1 . My parents have a boxer dog called Boris which is as badly behaved as his name might suggest. He is known to ________ on a chair at the kitchen table expecting full ________. Whenever the dishwasher is being stacked, he likes to add a personal prewash to the ________.

Even my mother might ________ that Boris is the worst-behaved dog she has ever had, but on the plus side, he is very ________.

The sofas and chairs in their sitting room are covered in books-not because my parents love to read, but in an attempt to ________ the dog climbing on the furniture. ________, any human who wants to sit on a sofa has to ________ a library of books. I’ve suggested a removable cover would be more attractive, or training, but it’s too late for that.

The story between my parents and Boris is repeated across our community. Usually, our gang of dogs gathered almost daily, ________ did we. A group of folks of different ages, backgrounds and interests—all ________ by our dogs. Friends are therefore made through dogs, creating a ________ that lasts far beyond the lifespan of our canine(犬的)family. Sunny, Jess and Archie have all ________ now, but the friendship between us humans remains.

I have met so many people whose daily ________ with their group of dog have been their mainstay and helped them deal with ________. They are medicine for the_________. Dogs are actually man’s best friends.

2 . I was born in a small town in Montana, from the ages of four to fourteen, my years were spent hiking the beautiful Glacier National Park on weekends, and _______ the deer that would visit my backyard from time to time.

Though I loved my hometown, I wanted to _______ other places and experience what it’s like to live somewhere other than Montana. Usually people in a small town don’t want to _______, but not me. Therefore, the idea of moving away didn’t _______ me as it did others. It would be part of my “growing up” process. I was okay with it. _______ I thought I was.

I just had no idea it would be so soon. I would _______ moving nearly 2000 miles south to Texas to attend a new high school, where everything was _______ At the time, it felt like the   _______ thing I had ever done. I remembered sobbing to my parents that I didn’t want to leave Montana. I spent my whole life building up _______ but now I had to say goodbye. I had no idea how to ________ again. Finally came the day. It felt like we packed our entire life into our car,   ________ all the luggage into the car. We ________ our cat on our knees all the way ________ we reached Texas. ________ to this new environment was just as hard as I had imagined. I missed the quiet nights of my small town during many ________ nights. Montana occupied a ________ position in my heart for a long time. But ________, I loosened my tight grip (牵绊) on the place I used to call home. I realized that I needed to ________ in order to love and accept the new city I lived in.

The hard ________ has taught me that the pain of missing home will go away one day. We learn to meet different people and make different memories. To all those adjusting to a ________ environment, my message is-it will be okay.

3 . Have you ever heard of and seen Canadian geese? Do you know that they __ fresh grass and seeds?

Canadian geese have a good __ for their politeness. They always bow down to you whenever you walk by. However, I have recently found that they can sometimes be __ to their peers, especially on occasions when they quarrel for food——yes, these __ gentlemen do quarrel, just for something to eat

Yesterday I witnessed two Canadian Geese arguing __ for a clump(草丛) of beautiful fresh grass. The clump was __ right in the middle of them, while the two were shouting noisily, stretching their necks as long as they could to look aggressively at each other. It’s __ to witness the “impolite” side of Canadian geese. Hence, I couldn’t help __ my morning walk, standing still to watch these “gentlemen” quarreling. Interestingly, after a short while, a truck roared past their feast, disturbing their __ conversation. The two geese were equally __ by the massive “monster”, thus giving up their conversation.

Would they start quarreling again? I stood still, __ the ridiculous question and waited. Beyond my expectation, right after the truck’s passing by, the two geese immediately lost their ___for quarreling as if they had forgotten all about what had happened. Even the two turned around and left the __ in opposite directions as if nothing had happened. They left only me there, imagining what might have happened without the __.

They got along harmoniously again. Sometimes it’s not that bad to be __.

4 . It was a very exciting day for us-the championship Little League game of the season. Two teams would be _________ it out one more time for the championship.

Ben, my husband, who had to stay in _________ for a grave disease, had coached the Little League team for the past two years. He had coached _________ undergoing many doses of chemotherapy (化疗) and many stays in the hospital, along with daily trips to the hospital for _________. Despite being worried and _________, he had continued to coach.

He taught the teams how to play the game and about good _________, fair play and physical fitness. He also taught his family and a _________ community how to fight a terrible disease with faith, _________, courage and dignity. He gave us all the courage to hope when all hope was lost. One famous _________ he loved was by Winston Churchill: “Never, never, never, never __________.”

