My mother believed in using things up. Last year, our cornfield had a bad harvest because birds feasted on the crops. It was probably then that Mom’s frugality(节俭)became even more extraordinary. She began keeping everything that seemed useless in the attic(阁楼)—worn-out clothes, old sheets, broken umbrellas, and some other old items. Mom’s favorite saying was “waste not, want not”(俭以防匮). My brother Josh and I weren’t sure what that meant until the “Affair of the Scarecrow(稻草人)”, which, as it later became known, left a lasting impression on us.

The story began with a pretty hat that Mom received as a gift to protect her from the sun. However, Josh and I could see that Mom’s frugal nature and fashion sense were in battle. Mom really didn’t want to get rid of the hat—it was new and had a lot of use left in it—but neither could she stand wearing it. She tried to take off the fancy decorations, but they were stuck on tight. She’d have to find some other solution.

Josh and I watched as Mom headed upstairs to the attic with the hat. “Waste not, want not,” she called back down. We heard boxes being moved around. Moments later, Mom leaned out, holding a flour bag full of straw, and with a mysterious smile, she placed the hat on it.

“What is that for?” I asked, confused. “A scarecrow! ” Mom exclaimed. “But not a good one yet.It needs a strong body to stand firm in the field,” she said with a frown. “And it doesn’t look scary enough,” Josh remarked. I had to admit that Josh, though younger than I was, could sometimes be more imaginative. Josh and I turned to each other, searching for a good idea. Soon enough, Josh’s eyes lit up with inspiration.

Paragraph 1: “Come with me!” Josh called out.

Paragraph 2: In the following days, the scarecrow stood proudly.

2 . Binge-watching (刷剧) is when a person watches more than one episode of a show in a row. With developments in the speed and connectivity of the Internet, increases in technology and the rise of on-demand entertainment companies, people can now have their favorite shows stream (流播) directly to their television at their convenience.

This behavior is nothing new. In fact, binge-watching has been officially listed in dictionaries since 2015. The entertainment companies recognize this behavior and many take steps to encourage it. Often, instead of releasing each episode on a week-by-week basis, an entire series will become available concurrently. Once the episode finishes, many platforms will display pop-ups with “you might like” suggestions, or will automatically play the next episode.

However, recent research suggests that out of the more than half of British adults who watch more than one episode of a show back-to-back (一集接一集地), almost a third have admitted missing sleep or becoming tired as a result; and 25% have neglected their household chores (家务活). Next we’ll be missing work!

Bingeing has other connections — binge eating, binge drinking and binge smoking. All of them are often associated with a lack of control and a possible route to addiction. Lindsey Fussell, consumer group director, said, “The days of waiting a week for the next episode are largely gone, with people finding it hard to resist (抗拒) watching multiple episodes around the house or on the move.” If people find binge-watching hard to resist, are we witnessing the birth of a new type of addiction?

The countless number of information and entertainment that television and online media can bring us is, many would say, a good thing. However, when the activity begins to bleed into other areas, causing us to stop functioning, then it becomes a problem. So, what’s the answer? Moderation! Neither a tiny amount, nor too much. After all, as the old proverb says, “A little of what you fancy does you good.”

4 . The skies were dark. Rain fell in big drops. Along the way, I saw some schoolchildren rushing home. I also saw that some _________ repair work had been abandoned (中止) by workers. _________, the workers had left in a hurry because of the storm. There were no _________ and it was hard to see what was on the road.

It looked like a hole had been dug and covered with boards in a hurry.

I moved on but suddenly _________ as I heard some sounds. It sounded like children _________. Not thinking much about it, I quickly _________ and went back to the place from where the sounds came. Two small children had _________ the hole on the road. The boards had been moved away by the force of the rushing water. I told them that I was going to get help and ran.

I was not sure what to do or where to go but _________ to go to the nearest house for help. I knew the man, Mr. Lee, who lived there. I called Mr. Lee and told him about the _________. He said that he would get some rope. A few other neighbors also quickly __________ the rescue party and together went to the road. They __________ to get the children out of the watery hole safely. The children were very frightened and they __________ with cold.

The parents of the children who had just arrived from work were totally surprised to hear __________ what had happened. They were __________ for what we had done. I was very happy that I had been part of this act of neighborliness. I went home with a good __________.

5 . The English language arrived in South Asia as a result of colonization (殖民).

The British first arrived in India in the early 1600s and soon established trading posts in a number of cities under the control of The East India Company. By 1765 the company’s influence had grown to such a degree that the British were effectively controlling most parts of the country. This date is often taken as the start of what is referred to as The Raj — a period of British rule in India that lasted until Independence in 1947.

