1 . Once upon a time, there was a shepherd (牧羊人). He _________ dozens of sheep. He tended (照料) the sheep in the daytime, and kept them in the sheepfold (羊圈) at night.

One morning, the shepherd found that one sheep was _________. His neighbor helped him check the sheepfold. “There is a hole in the wall of your sheepfold. A wolf went in through the hole, and took the sheep away at night. You should _________ the sheepfold quickly and fill up the hole,” the neighbor said.

However, the shepherd was _________ to the neighbor’s advice. He replied, “I have already lost the sheep. It is no _________ repairing the sheepfold.” The next morning, the shepherd found that another sheep was gone.

The neighbor said, “If you had _________ my advice, you wouldn’t have made the same mistake. Aren’t you going to take action right now?”

The shepherd filled up the hole _________ at once. After that, _________ of his sheep was taken away by the wolf.

If there is a mistake, we should _________ it as soon as possible. In this way, we can avoid more __________.

2 . I am Nasilele, from Zambia, working as a UN Peacekeeper for the past two years. Though Zambia is a very ______ country I was aware that there are other countries in Africa, where there has been a lot of violent ______. I felt it was my ______ to help innocent people who are caught in the middle of these conflicts, so I ______ the United Nations.

My ______ are from many different countries, which is a good thing as it ensures that there are many different cultures and ______ all working towards the same goals. Our ______ vary with many different tasks from one day to the next. We ______ cities and villages to ensure that no conflict is occurring, help bring ______ of food and medicine to those who need it and write reports on everything we do and see.

As a woman, I am particularly ______ by the United Nations Peacekeepers as I can act as a role model for many women and girls in the country, helping them feel that they also ______ to be respected and treated ______.

My life as a peacekeeper is all about long hours in a very ______ environment. I have basic ______ with just a bed in a shared room and a small kitchen and bathroom. However, I know that what I do is ______.

3 . My 13-year-old daughter sent a postcard to us while we were still away on our most recent trip to California. It ______ our house about a week later. The touching ______ nearly brought me to tears.

“Even though we ______ have two days of adventures ahead of us, I am just so ______ for everything we have experienced together on this trip,” she writes.

Our youngest daughter is just about to ______ 11 years old. In those years, we have never taken a true ______ as a family of four to a place we’ve never been. Like most ______, I have no idea where the time has gone. But I also think these are some of the best ages to ______ with kids.

This vacation to California was our very first ______, long-distance trip together. The kids helped ______ the trip with input on things they might like to see and do. They reached for our hands in crowds. I can’t remember the last time they held our hands ______.

One of our family bonding moments came when we took a family surfing lesson. It was the first time any of us had tried surfing, although it was something the girls had been ______. The smiles on the girls’ faces were everything. They were so ______ when they stood up on the board and rode the waves one by one.

Those are memories I’m going to ______. And yes, I will remind them of these times the next time I reach for their ______.

4 . Zhang Shuo became a winner of Labor Day Medal of this year. Before that, he was _________ with the title of “the Most Beautiful Worker” on April 30, 2022.

Zhang Shuo got a job of designing advertisements in Harbin in 2015. Two years later, he decided to return to his hometown, Dongsheng Village in Hegang, to help his aging parents with their rice farm. He started his job as a food deliveryman (快递员) in 2018. “I just wanted to use the off season of farming to _________ some money, and I didn’t plan on it becoming a permanent ( 长 期 的 ) job,” he said. “I found the _________ development space, so I decided to _________ and do better.”

Zhang Shuo was always attaching more importance to the quality of service than the quantity of orders. In late December 2018, a snowstorm _________ deliverymen to take food to customers on foot. To prevent the food from getting cold, Zhang Shuo _________ the food with his coat. Around two hours later, the customer received his food and it was still _________. Every time Zhang Shuo finished a(n) _________, he would take away the rubbish outside his customer’s door, which brought him lots of good reviews.

