Last month, students at an elementary school, with the help of their art teacher,     1     (create) a telephone hotline that people can call to get cheerful advice from kids during difficult times. The hotline was available     2     English and Spanish. It offered the happy voices of children of different ages     3     (share) positive messages. For example, by pressing 3, you can hear a group of kindergartners saying together: “You can do it! Keep trying, and don’t give up!”

Paul Durietz is a 76-year-old social studies teacher from Illinois. On September 1, he set a Guinness World Record for the world's longest teaching career (职业). Mr. Durietz has been teaching for 53 years.

Social studies is the study of history, and how people, countries,    1     cultures are connected. Mr. Durietz says he     2     (make) up his mind about it when he was just 11 years old, mainly because of his love of history. He became     3     (addict) to history after hearing stories from his father     4     fought in World War Ⅱ.

Mr. Durietz got his     5     (one) teaching job at Woodland Middle School in Gurnee, Illinois in 1970. Since then, he’s been teaching social studies at     6     same school. For much of his 53 years as a teacher, Mr. Durietz has been in charge (主管) of the social studies program at Woodland. In that time, he has helped to guide over 20 other social studies teachers. Mr. Durietz is     7     (extreme) proud that he has even had students coming back and telling him that they became history teachers because of him.

Mr. Durietz says teachers should make sure they are patient with     8     (they) students. He also encourages them     9     (choose) subjects that they care deeply about. “Keep     10     (work) on what you love to do in life,” he says.

Zu Ti of the Jin Dynasty was a man who had with great ambition. When he was young, he had a good friend     1     (name) Liu Kun. They had such a deep friendship     2     they stayed together every day and got up at the same time every morning.

One day, when they were sleeping. Zu Ti heard the rooster crowing (鸡鸣) . He woke up Liu Kun and said, “How about     3     (get) up to play swords (剑) as soon as we heard the rooster crowing from now on?” Liu Kun was still     4     (sleep) . But he agreed with him     5     (joyful) . From then on, they got up and played swords once the rooster began crowing. They kept their word and never gave up no matter     6     cold in winter or hot in summer. Hard work     7     (pay) off. After a long period of hard study and training, they finally became the all-rounder. And they both did excellent jobs to their country.

The idiom “to rise with the rooster” teaches us that with ambition and hard work,     8     (succeed) is possible. When we can discover our shortcomings     9     time, it is not too late to try. But if you are not willing     10     (work) hard, you will not be able to achieve a career after all.

What made my childhood truly special was our next-door neighbor, Mrs. Greene, who was a retired schoolteacher then. Every weekend, I would     1     (eager) visit her. Sitting in her living room filled with books from floor to ceiling, and     2     (listen) to her tales were the best part of my week. The stories were her adventures during her younger days. I still remember the way her eyes     3     (light) up with every memory, the passion in her voice, and the life lessons. It was evident that her     4     (teach) days might have ended, but her wisdom hadn’t.

As a senior high student with     1     (curious), I found myself stepping onto the campus with     2     sense of anticipation. The facilities and the rich tradition of the university made a lasting     3     (impressive) on me. In that moment, I felt like an author who is ready     4     (explore) the vast collection of knowledge that lay before me. What’s more, I thought that     5     (organize) my thoughts and ideas was very much like the precise workings of an engine. Just as an insect     6     (careful) constructs its nest, I aimed to construct a solid foundation of education during my time here.     7     each new course and academic efforts, I added to my     8     (collect) of experiences, expanding my understanding of the world. This campus became a place of growth and self-discovery,     9     I learned to adapt and thrive in different environments.

A school festival is an exciting event     1     brings together students, teachers and the wider community in a celebration of talent, creativity and unity. The school grounds are changed     2     a centre of colorful decorations, lively music and a wide range of     3     (activity). Students show their skills and passions through various performances. Booths and stalls(摊位) are set up to offer games,food and crafts, creating an atmosphere of fun and enjoyment. The festival serves as an opportunity for students to express     4     (they), learn new things, and build connections.

Yu Jingjing, a security guard at a children’s hospital in Dalian, has been called “Toy Hero” by Chinese netizens after going viral on social media on Monday.

