At a table on a small terrace (露台) overlooking the Garonne River, I’ve just finished a classic southern French dish of shellfish. The restaurant seems to be one of the last on the block to appeal more _________ than tourists. I drink my coffee and _________ for the moment when the bright sky reaches that post-sunset shade of dark blue. As the moment_________, I finish my coffee and walk 200 meters to join the _________ on the street, across from the Place de la Bourse.

We gather at the edge of the miroir d’ eau (“water mirror”). It is a shallow pool the _________ of a sports field that goes through a nonstop 15-minute cycle of _________ with about two centimeters of water, then emptying out.

After a couple of minutes, the water has flowed away,_________a field of flat, wet stones to create a perfect _________ of the splendid 18^th-century buildings. At _________ that moment, the lights at the foot of the building__________, creating an image of instant beauty that is __________ with a mix of “wows” and “ohs” and the clicking of cameras.

__________, I cross the street to visit the Old City. I pass the grand structures along the quai (码头) and wander along the __________ streets behind it, which are __________ with restaurants, wine bars and shops. This contrast is what I always like so much about this city. The architecture of the Grand-Theatre, the museums and the town hall __________ the fact that the word “grandeur” is truly French.

2 . When my father and I traveled to Paris, Notre Dame was our first stop. But when we arrived at Notre Dame, we saw a long line outside it. Even so, we didn’t want to _________. We decided to go to the back garden of Notre Dame where there were few tourists.

Immersed in the beautiful natural scenery, we wanted to take some _________ photos. As we tried to find a photographer, a tall, slim Frenchman _________ toward us and showed us he was willing to take pictures for us.

Trying to get the perfect shot, he kept changing the _________ of the camera. However, after a few _________, he didn’t return our camera. His behavior confused us. But after a while, it became _________. He asked for 10 euros as payment before he would return our camera.

At that point, I was so angry that I _________ to argue with him. But my father stopped me and paid the money, with a(n)_________ expression on his face, the man walked away quickly to search for his next _________.

Later, my father __________ to me: There’s no such thing as a free lunch. So it’s __________ to ask for a payment after taking photos for us. But if someone offers to help you, never __________ the kindness just because of this particular event. Most acts of kindness are pure and without any __________ intention.

__________, we met a lot of warm-hearted locals who guided us and lent a hand when we needed them. So just remember, we can’t throw away the __________ because of its core.