Today, one __________ father, whose son was new to the team, came to the game with twenty five paper cups on which he had written different baseball __________: “Get a base hit”, “Catch that fly __________”, “Pop-Up”, “Bunt”. What fun it would be for each __________ to read a message on his cup after drinking his water.

The score was close; it was a(n) __________ game. In the fourth inning (回合), our son, Jared, also a player, pulled a cup out for his drink of water. __________ he ran from the bench over to me with the cup. Written on his cup were the words, “Never, never give up.” The news __________ fast among the players. Ben was there, __________ in spirit only. Needless to say, we won the game, and the very __________ now sits on a shelf next to Ben’s bed, who is recovering from his __________ day by day.

5 . In the age-old fairy tale, Cinderella travels in a giant pumpkin carriage to meet her prince. In _________ life, everyday guy Duane Hansen paddled an 846-pound-_________ pumpkin 38 miles on the Missouri River to set a world record — on his 60th birthday, no less. People are calling him “ _________”.

It took Hansen, from Nebraska, nearly a decade to _________ the giant pumpkin named “Berta” before he hollowed (挖空) it out and created a cooler inside that allowed it to float for a _________ journey. That _________ made it possible for him to _________ the previous world record for the “longest journey by a pumpkin boat” as Hansen paddled “SS Berta” for 11 hours on Saturday.

Hansen is set to _________ Rick Swenson’s 2016 Guinness World Record completed for a 25-mile trip. Guinness World Records still has to _________ the journey. To confirm a record, Guinness requires __________ with its submissions, including photos, videos and witness statements. But there should be no __________ of evidence, considering Hansen’s accomplishment was all over social media.

Officials in Bellevue, Nebraska, recorded Hansen’s journey inside “SS Berta.”

“Cinderfella” also earned widespread praise as people across the globe wished him “pumpkin speed.”

“Congratulations Duane for smashing the world record,” the city of Bellevue wrote in a Facebook post. “We are __________ that you started this record breaking 38 mile journey in Bellevue and it’s been fun to follow along. … Seems like a unique if not slightly __________ way to celebrate his 60th birthday.”

Hansen began his journey as family and friends watched from public boat docks. The biggest hurdle was waves from other boats __________ to tip over his pumpkin boat.

“I couldn’t even __________ to anyone because of the balancing act I had to do as water began to leak into the pumpkin…” he told the outlet.

6 . As a writer, I’ve felt that someday, somewhere my work would ________ human hearts. One night, it did.

I’m in a bar. A small, ________ man sits beside me. “My daughter has been in Germany for five years.” he says. “I think the ________ of that girl.”

“Does she ________ you?”

“Sometimes. But we don’t talk much.” his lips tighten as he looks into his beer. “It costs a lot of money to phone over there.”

“Write a(n) ________,” I suggest.

“Can’t hold a pen,” the old man says. “My arm is paralyzed(瘫痪的).” To show me, he lifts the ________ arm with his good hand.

I grab my notebook and open to a clean page, ________ in hand.

“What’s her name?”

“Suzie.”

“Dear Suzie,” I ________ repeat, then pen the words. “You talk, I’ll write.”

“Tell her I ________ every day... at the Senior Center. The ________ is wonderful. Spaghetti, cake, ice cream. All you can eat.” He adds, “Just no ________”

I listen and write nonstop, a kind of ________ opening between us.

“Tell her not to ________. I dance every night I can.” his eyes ________. “Tell her... I think the world of her.” his voice shakes. With his left arm, he reaches a finger beneath his glasses and wipes a ________.

Then I pick up his limp arm, “You ________ it,” I urge and watch him write each word, which read “Jove Da.” I knew he means “________, Dad.”

“Thanks,” he ________, then clears his throat.

“No big deal.” I pat his shoulder and leave, “Tomorrow I’ll bring a stamped ________.”

On the way home, I knew I had just written my Pulitzer Prize ________.

7 . Eight years ago, Nixon decided to begin each day from a bench watching the sunrise at the waterfront. “I call it ‘life rising’ because it makes me feel _______ before starting my day,” said Nixon.

Later a woman said something that changed his _______ on his daily routine. “She said, ‘Every morning when I see you sitting here, I know that everything is going to be OK,’” Nixon recalled. “That’s when I knew: I needed to make eye contact and let people walking past know that we are _______ to each other.”

Instead of staring at the sunrise, Nixon started _______ at people and striking up _______ . And soon, more early risers began joining him on the bench, sometimes _______ their troubles, asking him for advice about relationships, careers, and _______ problems.

“I was happy to listen,” Nixon said. “I wanted them to walk away knowing they didn’t have to feel _______ .”

