1 . As a young boy my family was very poor. I would often help do something for the neighbors to ________ a little pocket money.

One day I ________ on the door of an elderly woman and asked ________ she needed me to clean the yard. She asked why I was not in ________ and I showed her my worn ________, which no longer kept me warm. She ________ me to work in the yard. When I finished, she looked at me and said, “I suppose you want to be ________ now.” She then ________ a jar filled with dollar bills and said, “I’m glad you’ve done a ________ job today but that is not something you should be doing again. I want you to ________ new clothes and get back to school. I also want you to come back to ________ me with your report card and I will ________ you when I see you have worked hard and have some good ________. Now reach our your little hands and take out as much ________ as you can.”

I put my hands in the jar and ________ so much money that it was ________ for me to buy what I badly needed. Later, I returned several times to see the woman and she did just as she ________. She looked at my report card and gave me a handful of dollars and some delicious food every time I ________ her that I had an “A”.

I was twelve years old when I moved from that neighbourhood. I will never forget the huge ________ this wonderful lady made over my life with her ________. This is something I hope to do myself in this lifetime over and over again.

2 . I was never very neat while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but my always hid somewhere. She even labeled (贴标签) everything. I always looked for everything. Overtime, Kate got neater and I got my merriser. She moved to push my dirty clothing over and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other.

Who broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her screaming, “Take your shoes away! why under my bed!” Suddenly I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.

The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation, I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up. She quickly crawled (爬) under her covers, crying. Obviously. that was something she could not go through alone. All of a sudden, a warm feeling of sympathy (同情) rose up in my heart.

Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bad. Cleaned the suckers and swept the floor even on her side. I got so absorbed into my work that I even didn’t notice Kate had sat up. She was watching. Her tears dried and her expression was such disbelief. Then, she reached out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me. “Thanks.”

Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn’t always agree, but we learned the key to living together: giving in, cleaning up and holding on.

4 . We humans love to stare into our smart devices. We gaze for hours—about 10 hours and 39 minutes a day—at our computers, smartphones, tablets and televisions. Is all this staring bad for us?   It might be, mainly because as we stare at our devices we are exposing ourselves to blue light.

Blue light is a type of electromagnetic radiation with a very short wavelength that produces a high amount of energy. While it’s true that light can damage our eyes under certain circumstances, there’s no scientific evidence suggesting that blue light is harmful to our eyes. But many people still think it is, which is why blue-light-blocking glasses are so popular. So, do the glasses work?

“Everyone is very concerned that blue light may be causing damage to the eye, but there’s no evidence that it may be causing serious damage, ” Dr. Rahul Khurana, a clinical spokesman, told Business Insider.

Blue light exposure is nothing new. In fact, the sun is the largest source of blue light. Moreover, blue light is also present in LED light. But if blue light isn’t harmful, then why are we constantly rubbing our eyes when we’re looking at our screens?   The answer is eyestrain (眼疲劳). More than 60 percent of people experience eye problems associated with digital eyestrain. And blue light, it seems isn’t the cause. Instead, our eyes are so strained because most of us blink less when we stare at our digital devices. So, if eyestrain is the real issue, blue-light-blocking glasses are probably of little use.

8 . The Internet plays a big part in human life. We use it for work and pleasure. We use it to learn a new language. We find advice on it. We use it to connect with family and friends. We use it to stay in touch with events we care about. The list goes on and on.

Well, that train has left the station.   This expression means there is no going back to an Internet-free life. But can using the Internet too much be bad for our health? It might be, researchers say. A new study finds that heavy Internet use may be connected to high blood pressure in an unlikely group: teenagers.

High blood pressure makes your heart and blood vessels work too hard. Over time, this extra pressure increases your risk of a heart attack. High blood pressure can also cause heart and kidney disease. It is also closely linked to a brain disease.

The Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan did the study. 335 young people, from 14 to 17 years old , took part in it. 134 of the teens were described as “heavy Internet users.” And researchers found that out of these 134 teens,26 had high blood pressure. The researchers say the study is the first to connect heavy web use with high blood pressure. Other research has connected heavy Internet use with anxiety, depression and obesity.

The lead researcher is Andrea Cassidy Bushrow. She said, “Using the Internet is part of our daily life, but it shouldn’t ruin us.” Ms. Cassidy Bushrow adds that it is important for teens to take regular breaks from their computers or smartphones and do some kind of physical activity. She also suggests that parents limit their children’s use of the Internet to two hours a day, five days a week.

9 . Hedy Lamarr was used to being admired for her looks. As a Hollywood film star, she was called "the most beautiful woman in the world". What she was less known for was her scientific thinking ability. During World War I, Lamarr quietly co-invented the technology that would be the precursor（前身）to Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and other systems we rely on today.

She had a natural curiosity about the world around her. As young as 5, she would spend time taking apart and rebuilding her music box to understand how it worked. At 16, she got her first film role and quickly became an international icon（偶像）. As her acting career continued to take off. World War II broke out. Lamarr became restless, feeling that she should do more to contribute to the Allies' war efforts. "Lamarr said that she did not feel very comfortable, sitting there in Hollywood and making lots of money when things were in such a state," says George Antheil.

Together with Antheil, Lamarr came up with a groundbreaking new form of wireless communication known as Spread Spectrum（频谱）. The concept was to create a wireless signal that could travel quickly from frequency to frequency. But the military refused to use it in their war efforts. The technology sat unused for years, until one day in the 1960s, the military accepted it and called the system "Spread like Wildfire".

Hedy Lamarr played the role she was expected to play in Hollywood—a beautiful star on the big screen. And without her, communication could look completely different today. Lamarr's experience can serve as a reminder：Pursue your talents and passions. Not only will the world be better for it, but every pioneer who challenges the old will pave the way for others to follow.

10 . Nougat and Clarence became best friends almost as soon as Nougat moved into the retirement home. Nougat likes to rest his head on the back of Clarence as often as he gets the ____. The dogs live at Vintage Pet Rescue, a non-profit organization that ____ elder animals from local shelters (收容所) that are ____ to find a new home. The organization aims to give dogs a comfortable, loving environment at the ____ of their lives.

Kristen Peralta, the founder of Vintage Pet Rescue, takes care of 27 mostly senior dogs. While she and her husband have unofficially been ____ older dogs for some time, Peralta turned her passion into a full-time job in 2017.

In some ways, elder dogs may be less ____ to care for because they prefer sitting still than little ones. But their futures aren’t always so ____. There are many organizations, like Peralta’s, ____ on rescuing elderly pets and giving them protection outside of animal shelters, in part because senior dogs in shelters have a(n) ____ rate of just 25 percent, while younger dogs have a 60 percent rate.

A life spent ____ two dozen older dogs can be very busy. Peralta ____ vet appointments at least once a week, gives out individual medications and does a lot of bathing and petting. But the work is rewarding, and she thinks it’s helping to show more and more people are beginning to ____ just how special senior dogs are. “You can just tell how much they ____ it when they’re helped in trouble,” Peralta said. “They’re ____ that they’re with you and you love them. It’s so special to know that you saved a dog’s life and that you’re going to make a ____to the rest of its life.”