1 . Two elderly best friends have finally been reunited in the same care home.

Nora Boardman, 91, _________ to a new care home, Crispin Court Care Home in Stafford, last August and was _________ when her long lost pal, Eileen Gill, 89, arrived in January after her husband’s death. The pair, childhood best friends, _________ each other straight away despite having spent seven decades apart. Nora laughed, her eyes shining with _________, saying, “I never thought I’d see Eileen again after we went our separate ways as children — so I am _________ with joy.”

The childhood friends both _________ in Eccleshall, Staffordshire, but Eileen moved 20 miles away to the village of Brewood at the age of 12 — leaving the pair out of _________. But 70 years later, the once _________ schoolgirls now spend their days cheerfully together in their care home. And they couldn’t be happier they’re living a few _________ down from one another. At that time Eileen said to Nora, “I had a happy __________. My husband was so good to me and I miss him so __________ much.” Eileen has three children. As Nora doesn’t have any family, Eileen’s family have taken her under their __________. Nora said, “They have all been very nice to me — I feel like a(n) __________ part of their family.”

Both Eileen and Nora decided to move into the care home. Sadly, both had several falls. But they stuck to their __________.

Two childhood best friends __________ their relationship in care home after 70 years apart.

2 . My little girl, Jessica, always says hello to strangers. I wish she weren’t so _________, because I don’t want her to be laughed at. She was born with mental retardation (MR精神发育迟滞). But that’s also why I try to control my _________. Children with MR don’t communicate well with others, and I don’t want to stop her _________ .

Last year, we visited New York. I wasn’t surprised to hear her saying “Hello!” to everyone we _________. This would be a good _________ for her, I thought. People won’t respond—these are New Yorkers, after all. And maybe she would _________ not to talk to strangers.

One day, we were waiting at a red light, and Jessica greeted (打招呼) everyone _________. Then, a man asked: “Is she retarded?” It _________ me greatly. After all, he was a _________ stranger. I put my hand on Jessica’s shoulder. “Yes,” I said. He showed a look of __________. “I work with such children,” he explained. “It’s a __________.” I felt something inside me __________: a wall that I never knew I had built. Because I expected people to be unfriendly, I never__________ kindness. Not like Jessica, who always does.

Then the __________ changed. “She has a good mom,” the man said and walked away. My tears __________ up and his words were like a ray of sunshine, lighting up my world.

3 . Like the Christmas before, we called my family in Canada. Those calls were ______ , but I couldn’t relax. I ______ had one more call to make, and I was afraid. I paced the house.

Five years before, I had _____ an e-mail from my brother. At the time, I had been out of work for several months. My life was very ______. My brother’s e-mail was nothing terrible but it made me ______. I wrote back. As I typed, my anger grew. Months of frustration flowed into my ______. I didn’t care if I ever ______ him again. The next day I received another e-mail from him. I didn’t read it. I just deleted it, and then I ______ his e-mail address. For five years, he tried to get through to me but I ______ him. I had lived with this terrible ______. I thought about contacting him, but was ______ of myself for what I’d said.

It was time to ______ it. I took a deep breath and dialed his number. There was no answer. I left a message. I told him I was sorry and left my number. I prayed for his ______. The phone didn’t ______. Then a week after I called, I received his message. In the weeks to follow, we e-mailed back and forth. The healing began. Since then, we have grown ______ again.

4 . About more than ten years ago, an elderly veteran (退伍军人) Frank received a heartwarming letter from a sweet third-grader, thanking him for his service and devotion. Frank _________ the thoughtful letter so much that he has carried it around everywhere he went, every day since then.

When Frank first received the letter, he was _________. It meant the _________ to him because a young child would _________ him in such a kind way. The letter _________ a child’s drawing of colorful flowers growing out of a helmet (头盔). He wished that before he _________ his eyes to this life, he would have the _________ to meet the young girl.

