1 . It is just past five o’clock on the Chinese New Year’s Eve. The dinner table is already ________ with white china plates and bowls, full of all sorts of dishes. Luo Yan, ________ the cover of a large bowl to breathe in the ________ smell of the soup his wife and mother have prepared. His son, Bofeng, happily takes a ________ of the chicken his grandfather has already ________ for him.

Six-year-old Bofeng has not ________ his grandparents in person for almost a year, and he is full of joy and excitement. ________, the whole family could not be happier to be together. Despite (尽管) the ________ outside, their happy faces fill the air with warmth while merry ________ rings (环绕) throughout the house. The young couple and their son have settled in the ________ city. Every year, like most Chinese, they travel a long way back for the Spring Festival. It’s ________ for Chinese to get together to enjoy the joy of “three generations under the same roof” on this special day.

After, dinner, the whole family ________ around the television to watch the Spring Festival Gala, while eating snacks and ________ each other excitedly. In the warmth and ________ of the room, Luo Yan talks about his plan for the future. “I hope we won’t have to be separated again,” he says, looking at his ageing parents. “We’ll come back more ________. After all, home is where all family members are together.”

2 . Gabriela worked for a multinational (跨国的) company as a successful project manager in Brazil and was transferred to Sweden. She was ________ about her new role but soon realized that managing her new team would be a challenge.

Despite their friendliness, Gabriela didn't feel respected as a ________ . Her new staff would ________ her decisions openly in meetings, and when she gave them instructions on how to ________ a task, they would often go about it in their own way without ________ with her. When she announced her decisions, they would ________ giving their opinions as if it was still up for discussion.

After weeks of frustration(郁闷), Gabriela emailed her Swedish manager about the ________ . Her manager ________ asked her if she felt her team was still performing, and what she thought would help her better ________ her team members.

What Gabriela was experiencing was a ________ conflict. She was used to a more hierarchical (等级制的) framework where the team leader took control and gave ________ instructions on how things were to be done. In such a culture, leaders make the big decisions and are not often ________. Her Swedish team, ________, were used to working in a low power distance culture where subordinates(下属)often work together with their ________ to find solutions and make decisions. Here, leaders ________ coaches who encourage ________ thought and expect to be challenged.

When Gabriela became ________ the cultural differences between her and her team, she had an open ________ with them.

The conversation led to a better understanding. From then on, Gabriela and her team were able to ________ their ways of working. Gabriela was then able to make adjustments so as to more effectively motivate her team to ________ their goals.

3 . I never thought a misunderstanding over strawberries would send my mother-in-law out to the hills at dusk, just to pick an entire basket for me, an English.

It happened in May many years ago. I lived with my in-laws （公婆）in their _______. One day at the dinner time. I thought I had _______ somebody say miaozi., the term for strawberries in the local _______ . They were my favorite fruit in _______ . so I didn't wait to ask if there were some in the house.

It turned out that I was _______ ,but that didn't stop my Chinese in-laws from regarding my _______ as a veiled （含蓄的）request. Then. my father-in-law, _______ my mother-in-law to go into the hills and _______ some for me.

I was so _______ and I begged her not to do this. ________ she just smiled and disappeared into the kitchen for a while. Just as we prepared to ________ the table after the meal, she appeared in the dining room, carrying a basket of the very fruit.

Although I ________ my head for that was not my intention. I also ________ it for what it really was—another way to show how much she ________ me.

My Chinese in-laws have ________ told me "I love you." nor have they ever ________ or kissed me like my parents do. But I've felt that same care and regard in ________ ways.

While all this has meant learning a ________ language of love. I've come to appreciate just how ________ Chinese families will go to show their affection—even into a hillside in such a rural ( 农村的）village at __________   looking for strawberries.

4 . When my wife, Jane, and I were 16, we were in the same class. About a week before Thanksgiving Day, we found out that our teacher Edward was having some ___challenges. We wanted to do something to help, so as a class we ___to gather food, clothing and gifts to ___his family had a good Thanksgiving Day.

When Jane told her family about our plan, her mother was ___. Together they searched their house for things they could ___. Her mother went to the kitchen, ___ a big turkey and saying, “Thanksgiving Day won’t be ___without a turkey dinner.” To this day, Jane remembers how moved she was by her mother’s ___.

Before making our ____, we said a prayer of appreciation for the wonderful ___ to help others. I will never forget the surprised ___ of our teacher and his wife when they ____ the door; their four children gathered around them as we handed out the gifts. It was a cold night; we all felt warm inside, ___.

Last month while I was in a meeting, my secretary informed me, “Your high school teacher Mr. Edward is wondering if you could ___ him a few minutes. He’s sitting in your office right now!”

I left my meeting and went to my office ___. My teacher and I hugged and began to ___ the last 42 years. He told me he ___ remembered that cold winter night when we brought the ___of Thanksgiving Day to his family. The food and gifts were certainly appreciated, ___what warmed his heart that night was to see a group of teenagers who understood the ___of Thanksgiving Day.