1 . It was Christmas morning. The ground was white with _________. The birds could not get anything to _________.

Bessie looked out of the window and saw them _________ about the street. They were _________ food. Bessie was a kind little girl. She felt _________ for the poor birds. She wanted to ask them to come into her warm home. _________ she knew that they were afraid to come in. At last she thought of a good idea. She decided to make a Christmas _________ for the birds. Bessie put a little tree outside the window. Then she hung on it little baskets full of _________ and small pieces of bread.

_________ the birds did not come to the tree. But by and by two or three came near and looked at it. They ate some of the seeds and bread. Then they flew __________ to tell the other birds about it. Soon many birds flew here to get their __________. They liked them as much as Bessie liked her Christmas presents. They sang songs to give their __________ to her.

Being __________, Bessie told her parents that she would give some of her bread to the birds every cold day. But her father said that she could not feed all the hungry birds even if she gave __________ of their bread. Thinking for a while, she said that all the birds would be fed __________ other children did the same.

2 . We are in the midst of a battle for our attention. Our devices have affected our brains and destroyed our collective ability to concentrate. Journalist Johann Hair’s new book, Stolen Focus, has just joined the voices complaining about the great influence of the digital age. His and other recent books reflect a public perception that our focus is under attack.

Indeed, in our new research, we found some clear concerns. We surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,093 UK adults in 2021. Half of those surveyed felt their attention spans were shorter than they used to be, compared with a quarter who didn't. And three quarters of participants agreed we're living through a time when there's non-stop competition for our attention between a variety of media channels and information outlets (渠道).

There has long been a worry about the threat to attention brought by new cultural forms, whether that’s social media or the cheap paperback sensation novels of the 19th century. Even as far back as ancient Greece, the philosopher Socrates complained that the written words created “forgetfulness in our souls”. There has always been a tendency to fear the effects that new media and technologies will have on our minds.

The reality is that we simply don’t have long-term studies that tell us whether our attention spans have actually shrunk. What we do know from our study is that people overestimate some of the problems. There’s no such thing as an average attention span. Our ability to focus varies hugely depending on the individual and the task at hand.

It’s also important not to ignore the many benefits that technology brings to our life. Much of the public surveyed recognized these, so while half thought big tech and social media were ruining young people’s attention spans, roughly another half felt that being easily distracted was more to do with people’s personalities than any negative influence that technology may or may not have. Also, half of the public believed multitasking at work and switching frequently between emails, phone calls, and other tasks can create a more efficient and satisfactory work experience.

3 . For a long time Gabriel didn't want to be involved in music at all. In his first years of high school, Gabriel would look pityingly at music students, _______ across the campus with their heavy instrument cases. _______ at school for practice hours. _______ anyone else had to be there. He swore to himself to _______ music, as he hated getting to school extra early.

_______ , one day, in the music class that was _______ of his school’s standard curriculum, he was playing idly (随意地) on the piano and found it _______ to pick out tunes. With a sinking feeling, he realized that he actually _______ doing it. He tried to hide his _______ pleasure from the music teacher, who had, ________ over to listen. He might not have done this particularly well, ________ the teacher told Gabriel that he had a good ________ and suggested that Gabriel go into the music store-room to see if any of the instruments there ________ him. There he decided to give the cello (大提琴) a ________ . When he began practicing, he took it very ________. But he quickly found that he loved playing this instrument, and was ________ to practicing it so that within a couple of months he was playing reasonably well.

This ________ , of course, that he arrived at school early in the morning, ________ his heavy instrument case across the campus to the ________ looks of the non-musicians he had left ________.

5 . The New Year was heartbreaking for Melanie Lee. A few weeks earlier, her 33-year-old son had ________ his battle with a long illness. Then the engine on her old car ________ working. She had no means of paying for it to be fixed.

“When it ________, I broke down,” Lee said. “Now I don’t have my ________, now I don’t have transportation. How am I supposed to stay ________ in my grandchildren’s lives?”

