1 . Last week, I participated in a spelling bee competition along with my friend, Emma. The competition began with a lot of _________ and pressure as we all got ready to try our best. As the rounds progressed, Emma and I were the only ones left _________ for the first prize. I was leading the pack with my _________ spelling skills, but the competition rules were a little tricky, as we could seek assistance twice in case we _________ with a word. When Emma was asked a word she didn’t know, she _________ looked at me hopefully without any hesitation (犹豫), seeking my _________ to spell out the word. Although I was amazed by her trust in me, I was also _________ that she would get ahead of me. I assumed that helping her would _________ my win.

As I stood there, lost in my thoughts, past _________ of sweet moments between us crowded in on me. She had always been there for me. She cheered me on when I was feeling __________. Suddenly, I realized that winning wasn’t everything, and my __________ with her mattered more.

With that in mind, I decided to help her. I reminded her of the correct __________ for the word she was unsure of, and she flashed me a grateful smile as she wrote down the answer. The audience __________ as the host announced the result: Emma finished at the top. After the competition, she hugged me, __________ what I had done for her.

Although I had lost the race, I had __________ something much more valuable — a deeper understanding of the importance of friendship.

3 . Last week, I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked to pray (祈祷) with us. As we _______our heads, he said, “God ,thank you for the food, and I would thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream...!”

At this moment, I heard a woman saying,” That’s what’s wrong with this country. Kids today even don’t know how to _______. Asking God for ice cream! Why? I never!”

Hearing this, my son burst into _______ and asked me, “Did I do it wrong? Is God _______ at me?“

As I told him he had done a good _______ and that God was _______ not mad at him, an elderly gentleman came to us. He said, “I happen to know that God thought you were a great _______.”

“Really?” my son asked.

“I’m sure,” the man replied.

Then he _______, “The woman _______ asks God for ice cream but a little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes.

________, I bought my kids ice creams later. My son ________ at it for a moment, and then did something I will remember forever. He ________his ice cream and, without a word, walked over and ________ it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, “Here, this is ________you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes, and my soul is good ________ .”

5 . Three years after getting lost in an unexpected snowstorm in Sheffield, a cat named Oscar has been reunited with his family.

After Oscar’s _______ in January 2020, his owner Katie Salt checked CCTV (监控) put posters up around the area and _______ the word on social media. They also reported him _______ to Petlog with whom he is microchipped, and contacted various shelters and vets in vain. In a press _______ from the Kennel Club, Katie said, “We _______ concluded he must have died during the snowstorm, but we still scanned our _______ everywhere, whenever we were out driving, and to be honest this never _______ .”

Three years later, Katie received a _______ from a vet to say that they had Oscar—he had been living in a garden just six miles away! The garden’s _______ had been looking after Oscar and when Oscar was ill, this kind man, who possessed the garden, took him to a vet for ________ , where they found a microchip and were able to finally ________ Katie. Now ________ , he has been enjoying warm cuddles with his long lost family.

Bill Lambert, a spokesperson for Petlog, said, “We’re so ________ that Oscar and Katie have been reunited. Their story shows just how important it is for owners to ________ their pets, keep their contact details up-to-date with their microchip database, and to ________ hope no matter how much time has passed.”

8 . Every weekend my parents give me $100. I bet you think I’m really spoiled (宠坏的). Think again!

It all started when I wanted a really cool _________. I asked my parents to buy it for me but they said I would have to buy with my own money. “But it’s only $100!” I _________. An hour later, my parents _________ there would be a family meeting at dinner.

They _________ the meeting with the words, “We’ve been thinking about how to give you more _________ in our family.” They brought up several “new ways” I could “have more say.” One way was to allow me to _________ for the family. Each Saturday, I was to be given $100 — along with a shopping _________. It was up to me to buy everything on it. Whatever money was _________, whether two dollars or thirty, was mine and I could _________ however I wanted — whether to buy toys, books, jackets, or even a bicycle. My parents’ $100-a-week plan gives me real __________ to shop for the best bargains (特价商品). I __________ prices on every single item on my list before I __________ what to put in my basket.

My parents’ clever plan has turned me into a __________ shopper. Now, when I finally save enough money, that cool bicycle doesn’t just ________ a mere purchase; it stands as a symbol of my __________ success.

9 . At 20 years old, I was a confident and handsome student at the University of California at Berkey.

But that year, I ________ a bump (肿块) in my right nostril (鼻孔), and when it didn’t go away, I made an ________ with a doctor. It turned out to be a tumor (肿瘤). Then I underwent surgery. Fortunately, the procedure was ________, and I returned to classes soon.

But six months later, a new bump appeared. Numerous ________ confirmed it had reproduced a horrible, life—threatening tumor. I was advised to have another operation and ________ that I might lose part of my nose. I was too young to think about death then, but the thought of disfigurement (毁容) made me feel ________.

I awoke from the surgery with a scarred, disfigured face. As I re-entered the real world, I noticed adults ________ and children pointing—and sometimes laughing—at me. The occasional and ________ negative reactions from my friends also hurt me. My self-respect sank increasingly lower, and I constantly asked others, “Do my looks ________ you?”

Five years and 20 reconstructive surgeries later, I ________ a man receiving treatment. After hearing my question, he criticized me. My problem, he ________ me, was not my physical appearance, but my emotional insecurity. His ________ helped me realize my mental scars were far more disfiguring than my physical ones.

I began examining myself from the inside out. Later, I volunteered at a cancer support organization to offer inspiration and hope to those ________ cancer

Now, I am ________ for who I am—a much stronger person than before. To you, I offer this message: Avoid making judgements about people at ________.

10 . Teachers across Canada are turning to social media platform TikTok to _________ everything from their daily experiences to learning tips.

Julia Adams, a teacher _________ to work in both elementary and high schools, said TeacherTok allows educators to _________ their day-to-day life, connect with other teachers and help people better understand what they do.

Adams, a (an) _________ who is eager to be a full-time art teacher, said posting online allows teachers with similar lived experiences to share _________. “You can figure out where to go from here and realize that you’re not so _________ because teaching can be a very lonely _________.”

For Thanksgiving, Adams posted a “_________ tree” she created at her school, which got more than 600,000 _________ on TikTok and became one of her most popular videos. The activity __________ putting up paper leaves and asking students to __________ something they are grateful for, creating a tree display at the front of the school.

“I got comments saying, ‘Oh I’m going to show this to my schoolmaster.’ ‘This is a great __________.’”she said.

Adams also posts videos reacting to other teachers’ fashion choices, discussing tricks on her students and how she decorates her __________. Going for a very generalized approach, Adams doesn’t record her students or __________ their names.

“I always make sure that I’m staying professional because it’s a public forum. You never know who’s going to __________ your videos.”