1 . Today, I went hiking with a friend of mine. The sky suddenly became covered with _________ clouds, so we started walking down the mountain with a(n) _________ step than usual. After a little while, we _________ a large group of children by chance. They were walking down the mountain as well. The path suddenly became _________ for a few moments before the group was well ahead and out of _________.

Left behind were a young boy and his _________. We slowed down for a bit to _________ with them about the weather before finally passing them. They _________ again when my friend stopped to tie her shoes. Suddenly, the boy fell. Fortunately, my friend _________ caught him as he was about to roll down the path. However, he got frightened and was __________ in his mother’s arms. He said that his __________ hurt and I could see the __________ on the mother’s face. I asked if I could help, with my friend__________ that I was a nurse and I could give the boy a quick __________ of his knee. Making sure that they needed nothing more __________ we continued on,I decided to leave the pair sitting on a rock.

I only took a few steps forward before feeling that there was more that could be done. I said __________ to my friend for slowing us down, then turned and asked the boy and his mother if they wanted us to __________ and walk down with us.I could see the relief (宽慰) wash over the mother’s face as she said “yes ” and immediately __________ up.

The __________ in New England had left the path covered with beautiful yellow leaves. Though we walked slowly, we talked __________ with the boy and his mother.

2 . A young man travelled by train. As it was ________ across a wildness (荒野) passengers looked out of the ________ idly and aimlessly. When the train came near a bend, it _________ and then an unadorned (简陋的) house came into ________. It was so clearly ________ the deserted landscape that everybody on the ________ turned to “admire (赞赏)” it. Some passengers ________ began a discussion about it.

The ________ man was also impressed by the scene. On his return he ________ the train at the nearest station and ________his way to the house. Its ________ told him that he was troubled by the ________ of the train, and he wanted to sell the house but ________would buy it.

Soon after the young man ________ thirty thousand dollars for the house, regarding it as a ________ place for advertisement (广告). It was facing the railway ________ where the train had to slow down and the ________ passengers would cast their eyes on the house to ________ themselves.

He managed to get close to some big companies and tried his best to let them ________ the advantage of the place for ________ . Finally the Coca-Cola Company took a lease on (租用) it and put up promotional signs. The young man was paid 180 thousand dollars for a three-year rent.

3 . My friend Janina is quite a fine poet. Several years ago, when she was first starting out as a poet, she and I were in a writing critique (评论) group together. Even then, her work showed _________. But she had one _________ that I found confusing. _________ in her longer poems, she’d often give two word choices separated by a slash (斜线). Occasionally, the choice was _________ — one word would _________ well, while the other would be simply wrong.

On one occasion, faced with the fourth set of slashed options, I told Janina about my _________ with her system. These were choices, I said, that she _________ to make for herself, however _________ she might find them, before bringing her poem to me for critique. She provided a reasonable explanation, so I didn’t _________ her further.

While the “either/or” approach may not be a great __________ to make poetry, it may be very helpful in __________ events. Often, we will have two or more events we will be doing at the same time. Typically, at least one of the events will __________ factors beyond one’s immediate control. For example, I was often disappointed at the __________ of an outdoor tennis match due to heavy rain.

Actually, that __________ can be greatly reduced through the schedule of a “Plan B” event — something that won’t be affected by something __________. As an actor, I often audition (试镜) for plays. Starting this fall, I won’t __________ for an audition without a Plan B in mind in case I’m not cast. The __________ will be relevant to theatre. So whatever __________, I’ll still be doing something with theatre. While this won’t completely __________ the disappointment I feel at not being cast, it should reduce it significantly.

A Plan B during times of potential __________ really matters a lot.