1 . It was like finding a needle in a haystack. Shelly Romo surveyed what was ________ of her home in Maui, which was hit by a deadly wildfire, hoping to find her wedding ring, expecting to leave ________. But luckily, after three hours’ ________ with volunteers, it finally appeared, the diamond ________ but the band completely damaged. Romo and her husband went straight to No Ka’ Oi Jewelers — a local business that has been ________ fire-damaged jewelry free of charge.

No Ka’ Oi owner Omi Chamdi said he was one of the ________ ones — the fires had avoided his home and storefront. That’s why, in its aftermath, he immediately sprang into action and advertised ________ restorations. “When the fires here on Maui occurred, pretty ________ I decided this is something I can do and I really want to do for the ________ community.”

However, Chamdi doesn’t restore the jewelry himself; ________ he has been paying for the restoration services. When asked if he ever ________ that, he shook his head. “These are not just ordinary items, these are the most ________ possessions that people go back and dig through the ________ to find.”

________, Romo was not ready to say goodbye when the fires destroyed her home. But finding her wedding ring and getting it restored gave Romo some peace about ________.

2 . Instead of being a pacing-up time, winter is a locking-down time. Winter frees us in all sorts of ways.

I once had a neighbor named Earl. An old-timer and a self-made man, he _________ told me stories about Maine winters in the past. He suggested he had _________ the ice age. He backed up his old stories with _________ of old black-and-white photographs of heavy snowstorms that piled up to second-floor windows and completely _________ cars.

And I’ll never _________ what he said as an end to one of his stories, “A man couldn’t get much done once the snow came.” So what did he do once the snow came? He spent a great deal of time _________ to home and hearth, where he _________ the wood stove, sat with his wife, made pots of coffee, and read by the fire.

As I write these words I occasionally raise my head to _________ the window at the woodpile stacked (堆), the garden harvested, the apple tree _________, the lawn mowed, and the bicycle shed newly roofed.

As I tended to all those things, when did I have time to __________?

Some years ago a friend sent me a quote by Socrates that I try to be mindful of: Beware the fruitlessness of a __________ life.

The advice __________ me to look forward to the coming of winter, because I’ve finally learned that it is a slowing-down time, a gift of rest, a (n) __________ to acknowledge that most of the outdoor work that could be done has been done.

A friend of mine who lives in the Southeast recently called. In the course of our __________ he celebrated the climate where he lives, which __________ him to work outside year-round. “I’m always on the go.” he told me.

But I think I need a good time of winter.

3 . Don’t feel bad if you’re too young to get a job at a restaurant or store. There are ______ ways to make money to buy that hot new CD, video game or pair of jeans. The type of work ______ the age of the child. Young kids love to help. Their jobs usually come ______ mom or dad, a friend or a neighbor. ______ kids have many more opportunities.

Here’s the ways American kids can make money starting at the youngest ages:

Extra (额外的) jobs around the house: These are not normal household chores. They are jobs you would do yourself or pay ______ to do. Extra jobs can include ______ things as washing cars, cutting grass or painting fences.

Help neighbors and relatives: They have the ______ needs as parents when it comes to needing help around the house. Often, starting at a young age with small tasks ______ pulling weeds and pet-sitting can ______ bigger jobs like lawn care and baby-sitting.

Help with parent’s work: From time to time, most parents’ jobs include some small tasks that their kids can do. Kids are ______ to join in and often work hard and do a good job.

4 . The distinctive smell of wet dogs was a reminder of the Christmas vacation when I was twelve. My cousins from Ohio were _________. We had gotten many gifts and were also blessed with fresh _________. The four of us spent as much time as possible sliding down the short white hill to the shallow _________. Naturally, we tested the ice on it the first day, and we knew we could slide across it and _________ our ride.

On the third day of our festivities, we were so _________ to play that we did not check the ice. A few degrees of _________ added a small layer of water to our slide, increasing our speed and _________. Seconds after, my brother Peter slid into the pond, he was _________ in the icy water. Peter was only eight and not a good swimmer, _________ dressed in a winter coat and boots.

