1 . I was having coffee with a friend recently when she leaned across the table and said, “No matter what I do as a parent, I feel like I’m being taken for granted. All my child seems to do is shout at me, ________ me or ask me for things. I just feel so ________.”

Let’s face it — parenting is often a ________ job. Before we have kids, most of us have unrealistic ________ of what it’s going to become a parent. Maybe you watched family members ________their kids, or witnessed tired parents in the grocery store whose kids were ________ and thought to yourself, “I’ll never do it that way.” But as every parent eventually finds out that ideal image we have pre-kids is not ________. It’s hard work to raise children, and most of us are ________ trying to do our best.

It’s not easy to set ________, give consequences, and stay consistent as a parent. ________, your child isn’t going to show appreciation to you for doing it. If you’re feeling taken for granted, remember that one of your main ________ is to teach your child to be a responsible adult. And, as every parent knows, this is a tough and ________ job. We have to teach and ________ them how to behave appropriately in each ________. They may not always like it when we lay down regulations, but they ultimately ________ them — not only for their behavior, but because it makes them feel safer. Do remember: their thanks will come later.

2 . Pets are always part of a family. Pets and kids who grow up together have very close _________. This is especially true in the case of 9-year-old Milly Kukuczka, whose beloved dog Bella _________ shortly before Christmas in 2022. The girl was _________ but she turned her sadness into a labor of love for _________ animals.

This year, when Milly’s parents asked her what she wanted for Christmas, she went to her room to prepare her _________. To her parents’ surprise, _________ toys for herself, Milly gave her parents a flier (小广告传单) she made for a pet drive to collect toys and treats for pets without forever _________. All she wanted was to hold a pet drive, so all pets could have a toy for Christmas.

The Kukuczka family _________ Bella before Milly was born. The dog was Milly’s _________ and her best friend. Milly’s mom said that they were always side by side, and she wanted to do everything with Bella. But Bella was diagnosed with cancer around a year before she died. It was difficult for the entire family, especially for Milly. Now, this young girl wants to keep her love for Bella __________ by helping other pets.

Milly’s parents were all onboard to help their daughter organize the pet drive. They __________ out to the Dumb Friends League in Denver where the family chose their cats and __________ the pet drive on social media. The response was very __________. There are 50 toys there already and they have boxes of treats and cat scratchers (抓扒工具).

Milly is __________ the pet Father Christmas and she will deliver the __________ to shelter animals at the Dumb Friends League just in time for Christmas.

3 . I came to the sport of triathlons late in life. I spent years accompanying my super-fit brother to triathlons and waiting for him on the hot sidelines while he swam, biked and ran for hours. Then a light bulb turned on in my brain. I could _________, too, instead of suffering intense _______.

Starting with what I knew best, I began swimming. I swam up and down, _________ my54-year-old body that my skills haven’t _________. Thankfully, muscle memory was _________, leaving me confident for the first session. For the bike part, cycling wasn’t as enjoyable as I remembered, but I didn’t _________. Tough as it was, all I cared about was finishing the ride. To exercise for the run, I joined a running group. In the beginning, I could merely run 3 miles, but I kept moving forward. I could _________ achieve the goal in a couple of months. Still, I remained rather _________. How would I swim 1.2miles, bike 56 miles and then run 13.1 miles in one day?

When I carefully _________ my crazy idea to my brother, he jumped on board immediately. The final __________ was painful and the big day eventually arrived this summer. At first, I finished swimming a few minutes ahead of my brother. However, I __________ during the bike ride. After about 22 miles, I stopped, got off my bike and __________, “I think I’m going to quit.”

“You know you won’t let yourself do that”, he replied. __________, I got back and slowly pedaled (蹬车) to the end. The run was more like a walk. My brother chose to stay with me. The sun burning, we talked, laughed and waved to the __________. We crossed the finish line together, and a great cheer went up from the crowd. It was a (n) __________ experience for me.

4 . I was driving down the highway, enjoying the freedom of the open road when suddenly, I heard a loud noise. My car shook _______, and I knew something was wrong.

I carefully _______ to the side of the road, as far away from the traffic as possible. I got out of the car and looked at the damage, with a rising sense of fear. The tire(轮胎) was completely flat, and I had no _______. I was stuck in the middle of nowhere with no one to help.