Eliot Middleton, 38, the owner of a barbecue restaurant and a former auto mechanic who, in his free time, ________ and gives away used cars. He’d heard about Lee’s difficult ________ from her nephew. On New Year’s morning, Middleton showed up unannounced at Lee’s home with a(n) ________: a white 1933 Oldsmobile.

“I had no idea what was going on,” said Lee. “He ________ me the keys and didn’t ask for anything.” Once again, she was able to ________ her granddaughters from school and take them to dance classes. “I got my ________ back.”

The ________ for the used-car giving away came to Middleton a year earlier during a ________ drive he’d organized. Many of those who’d lined up for a meal ________ up to four miles to get there because they didn’t have cars.

________ are the lifeline in this part of South Carolina, Middleton said. There’s no public ________, no taxis to take people to doctor appointments, even food shopping. So he ________ on a social media platform an offer to trade his restaurant’s specialty for broken-down ________. Since then, people have left more than 100 cars in ________ states of disrepair. Many cars sit in Middleton’s yard waiting to be fixed and ________, usually to those he’s heard about by word of mouth.

It’s a list of names that grow daily.

“People think Middleton is a good man,” Lee’s nephew said. “And I do too.”

6 . Eating out is such a pleasure-the food, the wine, the joy of having it all brought to you by someone else — that it’s a pity to ruin the experience by sharing it with other people.

Well, I do like visiting restaurants with friends. But dining out alone has its own very special attractions. For a start you can give all your attention to the food. There’s nothing worse than having to invent and deliver an opinion on school league tables or Sanchez’s move to Manchester United, plus listen to everyone else’s opinions, when all you really want to do is enjoy each mouthful along the way.

A second great thing about eating out alone is the chance to combine food with one of life’s other true pleasures: reading. You have to plan this carefully: Indian or Chinese restaurants are best—you need food you can eat with just one hand, leaving the other free to hold your reading material.

But perhaps the biggest attraction of a table for one is the chance it gives to people- watching. Restaurants and the different reasons for visiting them-first date, business meeting, night out with friends-produce human behaviour of surprising richness and variety. Will the man selling his business idea get any joy out of his possible investor (投资者)? Will the married couple think of anything to say to each other before their main courses arrive?

This “human zoo” part of eating out alone is one of the reasons I’d hate to be famous: everyone would be watching you, so you wouldn’t be able to watch them. The snooker player Steve Davis says this was one of the strangest consequences of becoming well-known: he got very worried about his eating in public, almost to the level of doubting whether he was “doing it right.”

So next time you’re considering your eating out choices, remember the advice of the businessman Nubar Gulbenkian: “The best number for a dinner party is two — myself and a super head waiter.”

7 . Once, I was invited to see a performance by my friends. Little did I know that I was about to see something I would never forget.

After they introduced the young musician, Mr. Patrick Henry Hughes, he was rolled onto the stage in his wheelchair and began to play the piano. His fingers danced across the keys as he made beautiful music. He then began to sing as he played, and it was even more beautiful. For some reason, however, I knew that I was seeing something special. About ten minutes into Patrick’s performance, someone came on the stage and said, “I’d like to share a seven-minute video.” Then the lights went dim.

Patrick Henry Hughes was born with no eyes and a tightening of the joints, which left him disabled for life. However, as a child, he was fitted with artificial eyes and placed in a wheelchair. Before his first birthday, he discovered the piano. His mom said, “I could hit any note on the piano, and within one or two tries, he’d get it.” By his second birthday, he could play simple songs as requested. His father was excited. “We might not play baseball, but we can play music together.”

Today, Patrick is a junior. His father attends classes with him and he’s made nearly all A’s. He’s also a part of the marching band. He and his father do it together. They attend all the band practices and performances. His father rolls his son around the field to the cheers of Patrick’s fans.

But it was Patrick’s “attitude of gratitude” that touched my soul deeper. On stage, between songs, he talked to the audience about his life and about how blessed he was. He said, “God made me blind and unable to walk. BIG DEAL! He gave me the ability, the musical gifts I have… the great opportunity to meet new people.”

When his performance was over, Patrick and his father were on the stage together. The crowd rose to their feet and cheered for over five minutes.

