After a snowfall, the air is fresh. However magical it looks, snow and ice must    1     (remove) from driveways, roads and sidewalks. Uen you reach for a de-icer to clean off your front steps, find something safe and clean. There are many friendly ways     2     (keep) the ice away.

When winter comes, many people put bags of road salt at home. Yet many do not know that when the salt melts (融化), the runoff ends up     3     rivers and lakes. It harms the water. Chloride (氯化物) can be     4     (danger) to children who play in the snow.

It is time to use “smart salt”. Thd good news     5     (be) that there are many healthy choices. Eco-friendly options include    6     (use) kitty litter or sandbox sand. These will not melt the ice but will offer traction (摩擦力) to reduce the danger of slipping on the ice. There is also     7     effective DIY method: using. dish soap mixed with alcohol.

Many countries are becoming more aware of the environmental dangers of de-icing materials now. Some cities are spreading less salt on the roads, while others are adding sugar,     8     makes melting more effective. This is     9     (clear) a path in the right direction. You can make a     10     (different) by starting right on your front doorstep!

I hesitated when I was first advised     1    (join) the tai chi club.     2    , after the first class, I     3     (attract) by it and inspired to explore the Chinese culture behind it. My coach told me that Zhang Sanfeng drew     4    (inspire) from a fight between a snake     5     a bird. Some people believe Chen Wangting developed tai chi     6    (base) on martial arts skills. After my own study, I found that tai chi is     7    (deep) rooted in the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang, the equal and opposite forces     8     make up the world.     9     wonder that it can bring a state of physical balance and mental peace. It is obviously true that     10    (practise) tai chi can bring me many benefits.

Michaela Bercu likes to break down barriers. In November, 1988, she became the first model     1     (wear) jeans on the cover of Vogue, an unusual formality of the high-end fashion magazine.

It’s now 30 years later, and Bercu is hoping to make another change: breaking the barriers of entry to volunteering.     2     (inspire) by the word “contribute”, she has developed Tribu,     3     connects needs with those who are     4     (will) to help. She has spent the past four years     5     (develop) the platform with her husband.

Bercu firmly believes that volunteering does     6     (much) for the giver than the one who receives the kindness. She said,“So much research has been done with people of all ages and it shows that volunteering makes you feel wonderful. The experience of bringing someone a smile on their faces gives you so much     7     (satisfy).”

The app has expanded across Israel and has become particularly popular with high school students there, as they     8     (require) to do a certain number of hours of community service     9     they can graduate.

Bercu is hoping that the movement she started will continue to expand. “In five years, I would love the app to be in every household around the world because we can give and get so much from     10    .”

Luo Yan and his wife and son travel back to their hometown     1    the Spring Festival. Their parents     2    (decorate) the house beautifully and prepared many delicious dishes. The whole family could not be    3    (happy) to be together.     4     the cold outside, bright smiles fill the air with warmth       5     laughter rings throughout the house.     6     dinner, the whole family are going to stay up late on the New Year’s Eve. They gather around the TV    7     (watch) the New Year’s programme, while eating snacks,     8    (chat) with each other and making dumplings. As midnight     9    (approach), Luo Yan takes his parents, wife       10     son outside to set off firecrackers.

A dear friend of mine recently celebrated her     1    (thirty) birthday. Rather than doing     2     most women of her age might do — drinking, buying a new dress, or having a dinner out at     3     expensive restaurant — she decided to host an “acts of kindness” party. All friends, who     4    (invite) to the party, were asked to spend money     5     acts of kindness.

At the party, she prepared cards, which she’d written to each guest     6    (personal), saying what they meant to her as friends, and then passed them around the table for everyone else to add nice comments about each other. She explained to     7    (we) that she was in the process of entering a new phase in her life, one of offering more service to others, and she wanted a special birthday     8    (celebrate).

So my gift to her was that during the     9    (follow) month, I would do 30 acts of kindness in 30 days in honor of her 30 years on earth. So far I     10    (do) 13 acts!