1 . Umar Fox searched his whole life to look for the firefighter who saved him and his sister from a house fire in 1978. The search _________ came to an end with a heartfelt reunion.

Umar was 3 when the _________ happened in their house. He and his sister were home for Christmas break. Joseph Gilmore was one of the first people on the _________. He rushed into the fire, risking his own _________, and took the children out. Photojournalist George Rizer happened to photograph the _________.

Umar had always hoped to _________ the man. But the picture taken by Rizer was all he had, which _________ his wish not being realized. Forty-five years later, that picture ended up being _________ thanks to social media. Once Umar _________ Joseph, he and the firefighter had an emotional reunion. Umar’s sister had planned to __________, but she canceled due to illness. Joseph __________ when strong-built Umar walked in, “Oh, man! I wouldn’t want to pick you up now.”

Umar said that he and his sister “wouldn’t be __________” if it weren’t for Joseph. He went on to __________ that his act “brought more into the world”. Umar is __________ to be a father of five. His sister also “has great kids” who are “all grown up and doing big things”.

As for Joseph, he considered he was __________ doing something he did every day for 38 years.

3 . The holidays can be a difficult time to stay on track with your fitness goals.     1    . Even the most disciplined people can find it difficult to stick to their fitness routines during the holiday season. Here are some expert-recommended tips that can help you stay on track.

    2    .

Planning is the best way to make sure you don’t lose track of your goals. Plan your workouts for the week and mark them in your schedule to assure they are a part of your day.

Exercise early.

    3    . Make sure workouts are in the morning and you’ll set yourself up for a productive day. Then you can enjoy holiday activities and time with family without worrying about when you’ll have time to exercise.

Keep moving.

Research shows that getting up for just five minutes every 30 to 60 minutes and performing light activities reduces the risk of heart disease risk factors. Small efforts to get moving can help your overall health during the holidays. In addition to staying active, try to avoid sitting for long periods of time, such as when watching football games or eating.     4    .

Think out of the box.

The holidays are busy, but do your best to avoid the “all or nothing” mentality when it comes to physical activity.     5     — like taking a family walk around the neighborhood before opening Christmas presents.

4 . If you’re in search of some botanical inspiration for the summer, just look to the following!

Sky Garden — London

Situated on the 35th floor of the iconic “Walkie-Talkie” building in central London, this stunning garden consists of over three stories, combining Mediterranean and South African plantings. The garden temperature here is monitored around the clock to mirror the conditions these plants would experience in a warm temperate climate.

Bambalan — Bristol

Bristol’s Bambalan restaurant appeared in 2016. Known for its leisurely atmosphere, it’s located right in the middle of the city centre. Hidden in plain sight above Bristol’s busy and noisy city centre, the roof terrace is a true hidden garden. With Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food on the menu, this is the ideal place to bring a group, and enjoy the views and tasty treats.

Library of Birmingham — Birmingham

Hidden away on the seventh floor of Birmingham’s public library is a scenic rooftop garden offering an extremely quiet spot to enjoy a good book in the sun. Created entirely by volunteers and reached via glass elevator, the bright garden offers visitors spectacular views over the city. 3, 500 varieties of plants in this garden have been carefully selected to ensure the terrace will offer blooms all year round, so that visitors to this unique library can enjoy the inspiring views.

New Lanark Roof Garden — New Lanark

With impressive views from the roof of an old mill (磨坊) building in the heart of the New Lanark World Heritage Site, this garden isn’t one to miss. Created on the 9, 000 square feet roof of our historic mill, the New Lanark Roof Garden is the largest of its kind in Scotland. Imaginatively designed, the garden contains decorative planting with over 70 different plants and shrubs, a water feature and animal sculptures.

5 . As Teachers’ Day approached, I received an interview assignment to talk with a very special figure about teaching. President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam talked with me about life’s toughest lessons and his mission of being a teacher to the Indian youth. He was now a leader and a wise old man. There was still a child in him though, and he was still curious about learning new things. To this day, he still remembered his first lesson in life and how it had changed his life.

