As spring arrives, the Bahamas becomes a heaven for travelers. With     1     (it) clear waters and distinctive culture, spring in the Bahamas is an escape into a world of beauty and peace.

The season, with mild temperatures and gentle breezes, is a perfect time     2    (explore) the diverse islands. From the bustling streets of Nassau to the     3     (peace) beaches of Exuma, each island offers     4     unique experience. The famous pink sands of Harbour Island and the untouched nature of Andros provide a chance     5     relaxation and exploration.

Spring is also an excellent time for water sports. The calm waters are ideal for snorkeling and diving,     6     (show) an underwater world of coral reefs and colorful marine life. Surfing enthusiasts will find the Bahamian waters welcoming,     7     numerous events take place. Culturally, the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, a lively and colorful celebration of Bahamian music and heritage,     8     (hold) in the spring. This event is a feast for the senses, featuring colorful     9     (costume) and energetic music. As the day ends, the Bahamian cuisine, with its mix of seafood and local flavors, offers a delightful dining journey.

Spring in the Bahamas is not just a trip; it’s an experience     10     (fill) with unforgettable moments, breathtaking natural beauty, and cultural richness.

2 . My son, Dino, was born with only two pounds and spent his first month in ICU. On my daily visits, I played a Mozart tape ______ beside him. During childhood, Dino ______ small for his age and was slow to reach ______ milestones, including walking and talking.

When he was five, I noticed something ______. Once I took him to see a dinosaur exhibit. There was a(n) ______ in the museum’s entrance hall. Dino was completely ______ to the music, so he forgot all about the dinosaurs. At the end of the concert, he ran up to the stage and asked each musician about their ______ .

It was not long before I signed him up for music ______. Within weeks, Dino started on advanced classical pieces. Sometimes, his dad, an amateur pianist, would give him a mini lesson. Dino looked up to his dad; they both had something gentle, quiet yet ______ .

However, when Dino was 14, his dad ______, unexpectedly. For months, the instruments that had once ______ life into my son went untouched, collecting ______ in his bedroom. Then, about five months after my husband’s death, I heard some music ______ out of Dino’s room. Life slowly returned to his broken soul.

My son was born with a(n) ______ gift that changed his life, bringing him so many new experiences, opportunities and friends. Music helped him overcome language difficulties and connect with others. And, after we lost his dad, it gave him a path out of the ______.

4 . A recent study by UCLA Health discovered that women who feel lonely show brain activity in areas linked to cravings and the drive to eat, particularly when viewing images of high-calorie foods like sugary treats. These women also displayed unhealthy eating habits and suffered from poor mental health.

Arpana Gupta, Ph. D., a researcher and co-director of the UCLA Goodman-LuskinMicrobiome Center, wanted to research the negative impacts of loneliness, especially as people continue to be working remotely after the COVID-19 pandemic, and how the brain interacts with social isolation, eating habits, and mental health. While it is established that obesity is linked to depression and anxiety and that overeating is understood to be a coping mechanism (机制) against loneliness, Gupta wanted to observe the brain pathways associated with these feelings and behaviors.

The researchers surveyed 93 women about their support system and their feelings of loneliness and isolation, then separated them into two groups: those who scored high on the perceived social loneliness scale, and those who scored low. The researchers found that women who had higher levels of social loneliness tended to have higher fat mass, lower diet quality, reward-based eating, and uncontrolled eating, and increased levels of anxiety and depression.

The women were then shown pictures of food versus non-food, sweet food versus non-food, and savory food versus non-food. MRI scans recorded the participants’ brain activity while they viewed these images.

The researchers found that the group of women who perceived themselves to be lonely experienced increased activation in regions of the brain associated with greater drive to eat sugary foods, and decreased activation in the brain region associated with self-control toward eating behaviors.