The video shows the security guard patrolled (巡逻) with tiny dolls on his uniform,     1     (offer) them to children and guiding patients’ families. “I see the hospital staff occupied     2     duties every day, and parents are worried about their sick children.” said Yu, “In the waiting area,     3     there is a familiar atmosphere of boredom and tension, people sit anxiously and look through old magazines, all of which     4     (read) hundreds of times. I am delighted to do something to help ease the     5     (anxious) of parents and children during their hospital visits.”

Yu has been working here for three years. Initially, he started to tie toys lost by children on his back, making     6     easier for the owners to find them. But rarely anyone returned     7     (claim) them. Nevertheless, these dolls proved to be     8     (incredible) effective in cheering anxious children patients up. So, Yu decided to buy some dolls with his money to give to the children.

Yu has become     9     hit at the children’s hospital. In addition to the two or three dozen dolls tied to his uniform, he also wears a small red sign that reads, “Please call me if you need help”. As is often the case, he     10     (devote) to comforting hospital visitors and healing them in a mental way.

We are writing     1     (call) on everyone to take part in the Clear Your Plate campaign. It urges people to save food by not wasting anything on the dining table. You may not know over 30% of the world’s food     2     (waste) every year, while many people in poor areas do not have enough to eat. Reducing daily food waste by just 5% could save millions of people from starvation. Let’s start doing     3     we can to make the world a better place.

Go to kindergarten, elementary school, high school, and finally, college. Most American kids     1     (expect) by their parents to get an education and have a good life. For Tara Westover, the outlook was quite different.     2     (raise) in a poor family in Idaho, Tara was not allowed to have a proper education. Her father     3     (keep) her out of school, believing a woman’s best place was in the home. How did Tara fight     4     the right to get educated? Find the answer in the bestseller Educated.

When my friend first suggested that we join the new Tai Chi Club at school, I hesitated. I always believed tai chi was for old people. After the first class,     1    , I had to admit that I had been wrong about tai chi. It was amazing! One year later, I can honestly say it has had a huge effect on me physically and mentally. Just as importantly,     2     (practise) tai chi has inspired me to explore the Chinese culture behind it.

The first few tai chi classes were fun and easy, and the moves really caught my imagination, with     3     (describe) names like “white crane spreading its wings” and “golden rooster standing on one leg”. When I asked my coach where these interesting names came from, he told me about     4     history of tai chi. Zhang Sanfeng, a 13th-century Taoist, was said to have invented tai chi after drawing inspiration from a fight between a snake and a bird. However, nowadays people tend to believe that Chen Wangting, a 17th-century master of Chinese martial arts, developed tai chi based     5     martial arts skills. No wonder some tai chi moves are named after animals—Chinese martial arts have a long-standing practice of imitating animals. Chen Wangting’s original set of moves is called Chen-style tai chi, but other styles of tai chi have since been developed, including Yang-style, Wu-style and Sun-style.

After learning the basics of tai chi in those first few classes, I found myself bored and aching from doing the same moves over and over again. Luckily, my coach taught me how to relax my muscles and focus on peace of mind while performing the routine. With these     6     (require) of tai chi in mind, I found to my satisfaction that my balance and flexibility slowly improved, that I was able to do     7     (difficult) moves, and that my love for tai chi returned stronger than ever.

In time, I began to look into the ancient Chinese culture behind tai chi. I discovered that tai chi is deeply rooted in the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang,     8     are believed to form the unity of opposites. Neither can exist independent of the other, for example, there is no shadow     9     light. The practice of tai chi aims to maintain the balance of yin and yang in the body through opposite movements: forwards and backwards, up and down, left and right, breathing in and breathing out. Eventually, tai chi brings about a state of physical balance and mental peace.

A year of practising tai chi has had a positive effect     10     my everyday life. I sleep better at night, and I am more energetic during the day. I feel happier and more confident. Tai chi has taught me to relax my mind, enabling me to stay cool in stressful situations. I am sure I will continue to practise tai chi and enjoy the benefits it has brought me.