1 . When I was a child growing up in Ohio, the butterflies would sometimes pass through on their way to Mexico. And it was wonderful to see football fields full of them—and I wanted to revisit that on a larger scale (规模). I knew I had to go to see the migration (迁徙) in Mexico.

But I was on a budget. I didn’t want to rent a car in Mexico or take a bus to Valle de Bravo, the starting point for most butterfly journeys, so I called the guys at The Muddy Boot, travel experts in Mexico who can make almost anything happen at a reasonable price.

And so, on January 2, I found myself in The Muddy Boot van (面包车), being driven for two hours from Mexico City to Valle de Bravo, a lovely town on a volcanic lake which is a central point for the butterfly journeys. I booked a two-night stay at the Hotel Rodavento, an all eco-friendly hotel with individual wooden houses spreading throughout the forest and around a lake.

The first reserve I visited was Piedra Herrada, a popular destination, as it is only 40 minutes away from Valle de Bravo. The climb up is tiring. It is advisable to hire a horse. But the horse cannot take you all the way, and there is some hiking in thin air, so you must be patient, drink a lot of water, and be in reasonably good shape.

The walk is more than worth it though. As I struggled to catch my breath, I looked up and lost my breath again. At first glance, the trees had turned into different shapes, but on closer look, every inch of them was covered with butterflies.

A few flew through the air (Most of them were not warm enough). As the sun rose, they began to come alive. Soon the air was filled with flying butterflies, transforming the forest into something magical and straight out of a fairy tale.

2 . I had driven home to celebrate my 38th birthday with my mother. When I arrived, I found her sitting proudly at the kitchen table, a chocolate cake and two boxes wrapped in orange ribbon (丝带) in front of her. “Happy birthday!” she said, _________ at the boxes. “Open them.”

As she knows me _______ than anyone, she’d gotten me exactly what I wanted — running clothes. I hugged her and thanked her and proceeded (接着) to eat the cake.

“Too many _______,” I said, not really caring.

“You’ll run them off tomorrow,” Mom said.

Many adult children with a parent suffering from _________ memory will tell you there was one day that _______ to them that their relationship with their mother or father would be forever changed.

For me that day _______ two weeks later, when I drove back for another short _______. I came upon exactly the same _______: my mom sitting at the kitchen table; a chocolate cake resting next to two boxes wrapped in curly ribbon. The ribbon was green this time. That was the only _______. “Happy birthday!” my mom said.

I was totally confused. “What’s going on?” I asked. She smiled, “Can’t I celebrate my daughter’s birthday?”

This was no ________. This was real life, and since my mother clearly only wanted to make me ________, I pushed aside my fear and played my role as the ________ daughter. I hugged her, thanked her and ________ the clothes… I did not mention to her that we’d done all this two weeks ago.

My house is her world now. My mother and I have the ________ conversation roughly 10 times a day. ________, I consider it a pleasure, because every minute is new for her.

3 . I dropped a clay cooking pot on my feet. More accurately, I slipped down the back steps of my house on a rainy night, _______ the pot into the air. I managed to stay upright (挺直的) and _______ on my backside with my feet in front of me, but the pot also landed upright and on my feet, breaking in two. The hot juices I was trying to throw into the outdoor dustbin _______ in the air, and then rained down upon me. At the very moment, I could _______ the headline: “Woman Dies Doing the Dishes After Dinner”.

Life didn’t stop because I got _______. However, my daily routine slowed down. I _______ less urgent appointments. Though I hated the _______ in my plans, I soon realized it left me a gift: spare time. I rediscovered long-forgotten _________. I read a book just for pleasure. I caught up with friends and family members in e-mails and texts. I _______ with my watercolor set. And my ________ came alive again.

When I was forced to slow down, I realized how ________ my lifestyle used to be. So I decided something had to ________. Now I try to leave some ________ for activities and practices that bring me joy, like going for walks or enjoying a meal with friends.

