2 . Last Thursday, Michael and Linda were distributing (分发) meals to 4,000 homeless people for their wedding reception (婚宴) in the border town of Kills. The _________ had decided that instead of playing host to their friends and family with a traditional feast reception, they _________ to feed the homeless people from an earthquake-stricken area.

The idea came from Michael’s father, Ted, who _________ for a Turkish relief organization. For the past few years, the organization has handed out _________ meals to thousands of people who’ve suffered from natural disasters. He called Adam, who was _________ the organization, and suggested that the family cover part of the cost of feeding them for the day.

Then he told his son, who was surprised by the _________, but soon agreed. When he told that to Linda, she was really shocked but finally _________ because in southeastern Turkey there is a real culture of sharing with people _________. They love to share their _________, their table and everything they have. And afterwards she was quite __________ in it. So, they arrived at the __________ on Thursday to spend the day serving food and taking photographs with their grateful recipients (接受者).

On Tuesday evening, the __________ married couple were still pleased with their decision to __________ a personal celebration for one with greater good. Michael said, “A small act of __________ could make a big difference. __________, this will give the start for other wedding dinners to be held here with our brothers and sisters in need.”

3 . A few years ago, Andy Davis and his wife decided to ride their bikes across the country. They spent months ________ and planning for their adventure.

But one day just a few months before they were going to ________, Davis felt an intense pain across his ________. He was soon diagnosed with heart failure, a serious condition in which the heart can no longer ________ blood efficiently. “It was ________ because I was so fit, and just a couple months later I could hardly ________,” he said.

His doctors told him that the only way he’d ________ was with a new heart. By November, Davis was placed on a heart transplant list—a/an________ that can take months, if not years. “You don’t know if you’re going to get a heart,” he said. “You ________ hope.”

But Davis’ condition quickly worsened, and for 11 days, he was kept ________ with a balloon pump placed inside his heart. On the 12th day, Davis was ________ learn that a new heart was on its way. It would come from a wife and mother named Sarah Ivy.

Today, Davis marvels that he is still alive. And he is filled with ________ for Ivy and her family, who gave him the gift of life in a time of ________.

Davis and his wife are now considering ________ that cross-country bicycle trip. And on the way, they plan to meet Ivy’s family for the first time, to thank them ________.

4 . I live in Xizhou in Yunnan Province, on the historic Tea Horse Road. I have to admit that when I first heard that Paul Salopek was going to walk the entire globe on his own two feet, I was blown away. I couldn’t imagine that there could be such an unusual person in the world.

Last May, I met Paul. He told me that it was his first time in China. He talked to me with great excitement about the history, migrations, and discoveries in my region of China. He spoke of the Shu-Yandu Dao (the Southern Silk Road), the travels of the 17th-century Chinese explorer Xu Xiake, the Tea Horse Road and the early 20th-century American botanist Joseph Rock. He also talked of Xuanzang. Paul considered many of them heroes and in a sense Chinese pioneers of slow journalism.

I decided to accompany Paul on his walk toward Yunnan. On September 28, 2021, we set out. Our days were simple: walk, eat, sleep, and repeat. We woke up at sunrise, set off in high spirits, and rested at sunset, dragging ourselves into exhausted sleep.

We met many people on the road. Some were curious, surrounding us and watching us; some gave us directions; some invited us into their home to take a rest; some spoke of the charm of their hometown. We met many beautiful souls, simple souls and warm souls. We were walking with our minds.

Together, we were impressed by the biodiversity of the Gaoligong Mountains. As I walked on ancient paths through mountains, I seemed to hear the antique voices of past travelers urging me to be careful on the road.

Looking back on the more than 200 miles I walked with Paul, I came to a realization. Walking for its own sake, while healthy and admirable, is only a small part of the benefit of moving with our feet. A deeper reward is rediscovering the world around us, shortening the distance between each other, and sharing each other’s cultures.

5 . Just wanting a hamburger, Hembert Figueroa was surprised to learn the dollar bills in his pocket were no good at Dos Toros Taqueria in Manhattan.

Figueroa, an ironworker, had to stand to the side, holding his hamburger, until a cashier helped him find another customer willing to pay for his meal with a card in exchange for cash. “I had money but I couldn’t pay,” he said.

Cash-free stores are causing a backlash among some activists who say the practice looks down upon people like Figueroa, who either lack bank accounts or rely on cash for many transactions (交易).

Supporters for banning cashless stores worry that technology is moving too fast for the 6.5% of American households—8.4 million—that do not have a bank account.

Business owners who go cashless say they are following the lead of majority of customers who are abandoning cash payments. Retailers are under pressure to satisfy customers with higher expectations for fast and convenient service, driven by companies like Amazon and Uber.

Leo Kremer, co-worker of Dos Toros, said the amount of cash transactions at his stores fell from about 50% a decade ago to 15% last year. Cash transactions made handling cash especially troublesome. Before going cashless, Dos Toros locations were robbed twice.

Financial experts who work with low-income people caution against making assumptions about the shopping preferences or buying power of those who rely on cash. Justine Zinkin, CEO of Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners, said the greater urgency in the digital time is finding ways to better include low-income people in the banking system, such as urging banks to offer no-fee starter accounts and encouraging banks to open branches in underserved areas.

6 . Parents are an enormously powerful force in the lives of children. Whether Johnny can read, whether Johnny knows right from wrong, whether Johnny is a happy, well-adjusted kid or shy and bad-tempered, has a whole lot to do with the kind of parenting Johnny has received. If Johnny’s mom and dad have been able to come through with lasting, determining loving attention, the odds (可能性) are that Johnny is on track to become a productive, compassionate citizen. If they have not, Johnny is in trouble—and so is our nation.

