1 . Bang! Somewhere, someone set off fireworks. After hearing the loud noise, ten-year-old Rosie, ran back towards her ________, Steve Harper. Rosie, ________ from a rescue shelter, was easily shocked by loud sounds when she first arrived, but soon fell in love with the Harpers’ sons and ________ with Steve. But Rosie’s ________ of loud noises always continued and never ________. After the second bang on that Friday afternoon, she took off and ________ disappeared from sight with a silver ring shining around her neck.

Nowhere can Steve find Rosie. Steve had less than five minutes to begin worrying when his phone rang. “Is that black-and-white dog yours, Mr. Harper? She’s just ________ herself over. It seems that she were a criminal.” On the other end the voice came, and the caller was half ________.

Closed-circuit television showed Rosie walking into the police station, ________ around for a few seconds as if she were looking for food, and ________ seating herself in the waiting room just like a lady. A few minutes later, staff ________, gave her some water and called Steve, whose phone number was on Rosie’s ________.

Steve supposed why Rosie knew just where to ________: the waiting room chairs closely resemble those at the local vet. “Maybe she saw the chairs and thought, Oh, this is what I do. I sit and wait.”

Steve headed to fetch Rosie from the ________ and the dog was overjoyed. On their way home, Steve hugged her and stroked her curry hair. Finally they arrived home, safe and ________.

2 . Subscribe to Reader’s Digest Magazine

Launched in 1922, Reader’s Digest has built 100 years of trust with a loyal audience and has become the largest circulating magazine in the world.

Reader’s Digest magazine is bursting with stories, news, advice, recipes, reviews, tips, jokes and anecdotes. Each issue is small enough to fit in your pocket, but big enough to keep you entertained for weeks on end.

● Never miss an issue and receive your copy before it hits the shops.

● Free UK delivery direct to your door each month.

● Over 100 years heritage: A trustable guide for advice.

● Lift your spirits with positive and uplifting true-life stories.

● Exclusive(独有的) subscriber offers and competitions.

When you place your order, you will be given the option of which issue to start with. All our issues are on sale early, so our May issue is mailed in mid-April, June issue is mailed in mid-May, and so on.

Yes, we have options for print, digital, or both. Our best value deal is our bundle (捆) package, which costs £34.99 for a 12-month print and digital subscription.

You certainly can, and Reader’s Digest makes the perfect gift because it keeps on giving the whole year through! During checkout, you will be able to add a different recipient’s address.

You are welcome to cancel your subscription at any time by calling at 0330-333-2220 or by sending an email to enquiries@readersdigest.co.uk.

3 . Martin, Tom and Paul were brothers. They were very different, but they were consistent (一致的) about two things. They couldn't succeed in business. And they never _________ about anything. Martin was a hardworking farmer, growing organic vegetables and raising chickens. But he was _________ and forgot to pay his bills. Paul owned a textile factory that produced clothes. He was organized, but he was greedy and took too much clothing. His closet was _________ with his own products. Tom was once a sergeant in the army. He ran a martial arts school, but his attitude on discipline was too strong. He had almost no _________ .

One day, they received a _________ saying that their father had died. They were heirs to his old farm. They planned to sell it as soon as possible, so they went to see it even though there was a terrible storm. The house didn't look great, but there was a lot of land. There was so much, in fact, that they could hardly see its _________ .

_________ , the storm got worse. The sheer force of the wind almost knocked them _________ . Martin said, "Look, it's a typhoon!" Paul said, "No, it's a cyclone." Tom said, "No, it's a tornado!" They argued _________ Paul began to wail and said, "Whatever it is, it's coming __________ at us! We're doomed!" The three brothers scrambled inside the old house. Martin said, "If we survive, we must stop fighting. This farm could be great if we __________ it up. With my hard work, Paul's organization and Tom's __________, we could run a great business together!" The storm finally ended. And luckily, it didn't __________ the farm.

"Just think," Martin said, "it took the chaos of a typhoon to bring us together" Paul replied," You mean a cyclone brought us together." Tom said "Didn't I tell you both that it was a tornado?" The brothers never agreed on what kind of __________ it was, but by combining their __________ , they started a successful farm.

4 . The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024 took place in Las Vegas, US. The event shows off some of the coolest new inventions.

One is a robot companion. It helps people around the house. It uses artificial intelligence (Al). AI is when a computer can learn from experience. It can do things that need usually human intelligence. The robot controls household appliances. It keeps an eye on pets. It even patrols like a mini security guard.

Al technology is in many more products at CES 2024. A smart fridge was made by Samsung. It can recognize up to 33 food items. It suggests recipes that will use up what you have.

In video gaming, two companies used AI to create more natural non-playable characters (NPCs). Usually when you meet a character in a game, what they say to you or how they react will have been pre-programmed or coded by the game's creators. The creators of say they are different. They can react spontaneously.

Technology company LG showed a transparent television. It's wireless. This means it can be put anywhere. You can even put it in front of a window. The screen can be kept clear, so you can see what's behind it. Or users can block out the background. It also has a screensaver feature that can play relaxing scenes such as fish swimming around in a tank.

Hairdryers also got an upgrade. The AirLight Pro was created by L’Oreal. It copies the effects of the Sun and wind. It uses infrared (a type of light energy that humans can't see but feel as heat). The company says it dries hair faster, causing less damage, and uses less energy.

Finally, for children, there is the Droyd Venym electric scooterboard (滑板车). It is basically a seat, low to the ground, with legs and four wheels. You control it with handles. Its top speed is three miles per hour.