We all __________. I jumped down the slope to reach him, but our __________ was faster to jump into the water, grab Peter by his waving hand, and pull him to shore. We managed to __________ Peter with our coats and get him back to the house in record time. Drinking hot juice by the fire, we patted and hugged the __________ dog. The dog took all day to __________. His wet-dog smell kept longer and returned often, __________ us of his heroics and our own Christmas miracle.

5 . Time management is a crucial skill that can greatly affect our productivity and overall success. _________ managing time effectively, we can accomplish more tasks, reduce stress, and create a better work-life balance. One of the key aspects of time management is setting _________ and prioritizing tasks. By identifying our goals and breaking them _________ into smaller, manageable tasks, we can ensure that we allocate our time _________. Moreover, it is important to evaluate the _________ of each task based on its urgency and importance. This helps us focus on high-priority tasks first and avoid _________ being overwhelmed by a long to-do list.

Another important element of time management is avoiding _________ time. Procrastination is a common _________ that can prevent our productivity. By recognizing our tendencies to procrastinate and implementing strategies such as setting deadlines and _________ rewards, we can overcome this habit and make better use of our time.

Additionally, effective time management involves __________ time for rest and relaxation. __________ it may seem counter-productive to allocate time for breaks, it is crucial for maintaining productivity and preventing burnout. Taking short breaks __________ tasks can help refresh our minds and increase our focus and efficiency when we return to work.

Moreover, it is essential to effectively __________ our major assignment and avoid over-committing ourselves. Saying “no” to additional tasks or commitments when our __________ is already stretched thin is important for maintaining a balanced and realistic schedule. It allows us to devote sufficient time and energy to the tasks that truly matter. Furthermore, utilizing tools and techniques can __________ our time management skills. Utilizing __________ and calendar apps can assist in organizing and prioritizing tasks. Moreover, time-tracking methods such as the Pomodoro Technique can help us stay __________ and make the most of our time by working in focused bursts __________ taking regular breaks.

In conclusion, time management is a __________ skill that can significantly impact our productivity and well-being. By allowing time for rest, managing our schedule, and utilizing effective tools and techniques, we can __________ our use of time and achieve success in various aspects of our lives.

6 . It was early in the morning and I was building a sand castle on the beach. After finishing the basic shape,I began to decorate the form with _________ . A boy walked up and began to kick at the castle. I _______what was in his mind for him to do such a thing.

Pausing for a while, I held out my hand _______ with shells and said,“Here, help me put these on.” He stopped _______, looked at me for several seconds, then took them and began to _______ them on the castle. We decorated in _______ silence. When the entire castle was covered in shells, we stepped back to look at the _______.“We did a good job,”I said, “Thank you.” He beamed at me and left. I watched for a moment as he walked away and _______ the boy's reaction. He must have been _______ when I didn't yell at him to stop his kicking,or take even more aggressive action towards him. ________ ,I extended my hand to him, and he chose to spend his ________ on the sand castle.

Many years later, that ________ is still a golden thread in my life's tapestry (织锦). It is a lovely solution. I realize that when someone gives me a(n) ________ , if appropriate, I give them some “shells.” If I and others,practice ________ solutions with smaller problems, we may one day seek to find proper ways to deal with the really ________ ones.

7 . A 15-year-old student has been praised a hero after it was found out that he had saved the life of a man who had suffered a heart attack. Sheng Xiaohan hadn’t told students and teachers the story until the man _________ at the school to thank him.

Sheng recalled he was _________ home at around 9 p.m. after working late at school when he saw a group of people surrounding a man on the ground _________, with a man patting on his back and others calling his name.

When he saw the man was unresponsive, he _________ his pulse and found it was weak and his body _________ “I had learned first aid several times since primary school and the _________ time was during military training,” he said.

He first tried the Heimlich maneuver, but then thought the old man might have _________ a heart attack. He asked people around to give him some _________ and tried cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). He _________ down on the man’s chest regularly, while asking another man to help with artificial respiration. Someone else called the emergency __________. Sheng kept doing CPR for about six minutes until the ambulance arrived and __________ the man to the hospital.