I tried to flag down passing cars, but no one seemed to notice me. They drove past me at high speed, as if I were _______. I began to feel frustrated and _______.

As the sun started to set, my _______ turned to despair. I felt like I was stranded(滞留) in the middle of nowhere, with no hope of _______. I thought about how long it would take for someone to notice me, and how dangerous it was to be stranded on the side of the road at night. I felt _______ forcing their way out of the corners of my eyes, but I tried my best to hold them back.

Just when I was about to give up, I heard a car _______. I tried to flag it down, but it seemed to be about to speed past me. I felt my heart ________, but to my surprise, the car slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road. A tall man got out of the car, and I felt a sense of ________ wash over me.

As expected, the man helped ________ the flat tire with his spare one. Before I expressed my gratitude, he ________ into the night. What a silent but warm-hearted ________. The road might be challenging, but the ________ of the stranger lit it up.

5 . When she first encountered it, it seemed more like a Western-style dragon than a Chinese one, a(n) ________ to run away from rather than a friend to be embraced. That dragon was the Chinese language, and the person staring into its ________ eyes was a young Uzbek woman, Dilsora. It was 2005 and Dilsora was studying in Tashkent. Her ________ was journalism and Chinese, a language stream her teacher had strongly ________ to her.

Before heading off to college, Dilsora caught an interview on TV ________ an Uzbek student who had studied in China. “At the time I couldn’t figure out how one could ________ such a difficult language. Little did I know that this language would be my future major in college.” she recalled. “Then, when I started studying it I found it ________ difficult, ________ of considering throwing it away and studying another language.”

However, as with many a dragon story, there is a ________ in the tail, and Dilsora’s despair ________ noble principles. As time passed by, Dilsora’s sense of devotion has paid off for her in astonishing ways. Since then Dilsora has ________ master’s and doctoral degrees at Chinese University and is now a teacher at Minzu University of China in Beijing, teaching Uzbek to Chinese students. ________, Dilsora has answered another high calling: ________ Chinese works into Uzbek, including books the Chinese president has written. The Uzbek edition of Xi’s book on poverty ________, Up and Out of Poverty, published last year, was translated by Dilsora. This book reflects Xi’s ________ for the people and the lofty (崇高的) pursuits of the Communist Party of China, she said.

6 . What do ballet dancers and short people have in common? They both spend more time on their tip toes than others. I don’t remember when I went from being a _________ person like the other kids to being a short kid. I know that by the time I was about 12, you would have difficulty making a joke about a short person I hadn’t _________.

One of the greatest lessons my dad taught me was to do something before somebody else could. If I am going to be a punchline (笑点), I’d rather be the _________ of the joke. My 50th birthday is just a couple of years away, and the jokes keep _________. I can laugh now, most of the time.

There was a lot of name-calling (辱骂). Some was cruel _________ some not. I have _________ much of the cruel, for it may make me feel upset. In junior high, a well-meaning schoolmate called me Stretch. In university, I was Shortly. When a friend said, “I will see you shortly,” to which I replied, “Sounds good, but don’t call _________ Shortly.”

Jokes and nicknames _________, there were some real challenges as a short person. Studies have shown short men tend to make less money on average. This is why I _________ in-person job interviews. I always feared my __________ would cost me an opportunity. I always felt __________, real or not.

As I get older, and __________ wiser, it doesn’t annoy me as much. There are some __________ of being short. I find airplane seats __________. I am incredible at hide and seek. I rarely bump my __________. Would I still want to be taller? Of course. But I wouldn’t be me. I am me because I am short. And I like who I am.

7 . Antarctic stories are always filled with mystery, exploration, adventure, ground-breaking science, tragedy, and triumph. Some Australians who have been back from Antarctica shared one of their tales of adventure, bringing a _________ of the coldest and windiest place on earth to the wider population.

Journalist David Killick, also a(n) _________, was one of five people on an expedition (远征). One of their jobs was to _________ wooden buildings built between 1911 and 1914 by _________ Antarctic explorers, which need regular maintenance to _________ extreme weather conditions. Taking advantage of the 24-hour _________ during the Antarctic summer, Killick and his team camped in tents to carry out the protection work.

