2 . Ice cream can’t cure cancer or bring back a lost love, but it can make one feel better for a while. About 18 months ago, my father was in hospital recovering from a major lung operation. My mother had recently_________ , and my father had taken the loss of his partner of 55 years very hard and had lost interest in ________. Trying to get him to_________ each day was quite a chore (苦差事) as he didn’t want anything. The one thing,_________, that he would ask us to bring him was ice-cream. One evening, to our ________, he refused to eat the ice-cream,_________ I placed it in a staff room freezer (冰箱). A little while later, my son decided he wanted it, so I ________ it for him. As I passed another ward (病房), a ________ asked, “Are there more ice-creams?” When I explained the ________, she apologized. She then said that she had cancer and could eat very little,_________ the occasional ice-cream. The next evening, I decided to buy two ice-creams. On the way to Dad’s room, I stopped in at the ________ woman’s room, and ________ her the ice-cream I’d bought for her. She was ________ stunned (大吃一惊) that I had thought of her, and ________ the gift with tears in her eyes. I spoke with her for a few minutes,_________ what was happening in my family and listened to her ________ story of pain and suffering. It was apparent that she did not ________ many visitors, and the ice-cream and our short chat meant a great deal to her. I ________ the gesture (举动) a few days later, and this time was_________ with a huge hug. I never even thought to ask her name, and never saw her again, but it made me realize that an act of ________ can be more rewarding when you give it, rather than receive it.

4 . When I tried out for the football team during the summer before 9th grade, I never imagined how important this sport would become in my life. Football is a _____ sport, at times almost painful, and practices really _____ a team’s physical and mental limits. Without trust in my own ability and a strong sense of commitment, I would never have managed to continue after years of hard work as a player, and with countless _____.

In the first year, I played on the defensive line. This was an amazing _____ that gave me a great sense of achievement. But in the last game of the season, I was seriously injured. I was prohibited from any physical activities for six months. After going _____ a series of physical treatments, I returned to the field as a team captain. I practiced harder than ever to make up for my _____ time.

In September, during my junior year, my name was mentioned in the local newspaper as the key defensive lineman on the team. After playing a fantastic season, I was given the _____ of the Most Valuable Player.

_____, my skills in football do not magically extend to other sports. During the winter break, I went on a snowboarding trip and seriously injured my right shoulder. I had to have four _____. Since I could not use my right arm for two months, I had to learn how to write and eat using my left hand.

______ life must go on. I knew that my own present efforts would decide my future, so I ______ the strict training program to build up strength and improve flexibility in my ______. After an eight-month recovery, I was back to the field playing football, the sport I ______.

In this sense, the world of football has taught me an important life lesson: ______ and commitment make what seems impossible ______. This lesson from football is the one that can be applied to every part of life.

7 . Molai grew up in a tiny village in India. The village lay near some wetlands which became his second _______. He learned the value and beauty of _______ there from a very young age.

When he was 16, Molai began to notice something disturbing happening around his home. A flood had hit the area earlier that year and the damage it caused _______ a number of birds. Besides, the number of snakes had declined as well. He _______ that it was because there weren’t enough trees to protect them from the heat. The solution, of course, was to _______ trees so the animals could seek shelter during the daytime. He turned to the forest department for help but was told that nothing would grow there._______, Molai went looking on his own and _______ a nearby island where he began to plant trees.

Watering young plants in the dry season was _______ for a lone boy. Molai built at the top of each sapling (幼树) a bamboo platform, where he placed earthen pots with small holes to _______ rainwater. The water would then drip (滴落) on the plants below.

Molai __________ to plant trees for the next 37 years. His efforts have resulted in 1,360 acres of naturally-grown land that has become home to many plants and animals.

8 . In 1952, my daddy traveled with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This meant he would_______a lot of time away from home.

As_______ came near, he called my mother and _______ why he would not be celebrating the holiday with us. Money was tight and he didn’t have a way to get back to his _______. Though she was _______. Mother knew he was right. When she told us the news, it really _______ me, and I went to bed on Christmas Eve with a _______ heart.

When we _______ up on Christmas morning, Santa had come. I still remember what gift we _______ that year. We were all happy with our gifts, so we went outside to play. As we were ________ I looked up and thought I saw my daddy in the distance. I ran inside to tell Mother. She did not ________ me and told me not to make up stories. My mother ________ it just wasn’t possible.________ I was sure it was Daddy! I turned to go back outside when I heard familiar footsteps. Daddy was home! As I ________ into his arms, Daddy explained that he had tried ________ to get home for Christmas, but without success. At last, a group of the workers had decided to drive. But the ________ guy lived miles away. So Daddy started ________ on Christmas Eve until he arrived home. He had walked all night!

Though the ________ that year were wonderful, the best gift was not found under the ________. Daddy’s special surprise made this my most ________ Christmas.

9 . Misty didn’t always feel so confident in herself. The challenges she has faced over almost 20 years of dancing have made her strong.

At the young age, Misty was a shy child and_________the spotlight(聚光灯).But she loved music and movement. When she was 13, her coach suggested that she attend a free ballet class at the Boys &Girls club. At first, Misty was afraid to join in and felt out of place in the class._________, she discovered that her body--especially her long legs and flexible muscles--was just right for ballet, which_________her up. However, at the age of 19, she suddenly gain_________ “My body changed completely over the course of several months,” she says. Misty had always been long and slim, which was considered “perfect” for a ballet dancer’s body. But now, she says, “I was being told that my proportions(比例) just weren’t right any more.” Additionally, Misty was the_________African American in a company of 80 dancers. So she sometimes felt as if she didn’t fit in. Misty says this time was “one of the_________moments of my life.”   Even though Misty felt discouraged, she didn’t break_________. She talked with others who had struggled with similar problems. With the support of these friends, things slowly_________.

Today, Misty says, “I’ve learned to embrace my appearance, skin color, and figure.” She wants to help other dancers_________themselves, too. In her own book, Firebird, Misty tells readers to go after their dreams: “No matter what that dream is,” she writes, “ you have the power to make it come true with hard work and__________.”

10 . The True Story of Treasure Island

It was always thought that Treasure Island was the product of Robert Louis Stevenson’s imagination. _________, recent research has found the true story of this exciting work.

Stevenson, a Scotsman, had lived _________ for many years. In 1881 he returned to Scotland for a holiday. With him were his American wife Fanny and his son, Lloyd.

Each morning Stevenson would take them out for a long _________ over the hills. They had been _________ this for several days before the weather suddenly took a turn for the worse. Kept indoors by the heavy rain, Lloyd felt the days _________. To keep the boy happy, Robert asked the boy to do some _________.

One morning, the boy came to Robert with a beautiful map of an island. Robert _________ that the boy had drawn a large cross in middle of the island. “What’s that?” he asked. “That’s the buried treasure,” said the boy. Robert suddenly _________ something of an adventure story in the boy’s _________. While the rain was pouring, Robert sat down by the fire to write a story. He would make the __________ a twelve-year-old boy, just like Lloyd. But who would be the pirate(海盗)?

Robert had a good friend named Henley, who walked around with the __________ of a wooden leg. Robert had always wanted to __________ such a man in a story. __________ Long John Silver, the pirate with a wooden leg, was __________.

So, thanks to a rainy September in Scotland, a friend with a wooden leg, and the imagination of a twelve-year-old boy, we have one of the greatest __________ stories in the English language.