1 . Waiting hours to go on a theme park ride, queuing (排队) at the post office...Nobody likes queuing, except for, perhaps, the ____________. Really, we, people in Britain, have a great deal of respect for queuing.

Like it or not, queuing is necessary to keep order and ____________ people from getting angry with each other. But where does it come from? According to the website, Culture Trip, the origins (起源) of queuing can date back to the early 19th ____________at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution (工业革命) in England. Why? As cities were getting bigger and more crowded, queues ____________ started to happen. People queued up for everyday things ____________ posting letters at the post office or shopping in local shops.

During World War II, it became even more important to keep during hard time. So the government encouraged people to “do their duty and   ____________ their turn.”

As a Briton myself, I have to say this is true of the British people. We like things to be orderly and we believe in showing politeness and waiting your turn. It can be found in all kinds of everyday activities. In the UK, it’s normal to let people off the bus or train before you get ____________. In London, ____________you don’t do this, you’ll even get shouted at. It’s also very important to stand on the ____________ on an escalator (电动扶梯). In this way, ___________can walk on the left side if they are in a hurry. As the saying goes in the UK, “Keep calm and carry on.”

2 . There is a big difference between offering to help and helping. Almost all of us are guilty (内疚的) about the following _________: Someone talks about a problem, and we answer with _________ words, “Be sure to give me a call if I can help.” But we often do nothing to help.

Once I was in the situation where I _________ these kinds of offers of help—my son just started studying abroad. During those particular days, all I could _________ was the trouble my son would possibly face. It was a very _________ experience. However, there were very few who offered something really helpful.

_________. I had one close friend who took action rather than just saying to offer help. She called, “I know you must be going crazy. I think you need to get away from your _________.” She had already called a few of our friends and _________ a big dinner out. It was a wonderful night. I hadn’t even known how much I needed that break _________ I was there.

After that ____________, I decided I’d ____________ her example and reach out to others. I’ve been ____________ and even guessed wrong at times. But I was amazed when I cheered people up. So ____________ asking someone if they need help, and offer something ____________ then and there. It is a way to show the power of ____________ in an uncertain world.

3 . The friends of Juliana Palm, a fashion designer, in Rio de Janeiro were opposed to her becoming a Games volunteer. By the time the Games ended, her friends had become supporters.

Juliana came to the Games to ______ creative inspiration for her design work. ______ her experiences after the Rio 2016 Closing Ceremony, Juliana teared up as she recalled her interactions with volunteers and visitors. Working with other volunteers ______ her life. She met a girl from Mexico and ______ some inspiration from her culture.

Juliana was also inspired by Olympic ______, and enjoyed learning about fencing, rugby sevens and other sports less widely practised in Brazil. She was particularly ______ by Brazilian judoka Rafaela Silva who won the gold medal. “It was ______ — first, because she is a woman, and we don’t have as many sports for women as for men. She showed the world that it is ______ to do anything if you believe in something,” Juliana said.

Juliana was always ______ that Brazil would deliver successful Games, despite the country’s ______. “We have difficulties with education and public transportation. But it is not a problem for us because we can ______ them,” Juliana said.

Juliana also expressed confidence that Rio de Janeiro would continue to ______ from the Games in the years ahead, mentioning ______ the new bus rapid transit links and the new Metro Line 4. Without the Olympic Games, Line 4 would never have happened. It would ______ many people to travel to or from work. Besides, Porto Maravilha was transformed from just a dangerous place into a ______ and beautiful community.

4 . The journey of learning Beijing Opera has been a meaningful one for me.

When I first stepped into the practice room, the sounds of instruments filled the air. The _________ performers moved with grace and their voices were full of power. As a beginner, I found it hard to _________ the movements and vocal techniques. It seemed impossible to _________. But with each practice period, I found the determination to keep _________. Repeating the steps and vocal exercises over and over again, I practiced _________. My teachers and classmates were very _________. They encouraged me during moments of doubt and told me that _________ was not given but earned.