“These findings are interesting because it provides evidence for what we intuitively (直觉地) know,” Gupta said. “When people are alone or lonely, it impacts more than how they are feeling; they underreport what they eat, and their desire to eat unhealthy foods.”

It was a bright, cold, spring, Thursday afternoon. As Zack was making a sandwich, he saw his mom, Grace Garcia, step down the stairs with a sad expression on her aged face.

“Zack,” Grace paused, trying to sum up her thoughts,“Ms. Savitt had a heart attack this morning.” Just then, Zack began recollecting the bitter memories of living across the street from Ms. Savitt. She would always yell at him to get off her lawn and to settle down to give the neighborhood a break from all of his noises.

“Oh,” Zack said, “that’s too bad.” Grace Garcia could tell that Zack was actually not disappointed at all. She was shocked. This was because, when Zack was four years old, his parents divorced (离婚). His father left with most of the money. At that time, Grace did not have a job, so she was left with barely any money to support her and her son. It was Ms. Savitt that kindly offered for them to stay at her house at any time. If Grace was busy, she would take care of Zack for as long as necessary. Of course, Zack was aware of this years later, but he still did not realize the importance of Ms. Savitt in his life.

Grace Garcia strictly said, “Zack, I have already scheduled for you and me to visit her in the hospital, tomorrow after school, ”Grace looked at Zack and noticed that he rolled his eyes with anger.

“Do I really have to? I’m telling you, mom. Ms. Savitt always got really mad at me whenever I would not even do anything. And besides, I have plans tomorrow and I don’t want to waste my time going to a hospital and seeing that lady!”   Zack was shocked at his own outbreak, that he didn’t even want to look in his mother’s eyes because he was too ashamed for treating his mom and even Ms. Savitt that way.

The next morning, Zack saw a note on the fridge.

9 . The doorbell rang one mid-December evening. I frequently had _________ visitors in those early days after my husband’s death. We wondered who it might be this time. `But when my 6-year-old son Danny opened the door, nobody was there. Instead, on the doormat was a box with a note _________, which read “On the First Day of Christmas …”

The second night, I turned on the porch (门廊) light so we could see who was leaving the_________, then Danny and I sat on the sofa and _________. When the doorbell rang, Danny ran to the front of the house, but all he found were three large candy canes. Same _________: “On the second Day of Christmas …”

This seemed like the kind of _________ my friend Caren would make, so I _________ the secret Santa to her, but she _________ that she hadn’t done it. “_________,” she said, “I wish it was me!”.

For the next couple of nights, Danny __________ near the front door as long as he could to spot the giver, but in vain. In those dark days of grief, somebody __________ our life with a simple but __________ message: “You are loved.”

Fifteen years later, I still don’t know who gave us __________ in the midst of our grief.

And I’m __________ that I don’t know. The not-knowing became my favorite part. That mysterious light pushed its way into our __________. Not a miracle. Not magic. Just generous, selfless, human love.

The virtue of frugality (节俭) has made a major comeback among China’s young consumers. According to data     1     (release) by iiMedia Research, 72.49 percent of young Chinese prefer to save rather than overspend.

Compared to their parents,     2     sense of frugality is rooted in memories, frugality among young Chinese is a matter of choice rather than necessity. This new form of frugality is not a complete denial (否定) of consumerism,     3     a form of smart spending aimed at achieving a balance between price and the quality of goods.

This new trend has driven the rapid     4     (grow) of China’s secondhand economy, as young consumers shift their focus from chasing after new things     5     recycling old items. A report showed that the market value of secondhand items rose from 300 billion yuan in 2015 to over 1 trillion yuan in 2020, and     6     (expect) to hit 3 trillion yuan in 2025.

Despite     7     shared goal of saving money, frugal living is     8     (actual) leading a kind of low-cost life. The temporary excitement, which often     9     (accompany) a shopping experience, holds less attraction for today’s young Chinese.     10     truly attracts their attention is the sense of fulfillment that comes with strategic spending and saving.