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 . Tobias, a 35-year-old Belgian musician, has become popular on social media for his excellent grasp of the Shanghai dialect. He has been sharing his everyday experiences, which he _______ in Shanghai dialect, on video-sharing and lifestyle _______ Douyin and Xiaohongshu, winning thousands of followers and millions of _______

In the videos, he speaks_______ Shanghai dialect, which many non-locals believe is as difficult to learn and _______ as a foreign language. He talks about walking on the city’s streets, enjoying the food and music, and _______ his daily life in the city. Tobias started shooting and _______ these short videos for his own practice purposes. He didn’t expect so many people would be watching them, following him and sending him _______ and encouragement.

Tobias did not bury his nose in textbooks or _______ intensive study to learn Shanghainese. He said his learning __________ involved getting immersed (沉浸) in a language environment, having a positive attitude, and speaking __________ “without being afraid to make mistakes” . He was not thinking too much when he started learning the Shanghai dialect — it was just for __________.

Tobias said he did not expect he would __________ the promotion of the Shanghai dialect, but it would be an __________ and pleasure if his posts encouraged his followers to learn and pass on the dialect. “I believe a dialect is the heart of a local __________” said the musician.

4 . 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.

6 . Every Saturday, Grandpa and I walked to a nursing home. “Whoever visits the sick gives them life,” Grandpa ______ believed.

One day Grandpa was suddenly ______ to hospital. Worse still, we were told he was ______ to recover, deep sadness over our family.

Saturday came. I had not ______ to go there, but Grandpa’s words rang in my head. So alone I went. Everyone was happy to see me but ______ when not seeing Grandpa. When told his ______, they comforted me in tun, “Do your best and God will do the rest.” They all tried in their unique way to cheer me up and ______ for Grandpa.

For days, neither could Grandpa sit up, nor would he speak or eat. The atmosphere was awfully ______. Suddenly the nurse came in, saying, “You have visitors.” I ______. The guys Grandpa and I visited every Saturday were all present.

They all showcased their best to the fullest, thus making grandpa’s day. Visiting hours went so fast that they had to ______ and told grandpa they would come again soon. I was ______ in tears.

That evening, Grandpa sat up and asked the ______ what he could eat. Day by day he ______ for the better. Grandpa’ recovery was a medical ______, the doctors thought. But I knew the truth: His friends’ ______ had made him well.

7 . Stephen Lee is one of the many people in Hong Kong who enjoy mountain-bike riding. He has always _______ the sport since he was a little boy. When he was 15, he got his own mountain _______. It was this bike that made him a hero.

One Sunday afternoon, Stephen came to Silvermine Bay. A _______ had been on the way, but Stephen had not noticed the black clouds _______ in the sky. He was too busy admiring his new bike.

Stephen rode up the hill behind Silvermine Bay until he _______ the top. He was just beginning to rush down _______ it was raining hard. The narrow path became a stream (小溪) of fast running water. Stephen was _______ riding his bike through the rain. Suddenly, he heard a cry for _______.

Stephen found Lilian, a young woman, sitting at the side of the road. Lilian had fallen and _______ her ankle (脚踝). Stephen put Lilian on his bike and carefully ________ down the path beside her, holding the handlebars (把手) as best as he could. The ________ became even worse. Neither the path nor the hillside looked ________ . But at last they made it to the nearest ________ to get medical treatment.

The next day, the newspapers got the ________. “It was the bike that saved Lilian,” Stephen said to the reporter ________. Two days later, Stephen received a $ 2,000 prize from an unknown giver.

8 . As a little kid, I was addicted to math. Since my father was often doing math with my elder sister, I ________ some things by listening in on them. One of those things I learned ________ was adding a whole three numbers at once!

When it came time for the ________ to learn the same thing, our teacher ________ us to add all numbers in the ones column (个位数), then the tens, etc. However, I always added the numbers by adding the first two, then writing the third number under the sum (总和) of the first two and adding those. The ________ worked fine. So I chose to keep doing things the way my ________ had taught me.

One day, the teacher had ________ written on the board and she called four students up to ________ the problems at the same time in front of the class. I was on the far end, away from the teacher, but I felt ________ as she would catch me doing things the “wrong” way. So I did things my way, put the answer, and ________ erased my work.

She ________ nothing unusual. When she got to me she agreed that the answer was right, but I needed to do my work again in front of the class with her watching me. ________, I honestly expected a scolding (责骂) for my wrongdoing. Instead, she seemed ________ and asked me to ________ my way to the class. She told me that was a better way and she was happy with kids doing math however they wanted as long as they got the right ________.

10 . A young mother said she was brought to tears after witnessing a little boy’s act of kindness in a restaurant.

Sophie Crehan, 24, said she had taken her children to a ______ in Haydock, England this past Sunday afternoon as a weekend ______.

“They have a little children’s play area there. I was on the ______ machines and I was trying to win my little girl this pink and purple teddy that she ______ wanted. I had a go three times but ______ ” — “I just couldn’t do it,” Sophie told the Liverpool Echo.

“There was a little boy who stood next to me ______ me do it. I said ‘It’s your ______ now. You can have a go.’”

Sophie went back to her ______ to eat her meal. Shortly after, the little boy walked over to her table ______ a pink and purple teddy.

He said, “I’ve just ______ it for your little girl.”

“I said ‘you don’t need to do that’ and he said ‘no, no, I’ve won it’,” Sophiere called. I was nearly ______. It was such a nice thing to do.

Sophie said the boy was around 10 years old.

I saw him go back to his table ______ he sat, I ______$2 out of my purse and went and ______ it to him and said “thanks very much”.

His parents asked, “What’s happened?” So I ______what had happened and said ‘He’s a lovely little boy.’”