Every time I cook in my new pot, I remember the ________ of slowing down. And I never ever walk down ________ stairs with a pot in my hands.

One morning, Ann’s neighbor Tracy found a lost dog wandering around the local elementary school. She asked Ann if she could keep an eye on the dog and she planned to find its owner. Ann agreed, but she said that she could watch it only for the day because she needed to take care of her son. At the time, her son Thomas was 10 years old, who was recovering from a heart operation.

Later, Tracy took photos of the dog, printed off 400 FOUND fliers, put them in mailboxes and began to find the dog’s owner. Meanwhile, Ann bought some pet supplies, warning her son not to fall in love with the dog. However, her son was filled with excitement as he knew that his mother got a dog back home. He planned to provide the dog with some food everyday.

Four days later, Ann and her son were still looking after the dog, whom they had started to call Riley. During the four days, they took care of the dog carefully, provided some food, took a shower and played with it, and they had already become the best friends.

The evening of the fifth day, when Ann arrived home from work, the dog threw itself against the door and barked madly at her. As soon as she opened the door, Riley dashed into the boys’ room where Ann found Thomas suffering from a heart attack. Riley ran over to Thomas, but as soon as Ann bent over to help him, the dog went silent.

The doctor said if it hadn’t come to get his mother in time, Thomas would have died. Luckily, with the doctor’s help, Thomas could go home tomorrow morning.

“Mum, can we keep it if we can’t find its owner? Even we can ask for permission if we find the owner,” Thomas asked his mother when they came back home.

“Well, since no one has called to claim it, we decide to keep it,” his mother replied. Hearing that, Thomas was excited.

However, the next day, Ann was told a man named Peter recognized his lost dog.

Peter’s car came and Thomas stood silently beside his car.

9 . In both Africa and Asia elephants are being threatened by changes in their natural habitats. People are moving into the elephants’ habitats and endangering their survival. In the country of Sri Lanka, there is one place where elephants are not only protected but also respected. It is called Elephant Transit Home (ETH).

Set up in 1995, the ETH aims to protect and care for baby elephants that are found injured or living without their mothers in the wild. Every year about 30 baby elephants in Sri Lanka need help. Many are brought to the ETH. There they are given food, shelter, and medical care. Most importantly, they are given the chance to be with other elephants and become part of a herd.

A day at the ETH begins early in the morning when the baby elephants are given their first feeding of milk. During the day, each baby will drink an average of 13 gallons of milk. Older elephants are fed mostly coconut leaves and other native plants. There are no boundaries in the area for the baby elephants as they have the freedom to walk wherever they want. The cost of caring for the baby elephants is high. The ETH spends about $125,000 each year on powdered milk for the baby elephants.

At the ETH, workers try to reduce human connections with the elephants. They also try to increase bonds (联系) between the elephants. It usually takes three years for a baby elephant to be set free into its natural habitat. The elephants are sent back to the wild together with other orphans with whom they have bonded. This program helps them return to the wild as members of a herd that will communicate with each other and take care of each other.

The ETH is considered as one of the best animal protection sites in the world. Not only are the elephants cared for, but they are treated with respect. Most importantly, they go back to live in the wild, where they belong.

The Spring Festival is     1     most important festival in China. It is meant     2     (celebrate) the beginning of a new year on the Chinese calendar.

During the Spring Festival, families gather together and enjoy the family reunion.     3     many people like best is setting off     4     (firework), which is a popular activity during the festival. Children are fond     5     the festival very much, when they can wear new clothes and have delicious food like dumplings, which are     6     (tradition) Chinese food. They can also get some money     7     was put in red envelopes from their parents for good luck.     8     (typical), people put up new couplets (对联) on the door for good fortune. The Spring Festival lasts about 15 days, during which people visit relatives and friends sending their Spring Festival greetings.

With more and more people     9     (enjoy) the Spring Festival around the world, it has become more popular. People hold the     10     (believe) that the Spring Festival has a rich cultural meaning and will be valued forever.