2 . A man took a little too long to complete his PhD. While a majority of PhD programmes are _________ to be finished in five or six years, a 76-year-old student who studied for a PhD in 1970 completed it after 50 years.

Dr. Nick Axten received a scholarship for a PhD in mathematical sociology in 1970 at the University of Pittsburgh. _________, he returned to the UK after 5 years with an unfinished PhD.

Dr. Axten _________ his studies again in 2016 when he was aged 69, studying an MA in Philosophy at the University of Bristol. He then studied for a PhD in Philosophy at the same university and _________ in 2022, aged 75. This year, he _________ his doctorate in front of his wife and 11-year-old granddaughter.

“What I was trying to do in the early 70s was extremely _________,” said Dr. Axten. “Some problems are so _________ that it takes the best part of a lifetime to get your head around them. This one has taken me 50 years, which is simply _________.”

Dr. Axten’s research is a new theory for understanding human _________ based on the values each person holds. Dr. Axten says it can __________ our view of behavioural psychology.

“I have loved being a __________ again at the University of Bristol. All of the other philosophy graduate students were around 23 but they __________ me as one of their own,” said Dr. Axten. The 76-year-old considered his classmates as __________ and expressed that he loved spending time talking to them.

“Nick was a(n) __________ energetic and hardworking student,” said his professor. “It’s great to see him graduate half a __________ after he started his original PhD.”

3 . I have wanted to be a writer since I was eleven. Not just any writer, but a _________ published writer. I remember sending a copy of my story to Puffin Canada. Several weeks later, it sent me a _________ encouraging me to continue writing, and also _________ that they did not publish short stories. It was ___________ of the publisher to write back, but the truth was that I had come no closer to my ___________ of becoming a world-famous author.

Yet I am ___________ a hopeful writer. The only ___________ is that now I am 17, and my English classes are no longer spent ___________ imaginative short stories. I ___________ those sixth-grade classes when I was given the freedom to write whatever I liked.

Last year, some of this inspiration left over from my childhood ____________ into what seemed a brilliant idea for a ____________. I worked late each night, eager to finish my first novel. I got little sleep and my homework load was increasing, ____________ I refused to allow anything to block my success as a published writer.

When I had over 80 double-spaced pages, sadly, it became increasingly difficult to write on. It was terrible to see months of work ____________. My dreams were not one inch closer to __________ than five years before. Perhaps by now I have finally learned the truth about writing: it ____________ more than a dream. Perseverance and brilliance are right up there, too.

4 . One evening, a man was injured in an accident and rushed to a hospital. Already in shock, he was found with multiple injuries, _________ a critical head injury. Immediate _________ was needed to stop the life-threatening situation.

At 9:00 pm, the operation started and was supposed to be _________ in about two hours. When the doctors were about to sew up the patient’s head at about 10:30 pm, a (n) _________ thing happened.

The nurse watching the monitor sensed the _________ first and called out, “An earthquake.” Yet, the doctors were too _________ to notice the situation. After the nurse _________, the doctors finally lifted their heads and noticed the danger.

Everything in the operation room was _________. Yet, if the operation was stopped and the patient’s head was left _________ , his life would be endangered.

“Calm down! Calm down!” the medical staff __________ each other. At the same time, after__________ all related equipment, they decided to continue. However, it was getting worse as the operation proceeded, and the nurses had to hold the operation table tightly to __________ it. By virtue of the team’s __________ and excellent professional skills, they completed the high-risk operation __________ before a worse condition may happen. The patient recovered well later.

Many people are __________ by the great love and selflessness of the angels in white and show thumbs-up for them.

5 . Firefighters were called to the scene when fire broke out inside Crystal Lamirande’s apartment. While they worked to ______ the flame, Crystal tearfully told firefighter Andrew Klein that her 10-year-old dog, Nalu, was ______ inside the home.

Firefighters are devoted to saving lives, and Nalu’s life was no less ______ to him than Crystal’s. He _____shouldered his pack and headed inside the building, moving on his hands and knees through the ______ home quickly to search for the ______ Eventually he saw the dog, but she was ______.

Andrew said Nalu, was “totally lifeless” when he ______ her. He carried her outside to fresh air, then began life-saving ______ he acquired during his training.

For the next 20 minutes, kneeling down, Andrew performed mouth-to-snout resuscitation (复苏) on Nalu. Crystal sat near Andrew, ______ and afraid, as he tried to bring her four-legged companion back to life. Soon other firefighters ______ them, silently hoping for a positive_____.

After seemingly endless minutes, Nalu ______! Andrew comforted the dog as she ______ came back to life. The animal was ______, but otherwise unharmed. Nalu was taken to a vet (兽医) and placed inside an oxygen tent for about 24 hours. When she left ______, she was back to her normal. If Andrew hadn’t ______ so quickly and used his ______ so perfectly, what would have happened?

