boy __________ to the well. Mark called the police while Christi called another __________, Dan, who sped to Brandon’s farm with his son and a __________ rope.

With the neighbors’ help, Brandon and Louie were rescued __________ at last.

4 . My son asked me months ago if he could switch from his mainstream high school to a   ________ school. At that time, I was unsure and a little ________

He wasn’t doing well in his school, and I knew the best thing for him was to ________ to another learning environment to complete his study. But my heart hurt a little that he would not walk the same graduation ________ that I had walked, and also the scenario (设想) I had created was no longer beneficial to his ________ .

My son is extremely ________ and had a small friend group. Large groups are complex for him. A school of over 2,500 kids can be difficult for anyone, let alone my boy with social ________ .

Then, we decided the vocational school (职业学校) was an option with the same general curriculum ________ by our state to graduate high school. The ________ he had already earned would carry over, and he could graduate early.

By allowing him to go there, we have watched him ________ ! The difference is astonishing. He ________ friendship, he was productive and participated in a life skills course to help himself with real-life studies, and he ________ with his teachers.

The most significant change was that he would come home ________, enthusiastic about his day, and excited to ________ how his day had gone.

As his momma, it is all I needed to know that my son has chosen what was ________ for him.

5 . Elizabeth lived with her six children in a small house. One winter, there was a big ______, and quite a few houses were washed away, but Elizabeth’s house was high enough to ______ it.

Elizabeth ______ one of the families which had lost everything. She shared her home ______ the family could build a ______ house. Elizabeth’s friends could not understand her since she already had so many children to ______.

“Well,” Elizabeth ______ to her friends, “At the end of World War II, there was a poor ______ in a town in France. Her husband had been ______ in the war and she had a lot of children, just like me now. The day before ______, this woman said to her children, ‘We won’t be ______ to have much for Christmas. I’m going to get just one ______ for us all. Now I’ll go and get it.’ She came back with a little ______ who had no parents.‘Here’s our present.’ She said to her own children. The children were more than ______ to get such a present. They welcomed the little girl ______ and she grew up as their sister. I was that Christmas present.”

7 . Espionage (间谍活动)! Secrets! Suspense(悬念)! If you’ve ever dreamed of being a spy, Max in the House of Spies written by Adam Gidwitz is for you. New York Times bestselling author of Wonder, White Bird, and Pony strongly recommended this book for teenagers, saying Max in the House of Spies is everything you could hope for in a book.

Espionage and courage are at the heart of this historical novel about Max, an 11-year-old boy sent to London as Germany became ever more dangerous for its Jewish citizens. Max has lots of questions, not the least of which are why the Nazis hate him so much, and why teachers and other adults are saying terrible, hurtful, things about Jewish people as if they are facts. Humor comes in the form of two little sprites from German and Jewish folklore (民间传说), who are forever weighing in—and arguing—about Max’s decisions and desire to return to Germany to save his folks. Fantastic characters and important topics for conversation make this a top read.

Max Bretzfeld doesn’t want to move to London. Leaving home is hard and Max is alone for the first time in his life. But not for long. Max is surprised to discover that he’s been joined by two unexpected traveling companions, one on each shoulder, a kobold (精灵) and a dybbuk (恶灵) named Berg and Stein. Germany is becoming more and more dangerous for Jewish families, but Max is determined to find a way back home, and back to his parents. He has a plan to return to Berlin. It merely involves accomplishing the impossible: becoming a British spy.

Max in the House of Spies is a thought-provoking World War II story as only acclaimed storyteller Adam Gidwitz can tell it—fast-paced and hilarious, with a dash of magic and a lot of heart.

8 . Chinese New Year, also called the Spring Festival, is a traditional festival celebrated by all Chinese people. Not everyone celebrates the festival in the same way, with the biggest differences between northern and southern China.

Festival Foods

In the northern cities of China, people generally eat dumplings. They are called jiaozi in Chinese, which means the turn of a lunar new year. Additionally, because they are shaped similarly to a type of ancient money, jiaozi are also regarded as a symbol of wealth.

As compared to the north, people from some southern areas traditionally eat rice cakes (niangao in Chinese), which are made of sticky (黏的) rice flour. Niangao can be interpreted as that people move up to a higher position year after year.

Festival Decorations

It is a common tradition to put up Spring Festival couplets (对联) and “Fu” characters, but some decorations differ a bit between northern and southern China.

In the north, the red “Chinese knot (结)” is also hung, representing happiness. However, in the southern areas, people like to use kumquats, a fruit like a very small orange, for decorations. Due to their yellow colour, they are usually a sign of wealth and harvest.

Red Envelope

In northern China, people usually give red envelopes to the children of their relatives or close friends only. However, people in southern China not only give red envelopes to the children of their relatives and friends, but also to their colleagues and acquaintances. In some southern areas like Guangdong Province, a company manager or a shop owner may also give red envelops to staffs on the first working day of the New Year, wishing for a fortune and giving them a strong sense of team spirit.