1 . Better starve free than be a fat slave. There is nothing worth so much as liberty.

There was once a Wolf who got very little to eat because the dogs of the village were so wide awake and _________. He was really nothing but skin and bones, which made him very_________ to think of it.

One night this Wolf happened to fall in with a fine fat House Dog who had _________ a little too far from home. The Wolf would gladly have eaten him then and there, but the House Dog looked so_________. So the Wolf spoke very humbly to the Dog,_________ him on his fine appearance.

“You can be as well﹣fed as I am if you want to,” suggested the Dog. “Leave the woods; there you will live miserably _________ you have to fight hard for every bite you get. Follow my _________ and you will live a beautiful life.” “What must I do?” asked the Wolf. “Chase people who carry walking sticks and _________ at beggars. _________ you will get delicious food of every kind — chicken bones, meat, sugar, cake and much more, besides, not to speak of kind words and care.”

The Wolf had such a beautiful vision of his coming happiness that he __________ wept. But just then he noticed that the hair on the Dog’s __________ was worn and the skin was red and sore.

“What’s wrong with your neck?” “Nothing at all,” replied the Dog. “What? Nothing?” “Oh, just a trifle!” the Dog added, “Perhaps you see the mark of the collar __________ which my chain is fastened.”

“What? A chain!” cried the Wolf. “Couldn’t you go wherever you want to go?” “Not always, but what’s the __________?”refuted the Dog.

“All the difference in the world! I don’t care about your feasts and I wouldn’t take all the tender young lambs in the world at that __________. ” insisted the Wolf. And __________ ran the Wolf to the woods.

2 . Our savings ran out and we were going to lose our house. We had to move into Grandpa’s house, which had been old and beyond _________ when Grandpa Mac was living. Now that the place had been _________ for more than five years, it became much worse.

The roof seemed to leak _________. Hundreds of thousands of footsteps had _________ the finish (饰面) off the hardwood floors. One of the doors on the kitchen cupboards was broken and it _________ open forever. Worst of all, the white paint on the walls was beginning to fall but there was _________ nothing we could do about that.

Joe and I both tried to be _________ around Kelly as we packed to move. She was only three. As long as we didn’t give her the wrong _________, she wouldn’t notice the poor condition of her new home.

One evening, I walked out into the back yard to _________ the heavy heat in the house. __________ there wasn’t any air conditioning. Kelly was busy __________ the dandelions (蒲公英) in the yard. She smiled when she saw me and ran over to give me a bright yellow bunch. “We have __________ in the yard, Mommy. Most people just have grass,” she said. “We also have pretty butterflies. This must be the __________ place in the whole world to live.”

I suddenly __________ things were not that bad. It took a three-year-old to teach me how to see something to be __________ for in our new home.

3 . I found the bed shaking, gently at first. Because I was half asleep and not a native, I just thought it was ______ serious.

Sitting up, I turned on the bedside lamp. It was 3:34 a.m. ______, my 14th-floor Santiago Hotel room came alive, like a very ______ animal shaking a smaller one in its teeth. Then the lights ______. The noise was more ______ in the dark. A strong feeling of ______ began to control me. As I pulled myself to standing, I couldn’t help ______ that I might not see my husband and sons again.

In a hurry I opened the ______ of my room and expected to find people. But ______, there was no one about. My mind was crying crazily, ______ I didn’t even call for help. Luckily, a middle-aged man came up. He just said, “We should go ______.” I said “Okay” and followed him to the stairs. On a lower floor I joined in a ______ of people and walked our way outside to the tennis courts, where a crowd of several hundred were ______. Some were crying; all were weak. Then I noticed that a woman was about to fall down and immediately I went to ______ her. When I looked around and saw frightened children in parents’ arms, my selfish thought was thank God that my ______ weren’t here.

Soon hotel staff were setting up chairs and passing around bottled water. They offered us tablecloths to wrap around ourselves against the night ______ and shoes for people ______ feet were bare. They seemed very ______ while in fact they too must be afraid.

We all felt lucky to be alive, but as ______ our relief was mixed with guilt for we soon learned that the 8.8-magnitude earthquake had left many dead and others homeless and tsunamis (海啸) were ______ the way.

4 . At our residence, we made sure a small lawn (草坪) space remained green by watering regularly. I live in an area _________ by a fairly large garden. There are a number of fruit trees _________ here along with many plants and lots of grass. That _________ the flying beauties — the birds visiting the space regularly. At first sight, the garden appears very _________ but actually many birds live in it or visit it _________ . Some people keep birds in _________ to listen to their songs. I say it is _________ better for the birds to live freely.