As time went on, I began to see _________ in my performance. My voice became more _________ and my movements more graceful. I started to feel a connection with the __________ understanding the feelings they had through their movements and expressions.

Finally, the day arrived for my first __________. I stepped onto the stage and the music started. I put my heart into the performance. The cheers that filled the theater at the end of the show were __________. The journey was __________, but learning Beijing Opera taught me a valuable lesson: never __________. I will carry with me the lesson learned from Beijing Opera that will __________ me on the road to success, both in the world of Beijing Opera and life.

5 . When I was young, Dad often asked me to watch _________ games with him. Slowly, I became interested in the sport. Then Dad started to teach me _________ to hit the ball. Quickly, I became a pretty good hitter （击球手） and began _________ games.

Every time Dad came to my game, I would try very _________ to impress him. I spent too much energy making him happy and paid too much attention to his feelings. _________, I would perform poorly sometimes. Dad also realized he had influenced me negatively. Then one day, he told me that he was _________ with work and couldn’t come to any more games that year. Though I was disappointed, I respected his _________.

In the following games, I managed to perform well. But Dad never got to see them in person. In the final game of the year, I still did well. _________, when there were only ten minutes left in the game, I saw Dad secretly looking out from behind the stand （看台）. _________ after I made a perfect shot and looked for him, he was already gone.

After the game, Dad came up to me and asked me how I did. “Dad,” I said, “I saw you behind the stand.” “Wow, did you?” he said. “What a good shot （击球） you hit! That was the best one you’ve hit.” At that moment, I __________ Dad had been there every time. He secretly watched me and gave me the best chance that I could ever have to do my best.

6 . On a Friday evening in December, I lost my job. That was _________. I was excited about the weekend, when my daughter Kristil and I _________ to get our Christmas tree. Then I listened to my voicemail: “We are sorry, but we decided to _________ you.” I was a single mother and my income was survival. The next day, I struggled to be _________ as I eyed the Christmas tree prices.

Over the next week, I applied for _________ like crazy as my bank account grew smaller. On a weekend afternoon, I dropped Kristil in a _________ community for a birthday party surrounded by all the nice things that we couldn’t _________. I drove home feeling sad.

Back at home, I looked out the window at the heavy snow and _________ a woman opening her car door against the strong wind. As she _________, I realized it was my old teacher, Sister Esther. I rushed out and asked, “What are you doing out in this ____________?” She said, “I looked for you at your ____________ and it was said that you had left, so I thought I would ____________.” I made her tea and we talked. Before leaving, she handed me a Christmas card.

Later on when I opened her card, I was ____________. There was a lot of money inside. Tears of gratitude filled my eyes as I ____________. Sister Esther had given me $1,000. In 2020, at age of 91, Sister Esther died, but the ____________ she gave during her life lives on in my heart.

7 . Caring 17-year-old Lauren Schroeder was inspired to help bring healthy food to needy families in her community. Volunteering at a food shelter helping _______ boxes for households in need with packaged food when she was 14, this Iowa teen felt that something was _______ from the donated groceries: fresh vegetables. So she shared with her parents her _______ to start a vegetable farm on part of their family farm in Dixon, Iowa to support local families in need with fresh produce.

Coming from a farming family, Lauren was _______ agriculture. But the work involved in _______ Lauren’s plan was no walk in the park. _______, while proud of her daughter’s vision, her mother, Katie Shroeder, admitted _______ about the work involved: “I also had a little bit of responsibilities on my shoulder.”

Lauren was one determined young _______, however! She researched plants online, _______ which species needed more shade and how much water was ________. During Iowa’s hot summers, she had to water her crops by hand for around 2-3 hours daily. Thanks to her ________, Lauren planted half an acre of land, with 15 varieties of vegetables in 2022, harvesting about 3,000 kilograms.

