1 . Recently, my mother experienced a surgery. It was conducted to ________ a valve (心脏瓣膜) in her heart, which couldn’t function well. During the first couple of days, my dad was telling me on the phone how wonderful the nurses were in the ICU and how they ________ my mom. They did everything needed to make sure she was ________ at all times.

I told him it would be great if we could think of a(n) ________ way to show our thanks. In the whole process of ________ a major surgery, the nurses are often the people who get ________ the most and aren’t thanked enough for the care they give to each patient. My dad had a(n) ________ that we could bring along some chocolates for them. But I said it was too common.

When finally I arrived at the hospital, I had the ________ to meet these kind people, who my dad had told me had spent almost 36 hours caring for my mom ________ over the past 3 days! I came up with a good idea and I think they really ________ it.

When my mom recovered well and was ________ to leave the hospital, we handed them the silk banner (锦旗) I had been making for 2 days. They were all shocked and thanked us. But I said it was we that should ________ the wonderful care they provided to my mom.

Nurses really are the true ________ of the process of recovery. It was so nice that this ________ presented us with a unique chance to thank them directly for their ________ to others.

3 . I crossed my arms as I waited for my volleyball coach to finish talking to the officials. There was a(n) _________ with the score. But did it really matter？The Lions were ahead of us, 24-14，and the game would end at 25.

The Lions’ number 8 must have thought the _________ thing, as she covered her mouth and _________. At this, I waved to the five teammates on the floor. “Listen,” I said in a very _________ voice once we’d made a circle. “The Lions think this game is over. But we’ll make the Lions know getting that last point is never _________ work. From here on, nothing drops.”

We got ready immediately at the _________. As I returned to my _________, I checked the scoreboard, which now read 24-15.We couldn’t win this game, but we could _________ that number 8 from yawning again.

24-20, we were still _________. Kait served for the sixth time. The Lions hit and the ball __________ over our fingertips. At this moment Zoe dove and somehow managed to keep the ball off the floor. It’s my __________! I pushed the ball away with my closed fist. It floated up and was over the net to number 8.She hit the ball hard and it hit the floor on our side. Game over. The Lions __________ number 8, shouting with excitement.

I watched their __________ from the floor. Did I make the right call in the first place？I wondered. Should we have saved our __________ for the third and final game of the match?

But then Zoe __________ her hand to pull me to my feet. “Maybe this game is over, but the match isn’t. Nothing drops!”

5 . On Lake Pitkajarvi, Pasi Widgren made an image of a fox that measures 90 meters from head to tail. For the sixth year in a row, the 40-year old building designer in Finland has ________ a very large work of art on the ________ lake. Widgren lives near the lake. He ________ a shovel (铲子) to create the artworks on ice. They melt from sight over time or ________ under snow.

Widgren made his first ice picture in the ________ of 2016. The idea to make such pieces came to him ________. He visited Lake Pitkajarvi on December 4. He tested the ________ of the ice after he arrived to ________ it was strong enough to walk and ________ on. It was about 10-15 centimeters thick. After four hours of work, Widgren was ________.

He then walked up a hillside about 150 meters above the lake to get a good ________ at his large artwork. He took some pictures to mark the ________.

However, several days later the image was harder to ________ because it then snowed a little. But its lack of permanence (永久) was not a ________ for its creator. He hoped the artwork would make people happy and move them to go for a walk in what he called “beautiful nature”. “It’s important to me that making this kind of art doesn’t leave any ________ on nature, ” Widgren said.

6 . The little cow Jenna and her twin brother were born on a North Carolina dairy farm in 2018. For some reason Jenna was _________ with being killed shortly after her birth. _________, the farmer’s 16-year-old son persuaded his dad to let him find a _________ for Jenna instead. When Jenna was just three days old, I drove from Williamsburg to Durham to _________ the little cow.

Jenna was so sweet and tiny that I was too _________ to stop during the ride home. Sure, she had a few _________ on the road, but nothing could change my mind to rescue this little cow.

I _________ Jenna three bottles a day for six months and spent many nights in the barn (畜棚) to make sure she never felt _________. She loved to circle and chase me at _________ time. Occasionally, she shook her head and __________ it onto my head — and felt bad as soon as she realized she __________ me. She had so much fun pretending our __________ was close to equal, even though she could __________ throw me across the yard if she wanted to.

I take her for walks around our city. The __________ people always stare at me with a cow in a bright pink coat. She is so much like a cute doggy — a dog who __________ so much.

7 . My father, 92, lives alone in Mackay. Although active in personality, he has _______ movement. We rang him yesterday to _______ after the wild weather. He _______ us how he had gotten his groceries (货物) and _______ them to his car. Then a “young” gentleman (now that could be anywhere from 12 to 70, when you are 92) stopped, “I will _______ you to put your groceries in your car.”

Dad wasn’t sure at first but then said thanks. The man then unloaded (卸下) the groceries from the trolley (推车) carefully and made sure they were _______ . Dad said thanks again. And the man just said: no _______.

A couple of days later, Dad was at the bank in the line. The “young” man behind him said, “I will _______ your place, while we wait. There is a chair over there, go and sit down.” Dad said, “Oh, why? Was I shaking or looking _______?”

“No.” was the reply, “I know my Dad would find it __________ to stand for so long.” So __________, Dad went over and sat down. When the time came for Dad, a __________ of the head and a smile expressed thankfulness.

Dad said, “I’m happily __________ by the kindness shown by these two ‘young’ men.”

So, to those two “young” men of uncertain __________, we say thanks for helping Dad in __________ but meaningful ways.

10 . Growing up in the USA, I always wanted to experience another culture. The ______ came when I was 15. After a few months of planning and ______ , I was ready to spend the second semester of my first high school year ______ an exchange student in Australia.

______ in Perth was one of the most exciting moments of my life. I realized then that there was no turning back. The family I would live with was waiting for me, and it would only be five days ______ the new school year. The school I attended was ______ my school back in the States. I was quite ______ at first, especially never having been to a new school — even in the US. Everything went without ______, though. The teachers were welcoming and the students were friendly.

The most ______ time was travelling with other exchange students around Australia during our semester break. The few weeks we ______ together were full of amazing activities.

At the end of our ______ in Australia, we had three weeks to share our stories and help each other deal with leaving. It was only ______ that our last day together was filled with tears. We packed our camp, ______ e-mail addresses and gathered together for a final good-bye.

Upon coming home, an open mind was again important. Resettling home took time and ______, but at last I made it. All the while, I was thoughtful to letting my family and friends know how happy I was to be home and how much I had missed them — though the experience is still ______ with me. So, if you have the opportunity to study abroad you most certainly should.