8 . The Future Stars

The Future Stars was set up in 1988 as a non-profit service center for child development devoted to providing quality child care in a loving and educational environment for children 6 weeks to 6 years of age. Our funds mainly come from public donations.

A healthy curiosity for learning is the most important quality for early childhood development. We aim at offering high quality developmentally age-appropriate activities for early childhood, the most critical time of child development, so that they can do better after they start formal schooling.

Child care will be provided for the child from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Friday (except for holidays). Children may not arrive before 7:00 am or remain after 6:00 pm. Should an emergency arises, the parent should immediately make us know in consideration of our work arrangements. A late charge of $1.00 per minute will be assessed if the child is not picked up by 6:05 pm. Charges for these services are to be paid directly to the staff person that has been looking after your child until your arrival; not to the center. Failure to pay late charges may affect continued services with the center.

Dropping off and picking up your child can be made from the two main areas, Spring Street and Seventh Street. Parking is free for parents coming to visit their children in our center. Please do not leave your purse or valuables in your car and be sure to lock your vehicle.

When it has been confirmed that a position is available for your child, you must pay a registration (注册) fee of $200 per child.

The weekly tuition fee is $98.00. You can make payments either by credit card or in cash on Monday every week. If your payment is not made by Tuesday at 9:00 am, you will be charged a $25.00 late fee.

For more information, please call 434-293-6110 or visit at www.childdevelopmentcenter.com.

9 . My daughter performed on behalf of her class in the school concert today. She played so ________ that I could not help cheering her. The very ________reminded me of her experiences of piano practicing.

When she was five, we gave her a piano as a birthday present. With great excitement, she began learning it. However, when she was no longer ________ , she became sick of it. After all, it is a tough job to learn the piano, not to mention the daily routine (常规) of ________ .

When her first teacher left, my friend ________ me to an American teacher whose way of teaching was completely American. After practicing, she would give my daughter some good comments, and then point out what should be ________. Every time she came, ________ beginning the lesson right away, she would first play some music. She said, “To learn the piano, you should learn not only the ________of playing, but more importantly, to ________the music and love it.”

After some time, my daughter became fond of her lessons. Sometimes she even would like to ________ a little bit when her skill had reached a certain level.

Surprisingly, my daughter said to me one day, “Mom, I was ________ that you didn’t give up my piano lessons. Learning it is like climbing a mountain. You’ll feel ________when you are on the way. When you look ________from where you are, you will realize that you have been making ________ . But if you ________ , you’ll never take one more step.” That was the very thing I wanted to teach her.

10 . The pickle jar (腌菜罐子) as far back as I can remember sat on the floor in my parents’ bedroom. _________ he got ready for bed, Dad would empty his pockets and drop his _________ into the jar. When the jar was _________, he would take the coins to the bank and say _________ to the cashier, “These are for my son’s college fund. He’ll _________ work at the mill (磨坊) all his life like me.”

The years passed, and I _________ college and took a job in another town. Once, while visiting my parents, I noticed that the pickle jar was gone. It had served its purpose and had been removed. My dad was a man of _________ words, and never taught me the _________ of determination, perseverance and faith. The pickle jar had taught me more than _________ could have done.

When I got married, I told my wife Susan about the __________. In my mind, it showed how much my dad had __________ me. Dad continued to drop his coins into the jar, no matter how __________ things got at home.

The first Christmas after our daughter Jessica was born, we spent the holiday with my parents. After dinner, Susan __________ our baby into my parents’ bedroom to feed her. When Susan came back into the living room, there was strange tears in her __________. She handed Jessica to Dad before taking my hand and leading me into the room.

“Look,” she said __________, her eyes directing me to a spot on the floor. To my __________ there, as if it had never been __________, stood the old pickle jar, the bottom already __________ with coins. I walked over to the pickle jar, dug down into __________ and pulled out a handful of coins. With the strong emotions choking me, I dropped the coins into the jar. I looked up and saw that Dad, carrying Jessica, had slipped quietly into the room. Our eyes __________ and I knew he was feeling the same emotions I felt. Neither one of us could speak.