1 . The beauty of love is that it can happen with the most unexpected person in the most unlikely places. In the case of a one-year-old stray puppy in Duplin County, North Carolina, that “person” happened to be a bright _________ stuffed unicorn (独角兽) at a local Dollar General store.

It is unclear how the adorable Labrador mix, now called Sisu, first caught sight of the _______ of his life. However, once he did, there was no stopping the pooch from trying to _______ it from the shelf in the store. On his first attempt, he _______ through the doors and made a beeline for the _______ aisle (通道), only to be caught by the staff. Not discouraged, Sisu made four more _______, only to be gently driven away by the shop assistants.

After Sisu attempted for the fifth time, the store owner _______ the Duplin County Animal Services. When animal control officer named Samantha Lane arrived, Sisu was sitting in the store’s parking lot _______ awaiting his next chance to get his beloved unicorn. The officer, who has a “soft spot for sad stories,” couldn’t bear to see the _______ puppy. So, she bought the $10 unicorn and placed it in the front seat of her truck. Not ________, the stray pooch willingly followed.

On March 26, 2021, the shelter staff ________ a photo of Sisu and his friend on Facebook, ________ their story as well. The heartwarming post went viral, and within five days, Sisu had found a(n) ________ home. The animal shelter, which is currently training the dog, has also ________ numerous purple unicorns from fans who want to make sure Sisu is never ________ his favorite toy again!

2 . I received a phone call from a credit card company. With the craziness of the holidays, I had missed a _________. The agent I spoke with was _________ and we actually chatted about life and _________ and the craziness it can cause in one’s life. All in all, the _________ phone call was probably only about forty-five _________, including making a payment.

A few days later, as I’m walking to _________ the mail, I notice a box from an online _________ delivery company. My first thought is, “Oh, no, someone _________ a package.” I pick it up to see if the _________ is close so I can drop it off. To my surprise, it not only has my address but my __________!

I take it inside. And I’m not going to __________ here; I’m already teary-eyed. When I open the box, there are roses in a beautiful vase. I find the __________ and the surprises just keep coming. Not only have I got flowers, but they are from a complete __________ in a different state!

The agent has sent me flowers with a note of __________ from one mom to another. I cry like a baby. I’m so __________ that not only a stranger but someone I only talked to for less than an hour took the time to __________ me some encouragement and flowers!

To that __________, wherever you are, I hope you know you __________ my day. It is things like this that __________ me that while there is trouble and hate in the world, there is also generosity and __________ for our fellow man.

3 . “Are you ready for our walk?” Grandma asked the usual question every Friday evening. “Of course, we are!” We ________ excitedly. Growing up, my sisters and I always knew Grandma had heart problems and couldn’t do anything hard, but we did know she would do anything to spend more with us.

One day, we were told that Grandma only had 2% heart ________. Her heart was ________, but she found out that there was a way to live longer: a surgery.

The ________ of the surgery was rough for our family, as we woke up bright and early to ________to the hospital. That car ride left me with worried thoughts ________ through my mind: Will Grandma be okay? Will we ever take another walk?

When we arrived at the hospital, we knew exactly where to go, as we had been there many times before. After________ those familiar doors up the stairs, my mom and I walked up to the nurses’ desk and asked for Grandma.

“Oh, Mary?” A nurse answered. “She’s one of the nicest ________ we had.” Then she ________ us to the waiting room and told us that only two of us were permitted to go into the ward (病房) to say goodbye to Grandma before she went in for surgery.

When my turn came, I________ the chance. I ran forward and gave her the biggest hug with tearful eyes. Grandma, holding me tightly in her arms, said, “I know there’s a chance I won’t ________ it, but I love you forever.” I comforted her, “Don’t worry, honey. We are all waiting for you here.” Then she was ________, leaving us waiting and praying anxiously.

Finally, after the longest morning of my life, the doctor entered the waiting room smiling. “Mary is out of surgery. You’re allowed to visit her as long as you’re ________.” he said. ________swept over my body and tears began rolling down my face. Thank goodness, I had grandma back! Once we walked into the room, there lay Grandma, looking peaceful yet painful with so many tubes ________ to her. I felt so shocked but so happy.