In June, 2019, Zhang Shuo became the manager of the delivery operations of Meituan in Hegang City. Since then, he began to find more ways to help young villagers get out of poverty (贫穷) and increase their _________. “I hope to recruit (招募) more excellent young people and double the size of my team in the future,” he said. “__________, I hope to lead more local people to a better life.”

5 . Many years ago, a teenage boy named David arrived at a children’s institution in England. He was referred to me, a (an)_________, by his head teacher. David had lost both his parents and was understandably sad and_________. I met with him twice, but he _________ silent.

I recognized the limitations of psychology in _________ his deep pain but found that empathetic listening and shared activities like chess provided a safe space for David to _________. So we played every Wednesday afternoon in _________ and without any eye contact. I _________ to ensure he won once or twice, providing a sense of _________ and success.

Gradually, David began to _________. He arrived early and __________ participated in setting up the chessboard. It seemed as if he enjoyed my __________. I thought David needed someone to share his pain with, and he sensed my respect for his __________. Months later, I watched David __________ over the chessboard. Suddenly, he looked up at me and said, “Your __________.” After that, he started talking and making friends. He wrote to me about his bike rides and plans to get into university. Later, he really started living his own life.

David showed me how one can reach out to another person without __________, just with a hug, a shoulder to cry on, or an ear that listens.

6 . Luke Coelho recently transferred from Brazil to attend school in the United States. He understands that integrity and _________ are values appreciated in all countries and cultures. And Luke didn’t hesitate to _________ both when he found a pocket full of family _________ left behind in a(n) _________ jacket.

Andy’s Attic is a clothing donation program at Luke’s new school, and Luke recently _________ the jacket through the program. Local resident Dave Kenney was the one who donated the jacket.

When Luke put on the coat,_________, he found much more than a warm coat. Inside the pocket, Luke discovered some personal _________, including two watches, a bracelet and two diamond rings!

Luke _________ shared the news with his aunt Taryn Souza and together they set to work trying to _________ the owner of the items. With some detective work, they were __________ to find Dave. Of course, he was __________ to receive the prized pieces back, but he hadn’t even __________ that they were in the jacket!

Earlier this year, both Dave’s mother and wife passed away, so he was especially __________ to have back the wedding ring he’d bought for his wife and items that had __________ his mother. Dave stated, “This fine young man did the right thing. I totally __________ what they did for me and my family.”

7 . Henry remembers the day well. It was a day that would change his life. He was sitting at the kitchen table, watching his ten-year-old granddaughter, Sophia, do her homework. She had asked him a question about history and was now _________ him with big brown eyes, waiting for an answer. Henry looked at the kettle and then out of the kitchen window. Henry can still hear himself say, “I’m sorry, my dear. I don’t know.”

Henry had spent forty years working as a librarian in a school. He was now _________ and spent his days looking after Sophia. However, he felt that he should be doing more with his life, though he was in his seventies with grey hair and _________ wrinkles in his forehead (额头). As Sophia continued her homework, he read an article in the newspaper about the health _________ of older people going back to university. The article said that it kept the brain _________ and helped prevent loneliness. He made the _________ there and then. The next morning, he would go to Birkbeck, University of London and take a _________ in history.

After four years, Henry got his degree in history. “_________ the course has given me such a sense of achievement,” he says. “It has also made me _________ about doing all the other things that I’ve never had the courage to try before. It’s __________ too old to learn.”

8 . At 13, I resolved to be an amazing teacher, overwhelmingly driven by a _________ desire for superpowers, which some of my gorgeous teachers had.

In fifth grade, Ms. Charlotte, an English teacher could magically _________ us to different worlds every day. She encouraged us to find something beautiful on our way home or to school. Perhaps, it could be a _________ of freshly baked bread drifting from someone’s house, or the sound of breezes slightly rustling leaves. She _________ curiosity into us. She guided us to bravely _________ joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, modesty, loyalty, duty, kindness, friendship, sympathy, generosity, creativity, truth and faith.

