1 . My family always had some sort of animal around, but none of them were truly mine. My parents didn’t permit me to _________ my own until I was seven years old. Finally, I was _________ to have my own _________, a fish called George. I said it was my responsibility to _________ it.

Every Friday I would clean out his bowl. I found myself _________ invitations to go somewhere immediately after school, because I would have to feed my fish first. Every day he would remind me that I was _________ and that I had someone depending on me.

One day, I came home from school and headed to my room to _________George. I found a _________ thing had happened. I _________ my bag and ran over to the bowl. I saw my best friend George floating around lifeless.

My mom walked into my room. I turned around as tears started to well in my eyes. “Mommy, George d…d…died.” With that __________ word I started crying uncontrollably. My mom came to my side as I hid my face in my pillows.

Suddenly, I realized that George hadn’t just __________ me. He had taught me what __________ meant. I learned it through feeding him and cleaning his bowl. This made me feel __________ . To my seven-year-old self, this was a great __________ . Slowly, a smile crossed my face. George was gone.__________ , the lessons he taught me would forever be carved into my memory.

3 . I stared out the window,_______ the snow. Damn holidays. . . I thought as I saw the people outside caroling(唱颂歌)outside. Can’t I just be left alone!I got up from my bed and, in _______, made for the kitchen.

I made myself dinner, which wasn’t anything_______. I wasn’t the best cook so I just made myself a stir fry and_______ it a day... That was until I heard the noise. Did someone throw ice at my window? Maybe a thief? I _______ the katana(武士刀)and walked down stairs. I searched the entire house until I found a puppy, so cute and_______. I couldn’t help but _______ at this creature. I decided to keep it and named it Arthur. His eyes were blue like a husky dog. Maybe a mixed breed? I thought as I washed Arthur up and dried him with a_______. Then I spent all night_________with my new friend. It was the first ________of joy I felt during the holidays in years. For the next week, Arthur and I spent the holidays watching romance movies on Netflix, sleeping, or ________ our mouths with the food in the house. It was probably the happiest I’ve been in months. Arthur really made an impact on my life that I never thought was ________.

Arthur stayed by my side a majority of the time. My friend called him ‘mama’s boy’ or something silly like that. I didn’t________ it, though. Every year on Christmas day, I thanked God for giving me the ________. And I ________ felt blessed with My Arthur. My little boy.

4 . In 1978, Avril and Christopher Rowlands paid £6 for a fir (冷杉), brought it to their new home in the pretty village of Inkberry. After ________ their first Christmas together, they planted the tree in their front garden to ________ their first Christmas in their new home. It has ________ grown over the years and nowadays, it ________ over their four-bedroom property—measuring about 50 feet. Each December the couple decorate their giant fir with thousands of fairy lights which they switch on for the ________ .

The tree is so ________ that a cherry picker is used to reach the top branches and add the star to the top. The lighted tree is one of the brightest landmarks (标志性建筑) in Inkberrow, which is one of UK’s darkest villages ________ there being no street lights.

Avril and Christopher’s fir now attracts thousands of people who ________ their tree every December. As a retired TV writer, Avril said, “We love doing the Christmas lights. The ________can be seen from miles around on nights and people ________ to see it. It’s become something of a (an) ________ for people in the village and beyond. It even ________ me to write a children’s book about the tree called The Laxford House Christmas Tree.“ The couple ask for people who admire the tree to make a ________ and over the years they have raised thousands of pounds for charity.

“The tree is really ________,” said the retired BBC editor Christopher. “During COVID, it was lit, like a beaco (灯塔) of ________.”

5 . My parents have a boxer dog called Boris which is as badly behaved as his name might suggest. He is known to ________ on a chair at the kitchen table expecting full ________. Whenever the dishwasher is being stacked, he likes to add a personal prewash to the ________.

Even my mother might ________ that Boris is the worst-behaved dog she has ever had, but on the plus side, he is very ________.

The sofas and chairs in their sitting room are covered in books-not because my parents love to read, but in an attempt to ________ the dog climbing on the furniture. ________, any human who wants to sit on a sofa has to ________ a library of books. I’ve suggested a removable cover would be more attractive, or training, but it’s too late for that.

The story between my parents and Boris is repeated across our community. Usually, our gang of dogs gathered almost daily, ________ did we. A group of folks of different ages, backgrounds and interests—all ________ by our dogs. Friends are therefore made through dogs, creating a ________ that lasts far beyond the lifespan of our canine(犬的)family. Sunny, Jess and Archie have all ________ now, but the friendship between us humans remains.

I have met so many people whose daily ________ with their group of dog have been their mainstay and helped them deal with ________. They are medicine for the_________. Dogs are actually man’s best friends.

8 . I was quite young when I married. My wife shared with me my love for animals and she got several ________ pets, including one cat.

The black cat was beautiful. We named him Pluto. I liked him best so that I often fed him alone. Our friendship ________ for several years, during which, however, my wife and my job ________ me. Gradually, ________ became my new friend; I became quick to ________; I forgot how to smile and laugh.

One night I came home quite late from the inn. Walking with ________ steps, I made my way with effort into the house. As I entered, I saw Pluto was trying to stay out of my way to ________ me, which made me angry beyond ________. I lifted my foot and gave him a heavy kick ________. The cat burst into a tragic scream, like a ________ cutting through the peaceful dark sky.

It seemed a ring ________ me. I followed up the cry, calling “Pluto”. No response. Turn on the light, and I found him, curled up below a chair. I felt regretful and ________, attempting to comfort it. No response. I knew I had made an ________ mistake.

I made my efforts to ________ him in my manner, feeding him alone and eventually quit drinking. Maybe sometimes some evil things inside ourselves pushed us to do wrong, but we must bear in mind that we ought to treasure what is ________ us accompanying us in our lives.

10 . Amanda and Daines Tanner’s dog jumped onto their bed a few months ago and pawed at their bodies while they were trying to sleep. It was around 5:30 A．m. on a Saturday — the day each week the couple ________ sleeping in.

Amanda Tanner had never seen Axel, their 1-year-old border collie, so ________ that early. They guessed he needed to be let outside, so that morning in August 2023, Daines Tanner ________ him downstairs. But when Daines Tanner opened the door to their backyard in Texas, Axel wouldn’t go outside. He________ rushed toward Amanda Tanner’s 17-year-old son’s room downstairs and began ________ at the door. Inside, Gabriel Silva was already awake. Minutes earlier, he was walking in the living room when he lost his ________ and fell. He said he couldn’t move, and everything around him looked ________ than usual. He didn’t know why he was feeling poorly, so he went back to his bedroom and got back in bed. Then he heard Axel at his door and Daines Tanner downstairs. Gabriel ________ Axel into the bedroom, where he began explaining his ________ to Daines Tanner — he was struggling to walk, the right side of his body was ________ and his vision was magnified (放大的). But Daines Tanner could ________ understand him because Gabriel’s speech was slurred (含糊不清的).

Daines Tanner drove Gabriel to an emergency room in Houston, where doctors determined that he was having a stroke. Gabriel has since ________ his ability to speak, walk and move his right arm, as the “Today” show first reported.

Sabih Effendi, a doctor who ________ Gabriel, said that he might have never recovered if Axel hadn’t ________ the family that morning. Amanda Tanner is planning to ________ a medal to the front of Axel’s collar (圈，箍) to honor what he did for Gabriel.