4 . Listening, speaking, reading and writing are necessary to everyday life, where language is the primary ________for expression and communication. Studying how people use language—what words and phrases we unknowingly ________—can help us better understand ourselves and why we ________ the way we do.

Stanford linguists attempt to ________ what is individual and general about the language we use. They also try to find how it came into use and the ways it ________ over time. After researches, they have found that even the smallest differences in language use are ________ the speakers’ belief, according to research. One study finds that a (n) ________ harmless sentence, such as “girls are as good as boys at math,” can in some way ________ sexist stereotypes (性别刻板印象). The statement’s grammatical form suggests that being good at math is more ________ for boys than girls, the researchers said. Language can play a (n) ________ role in showing how we and others understand the world.

Studying other languages helps us have a better understanding of ________ around the world. People speak about 7,000 languages worldwide. Although there are a lot of similar things among languages, each one is ________, both in its structure and in the way it reflects the culture of the people who speak it. Dan Jurafsky, the Professor in Humanities and chair of the Department of Linguistics at Stanford, advised that we shouldn’t only ________ on our own language. Studying other languages and how they develop can help us understand what is ________ in humans’ different ways of communicating with one another.

“Understanding what different groups of people say and why is the first step in deciding how we can ________ people together,” Jurafsky said.

5 . It was the most destructive wildfire in California history. It started in Paradise (天堂镇) and caused $16.5 billion in _______, destroying nearly 19,000 buildings and killing 85 in all. The beauty of this _______ named place was gone.

Grammer, working in Los Angeles, grew up there. When his friend Edwards posted pictures of his white chimney — the only part of his house to survive — he felt _______. And then he had an idea.

“I’ve got to _______ that chimney,” he says, “I’m not trying to say anything. I’m an artist. It was an opportunity for me to _______.”

Grammer spent three hours painting an image of a woman on the _______ — a reminder of the chimney, of the beauty of life, or even just of _______ itself.

Grammer posted the image on Instagram. Those who were affected by the fire, _______, could not calm down. Someone _______, “You bring beauty and hope.”

Greatly inspired, Grammer returned eight times. Outside one house, he found a photo of a girl, Eleanor. He painted a picture of her on the wall of her home left __________. It was a stamp that life was here and that life can __________ to be here. The painting has __________ meaning for the homeowner. Eleanor’s father, recalls how she used to play just feet away. Eleanor herself returned once to __________ the painting.

Ironically (讽刺的是) that first painting, on the chimney in Paradise, __________ only a few months — the bulldozer (推土机) is a cruel art critic. However, Grammer couldn’t be more delighted. It means that the __________ of Paradise is rising again.

6 . Anna was cleaning when she spotted a hidden door leading to part of her attic (阁楼).And in the secret room she _______ two boxes stuffed with hundreds of letters, which were handwritten in the 1950s. The letters were _______ to a Betty McGhee. There were dozens penned by a young man named Vance, _______ the same way: “Hi honey”. Anna read a few and a new romance was blossoming on the old _______.

Once realizing the _______ nature of the notes, she was hesitant to pry (窥探). However, she _______ that the letters would likely be meaningful to someone else. So she turned to social media to try and find the _______ to pass them on to. Within days, she found a(n) _______ clue with the aid of strangers who saw the post.

Finally she _______ to Dalton, who lived 3,000 miles away. Dalton confirmed that Vance and Betty got ________ following a string of written correspondence and eventually started a family. He ________ this because they were his grandparents, and were wed for 50 years.

Dalton was close with his grandparents. ________, he knew little about how their ________ started. With his beloved grandparents now gone, to ________ words to that time in their life was going to be incredible. He was grateful that Anna saw the ________ in the written words.

7 . Just before New Year, the principal (校长) called me into his office and asked me to read a poem written by me at the New Year party. “Sure,” I said with a smile, my dreams of being a famous ________ floating in my mind.

For weeks, I worked on my poem, ________ bettering the structure, sound, and voice. I reread my Emily Dickinson and William Wordsworth for ________. I practiced reciting it aloud. I revised, revised, revised. By December 30th, the day of the event, I was ________.

Well, I was confident until I looked around and realized how many people were there. And how big the hall was, and how ________ I felt about myself. How could I ________ a piece of my poetry to 800 people? My heart was beating so hard I thought everyone around me could ________ it. I was nervous. I could feel cool shakes run down my back. I couldn’t remember why I had said yes to the ________. Then the light darkened, the crowd quieted. It was starting.

Suddenly, I was on stage with the bright white lights blinding my view of the audience and the feeling that my ________ was closing up. I leaned in to the microphone and tried out my ________ as I read the title: “Let There Be Light.” My voice boomed (声音低沉洪亮) from the speakers loudly and sounded much more confident than I felt.

The room was ________ as I began my piece, and I tried to focus on the words and ________ the people. The words somehow ________ in the right order, the lines flowed together properly, and I even remembered which words to ________. I finally came to the last line of the poem and breathed a deep sigh of relief. It was over.

The room was dead silent. Maybe no one liked it. I felt like I was going to faint. Then out of the silence there was ________, cheering, and smiling. I had done it. I had shared a piece of my poetry with the world.

8 . It wasn’t easy to practice gratitude (感激) every day. After I ______ Cushing’s disease (库兴综合征) and had an operation a few years ago, my ______ was that everything would be OK. However, I was wrong. I had ongoing aches and pains, and ______ myself to a new life was difficult for me. ______, I began to notice that I’d become a hateful person.

One day, I heard a discussion about gratitude by Dr Tony Evans. It ______ me and forced me to take a long, hard, honest look at myself. I have a(n) ______ spouse (配偶) and parents. I’d heard the stories of other people’s ______ with Cushing’s disease. Their spouses had left them and they didn’t have family to ______. I didn’t face any of these problems, yet I didn’t realize that.

I made a decision to start practicing gratitude daily. Once I decided that, my ______ improved, and I began to approach situations differently. ______ viewing situations negatively, I started to see them as opportunities.

This led me to practice the concept of ______ and reaping (收获), which I learned from my parents. They didn’t just talk the talk, but rather they ______ his concept to us. However, it wasn't until I had my own experiences that I understood what it meant.

Let me explain. When I was ______ in my own pity, my ______ in life was ruined, because everything I was sowing was negative. Since I started practicing gratitude, so many different doors of opportunity have opened up for me.

My advice is starting practicing gratitude until it becomes a part of your daily routine. Take note of the ______ it will make in your life.