Frank is currently living in a senior residence home, where the staff was _________ Frank’s wish to find the author of his treasured letter. They wanted to help him on his search. After some time searching, they were able to _________ her down on social media. They discovered that the little girl named Dashauna was now a(n) ____________ woman serving on active duty in the army.

Dashauna excitedly accepted the staff’s invitation to visit Frank at the senior residence home. She vividly recalled sending the letter in third grade. She remembered feeling ____________ to send the letter to a veteran as she had always ____________ those in uniform. Little did Frank know that Dashauna also treasured a letter that she had kept under lock and key for many years. It was the very letter that Frank had written in ____________ to hers, more than ten years earlier.

On a warm summer day in 2021, the ____________ finally arrived. Tearfully, Frank met with Dashauna, who ____________ wore her uniform and carried a bunch of flowers.

5 . A man has been tidying up his town by weeding the pavements around where he lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alex Russell, from Newquay in Cornwall, said, “I just want to keep the _________ looking nice and make it _________.”

His local police force said officers had spoken to him and were _________ that he was following social distancing advice. Mr Russell said he _________ wore a face mask and gloves and kept at least 2 meters away from other _________.

Mr Russell has been receiving lots of _________ from local people, including Lisa Paul who said he had a “heart of gold”.

“He’s doing a _________ job around our community tidying up the streets of weeds and rubbish on his own,” she said. “He’s only 21 years old; it’s a _________ that other young people aren’t like Alex.”

So far, Mr Russell has _________ four streets. He said he would like to finally clear up the whole town but was __________ one street at a time.

“When I’ m with my tools, I feel __________,” he said. “And people walking past don’t worry me any more, because I __________ that I’m doing good for the community. Everybody has been so __________. I haven’t had one negative comment. Complete strangers go __________ and say well done.”

A local organization said on the Internet: “__________, Alex, you are an inspiration to many.”

6 . Over the years I’ve spent living in Beijing, I can _________ the number of truly outdoor experiences I’ve had on one hand. But a road trip to Nanshan Skiing Village in February 2021 provided me with some _________ memories.

As my friends and I sat together in the ski lift chair, I finally felt for the first time that I had _________ left the busy city life of Beijing. Up in the air a few dozen meters off the ground, I _________ the wide view of the countryside and appreciated the peaceful quiet.

As the ski lift reached its _________, I _________ slid off from the chair and almost did a face-plant into the snow. “So much for the peace and quiet”, I _________ to myself. _________, I gathered myself together and made my way as _________ as I could to one of the several starting points.

My buddies had already started making their way down the hill, and I was about to join them but suddenly fear __________ me as I noticed how easy it was to __________ speed. I __________ to swerve (突然转向) to the side to slow down, but ended up tumbling (摔倒) down into the snow.

Not wanting to become __________, I awkwardly reattached the ski. Although I still felt nervous, by accepting the risk I was able to ski more confidently and at last managed to make it down the whole ski slope (斜坡).

By the day’s end, I had relearned what it __________ to take risks and get out of my comfort zone. By accepting what seems __________, you can find both confidence and peace within.

7 . I recently lost one of my favourite rings and was upset.

Even though it was cheap and could be easily ____, it had a lot of ____ value to me. I had ____ it for two weeks before losing my hope and planning to buy a new one.

When I was on my way to the ____ and was checking for my wallet inside of my backpack, I felt the ring at the bottom of my bag. I was more than happy — and the first person I called was my father. He told me he was happy because I was happy that I’d found it. I had been telling him about all of the special memories I had ____ the ring and he knew how sad I was when I thought I lost it. Whenever I have good news, the first people I want to share it with are my ____.

I’m 23, and I have been calling my parents every day since I started university in 2018 — sometimes more than once. It started because I was ____ . I initially (最初) had a really hard time making friends and sometimes wouldn’t talk to anybody for days.

