1 . The 29-year-old Wu Quansui has worked in the kindergarten for six years. Many of her ______ call her “Mother Wu”, and her closeness with the students is the main reason she has stayed on the ______ long after many of her peers have left.

The conditions were not ______ when she first arrived on the island, and a boat carried daily necessities to the isolated (偏远的) community once a ______. The condition was so tough that there was ______ meat, the teachers mainly ate cabbages and carrots, and they also ______ fresh water, she said, adding that they had to use seawater in the shower. Unlike in other schools, the teachers at the school spend most of the day with their students. “We don’t have much to do as there is not much ______ on this small island, so after the students have eaten dinner, they come back to the school and ______ with us. Sometimes, they ______ more time with us than with their parents,” Wu said.

“When there was no school on the island, the children had to go far away to study, so they could only ______ their parents a few times a year. Our school offers them the opportunity to be together with families, and that’s what really ______ me.”

Conditions on the island are also improving. Now, there are two boats every week and a grocery store has opened. The school has also been ______ from a two-story building into a four-story one. Her ______ with the school expires (到期) next year, but she plans to ______ it and stay to see more children ______ on the island happily.

2 . Brandon Garrett was driving on a forest service road when he lost control of his truck on a curve and tumbled (跌落) down the steep slope. The 62-year-old was _______ with his four dogs to a camp nearly four miles from the scene of the accident.

One of those dogs, Blue, ran away from the _______ site and headed to the familiar campsite where Garrett was _______ to meet his friend Tyree that afternoon. When Blue showed up _______ , with glass on his nose, Tyree knew something wasn’t _______ . He searched for Garret and finally _______ his truck. The steep terrain (地形), however, made it impossible for him to reach the vehicle.

Tyree then drove to where he could get a(n) _______ signal and called for help. First responders from the local police rushed to the scene. As they _______ their way down the slope, they heard a man’s voice yelling for help.

Getting Garrett to _______ and the medical care he needed was no easy task due to the ________ landscape and where he was located. Using the ________ path, the team was able to set up a highline rope system to transport him to a helicopter and then he was ________ to a regional hospital.

Now Garrett has been ________ from the hospital and is recovering at home. All of the dogs survived the crash. Thanks to good boy Blue’s ________ and his making sure someone knew they needed help, everyone appears to be ________ .

3 . An elderly man in Phoenix calls his son who works in New York and says, “I don’t mean to ruin (破坏) your day, but I have to tell you something ________. Your mother and I have decided to get a divorce (离婚), because we have some problems that are difficult to ________. We can’t stand living with each other any longer.”

The old man’s words surprise his son a lot. “Dad, what are you talking ________?” the son screams(尖叫).

“For both of us, forty- five years of marriage is enough,” the old man says. “We’re sick of each other, and I’m tired of talking about this, so you call your ________ in Chicago and tell her about it,” he hangs up.

The son is lost in ________. In his eyes, his parents love each other very much, though they sometimes have disagreements. He can’t believe that things have come to this. Feeling ________, the son calls his sister.

“What? That’s impossible! They were quite close and seemed happy the last time we were home,” the daughter says. She is also shocked when she ________ the sudden news.

“But the last time we went home was a year ago. Who knows what happened during the year?” the son replies.

“Whatever happens, they can’t get divorced,” the daughter shouts. “We have to go back home and do ________ to stop it.”

Then she calls her father immediately, and screams at the old man, “You are not getting divorced. I have talked with my brother and we decide to go back home tomorrow. Don’t do a single thing ________ we get back. Do you hear me?”

The old man hangs up the phone ________ and turns to his wife and says, “Great, they’re coming back ...”

4 . It was my 14th birthday and I would have the biggest party ever. The number of the ________ had quickly grown from seven to seventeen. Nearly every girl in my class was ________. When each guest excitedly ________ the invitation, it was especially happy.

The ________ was full of shouts and laughter. We had just finished a game of Twister when the door bell rang. I was so _______ and I could feel my face turning red, because when I ________ the door, there at the front door stood Sarah Westly — the quiet girl who sat next to me in music class-and she was holding a ________. I thought about the guest list. How did I ________ to invite Sarah?