Thirty years ago Chicago sociologist James S. Coleman showed that parental involvement mattered far more in determining school success than any quality of the formal education system. Across a wide range of subject areas, in literature, science and reading, Coleman estimated that the parent was twice as powerful as the school in determining achievement at age fourteen. Psychologist Lawrence Steinberg, who recently completed a six-year study of 20,000 teenagers in nine different communities, confirms the importance of parents. Steinberg shows that one out of three parents is “seriously disengaged” from his or her adolescent’s education, and this is the primary reason why so many American students perform below their potential—and below students in other rich countries.

A weight of evidence now shows obvious links between absent parents and a wide range of behavioral and emotional problems in children. A 2017 study of 90,000 teenagers—the Add Health Project undertaken by the Carolina Population Center and the Adolescent Health Program at the University of Minnesota—found that youngsters are less likely to get hopeless, use drugs or become involved in crime when they spent significant time with their parents. This study found that only the physical presence of a parent in the home after school at dinner and at bedtime significantly reduces the incidence of risky behavior among teenagers.

7 . It can be tough to pull kids away from their computers and mobile devices these days. While they’re playing games, wouldn’t it be great if they could be learning at the same time? Good educational apps offer fun challenges that teach specific grade-level skills. Here are four apps that combine fun and learning.

Understanding Math ($3.99; iOS)

Understanding Math goes beyond basic comprehension to gain a deeper understanding of the whys and hows of math. The app tracks your child’s progress to determine strengths and weaknesses in different skill areas, and you can customize (改制) your child’s learning experience to suit the needs.

Word Creativity Kit ($2.99; iOS)

Word Creativity Kit aims not only to make creative writing fun but also build up grammar rules. The app presents a series of words from seven categories, such as space or fantasy. Kids add their own words to finish the complete thoughts that these words have inspired.

Barefoot World Atlas ($4.99; iOS)

Barefoot World Atlas helps kids learn about geography and world cultures with a touch of the screen. Each region features a set of subtopics from wildlife and natural features to native, and architecture. These facts and illustrations are delivered in photographs, sounds, and hundreds of mini videos.

My Grades & Homework ($80.99; iOS)

A combination of grades and homework tracker, My Grades &Homework can help your child stay organized and on top of the progress in school. A convenient calendar and course list format offer a glance at your child’s assignment schedule that he or she might not normally get from standard homework planners.

8 . After having a child, I found my regular exercise interrupted. Not only was I busy, but I also lacked the motivation and ambition. Solo gym sessions or some quick ______ following the DVD while the baby was sleeping didn’t ______ me at all. So I decided to sign up for a hiking trip in Peru, hoping that it would get me ______ again.

Looking over my travel arrangements before I ______, I scanned phrases such as “3-hour hike through primitive forests” and “sliding with a rope down waterfalls”, and I started to feel a little ______.

However, as we made our way through the forests and were ______ with amazing views of awesome waterfalls, this team of strangers ______ me to go on. Being physically active with a group motivated me to ______ the summit or the valley below — rather than simply lying down on the forest floor and giving up, which I might have done if I were ______.

Experts ______ my experience: Group exercise can really start a new attitude toward fitness. “People get a better workout in a group than they do on their own,” said Allison Kimmel, a group ______ instructor. That’s because other people ______ both support and competition. “Humans are ______ animals and the shared experience of facing a challenge together is compelling (不可抗拒的),” said David Ezell, the CEO of fitness provider Darien Wellness.

With the ______ of a group, I’m slowly getting back into a ______ lifestyle.

9 . I have dreamed of taking a trip to Hawaii since I graduated, but the best thing always needs waiting.

I took a trip with my friends to Haleakala National Park, which lies in Hawaii.

When we arrived at Haleakala National Park, we were advised to watch the early morning sunrise. I was lost in the sightseeing (观光) that afternoon, so I could hardly wait to see the sunrise. The next morning, we all got out of bed very early and got to the seaside at 3 o’clock. In the first half an hour, we imagined how wonderful it would be when the first light came out through the thick clouds and how soft it would be when the light touched our skin, so we waited and waited. However, another half an hour later, I gradually lost my patience since there was nothing but the chilly darkness, and I felt that I was frozen to death. (冻死) But my friends were still extremely cheerful.

Nearly another one hour later, “Amazing!” Judy burst out and we all shouted to welcome the light, which was really unbelievable. Until today, I dare say that it is the most impressive sunrise in my life. However, waiting in the morning darkness is also one memory I can’t forget forever.

Waiting sometimes is really a hard thing for most of us as it needs patience and strong-willed determination (决心) , but what about the result after that? It might turn out to be pleasing and unbelievable. So, it is really worth (值得的) waiting for the best.

10 . The sun was shining brightly over our heads and sweat (汗水) was pouring off our backs and faces. We stood still without ______ any noise, all hot and tired. But everyone kept standing as straight as trees.

It was ______ most high schools give to new Senior One students-military training. We ______ four days in a closed environment. Although we couldn’t go home at night and the training was ______ and difficult, our humorous young drill sergeant (教官) with a funny accent was a real ______ of our days. We laughed at his jokes, sat in rows singing different songs and ______ him telling true stories about his life. He gave us the feeling that ______ and sweat were not the only things that military training ______ .

After this journey, we were more ______ than we had imagined and we were much braver than we had ______ . Girls who looked pale rested for a little while, then right away came back to the team. Boys who were being punished ______ to the playground at once and began to run. Sweat flowed down our faces when we thought about how to shout ______ than other classes.

Military training taught us perseverance (不懈) and determination. On the last day of our training, the confidence could be ______ on our faces. We shouted so loud that our ______ could be heard across the heavens. With eyes like burning torches (火炬) , we walked into the future. Now the sun is ______ at all of us.