Ringing my parents became a ____ and a way for me to feel ____ to them. I love them. Some people might think that it’s ____ at my age, or child-like — but I’ve never felt a need or desire to ____ talking to them every day just because we don’t live in the same house anymore. I ____ that I call my parents sometimes for support and relief, but I think it’s natural for humans to seek support from others, especially from those they’re ____ to.

____ I’ve never quite understood why people think the ‘mark of independence’ consists of not speaking to your family on a regular basis. I think people can still be independent and seek emotional support from their family. It’s not a sign of ____.

8 . One day Bella, a future psychiatrist (精神病医生), visited a clinic with her teacher. While the teacher was _______ his business, Bella was invited to wait for him in the art room. Walking in, Bella looked with _______ at everything around her. Suddenly a young man _______, talking loudly to himself. He threw a quick look at Bella and _______ the piano in the corner. Stopping at the window, he _______ to speak. Bella assumed he was a patient because she found clear signs of _______ in his voice and the waving of his arms. After a while the young man _______ the piano and started pressing the keys randomly. Bella thought the young man might break it.

Bella found herself facing a _______ patient when one orderly (护工) appeared. The orderly asked if there was much work to do with the piano. The young man replied that he had already _______ it up. Then Bella noticed a headset sticking out of the man’s ear and she was terribly ________. He was a piano tuner. At this point, the young man ________ asked the orderly whether it was normal to leave a patient ________ at the clinic. “I’m a visitor, not a patient!” Bella protested. Bella was terribly ________. Not only was she a future doctor, unable to tell the ________ between a healthy person and a patient, but she herself was considered crazy!

Hasty (草率的) conclusions too often turn out to be ________ and put one in a foolish position. Avoid them.

9 . To beat the blues of staying at home all day, I _______ an ‘online book exchange’ on account of my friends. Details were _______ to understand, and I spent hours trying to make it clear.

I had my doubts, though. For one, it involved _______ a copy of your favorite book to a complete stranger, and then waiting for a series of people to _______ the chain, till you received some books _______, from complete strangers. A natural pessimist I am, I _______ if I would receive any books. But _______, I sent a copy of my favorite, Jeffrey Arche’s The Eleventh Commandment, to a stranger. Days later, I was _______ when the first book arrived! And soon followed another 10 books that I had never in my wildest dreams imagined I would receive. Over the next two weeks, books kept _______, ranging from Dr Abdul Kalam’s autobiography (自传) to Charlotte Jane Eyre and a bestselling Japanese thriller. I even ________ my afternoon nap (午觉), ready to open the door ________ another book was delivered.

There is something intimate (亲密的) about exchanging books with strangers. By ________ a book with someone, I believe we end up sharing a part of our soul with them.

The posting about the book exchange on social media brought me ________ to many old friends, with whom I had lost touch due to the ________ schedules we all had before COVID-19 ________ our plans. It fired long discussions about trying out wine in Vietnam.

10 . My Olympic dream began a few years after I started ski jumping. The Sochi Games are the first time women ski jumpers are ______ to compete for gold. Before that my Olympic dream was just impossible. So I dearly wanted a(n) ______ on this historic team. But first, I had to overcome the worst day of my life.

Five months before the Games, an unimaginable amount of _______ overtook me during my training- my right knee was severely broken. Lying there, a sense of despair ______   me, and I thought my dream was all over.

To my _______, my doctor told me that it was still ______   to make it to Sochi. He said that ______ anyone could come back in time, it would be me. I took his words to heart, and decided I wouldn't let anything ______ me.

The road to my full ______ demanded hard work. I couldn't ______   how quickly my body healed, but I could ______ myself to workouts and rehab （康复治疗）. I ______ hours and hours at the gym. Despite all the sweat, I was ______ about the outcome due to my injury. However, I was all in because I knew that I had to work hard so that I could have a ______ to prove myself.

______ , my hard work paid off. I passed the strength tests and was named to the 2014 Sochi Olympic team.