I remembered that I only added a name to the ________ when someone showed an interest in me. But Sarah had ________ done that. I accepted the box, a gift from Sarah, and asked her to join the party. “I can’t ________,” she said. “My dad’s waiting in the car.” At that moment I felt bad about forgetting to invite Sarah and really wanted her to rest for some time in my room. “Thanks, but I have to go,” she said, turning ________ towards the door. “See you Monday.”

I didn’t open the box until the party was ________. Inside the small box was a ceramic (陶瓷) tabby cat. It was the best gift I had received ________ I didn’t like cats. I later ________ that the gift looked exactly like Sarah’s cat, Seymour. I didn’t know it then, but now I realize that Sarah was my best friend.

5 . Once upon a time, there was a small village hidden deep in the mountains. The villagers led a simple life, depending mostly on farming for their _______. One day, a young man named Jack arrived in the village. He was _______ and eager to explore the surrounding mountains.

Jack quickly _______ with the villagers and became a part of their community. He was fascinated by the _______ tales of the mountains and the mysterious creatures that were said to inhabit them. Determined to find out the truth, Jack decided to embark on a journey of _______.

Before leaving, the villagers warned him of the dangers that awaited him in the mountains. They told him about the _______ weather, the treacherous paths, and the wild animals that roamed the area. But Jack was not _______. He packed his belongings, bid farewell to the villagers, and started his journey.

As he climbed higher and higher, the weather became increasingly _______. The paths were slippery and difficult to navigate. But Jack persevered, determined to reach the top of the mountain.

After days of _______, Jack finally reached the summit. The view was breathtaking, with rolling hills and dense forests stretching out as far as the eye could see. But as he was taking in the ________, he heard a strange sound coming from the bushes nearby.

Curious, Jack approached the bushes and peeked inside. To his surprise, he saw a small, ________ creature with big eyes and furry ears. The creature seemed ________ at first, but then it slowly approached Jack, sniffing the air curiously.

Jack realized that this was one of the mysterious creatures the villagers had talked about. He felt a sense of ________ and excitement wash over him. He gently reached out his hand and the creature cautiously sniffed it, ________ allowing Jack to pet it.

From that day on, Jack and the creature became close friends. They explored the mountains together, ________ each other's company. The villagers were amazed when Jack returned with his newfound friend and shared his adventures with them.

The experience taught Jack the value of courage, perseverance, and friendship. It also showed him that there was more to the world than what he had imagined, and that there was always something new and exciting to discover.

6 . I had just finished walking my dog as it got dark. We headed home and walked into the ________. A flicker (闪烁) of light caught my eye just as I ________ the door. I turned my head to see that a ________ firefly had flown in with us through the open ________ and was now crazily trying to ________. As it flew slowly towards the wall, I quickly but ________ closed my fingers around it. I could feel its little wings beat against my ________ and a flash of light shown through my fingers. I opened the back door and ________ outside. Then I opened my hand and watched it fly away flashing its light in the ________.

Before I walked back in, I took the ________ to look over the grassland behind my home. There were hundreds of fireflies flickering. Each time their lights came on, I smiled. It was so amazing that such little creatures could ________ so much light. I stood there in awe.

________ the lightening fireflies made me think of the light each of us ________ inside of ourselves. Often it Flickers and is not steady or even very bright. Yet, every time we shine it, we grow a little brighter. And every time we ________ the light, we can ________ the light in others to shine as well.

Do your best to shine your light even if you think it is a mere flicker. You are a lot brighter than you think.

7 . Every April, there is a special day in China. It is called Qingming Festival, also called Tomb-Sweeping Day. On that day, people __________ and honor their ancestors.

Qingming is a (n) __________ Chinese festival. It has a long history. It began over 2,000 years ago. A famous poem __________ the Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu describes the day: “Rains fall heavily as Qingming comes, and passers-by (行人) with lowered spirits go.”

Tomb-Sweeping Day has been a public __________ on the Chinese mainland (中国大陆) since 2008. On this day, __________ bring flowers, food and wine to their ancestors’ tombs (坟墓). They put food like cakes and fruits in front of the tombs. After that, they __________ the dirt off the tombs and remember their dead family members.