She told us stories from books we would otherwise never _________. Currently, I still remember highlights of the classic she shared, The Old Man and the Sea. After Santiago, an old fisherman came in empty-handed for eighty-four days, we couldn’t imagine what difficulty he had _________ a huge marlin. At the sight of the beautiful huge _________, he was unable to _________ his excitement, with a bright smile __________ to his face. Yet, a __________ battle lay ahead. He felt faint but held on the great fish with all his strength. “I moved him,” he thought, “Pull, hands. Hold up, legs. Last for me, head. You never went.” For two days and nights __________, the huge fish dragged the boat drifting. The elderly was in danger. Once, twice more, once more he tried and he felt himself extremely __________ when he turned the fish. Finally, the fish was stabbed (刺，戳) and tied to the boat.

What a man! So Ms. Charlotte inspired us to fight for our own pride and defend it, __________ the fact that life will set obstacles on the way to future with challenge, hardship, perhaps loneliness too, which will take all of our courage. It is true that a man can be destroyed physically but cannot be defeated spiritually.

Now, dear teachers, we love you and thank you from the bottom of our heart! I will keep the __________ song you’ve taught us in mind.

When your dreams come alive you’re unstoppable

Take a shot, chase the sun, find the beautiful

We will glow in the dark turning dust to gold

9 . Pingtan, the biggest island off the coast of Fujian Province, is popular with tourists these days. It has also attracted many ________ seeking a pleasant place to settle down. Among them is Italian fashion ________ Filippo Strada, who has lived on the island for four years.

Born in Milan, Strada has a well-developed ________ of fashion design. It is this love of fine clothing that led him to a career in the industry. Over the past decade, he has ________ his career in China, living in various cities. ________, due to his growing business and ________ travels, Strada spent a lot of time away from home. After his daughter was born, he made up his mind to go back to his wife’s hometown of Pingtan in 2018.

Strada ________ Pingtan with his family, determined to build a happy home on the island. But he also had a dream of building a successful business there, making the most of the local ________ development. Strada had a winning idea. He would ________ his heritage to provide goods and services with an authentic Italian ________. Starting from zero, Strada now ________ a high-end tailor shop, a cafe and an Italian restaurant in Pingtan, ________ exotic (异域风情的) experiences to both locals and tourists.

As for the future, Strada plans to ________ Chinese and English salons (沙龙) in his Italian restaurant to ________ more knowledge of Western culture. “I’m very willing to do my part to make Pingtan a (n) ________ and diverse community that is popular around the world,” he said.

10 . It was 4:30 pm. As I was packing up, I noticed my colleague had left his laptop bag in the office. So I decided to bring it to him. It took me about 15 minutes to get to his house, where I _____ the bag and got right back on the road.

Suddenly a snowstorm came and within minutes I was in a whiteout. I stopped because I was afraid of driving into a farmer’s field, or worse. I kept the car _____ to stay warm and called 911.They told me to sit tight and wait things out for the night.

Those seconds after the call were _____. Breathe, I told myself. Panicking won’t help.

I texted my colleague, joking about my good deed ending in _____. He suggested I share a satellite view of my _____ on my social media. And I did so, praying that anyone who knew the residents of the nearby farms could get me rescued.

Waiting in the car, I doubted whether _____ would be able to come. Soon enough, though, I got a message from someone who was going to put me in touch with them.

At 8 pm, I saw a tall figure in a yellow raincoat striding toward me in the dark, carrying a flashlight. I’d never been more _____ to see someone in my life. It was André Bouvier, who’d walked about 550 yards to come get me, fighting the wind and snow each step of the way.

He turned around and started to trudge through the snow, sure of the direction. I drove behind him, feeling my heart begin to beat more _____. When we reached his house, I burst into tears, all my fears turning into relief and _____.

The experience has been a game changer for me. I now ______ challenges with a sense of calm I’d not known before. But best of all, it brought André into my life.