So, every morning, Nixon rises at 4:30. He drives seven miles to the waterfront where he’ll _______ for two hours. His presence and his ________ to listening have led some to nickname him the Sunshine Mayor.

While most people simply wave or ________ briefly to make small talk, others are ________ to spend a few minutes with someone who will ________ .

No matter what problem a person wants to ________ Nixon lends an ear. “You have to have an open heart, because you never know who’s going to walk up and what they might need,” Nixon said. “Every person who stops by the bench ________ my undivided attention.”

8 . Auntie Zeny took care of me from the time I was born until I was 15. She didn’t join us for ________, eating at a small table attached to the washing machine. I remember lingering around her and wondering why she ate ________. She would give me a motherly smile and ________ me back to the dining room. They are your parent; I am not, was the ________ she seemingly wanted to make clear.

It was ________ for me to view Auntie Zeny as anything but a second mother. Whenever my real mother talked to her about not completing certain housework properly, I would ________ Auntie Zeny. Every evening before my parents came home, she would patiently listen to me ________ about classmates and homework. Then she would comfort me and offer ________ in the form of Christian stories. Meanwhile, all her kids had to crowd around the phone once a week, ________ to hear their mother’s voice on the other side of the line.

After leaving Hong Kong to attend high school in the USA, and ________ university in Canada, I still found myself ________ Auntie Zeny. So I flew to visit her in the Philippines. I met some of her kids, now adults. Perhaps due to my guilt for having taken ________ away from their mom, I expected that I would be ________, but they spoiled (善待) me, serving me big portions at every ________ meal!

Now, my parents regularly send some of their allowance to Auntie Zeny to show their ________ because she greatly influenced my emotional and moral development.

9 . Four musicians with the same name, Paul, though living in different cities — London, Paris, Sydney and Washington — agreed to form a band called The Pauls the first time they met on Facebook.

Starting a ________ across many time zones was challenging. But they ________ to create a sort of musical assembly line and e-mail each other ________ they achieved the sound they want. The Pauls Band released (发行) its first original ________ in 2016. It’s about ________ relationships — not romantic ones, but friendships like those they had begun to develop. But just months after the song’s release, London Paul fell ________, which forced him to take time ________ from making music.

But it didn’t press pause on their friendship. ________ supporting one another on music, they supported one another more ________. The other Pauls made sure London Paul never felt ________, even with the miles between them. They ________ family pictures and chatted live online. “They are a source of ________,” says London Paul.

It was about four years before London Paul was well enough to start making ________ again. The first thing the band did was create a music video. When COVID-19 slowly ________ the world, the Pauls’ international ________ took on a new meaning.” Writing a song with someone ________ the ocean makes you feel less trapped,” says Paris Paul. They recorded their first short album and ________ half of the income from it to support the World Health Organization’s work on COVID-19. “Life is ________ sometimes,” says Sydney Paul. “When you have an opportunity to make joy, just ________ it.”

“________ are slim that a Facebook meeting would lead not only to new music but to lasting friendships as well.” says London Paul, “Some things are just meant to be.”

10 . Mother Hen

From the moment my husband brought home a box of six chicks, our nine-year-old, Sophie, hasn't let them _________ her sight. She named them Trixie, Bearty, Sweet Pea, Speedie, Captain Flint, and Adrian and was very _________ when we wouldn't let them sleep in her bed.

Sophie takes at least one chicken everywhere we let her and has done_________ things with her chickens. One hot day, she wanted to take Captain Flint to the creek(小溪). I wasn't so _________ about it: Could chickens swim? Sophie balanced a stick on her river tube (游泳圈)for Captain Flint to stay on, and the two_________ down the creek.

_________, Sophie dressed as a chicken for Halloween and _________ us that Trixic had to come. The reactions from neighbors were _________＂Wait,is that a real chicken you're holding?" Trixie cooed (咕咕地叫)the whole time.

The chickens are teaching us about love as well as _________ and grief.Sadly,Captain Flint faced an untimely death after an eagle attack. We had a chicken funeral, said a few words about what a good chicken she was, and thanked her for the __________ she brought to our lives before we __________ her. Sophie painted a lovely picture __________ it and has worn a pendant（坠饰） with Captain's picture ever since.

The chickens weren't__________ in the house until one morning when Sophie told me,＂There's nothing to feel happy about." Since then, we've allowed one chick inside at a time if Sophic promised to__________ immediately. The chickens brought a glimmer of joy back to our lives. In a few short months, they have taught us to__________ situations we can't change and find joy where we can. I am so grateful.