__________ do Chinese people do this? That’s because people think that visiting tombs is to__________respect (尊重) to their dead family members.

However, Tomb-Sweeping Day is not only about this. During that time, the weather is becoming __________. People are also able to garden (从事园艺) and enjoy outdoor activities. Families often ____________ for outings (远足) or to fly kites at this time.

8 . Stuart works as a lawyer in a law firm (律师事务所). There is a lot of pressure at work and he is busy nearly every day.

One day, he felt stressed out and wanted to find a _________ to relax. So he decided to take a long, hot bath. He filled the bathtub with water and slowly _________ in it.

A few minutes _________. Just as Stuart started feeling _________, the doorbell rang. He didn’t want to leave the bathtub. But he still got out, _________ his slippers and robe (浴袍) and went to the door.

A salesman at the door wanted to know _________ he needed any shoes. Stuart was very _________. He already had a good pair of shoes. Because of the salesman, he _________ leave his comfortable bathtub!

He shouted “No!” at the salesman and quickly closed the door. Then, he _________ to the bathroom.

However, the doorbell rang __________. Still in his slippers and robe, Stuart headed for the door. He took one step, slipped (滑倒) on the wet floor, fell backward, and hit his back __________ the hard bathtub.

While in great __________, Stuart struggled into (挣扎着穿上) his clothes and drove to the __________.

After examining him, the doctor said, “You know, you’re lucky. __________ is broken. But you need to relax. __________ don’t you go home and take a long, hot bath?”

9 . When first-time visitors to China see a Beijing Opera performance, they may ask what this is about and they are even _________ to see this. However, to most Chinese people, Beijing Opera is a valuable part of their _________. In fact, many of the characters have become _________ folk icons all over China, such as Mulan, Bai Suzhen and Bao Zheng.

In the beginning, Beijing did not have its own _________ of opera. According to the legend (传奇), Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) _________ some Huiban performances when he toured Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province. There were many famous Huiban groups who _________ lots of opera styles, including Erhuang and Kunqu. Later when Emperor Qianlong came back to Beijing, four Huiban _________ were invited to perform for his 80th birthday in 1790. Then, Huiban groups made _________ home there and also performed for the public. Over the years, Beijing Opera has _________ and changed.

Like nearly all Beijing Operas, not all of the opera is sung. There are large parts of it which include one person talking, a dialogue or a conversation __________ more people. Most Beijing Opera actors are __________ skilled in different kinds of Chinese kung fu. However, while the fighting moves are real, the __________ in which they are performed on the stage is more like dancing.

Beijing Opera is the most famous type of opera in China, __________ it is not the only one. In fact, there are more than 300 styles of operas in China. Typically, the __________ used in Chinese operas are based on old legends in China. Some are found in __________ operas, but many are no longer found anywhere else.

10 . On July 31st, 2024, 17-year-old Quan Hongchan and 18-year-old Chen Yuxi, China’s young diving duo (跳水二人组) _______ the world with their excellent performance at the Paris Olympics. They won the gold medal in the women’s synchronized 10m platform diving event. Their perfect dives helped China get its _______ gold medal. The excitement didn’t stop there. Just a few days later, on August 6th, Quan Hongchan got _______ gold medal by winning the women’s 10m platform diving competition. Her dives were so amazing _______ they left the judges and audience in surprise and respect.

Quan, known for her bravery and fearlessness, had been training _______ for this moment. Her _______ paid off, as she stood on the top of the podium (领奖台), holding the gold medal high. When a reporter asked her whether she would _______ next Olympics in Los Angeles, she said that the future should be thought about in the future, and we should live in the present. Quan’s teammate and friend Chen Yuxi, winning silver, couldn’t help _______ and felt happy _______ Quan’s achievement. Together, they had faced many challenges and prizes, making their friendship even ________.

The victory (胜利) not only brought joy to the Chinese people but also encouraged the young athletes (运动员) around the world. It showed the power of teamwork and the human spirit.