5 . When the spring breeze blows, blooming flowers give off pleasant scents, mixing with the smell of earth. In such a charming season, why don’t you grab your camera and snap some photos of the magnificent golden flower sea? Here’s a list of some popular places to view rapeseed flowers(油菜花) across China. It’s time to start your spring journey!

Boasting favorable weather and a unique ecological environment, Luoping county in Southwest China’s Yunnan province is home to the world-famous rapeseed flowers. Every year from February to March, the flowers are in full bloom, forming a beautiful and magnificent golden view.

Located in southern Shaanxi province and with favorable weather conditions for growing rapeseed flowers, the Hanzhong Basin is a traditional planting and production base for the oilseed rape vegetable. The city of Hanzhong is home to more than 70,000 hectares of rapeseed flowers, yielding 144,000 tons of canola oil each year.

Menyuan Hui autonomous county in Northwest China’s Qinghai province is a production base for the oilseed rape vegetable in northern China. Rapeseed flowers can be seen everywhere, but those growing in Menyuan look extremely magnificent. Against the blue sky of the plateau, the beautiful flower sea complements villages and distant mountains and rivers. While walking into Menyuan Hui autonomous county, you may have a feeling of crossing a natural painting.

Known as “a pearl of water town”, Xinghua in East China’s Jiangsu province has rich culture and unique scenery. From April to May, the blooming rapeseeds in Xinghua form a vast golden sea of flowers. The Qianduo area attracts tourists who ride a boat to cruise through the flower sea and are intoxicated by fragrance of the flowers.

6 . Volunteers Wanted: Caring Rides

CareGivers is seeking volunteers for its Caring Rides program, serving homebound seniors (居家老人) in New Hampshire.

Volunteering is easy, and we offer flexible opportunities built around your schedule, whether you volunteer once a week, once a month or on an as-needed basis.

Volunteers need to drive seniors to medical appointments, dental visits or a drugstore. Sometimes, you need to shop for them or run errands(差事) on behalf of individuals. Taking a client on a round-trip usually takes an hour of your time, and our requirements are that you have a car, valid driver’s license and a friendly attitude.

For hundreds of seniors in New Hampshire, doing something as simple as getting to a medical appointment or picking up medication at a local drugstore is a necessity—but sadly, not an option. Most live alone, and cannot drive or access reliable transportation. They rely on our network of volunteers. But more than 200 seniors across the area are on waiting lists to receive these services, many of whom have to cancel doctor appointments and have difficulties gaining adequate access to the food they need. That’s where YOU can come in.

You Truly Make a Difference in the Life of a Local Senior

For these seniors, our network of volunteers is their lifeline. While providing a ride for a senior in need may seem like a small task, it’s significant and life-changing for those we serve:

●You can help them avoid common feelings of isolation and loneliness they have.

●You can ensure they maintain access to medical needs, food and other essentials key to their physical health, emotional well-being and overall quality of life.

●You can make them realize that they can age in a dignified manner inside their homes for as long as possible.

To sign up, simply fill out the contact form on this page and we will be in touch with you the next steps!

9 . During the 19th and 20th centuries, Qi Baishi (1864-1957) was one of the best-known Chinese artists. He grew up in a poor peasant family, but this did not prevent him from pursuing his interest in painting.

Qi was schooled for less than a year due to illness, and he dropped out of school. However, he was too weak to do much of the work and this was why he became a carpenter. As a carpenter, he showed his creativity. He could carve figures of animals, woodblock prints, and sniff-boxes. At the age of 20, he taught himself to paint with Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting. He met many mentors who greatly influenced his painting skills through his painting journey, among whom are the renowned artists Zhu Da and Xu Wei. When he was 28, he became a student of the famous artist Hu Qinyuan, and he began to study Chinese painting.

Qi arrived in Beijing in 1917. While he was in Beijing, he stayed devoted to painting. Most of his paintings represented Chinese tradition. Qi’s works are now found in several famous museums, including National Gallery Prague and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. His works now are the most expensive ever sold at auctions.

Qi got noticed by many institutions, one of which is the Ministry of Culture. In 1954 he was selected as the representative of the Chinese people. Also, in 1956, he was awarded the World Peace Prize by World Peace Council. A college was also named after him, the Baishi School of Art in Hunan University of Science Technology.

10 . In January 2020, I left for a mission, along with a 75-person crew. I had got to know everyone quite well, which made me feel confident that everything would run smoothly. The main goal of the mission was to voyage through the water, identifying boats and aircraft with our sensors while remaining undetected. We were the eyes and ears of the French navy, 300 metres under the ocean.

Being in a submarine (潜水艇) is a bit like being in a spaceship. Letters from family were allowed to keep crew members motivated, but for safety and caution, all communication from the crew’s families was seen first by navy staff who removed any content that could cause panic on board.

In February 2020, as Covid-19 started to emerge in Europe, the navy began to block all Covid-19-related news in our life. Throughout March and April, we had no idea that Covid-19 was even a thing, let alone that France was under strict lockdown.

The day finally came when we were set to come back. The radio channels on the submarine announced the news: “There is a deadly virus, and the country is locked down.” Actually, the information didn’t make any sense to me at that time. “Lockdown” was a new word to me. I didn’t know what to expect.

When I got out of the submarine. I got my phone back and received weeks’ worth of panicked messages. I took a train back to Paris, where my family lives, and was completely lost. People had masks and gloves on. I put over my mouth a fireproof mask that had been given to me by the navy. I just thought, everyone is hiding their mouths, so I’ll do it, too, even though I didn’t know why.