My husband and I were paying a visit    1    my parents in Tucson. We went to a fast-food restaurant for dinner together. My husband went to the counter(柜台)    2    (order) dishes and I stood with my parents.

My dad is 90 years old. He can hardly see very well and walks with a stick. I was looking around in the restaurant,    3    (wait) to sit at the first table that was    4    (convenient) than others. A woman who was sitting with her son saw me and asked me to come to her. With a puzzled look on my face, I pointed to     5    (me)and said, “Me?” . She    6    (nod) and said, “Yes, you.” I walked to the table and she said, “Bring your family here. I can finish eating at the counter. My son is in    7    hurry to leave anyway.” My eyes    8    (fill) with tears as she wiped down the table and guided my dad to the seat.

I always believe that there are    9    (nature) kind people in this world. This woman has set a good example to her son,     10    is a really lucky guy.

Winter Solstice Festival

As early as 2,500 years ago, about     1     Spring and Autumn Period, China decided the point of Winter Solstice by observing the movement of the sun. The time will be each December 21 or 22 according to the Gregorian calendar.

The Northern hemisphere on this day experiences the     2     (short) daytime and longest nighttime. As ancient Chinese thought, the yang, positive things, will become stronger and stronger after this day,     3     it should be celebrated.

The Winter Solstice became a festival during the Han Dynasty and thrived in the Tang and Song dynasties. The Han people     4     (regard) Winter Solstice as a "Winter Festival", so officials would organize celebrating     5     (active). On this day, both officials and common people would have a rest. In the Tang and Song dynasties, the Winter Solstice was a day to offer sacrifices (祭品) to Heaven and ancestors. The Qing Dynasty even had the record that "Winter Solstice is as formal as the Spring Festival",     6     (represent) the great importance attached to this day.

In some parts of Northern China, people eat dumplings,     7     will keep them from frost in the upcoming winter. But in parts of Southern China, the whole family will get together to have a special meal     8     (make) of red-bean and rice to drive away bad things. The Winter Solstice dumplings could     9     (use) as sacrifices to ancestors, or gifts for friends and relatives. People of the same family name gather together to honor their ancestors     10     age order. After the ceremony, there is always a big dinner.

Living in a city can be stressful. But some people in Bogota, Colombia have found a place to help reduce stress and get a break from busy life.     1     place is a park for hummingbirds (蜂鸟).

The park     2     (sit) at the top of Monserrate Hill in a place known as the Paramuno corridor. The area contains a forest that has turned into a peaceful place for both people and birds.

As the hummingbirds fly from flower     3     flower, some scientists concentrate on (集中于) the animals and study them, while others would like     4     (take) pictures with their phones. Camilo Cantor is a worker in the park, and     5     (he) job is to mix water and sugar that is put in bird feeders along a 300-meter path. Cantor explains, “You can hear noise from the city, the producer of    6     (pollute).” But, he adds, the park is a special place. It is a place where people can go     7     (reduce) stress and forget about the pressure of city life.

Ten years ago, the hill was destroyed     8     (complete), meaning there were not any trees left on it. But workers began to plant local trees and flowers again to bring the forest back to life. At present, there are a number of birds,     9     (include) 18 kinds of hummingbirds and some migratory (迁徙的) species.

Hummingbirds are only found on the American continent and Colombia is home to    10     (vary) kinds of birds.

For many parents, making sure that their children get the right amount of sleep can be     1     (stress). This is especially true during high-pressure times such as exams when students study all night for the next day.     2     (unfortunate), it is often counterproductive (适得其反的) because with fewer hours to sleep, the brain doesn’t get enough time to keep     3     they’ve studied the night before.

Poor sleep will have all sorts of negative effects on teenagers,     4     (include) the rise in blood pressure, and impatient behaviors. Without enough sleep, the brain can no longer work     5     (deal) with information properly and use information already     6     (learn).

So, how can parents help? If you think your child needs more sleep, try making gradual adjustments to their sleeping habits. So far, studies     7     (show) improvements in changing sleep patterns. And remember your children are going through     8     period of time in their lives when their brains and bodies are going through a lot of     9     (change). Not only is your job to help make a difference, but it’s also to ride the wave with them. It may not be easy,     10     they will thank you for your help eventually.

A young man, while traveling through a desert come across a spring of clear water.       1     water was sweet. He filled his leather container so that he could bring some back to an elder     2     had been his teacher. After a four day journey, the young man     3     (present) the water to the old man. His teacher took a deep drink, smiled     4     (warm), and thanked his student very much for the sweet water. The young man went home     5     a happy heart.

After the student left, the teacher let     6     student taste the water. He spit it out,     7     (say) it was awful. Apparently, it was no longer fresh because of the old later container. He asked his teacher, “Sir, the water was awful. Why did you pretend to like     8    ?” The teacher replied. “ You tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was simply the container for an act of kindness and love. Nothing could be     9     (sweet).” We understand this lesson best     10     we receive gifs of love from children. Whether it is a cheap pipe on a diamond necklace, the proper response is appreciation. We love the idea within the gift rather than the thing.

Chinese telecom giant Huawei on Wednesday     1     (official) launched its operating system Harmony OS 2 for smartphones,     2     (provide) customers worldwide with a competitive alternative that works on a diverse range     3     devices. Harmony OS, or Hongmeng in Chinese, is     4     open-source operating system     5     (design) for various devices and scenarios. It was first lunched on Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, including     6     (wearable) and tablets, in August 2019.

“We     7     (surround) by more and more smart devices these days, and are now in a world     8     all things are connected,” said Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group. “Every single one of us     9     (be) a part of this fully connected world, as is every device.” “We look forward to working with more partners and developers     10     (build) a thriving HarmonyOS ecosystem,” he said.

Music is one of the most     1     (power) things in my life. Listening to music can help to motivate me in trying time. When younger, I had no great love for music     2     do now. I mainly listened to the music     3     my parents were playing. Whether I was in the car, the house,     4       anywhere else, there was sure to be some Beatles, or Buddy Holly constantly playing in the background. Now as I am older, I enjoy it for the reason that it allows me to remember my childhood.

I believe music has the power     5     (express) all sorts of emotions. The song “A Little Bit Longer" Jonas Brothers is     6     an emotional and inspiring song that when hearing it, I always come close to     7     (drop) down tears, especially when I watch it being played live. The effect that music can have     8     our emotions is great, as it can bring people to floods of tears or bursts of     9     (laugh) .

I believe music affects people in many ways. To me, music is     10     (extreme) important in my life.