Every morning I am awakened by the shrill _________ of a magpie-robin. The sound is so sweet and I just lie in bed listening to the songs _________ the bird flies away. Small plants and bushes provide good __________ for insects and very small birds, while larger trees will attract visits __________ more birds and mammals. They come to sing, __________ a bit or look for food. So it is always a(n) __________ to see them. I just sit quietly and they __________ their business undisturbed.

It’s easy to attract birds to your __________   however small and close it is to a city. I have seen the spotted-dove, pigeon and various other little birds which I cannot __________. They sing, dance and __________ their beautiful colors. It is quite a(n) __________. On the other hand there are those annoying little sparrows that come into the house to __________ food.

__________ to say, the surrounding area is being developed and the wildlife is being chased away or destroyed.

5 . My grandmother has been gone for many years now and while she was alive, we were not particularly ________. I lived in suburban and only saw her once each year or so. My grandmother lived alone, far away in an apartment in a splendid building which my brother, sister and I ________ “the castle”. She was ________ educated as she could speak several foreign languages.

On each Christmas morning, my brother, sister and I would run down the stairs and see a beautiful tree ________ by brightly wrapped package. We would dive into the pile with great ________, ripping the paper and revealing all the latest toys. ________, I would see an odd-looking package deep under the tree that I knew could only be from grandmother. “Another ________, just like every year!”

Although I was not interested in school, I had enormous ________ with younger children. Slowly the idea of becoming a teacher ________ and I decided to give college a try. Having a ________ made things easier for me and I began to apply myself. One day, during my favorite class of Children’s Literature, my professor ________ a list of books on a projector (投影仪) that included ________ that had been awarded a Newbery Medal or were Caldecott winners. Suddenly, memories came flooding ________.

________ a handwritten copy of my teachers’ list of classics, I raced home and ran down to the ________. There in the corner on a ________ shelf sat the most amazing collection of children’s books any teacher could hope to have. As I ran my ________ across the covers of these books, I saw my grandmother’s ________ handwriting that read, “To Elizabeth Rose, with love, from Grandmother.” Now I saw how ________ she had been and how each book was so carefully ________ at different times of my life.

6 . When I was four years old, my life as I know it now began. I have Selective Mutism. This is a ___________childhood illness in which children stop speaking in certain social situations. I spoke___________to my parents and certain other people, but was ___________at school and in social situations. I went days, weeks, months without a ___________at school.___________, I might whisper to a friend.

At that time, we did not even have a name for what I had. I _________ silently through school until one day I was asked by a doctor what I wanted most in the world. He explained that I was going to be given a(n) ___________to work for it. I couldn't believe my good luck, _______________I could not answer. I just stood there, ___________ to tell. __________, I whispered the answer in my mother's ear. "A __________ ," was all I could say.

____________, before my dream came true, I had a list of weekly tasks I had to ________. I did everything that was asked of me and the day came when I got the horse. His name was Sequoia. He was perfect, of course, and I fell in love____________.When I was together with Sequoia, I ____________ all about my problems and felt __________ and secure. He was silent too, but ____________ at the same time, which gave me the strength I needed __________a reason to push myself.

I am taking a(n)____________ part in society these days. My horse and I made it through a master's degree(硕士学位) and then law school. Now, I am a lawyer, who even make court（法庭） appearances. I feel grateful to the horse. He has given me the best __________ I could ever imagine, my life.

7 . Seven years ago, our daughter, Alle Shea, was born. All of our family were excited with the new arrival. After she was given to me by a nurse from the delivery room, I _______ her cautiously, wondering how_______ life was.

However, our joy_______ for just several seconds. We noticed that she was crying weakly and refused to _______. We went to have the doctor check on her health. After the _______, the doctor told us our daughter was_________with the rare bone disease called Osteogenesis Imperfecta (成骨不全症). At birth Alle Shea’s skull looked like a_________   egg on the x-rays.

Watching my daughter _________was the greatest pain. After being terribly tortured（折磨）for a long time, my wife and I_________take our five-week-old daughter off life support, by far the most__________decision of our life. The day Alle was leaving us, we were able to take her outside on the hospital deck and hold her in our arms until she __________.