4 . I was born in a poor village in Uganda. I spent the ________ days of my childhood there. My mother died when I was born. My father never cared about me, which ________ me to leave when I was ten. For the next three years, I helped people do something and they provided me with shelter and food ________. Luckily, a ________ family paid for me to go to school. For the first time after leaving home, I felt ________. Then, I attended school and got a job. I always ________ to help children in need. Yet I ________ felt I could do something more.

In 2016, I got passed to be a foster (收养) parent. By the end of 2019, ten kids had filled my house. In 2020, I got a call from a center for ________ children. When asked if I could take Anthony, I ________ it because ten kids were all I could do with. ________, I was talked into taking Anthony just for the weekend. I didn’t ask about his situation ________.

Anthony arrived that night, “Can I call you Dad?” he asked.

“No.” I needed to keep my ________.

Monday morning a worker in the center came to ________ Anthony. From their talk, I learned he had been ________ three times, but nobody would take him in.

Looking at Anthony, I saw something that made me think of the ________ boy I had once been. “I’ll take him in,” I said.

5 . Louis Pasteur was born on December 27, 1822, in Dole, France, into a poor family. The French chemist and microbiologist made remarkable scientific _________ regarding the principles of vaccination (疫苗接种), microbial fermentation, and pasteurization (巴氏灭菌法) .

The family was on a very tight _________. However, his parents _________ education and found support to send him to the best schools they could afford. Pasteur had a _________ for painting and drawing. When he realized that art was _________ to earn a living, he changed to _________

He was not a (n) _________ student, but he worked very hard once he put his mind to it. It took him three tries to pass the exam to get into his _________ school. Later, he owed his success to his _________. He impressed senior scientists with his hard work and willpower in __________ some of the most difficult scientific problems.

Pasteur’s__________research was completely self-funded. His wife, Marie, __________ supported his work and acted as his assistant in the lab.

As he became famous gradually, he was able to __________ research positions at more great institutions. Eventually, he was able to establish the Pasteur Institute to __________ and prevent the causes of disease, particularly rabies.

He was highly respected and won just about every award __________ in his field. As a consequence, Pasteur greatly advanced the science of his day.

6 . Being first time parents can be a really happy and________time for most people. The feeling — in a few months, you’ll be able to________a new little baby in your arms and call him your own — is________what married couple Kate and David Ogg felt. More________were heading their way when they found out that they were having twins. It is very exciting to have a baby, let alone having two at the same time. However, their lives were________worry when Kate went into labor (分娩) in just 26 weeks.

Although it is pretty normal that twins are born without full term (足月), 26 weeks is also a bit________for some. There was a lot of stress and________at that day but what they didn’t know was that they’d receive news that would________their hearts. After giving birth, they were________that they had a boy and a girl. However, the doctor said that the boy didn’t survive (存活) and________him over. Without any words, Kate immediately took the baby and held him________to her. She called for her husband to climb up the bed and give the baby as much________as possible. They hugged him for some time and then suddenly, by some miracle (奇迹), the baby moved in Kate’s arms. The couple were________and looked at the baby who’s moving and breathing (呼吸). They immediately________the doctors to come quick. Now, the twins are already 10 years old and are both at the most perfect________as they can be.

7 . History has not yet _______ what we will definitively call the postmillennial cohort (2000年后出生的人) that now _______ more than 60 million people in the U.S. These kids and _______ with no concept of life _______ the Internet have so far been called the App Generation and Generation Z. They’ve been referred to as Homelanders, having grown up under the ghost of terorism. They’ve also been _______ the Plurals, for their historic diversity, as well as the Founders, at least by MTV.

