1 . Whenever I visited my grandfather Jack, he burst with questions. Each time I _______, however, his face would settle into a puzzled expression. He’d leaned closer. My _______ grew louder and louder until I was practically shouting at him. Then he raised his hands, and _______ me away with a resigned sigh.

Jack loved company, and loved having long _______. But by the time he turned 80, more than 70% of his _______ was gone. Jack spent thousands on medical-grade hearing aids. They were functional, but made all noises loud. The devices became even less _______ as his ears got worse and worse. Simple conversations were _______ in shouting matches and frustration. Phone calls were impossible, either.

When I visited him in the fall of 2022, I_______ a pair of earphones. The earphones had a new _______ that lets a mobile phone transmit audio from the microphone directly to compatible (兼容的) hearing aids working with an app. I put them in my grandfather’s ears, ________ the app on my phone and spoke into it. Then I watched Jack nod his head in ________. He understood my words! And when he responded ________ and in complete sentences, it felt like a ________ had closed. Both of us were excited. For the first time in years, Jack and I talked clearly.

These days, Jack and his new earphones are ________. He’s far less lonely. He can finally meet people again and ________ entire conversations, as long as they speak into his phone. He is smiling the biggest smile I have seen on his face in years.

4 . “Jin Pei, 75, encountered Biubiu on a cold night in 2015 when she dashed out from nowhere as Jin was ______ her own dog. “She walked fast when we walked fast, and slowed down when we did. She followed us all the way, and I sensed she wanted ______ to find herself a home. ”

Since that night, the pair have become ______ companions. People can find Biubiu wherever Jin is, and, last December, Biubiu became a therapy (治疗) dog visiting care homes for the ______ and rehabilitation (康复) facilities for autistic (患自闭症的) children to aid their ______.

“I used to be shy, never daring to speak in front of others, but ______ Biubiu really lifted my spirits. That’s why I sent her to be ______ as a therapy dog. I want people to see stray (走失的) dogs can play a ______ in society.”

Biubiu ______ a thorough training program and test before becoming a certified therapy dog. Last month, Biubiu with four other dogs, provided ______ at the hospital. They ______ their “skills”, doing “high fives”with their owners and putting their paws together to make a “thank you” ______. Then, they lay on patients’ laps and allowed them to feel the softness of their fur. This session, during which they ______ lasted an hour.

“When I heard the therapy dogs were coming to the hospital, I felt I had to see them to be healed ______,” said Andrew, 70, sitting in a wheelchair while feeling the dogs’ soft coats.

Treating them in a way as family members, you won’t be ______ to just let him or her eat and sleep every day. If your child can go out to do something to help others, you’ll feel proud and delighted.

6 . “Mom.” Eric pulled gently at his mom’s sleeve. Eric’s mom turned to Eric briefly, showing him a hand gesture to wait before pointing at her work phone. Eric knew he’d be _______ a long time once his mom started talking to her colleagues.

He returned to the living room. Dad was also _______ on his phone now! Eric curled up on the couch. It was nearly time to go to the playground. He didn’t want to wait any longer.

Finally, Erie’s dad sat beside him on the couch. “I’m _______, but we can always go tomorrow.”

“But you always say that, and it never _______!” Eric jumped off the couch.

“We’ll make it up to you this weekend.” Mom entered the room and put a hand on his shoulder. “Santa will visit the mall to collect _______ from all the kids. Would you like to go to see him?”

Eric spent the next few days working on his letter to Santa. On Saturday morning, he woke up _______ to go to the mall and see Santa. He entered the kitchen, where he _______ to find his parents, but instead, Grandma Annie was there.

Grandma smiled at him. “Your mom and dad had to work today, so they asked me to _______ you. I hear we will deliver your letter to Santa at the _______!”

“No, I don’t want to go anymore.” Eric turned away.

Late that evening, Erie’s parents came home. Grandma Annie said to them, “I know you both have to work very hard, but it’s important to make ________ for your children.”

Eric’s mom and dad looked at each other, feeling ________.

After Grandma Annie ________, Eric’s mom and dad went to his room. Eric was already asleep, with tear marks on his soft cheeks. His mom ________ a letter to Santa in his hand.

They ________ out the paper. There was only one item on Eric’s wish list, and it brought them to ________. “Dear Santa, can you give my mom and dad a lot of money so they can spend more time with me instead of working all the time. I miss them so much.”

8 . River and Ryder Rogers are twins who are close and share a lot. Their business_________was on display at the Acton Children’s Business Fair.

In 2020, when River’s outdoor activities stopped, she got interested in jewelry making (首饰制作). She_________it step by step by watching online videos. The next year, she returned to school_________her special necklaces. Her friends were interested in her_________designs, which were born out of her unique ideas. That also gave her the_________and idea to launch her company, River Khai Beads. She has since_________her collection to include rings, earrings, and paintings. She says she also wants to_________other girls to make their ideas come true.

Under his sister’s influence, Ryder decided to start a business that didn’t have any outside_________. Their parents offered him a box of old T-shirts they had _________to throw away. He spent a few weeks researching how to__________these old shirts. Then he__________the idea to make dog toys with them. Till now, Ryder has sold about 100 toys. He go this materials for free. So he makes__________to a dog charity (慈善机构) too and plans to make toys for other__________.

At a September fair, River__________a prize for her company. When asked how they felt about the prize, Ryder said, “If one of us wins, we both win. It’s more of fun__________than competition. We’re working together to make the world a better place.”

9 . At the school Art Festival, I was asked to design the costumes for three school plays. Everyone was________to see the actors wear my costumes on stage. This experience has made me realize that I am really good at____and have a talent for fashion design, which has inspired me to________fashion design as my job. That way, I can____work with my interests and strengths. To find out how to_____the field of fashion design, I did some____about what kind of education and skills I might need. I________that many premier fashion designers studied at fashion design institutes in London, Paris or Milan. I also keep a(n)________on job ads for the fashion industry to see what abilities or _____designers should have.

After much thought, I decided to________these skills and get the right qualifications by studying art at university. While I am there, I would like to work part-time for a fashion design company in order to________from other designers. Actually, I don’t have to wait until I go to university to swing into________as there will be a workshop in my city next month which I am hoping to________

After graduation, I will____a job as a fashion designer. One day, I hope to start my own________company.