“I didn’t dare stop or ask others to replace me in case of any __________,” he added. “During the process, he started to breathe again, which gave me the confidence and __________ to go on.”

Sheng said he didn’t feel tired during the process, but afterwards his arms were __________. After the experience, he didn’t treat it as anything out of the __________ as he was a warm-hearted young man always ready to help others.

8 . My sister Diana is a runner. She used to be a pretty good sprinter(短跑运动员), but one day, all of that changed because of a _________ she made.

She went to _________ early in the morning. After she took off her shoes, she realized she had left her running shoes home, which are _________ because they’re small, light and have spikes(钉) on the bottom.

When her coach found out the fact, he got _________, so he ordered her to run around the track as a punishment. Off she went. Soon, she was running _________ other students who were on the long-distance practice runs.

The runners were moving _________. It surprised the long-distance coach to see that this girl could keep up. He walked up to the sprinting coach to _________ about the girl. The two coaches were even more amazed to see that as the group of runners were coming around the final corner, my sister was in the _________! Another girl was close to my sister for a while, _________ because of her sprinting ability, my sister seemed to just pull away from that girl.

It was her __________ time to run a long-distance race and she came first! The two coaches went to my sister to congratulate her on her __________ job. They were much more shocked when they looked down and realized Diana wasn’t __________ any shoes!

“You told me to run and I thought you meant right away, so I __________ and started,” she explained.

“I can’t believe how comfortable it is to run without my __________ filled inside those little sprinting shoes.”

From that moment on, Diana’s sprinting days __________. She’s a natural long-distance runner. She works hard and hopes that she can go to the Olympics one day.

9 . A homeless man hung out in front of my barbershop. He _________ people now and then, “Hello, my friend!” However, he didn’t ask for _________ though he desperately needed it to purchase goods. My shop assistant showed much _________ to the homeless man, too. The next day, she called me for a _________ —$2 and promised to repay it the next month. I saw her _________ it to him. I walked over and_________ him in for a rest. He looked much _________ after we washed his dirty face and cut his messy hair. We _________ him warmly, so he left with his stomach full.

He _________ my assistant back when he got his social security check. That’s when we knew his name was Jack. “I sometimes lose it when I have money on me,” he said. So eventually I became his “bank” for his check and __________ it as needed. In the __________ of items, we became friends.

One __________ evening, I found Jack lying on the ice outside. He had a fever. I quickly sent him to the hospital. His doctor thought of me as his relative and took my number. __________, I became his emergency contact. He __________ under the care of my assistant and me. __________ my kindness, he offered to help me with the chores in the shop. Meanwhile, I taught him how to cut hair. He was a (n) __________ learner. As was expected, he became my competent assistant soon.

Business in my barbershop was so booming that we were __________ in working every day. A few years later, we had __________, and we each had to manage a shop. Now we have the __________ power to do charity work. We believe with good thoughts, __________ things will come.

10 . Imunek Williams was pregnant (怀孕的). One summer morning, she took a bus to a local ______ to have a body check. Among the passengers were 37 young students and they ______ for their school, the Milwaukee Academy of Science. While they had ______ a few blocks to go before reaching the bus stop, suddenly Imunek ______ a strong smoke smell. She quickly ______the driver to pull over to ensure the ______ of the passengers.

With no time to ______ help, Imunek and the driver took immediate action. They immediately ______ all the students off the bus and made sure there were no remaining children in the aisle (过道). Imunek left last, and minutes later, the ______ went up in flames (火焰).

Firefighters arrived at the scene as the smoke and fire rose out of the ______ bus. Onlookers felt amazed and ______ that everyone escaped without injury. The cause of the fire was under examination, and experts said that the problem with the engine was the ______ cause.

The Milwaukee Academy of Science and the students’ parents offered their ______ to Imunek for her heroic action. The Milwaukee Brewers honored their hometown hero by ______ her to throw the first ball of a recent game at American Family Field.

Later Imunek said, “It just feels good that I was able to get them off and my ______ was that no one was hurt.”