Friends play an important part in everyone’s life. Friendship usually     1     (develop) during childhood.

Yet these days, the modern tools that keep us connected are eating away at the meaning of friendship. We may be able to make many friends online, but these     5     (friend) can be quite shallow. To make friends a real part of our lives, our smart phones should     6     (put) down. And we should meet our friends     7     person.

True friends are difficult     8     (find) . You can consider yourself very fortunate if you have one true friend. This friend is eager to help you whenever necessary. A true friend is someone you can talk to about any subject or problem     9     (sincere). A true friend is someone who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. A true friend is someone     10     supports you when you are in trouble.

4 . Joel Boyers and his wife, Melody Among, were heading home in their helicopter (直升飞机) when he received a call for help from a stranger. The caller’s brother and her _________ were trapped on their roof in Waverly because of the rising floodwater.

The caller _________ Joel Boyers to come to save her brother and daughter. Boyers looked west towards Waverly at the storm clouds. Aware of the danger to _________ in such bad weather, though, he _________ put the brother’s address into his _________. Soon, he and Among were in the air, _________ for what they were about to see in Waverly.

Upon arriving, he found the water below was _________. People were holding on to anything that didn’t move — roofs, trees. The flooding also _________ cell phone service, meaning Boyers couldn’t use his phone to locate the _________ he was looking for. He flew on anyway.

As Boyers drove the helicopter, Among began __________ people on roofs and bridges — anywhere Boyers could __________ and get them onboard. A rescued man pointed to a teenager. The teenager held onto a branch with one hand and the other held a dog she’d saved earlier while both were __________ in the current. With no place for Boyers to land, he __________ the helicopter until it hovered (盘旋) just above the water line. The rescued man jumped out and swam to the tree, where he helped the teen and the dog to the __________.

Though the experience was __________, Boyers admitted it was fun.

5 . In 1812, the year Charles Dickens was born, there were 66 novels published in Britain. People had been writing novels for a century—most experts date the first novel to Robinson Crusoe in 1719—but nobody wanted to do it professionally. The steam-powered printing press was still in its early stages; the literacy(识字) rate in England was under 50%. Many works of fiction appeared without the names of the authors, often with something like “By a lady.” Novels, for the most part, were looked upon as silly, immoral or just plain bad.

When Dickens was young, his father ran heavily into debt, so he had to go and work in a factory for making boot polish. The only formal education he received was a two-year schooling at a school for poor children. In fact, he had to teach himself all he knew. His career as a writer of fiction began in 1833 with short stories and essays in periodicals.

In 1870, when Dickens died, the world mourned him as its first professional writer and publisher, famous and beloved, who had led an explosion in both the publication of novels and their readership and whose characters — from Oliver Twist to Tiny Tim— were held up as moral touchstones. Today Dickens’ greatness is unchallenged. Removing him from the pantheon(名人堂) of English literature would make about as much sense as the Louvre selling off the Mona Lisa.

No one will ever know what mix of talent, ambition, energy and luck made Dickens such a distinguished writer. But as the 200th anniversary of his birth approaches, it is possible — and important for our own culture—to understand how he made himself a lasting one.

6 . People are often surprised by my fear of blood and needles. Working in a public health unit, I probably have more daily interaction with syringes (注射器) than the average person. But the truth is, having my blood drawn scares me.

When I was 9, I had an extremely high temperature. A nurse rudely stuck the needle into my arm, causing a sharp pain. I avoided having blood taken from my body for the next years. A few months before I turned 30, my doctor ordered a blood test as part of my physical exam. I am frightened. Sensing my fear, she gently suggested I see a psychiatrist (精神科医生). “Dr. M helped my other patients with the same fear,” she said.

When Dr. M called to set up an appointment, I hesitated. Talking about personal problems to a medically licensed stranger was uncommon in my family. “A psychiatrist?” Mother asked. “He’ll just put you on drugs. Can’t you get over this yourself?” I almost listened. But I went to Dr. M’s clinic finally. “Phobias (恐惧症) are pretty easy to treat,” he said. I wasn’t convinced of his words. But despite my doubts, I was running out of options.

We started with basic exposure treatment. I watched videos of blood being drawn every day. As I started to feel more at ease with needles, Dr. M suggested drawing blood. As he gently pressed the needle into my flesh, I felt dizzy and breathed deeply. After a few minutes, I looked at the needle. It wasn’t so bad. I didn’t pass out.

I still find it unpleasant getting blood drawn, but thanks to several months of treatment, I’m less scared. I hate to admit it, but Dr. M is right — phobias can be treated. Sometimes, we have to leave our comfort zone and face our fears. And this can lead to freedom in the end.

Zhang Zeduan’s timeless scroll is a masterwork of Chinese art. The Qingming Scroll, which offers     1     important insight into life in China in the 12th century, measures 10.03 inches in height and 17.22 feet in     2     (wide). Although the scroll is over eight hundred years old, it is in     3     (surprise) good condition.     4     (house) in the Palace Museum in Beijing, the Qingming Scroll is usually displayed flat in a glass case.

The scroll consists of three main sections, the first of which     5     (feature) crop fields, a river     6     (wind) through the landscape and farmers hard at work, presenting a peaceful scene of rural life near Bianjing. Boats sailing     7     and out of Bianjing can he seen in the second section. The final section pictures hundreds of people from all     8     (walk) of life, including butchers, hairdressers and government officials. The combination of these three sections gives the viewer an idea of     9     life was like for the people of Bianjing.

At first sight, the overall scene of life in the capital city appears peaceful and cheerful. However, if you inspect the painting carefully, some serious political and social problems     10     (expose).

10 . Barton was far too accustomed to the business. Everyone sympathized with him because of the long hours, minimum wage, and ill-mannered customers. Although struggling to pay his rent, he still went all out to make those lucky enough to sit at his tables ______.

One day, he was exhausted when he arrived to work, but he went about his daily duties, putting on a brave face as customers ______ about the food or questioned the bill. Usually as he prepared to ______ for the night, a couple of customers would sit down and order drinks. Most of the crew had left by closing time, but Barton stayed to serve. Eventually, the ______ round was ordered and he gave them the ______. The minimum tip was suggested on the receipt. “Tomorrow will be better,” murmured he.

But ______ wasn’t on his side. Evening approaching, a group of ______ stepped in. Thankfully, they were polite and respectful. Their cheerful behavior began to rub off on him. ______, he did his best to make their dining experience a pleasant one.

Once they finished their dishes, he placed the bill on the table, ______ with some candies. They placed their notes on the receipt and left smiling. When he returned to clear the table, he was ______. The teenagers only left a tip of $3, but their total bill was more than $100. He’d gone above and beyond serving the tasty dishes. How would they be so rude?

Later that week, he struggled to ______ the awkward memories. He arrived at work and expected it to be like any other day, but there was something left behind the desk for him—a two—page handwritten ______ from the teenagers with $18 attached, in which they explained they were ______ of the tipping practice due to it being their first time out alone. Everything suddenly ______.

Barton was so touched by their gesture that he ______ a picture of the letter sharing their admirable efforts. Web visitors voiced their opinions, and the reaction was more than positive.