Whatever we _______ naming them, marketers and academies are turning their attention to this group, which has billions in _______ and is already shaping the culture. This generation is growing up “totally and utterly connected,” says California State University psychologist Larry Rosen. Experts like Rosen have concerns about these kids’ Google-inspired expectations that everything be _______. They worry about their inability to _______ even five seconds of boredom. And they worry about the demands that come with ________ several identities online, from Facebook to Twitter to Snapchat. “There’s so much pressure on young people, who are still ________ their identities, to present this crystallized, idealized identity online,” says the University of Washington’s Katie Davis.

Historian Neil Howe sees ________ with the Silent Generation, the spoilt, risk-avoiding, “nice” generation of kids who grew up during the Great Depression and World War II, although some marked differences are found. Today’s youths are also coming of age among geopolitical trouble and fears about the economy, he says, ________ schools emphasize an intense far-reaching sensitivity to other kids. He suspects this ________ will be known for being well behaved and perhaps boring the culture by playing it safe. “There are typical examples that occur repeatedly,” Howe says, “even if they go by different ________.”

8 . I started collecting shopping lists around 1997. One day, I was shopping for my daughter’s birthday party in St Louis, Missouri, where we lived. After leaving the store, I_________ a yellow note in the parking lot. I picked it up and it was somebody’s shopping list. I thought, “That’s interesting. Well, whenever I see one, I will _________ it.”

People collect all sorts of things you would never _________ . It’s as if all these _________, unimportant things, when put together as a collection, suddenly become meaningful. The first list I found was nothing special. But after you see a lot of them, the odd ones_________. One says at the bottom: “NO MORE CHIPS, JESSICA.” Another one I found is a long _________ of stuff and then, in the margin (空白处), someone had written: “If you dare to_______ any more rice, I’ll hit you.”

The shopping list_________started slowly. At first it was just me and people I knew who would_______ lists for me. Then at the beginning of the 2000s, I put it online and I started receiving lists from everywhere in the world. It seemed there was a(an)__________supply (供应).

In 2012, I was__________ by a publisher who wanted to turn my collection into a book. Then I started going through all my lists,__________ ways to sort and explain them. The project is continuing, but it grows more __________ now. Technology has made shopping lists more__________, because most people use apps, like I do. I guess there might not be another__________.

9 . Making a difference in someone’s life is a rewarding experience. During my time in college, I landed my first real _________ at a cafe. Out of all the _________ I served, an elderly gentleman named Jeff left a lasting impression on me. Every Saturday afternoon, he would drop in and _________ a medium coffee. Whenever I had a moment, I would _________ a conversation with him and over time, we got to know each other well.

After a year of working every weekend, I decided to leave and _________ my two-week notice. The most _________ part of quitting was not informing my boss, but _________ the news to Jeff. I felt quite _________, as if I was abandoning him. When I finally brought it up, he replied in a _________ voice, “Oh, that’s too bad. I’m sure that the staff will miss you.” I began to think that our visits held no real __________ to him, and that he would be just as content enjoying his food alone. __________, on my last day, Jeff came in with a card that simply read, “Your __________ during our time together is heartwarming. Few things have brought me more __________ than our weekly visits. Thank you.”

The sincere __________ I received for my small gestures was truly astonishing. Giving up my weekends for a year was a small price to __________ the remarkable impact of kindness.

10 . John and Mary were approaching their home town by car when they noticed some smoke. Mary said. “Oh, well, it isn’t our house on _______ . Let’s go home.”

John, however, _______ up and they were both horror-stricken to _______ the whole house was burning. A woman was _______ , “The children! Get the children!” John grabbed her, “Where are they?” “In the basement,” she cried.

Despite Mary’s _______ , John quickly soaked (浸湿) his clothes and ran to the basement which was full of smoke and extremely _______ . He found the door and _______ two children, holding one under each arm. As he _______ , he could hear some more whimpering (抽泣). He _______ the two badly frightened children into the arms of the people ________ outside, asking how many more children were down there. They told him two more. Mary wanted to stop him again, “John! Don’t go back! That house will ________ in any second!”

But he went back anyway. It took him a very long time to find the two children. They three were all ________ and they bent to get some ________ air. As they stumbled (蹒跚而行) up the endless steps, something strangely ________ went through his mind. The little bodies he had just ________ were his own children.