At first, there were no official attempts to force the language on the masses. But by the 1700s, English had firmly established itself as the language of administration (行政) and many educated Indians were demanding instruction in English as a means of social advancement. By 1857 universities had opened in Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. English was increasingly accepted as the language of government, of the social elite (精英), and of the national press.

After Independence, India became a nation state, and it was intended that English would be phased out as the language of administration. But there was no simple solution as to which language should replace it. At first Hindi, the most widely spoken language, seemed to be the obvious choice, but since protests in 1963 in the state of Tamil Nadu against Hindi as a national language, opinion has remained divided. In a country with over 1. 3 billion people and more than a thousand languages, it is difficult to choose a single national language, as mother tongue speakers of that language would benefit more from it.

Despite continued pressure from nationalists, English remains at the heart of Indian society. It is widely used in the media, in higher education and government and therefore remains a common means of communication, both among the ruling classes, and between speakers who do not understand each other’s languages.

6 . When Marion Sheppard was unable to see in her 40s, she cried. Wasn’t it _________ that she’d been partly deaf since childhood? That struggle and the _________ that usually came with it didn’t defeat her, but made her _________.

Sheppard had always been an enthusiastic dancer since childhood, but now she was so scared that she _________ left her apartment. She worried about the way she would _________ to the world. Hard as it was, Sheppard later_________ herself to go out.

At 61, Sheppard attended a camp organized by Visions for blind people, where she taught her first dancing class. She _________ to teach her class there after that. But she was _________ . She soon convinced Visions to let her teach on a _________basis. About four years later, her classes won so much __________ that Visions hired her to be on staff. Sheppard’s students were mostly seniors whose eyesight had __________ as adults. With confidence-building praise, Sheppard also __________dignity and independence into them.

As a way to combine movements with her faith, Sheppard __________ a group called The Blind Sisterhood. What is her __________ for maintaining both physical and mental health despite __________life throws at her? “Keep it moving!”

8 . I ask every student I interview for admission to my institution, Pitzer College, the same question, “What do you look forward to the most in college?” I was stunned and delighted recently when a student sat across from me and replied, “I look forward to the possibility of failure.” Of course, this is not how most students respond to the question when sitting before the person who can make decisions about their academic futures, but this young man took a risk. “You see, my parents have never let me fail,” he said. “When I want to take a chance at something, they remind me it’s not a safe route to take. Taking a more rigorous course or trying an activity I may not succeed in, they tell me, will ruin my chances at college admission. Even the sacrifice of staying up late to do something unrelated to school, they see it as a risk to my academic work and college success.”

Kids all over the world admit they are under tremendous pressure to be perfect. So students are usually in shock when I chuckle and tell them I never expect perfection. How could a dean of admission at one of America’s most selective institutions not want the best and the brightest? The reality is (that) perfection doesn’t exist.

I’ve spent enough time in high schools to know teenagers will never be perfect. They do silly things, mess up, fall down, and lack confidence. The ability to bounce back is a fundamental life skill students have to learn on their own. The lessons of failure can’t be taught in a classroom; they are experienced and reflected upon. During my weekend of interviews, another student told me, “I’m ashamed to admit I failed precalculus, but I decided to take it again and got a B-plus. I’m now taking calculus, and even though I don’t love it, I’m glad I pushed through!” I asked him what he learned from the experience. “I learned to let go of shame,” he said. “I realized that I can’t let a grade define my success. I also learned that if you want anything bad enough, you can achieve it.”

I smiled as I wrote his words down on the application-review form. This kid will thrive on my campus. Not only will the faculty love him, but he has the coping skills he needs to adjust to the rigors of life in a residential college setting. Failure is about growth, learning, overcoming, and moving on. Let’s allow young people to fail. Not only will they learn something, it might even get them into college.

9 . Many people think of sharks as dangerous monsters. But human beings cause a far greater danger to them than they do to us. Although shark attacks do occur, they are quite rare. According to one estimate, however, humans kill 100 million sharks every year.     1    

Why should we save the sharks?

Sharks take up the top position on the food chain in the ocean. As sharks die off, the population of the animals that sharks consume will increase. This, in turn, means that the number of the creatures those animals eat will drop.     2     Fish that eat algae (藻类) are also included. This can cause algae to spread so much that it damages coral reefs.

    3     The ocean not only produces more oxygen than all the rainforests on Earth combined, but also removes half of the man-made greenhouse gas from the atmosphere. Once sharks die off, the global ecosystem will be upset, affecting all creatures including human beings.

Don’t use shark products

First, vitamin energy drinks and leather goods can be made from shark parts.     4     In addition, shark meat is sold around the world, sometimes under misleading names such as rock salmon or whitefish. Shark fin soup is a popular dish. However, the process of getting fins is cruel. Fishermen cut the shark’s fins off and then throw the shark back into the water, still alive.     5     Sharks breathe by swimming, so a shark that can’t swim will die.