“My job was _________ the communications equipment, cooking and observing the weather.” the 54-year-old said. “Everyone needs to be multi-skilled because everyone _________ three or four different jobs.”

Killick said _________ trips to remote Antarctica came with risks, it was exciting to be in a new environment, far from the familiar __________ of daily life.

“What you miss and what you don’t miss are both amazing.” Killick __________. The phone doesn’t ring and there’s no __________ to social media. There’s no money, and nothing to spend money on. All we have to __________ is falling through the ice or being attacked by a seal.

Like many who have been to Antarctica, Killick continues to return to the mysterious place. “You better yourself a lot, especially your ability to keep a __________ mind under difficult circumstances. Besides, the landscapes here are so astonishing: the blues, the greys, the whites, and the red sunsets. Every day is just a different set of __________ beautiful experiences.”

8 . Good news came from Killington. In a challenging ______ that unfolded in 2024, the police department, along with the search and rescue team, ______ rescued 23 lost skiers and snowboarders. It was a remarkable ______ of teamwork and commitment.

The police department received a call at 2: 30 pm informing them of 7-9 lost individuals in the woods. However, as the officers, ______ with the search and rescue team, dug into the investigation, they ______ a more extensive situation involving a total of 21 last individuals. They set off instantly.

______ frosty temperatures, the rescuers hiked and snowshoed about 5 miles to reach the trapped skiers and snowboarders. They tripped and ______ their knees. But their goal was ______ : find everyone and bring them to safety. Finally, they did it.

Just when the rescuers thought their mission was ______, an additional call came in for two more lost skiers. Without any ______, six of the rescuers reentered the woods. They ______ and accompanied the lost to safety, ______ the highly organized activity at about 7: 30 pm.

The rescuers went to great ______ to ensure the safety and well-being of others. The ______ of these selfless individuals illustrated the true spirit of community. The police department ______ special thanks to all involved.

9 . A dog named Kobe became a hero by finding a gas leak in his owner’s front yard. The dog’s action underlined the importance of paying attention to the _______ of our companions.

The story began when Kobe, owned by Chanell Bell, was _______ digging a sizable hole in the yard. Initially _______ it as typical dog behavior, Bell grew _______ as the hole expanded. _______ that Kobe’s action was unusual, she _______ the dog’s judgment, given his normally well-behaved nature.

Following the _______ and repair of a recent gas leak in her home, Bell _______ her house with a gas detection device. She assessed Kobe’s _______ dug hole using the device. The device detected gas coming from the hole, so Bell contacted the authorities about the ________ .

“If the gas had continued to leak into our homes,” said Bell, “something as ________ as a light switch turning on could have caused an explosion!”

Workers discovered three main leaks in Bell’s neighborhood caused by aging pipes. It took the workers over three days to repair the leaks and ________ new pipes. Bell said, “Kobe ________ them as an exceptionally outstanding dog. It feels amazing to know Kobe went to that kind of ________ to save our block. Humans and animals can, should and must enjoy each other’s ________ . I am very thankful to have Kobe.”

10 . We, a group of psychologists, believe people can gain a sense of meaning from small moments. Just _________ the first butterfly you see after a long winter or the scenery on top of a hill after a fresh hike.

We recently set out to better _________ this form of small beauty in studies that involved plenty of participants. Across the studies, we were _________ whether experimental appreciation could be a special _________ meaningfulness.

At first, to _________ our idea, we had participants report how they usually _________ their stress. We found that people who managed stress by _________ their appreciation of life's beauty reported that their life was _________ meaningful. Next, we asked participants to rate (评级) various statements, such as "I have a great appreciation of the beauty of life," as well as statements that are _________ to purposes and meaningfulness in life. Our results showed that the more people appreciated their life experiences, the more they felt their __________ was valuable. These confirmed our __________ theory: appreciating small things can make life more meaningful.

__________, in today's society, applying this insight can be difficult. Our modern, fast-paced lifestyles fill the days with goals. We are always __________. This focus on future outcomes makes it easy for us to __________ what is happening right now. Yet life happens in the present moment. We should slow down and treasure the __________ of everyday things.