Nalu made a complete ______ , all thanks to this extremely kind firefighter! No matter whether Andrew ______ people or animals, he clearly puts life in the highest place.

6 . Walking by Mr. Groll’s yard is the worst part of our morning walk—the unfriendly shape nearby that shades us: Mr. Groll.

“Hello, Mr. Groll.” I _________ him as I do every morning. And he never answers me. But I know he’s there, watching, behind his fence. Why does he _________ me? It’s a mystery (迷). Maybe he’s afraid of me because I’m blind. _________ scare grown-ups sometimes. Then I _________ hearing him playing with my friend Jimmy, who’s in a wheelchair. Maybe Mr. Groll does not like Vietnamese _________. No. Every Saturday Mr. Groll and my big brother, Lien, help each other with yard work.

Me and Chó! An idea _________ my mystery. Maybe I do know why Mr. Groll doesn’t talk to me! So, I attach Chó to a post, and I _________ my way along the fence.

“Mai! Be _________!” Mr. Groll’s loud voice steadies my _________ while his hand steadies my elbow (肘部).

“You solve my mystery. It isn’t because I’m blind that you don’t like me. Or because I am a Vietnamese.” I ________. “It’s Chó who scares.”

He __________ his large voice. “I like you, Mai. And Chó, too. But up close, Chó scares my ________ away,” he says.

I tell him, “Your fear of Chó may be big, but __________ is bigger. We will help. Come with me.” I hear a smile in Mr. Groll’s voice. “OK,” he says, “I __________ you, my friend.”

Then I take Mr. Groll’s hand in mine and guide it to Chó’s head. __________, Mr. Groll pets Chó’s ears. Friendly Chó—good Chó—swings her tail. Our new friendship begins.

7 . Methane (甲烷) is a greenhouse gas. Over 20 years it has over 80 times the planet-cooking power of carbon dioxide, and is _________ for nearly 45%of warming today. Because methane is the main _________ of natural gas, much of man-made emissions comes from the energy industry. Yet because it is short-lived, controlling methane offers the world its best possible chance for _________ progress against climate change.

As COP28, the UN’s climate summit, gets _________ in Dubai, it is greatly encouraging, therefore, that the chances of such a deal on methane are good. Negotiators must _________ at a rare opportunity to strike one.

The reason a deal looks possible is that the politics are promising in all the biggest markets. China has recently announced that it will start including methane in its national climate plans. America will soon finalize regulations to _________ methane emissions from its huge oil and gas sector, including measures that cover leaky pipelines and storage. And the European Union has also agreed on tough methane standards, covering both domestic sources and _________ fossil fuels.

_________ are helping, too. A range of new technologies for monitoring methane will help _________ large sources of emissions from the energy industry. Because oil and gas firms can often sell methane (rather than wastefully burning or releasing it), many investment s to avoid __________ will pay for themselves. Most firms do not invest because of the trouble, higher returns on other projects, or wells’ distance from consumers. Whatever the reason, they suffer no __________ for adding needlessly to global warming.

Since green-washing, the process of conveying a false impression about how some products or measures are environmentally sound, is quite common, if a global methane deal is to be more than that, __________, it will need rigour (缜密). Methane-control seemed to __________ at the UN climate summit in Glasgow two years ago, when negotiators __________ came up with a proposal to cut emissions by 30% by 2030．Yet the deal was voluntary, and had no enforcement mechanisms (机制); emissions have since __________. An agreement this time round must link promises to national climate plans and, crucially, to domestic enforcement mechanisms.

9 . When John asked his daughters which sculptures they like best, they shouted excitedly, “The Story birds!”. These birds are the _______ of Robin and John. Robin explains, “Made from plain clay (黏土), the colorful ceramic birds stand on metal legs. There is a little _______ in it. Together, we make something better.”

At John’s house, art is a family _______. Robin brings style to their ceramics. John crafts the metal elements of the sculptures, Their daughters, Ruby, Eliza and Carmella, help too. “The girls _______ into bodies,” says John, “Everyone contributes to the works, so every sculpture is a symbol of our _______ effort.”

There are lots of _______ to turn a clay into a bird. First, John breaks the clay and _______ it until about one-quarter inch thick. He covers it so that it won’t dry out and _______. Then, Robin _______. She thins the clay here and there, pushing in and out to make the bird’s body. John adds fresh clay on the drier clay and Robin ________ the body with bright colors. Then it is Ruby’s turn. She sculpts it. Eventually, the bird will go into an oven for firing-baking and ________. Robin programs the oven so that the temperature ________ bit by bit. Total oven time can be 20 hours. “That may be a long time.but the ________ you heat the clay, the more likely it is to crack.” Robin says.

Soon, the bird stands ________ on its feet, John shows it to his families. “I did the carving!” Ruby says excitedly. The girls gather for a closer look. The________expressions on their faces tell a story — they love making art together.