We had two ________ that day: we could have let the sadness overtake us, or we could turn it into a __________. Since that day, my wife and I have worked ________ volunteering our time hosting special events, and talking to others about Osteogenesis Imperfecta(OI). We even________ hospitals to join us and this is the battle we are still________. Over the seven years, we have __________ thousands of hours. In February of 2015 we __________ OI Care for You program. Ever since, we have been sending stuffed animals to children with OI. Each present brings them a smile and__________. Many OI families thank us for doing what we do and giving them another way to show __________ for a family member with OI.

8 . Brave dog wasn’t always his name. When we   ________ him first, he was all ________ and skinny-ribbed（皮包骨头的）， ________ worth a second look. But Mattie walked straight, “What a pretty dog!” The dog looked unsure, ________ he was not used to being spoken to kindly. “ ________ that Stray Dog,” I cried. “You know ________ Dad feels about stray dogs.” “Don’t call him Stray Dog,” said Mattie. “He’s a pretty dog and I’m ________ him. ”

To Mattie, he was Pretty Dog. She talked to him, played with him and fed him. He followed her everywhere. Both ________. One day, Dad discovered him. “Mattie! Get away from That Dog!” Dad ________. So Stray Dog became That Dog.

One cold winter day, Dad went ________. Mattie wanted to go, but Dad didn’t ________ .

A few hours later, Dad came home with some fish. “Where is Mattie?” Dad asked. Mom and I were in confusion(困惑地), both ________ Mattie was with the other. “Maybe she went after you.” “ ________ she never came to the lake. Come on, we must find her.”

We were so ________ about her safety that we hurried out. ________, we didn’t find her.

Suddenly, some dog barks(犬吠) ________. “It’s That Dog!” Following the barks, we found Mattie ________ under a fallen tree. We felt relaxed. Mattie said, “We got lost. Then I fell and hurt my foot so I couldn’t ________. Pretty Dog kept me ________.” I don’t remember who started calling him ________, but that was his name from then on.

9 . I’m not the kind of mother who normally brushes and styles her daughter’s hair, and my daughter has ______ liked sitting ______ long enough for me to do ______.

But today, I’ve ______ a stool(凳子) outside and ______ my daughter Sally on it ______ I realize it’s the ______ time for a week of us to be together. I’m sending Sally away for a summer camp. Living on a farm without any ______, I’ve chosen a life ______ than a typical family’s but Sally has become increasingly depend on my ______.

I drive Sally to a nearby camp. Once there, we are introduced to Sally’s fellow campers. ______in her eyes, she tried to work up the courage to join them. “I need you for a few more     ______,” she tells me, holding my hand tightly.

I ______ and walk up to a camp worker. “Excuse me. This is my daughter Sally. Could you help her meet a few of these kids?” He comes ______ to talk to Sally, and I disappear ______   she realizes I’m gone.

On the way, I feel a piece of my soul has been taken away. The tears ______ down my face.

When I arrive home, I calm down and remind myself ______ I chose this path. I want Sally to have a chance to get out of my ______. If I don’t set her free, she’ll never form her real       ______.

After 12 years of ______ being together, I want to finally meet my daughter for the first time.

10 . Mary uses a walking stick. Benjamin recently learned how to walk. Mary is 99. Benjamin is 2. The neighbors may seem like _________friends, but during the pandemic (疫情), they formed a unique _________at the fence between their houses in Minneapolis.

“Benjamin just turned 2 years old. We’ve been _________with Mary long before he was born,” Benjamin’s mom, Sarah Olson said. They didn’t see Mary much, _________last year when the COV1D-19 pandemic _________and the family had to stay home, Mary was someone they could _________—outside.

During the pandemic, the Olsons _________played in their yard, and Mary would be in hers. Benjamin would _________Mary when he saw her in the yard and they would play games. There's a 97-year _________gap, but Benjamin doesn’t see it.

“She’s just Mary, or ‘Mimi’,” Sarah said. “We’re inside and he’ll go, ‘Mimi? Mimi?’ and we'll go outside and ____________Mary. Then Mary will call out, ‘Hey Benjamin!’ How ____________a scene it is!”

For Mary, who was completely ____________during the pandemic, a friend was just what she needed. It seems Mary has ____________a childlike spirit with Benjamin, playing with bubbles and even water guns.

More than a year after they first started ____________together, Benjamin and Mary still ____________each other's company. Benjamin and Mary's friendship has ____________so many because people like to see relationships form so ____________for young people and elderly people. “We didn't have to work on it at all; it just ____________,” Sarah said.

“Friendship can be ____________in so many different ways. I’m really happy they’ve developed this friendship, ” she said. “It is such a rewarding ____________for both of them.”