“I was studying in fifth grade and must have been 10 years old. My teacher, Sri Sivasubramanialyer was telling us how birds flew. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard, drawing the wings, the tail, the body and the head and then explained how birds flew into the sky. At the end of the class, I said I didn’t understand. Then he asked the other students if they had understood, but nobody had understood how birds flew.” he recalled.

“That evening, the entire class was taken to Rameshwaram shore by our teacher,” the President continued. “My teacher showed us sea birds. We saw wonderful formations of them flying and how their wings waved. Then my teacher asked us, ‘Where is the bird’s engine and how is it powered?’ I knew then that birds are powered by their own life and motivation. I understood all about birds’ dynamics. At last, he said to us with relief that we were very good.”

“That day from not understanding to the final understanding, as well as the gratitude to the teacher, has always impressed me. A proper education would help develop a sense of dignity (尊严) and self-respect among our youth,” said President Kalam.

6 . Given that cancer is one of the deadliest diseases out there, any new development in our fight against it is highly praiseworthy. The latest breakthrough was made by Heman Bekele in 2023, a 14-year-old student from Virginia. The student has created a bar soap to treat skin cancer. Now, his findings have earned him the title of America’s Top Young Scientist.

Bekele remembers he always saw people who were constantly hit by the glaring sun as a child. As he grew up and began to realize the risks like skin cancer were associated with sun exposure, the boy decided to come up with solutions.

While similar treatments are available, Bekele hoped to work on a more affordable alternative, especially for those in developing countries. “I wanted to make my idea something that not only was great in terms of science but also could benefit as many people as possible,” Bekele says. It is often the simple solutions that are the most effective because soap is a daily routine for most people.

With the guidance of Deborah Isabelle, a product engineering specialist, Bekele made his soap by mixing regular soap with compounds (化合物) that slowly reactivate dendritic (枝状的) cells. When the soap is applied, it releases toll-like receptors into our skin. These receptors attach onto dendritic cells which reactivate them. The reactivated dendritic cells then join with TN io12 cells to fight cancer cells. Rather than a cure, Bekele’s soap aims to help people’s immune cells stay active while fighting skin cancer.

For now, the young scientist hopes to improve his invention and create a non-profit to distribute the soap among those who need it most. “I believe that young minds can make a positive impact on the world,” Bekele said. “I have a strong desire to know how the physical world works and how to improve the lives of its inhabitants, and this challenge gives me the perfect platform to showcase my ideas.”

8 . During the early morning journey from the suburbs(郊区), we sat sleepily, with collars standing firm below our ears. Although the group of people are in the same bus every day, we never _______ or talk. Everyone’s face shows the tiredness of waking up early and working.

One July morning, a small grey man, one of the _______ taking the bus to center every morning, loudly greeted good morning to the driver. The driver was _______ and then nodded. _______, then he loudly said to us, “Hello! I’m Charlie, my friends!”

The next day, another old man _______ the bus energetically, smiled and said in a loud voice, “A very good morning to you all!” Some of us looked up, amazed, and murmured “Good morning.” in _______. When Charlie heard the greeting, he came forward with surprise and hugged the _______. Their smiles seemed to _______ the entire bus, sweeping away the cold and awkward atmosphere(氛围) inside. Gradually, we started nodding and _______ to each other.

One morning, Charlie was ________ a large bouquet of flowers in his hand. He turned around with a smile and said to everyone, “Friends, I’m moving next week. I can’t take the same bus ________, and thank you all! The mornings we spent together were ________ experiences!” The other passengers whistled and clapped(鼓掌) at him. Charlie bowed, waved his hand, and then began ________ the flowers to each passenger.

The summer went by, and the ________ was closing in. Although Charlie did not appear on the bus again, the laughter and joy on the bus ________.