In 2023, Lauren doubled the size of her farm to an acre. Discussing her future ________, The Washington Post revealed that Lauren would like to grow another 5,897 kilograms of produce, thus ________ her veggie total to about 9,000 kilograms when it’s time for her to go to college in 2025.

Explaining her ________ to local media channel, KWQC, Lauren said, “I wanted to do something that would impact people. Many people help you out, but it makes more ________ when you help others out.”

8 . Do you think you are too old to do something? Just go online and ________ the video of John Harrison doing the 50m backstroke in 2014.

He ________ the 100-104 years world record by 15 seconds! Yes, you read that ________. The 100-104 years group! A time of 1:29.78. The first ever British man to set records in that age group. The applause (掌声) is long-lasting and heartfelt from all the crowd. A(n) ________ moment.

John loved swimming. He still tried to keep ________ by swimming in his last years before he passed away at the age of 105 in January 2020. Many of John’s friends speak ________ of him saying he was a “wonderful man”.

John was born in Farnborough on 25 July, 1914. And his ________ in swimming was unusual. “When I was five years old, on the way home from school, I came across a small pond,” he said ________, “so I went swimming. It taught me two things. One, to swim; and two, not to drink the water.”

“My parents ________ two years later that I was still doing it. They were ______ at first. But their anger soon ________” when I said, “I didn’t get asthma (哮喘病) last winter. They then bought me a costume and ________ me swimming skills.”

However, John didn’t start swimming ________ until his wife told him to stop teaching swimming and life-saving classes and ________ the sport for himself at the age of 79. From then on, he didn’t look back and was full of praise for everyone who ________ him during his successes.

9 . Here in eastern Spain, human towers are very popular. The tower sometimes falls because it’s so high. I used to ________ to be up there, but for the past year, I’ve been practicing ________. So today, I finally became a casteller — a castle constructor.

My friend Tomeu was also part of our team. Tomeu had been a casteller before. “What if I’m not ________ for this?” I asked him. Tomeu smiled, “We’re never ready, Jordi. Just trust those below who ________ you up and yourself. Have faith!”

It was our turn. We first made the ________ for our tower. My father and three of the strongest men formed a ________ facing each other as they held each other’s arms tightly. Four more strong men stepped behind, each wrapping his arms around the ________ of a man and giving him a bear hug. Four smaller men climbed onto the backs of the ________ group and stood on their shoulders.

Our base was solid, so my father ________ and we continued building. After the sixth tier (层) was set up, it was my turn.

“Have ________!” Tomeu said to me again. I passed the first two tiers ________ because the people were leaning forward. But the higher I went, the more unstable the tower became. By the time I reached the sixth tier, the tower below me ________ a bit. My heart began a crazy dance in my chest. I took a deep breath to ________ myself. Reaching deep inside to feel my ________, I rose slowly out of my crouch (蹲伏) and straightened my knees. I waved my hand to the judges, meaning our tower was ________.

Far below, I could hear the crowd’s cheering.

10 . Henry remembers the day well. It was a day that would change his life. He was sitting at the kitchen table, watching his ten-year-old granddaughter, Sophia, do her homework. She had asked him a question about history and was now _________ him with big brown eyes, waiting for an answer. Henry looked at the kettle and then out of the kitchen window. Henry can still hear himself say, “I’m sorry, my dear. I don’t know.”

Henry had spent forty years working as a librarian in a school. He was now _________ and spent his days looking after Sophia. However, he felt that he should be doing more with his life, though he was in his seventies with grey hair and _________ wrinkles in his forehead (额头). As Sophia continued her homework, he read an article in the newspaper about the health _________ of older people going back to university. The article said that it kept the brain _________ and helped prevent loneliness. He made the _________ there and then. The next morning, he would go to Birkbeck, University of London and take a _________ in history.

After four years, Henry got his degree in history. “_________ the course has given me such a sense of achievement,” he says. “It has also made me _________ about doing all the other things that I’ve never had the courage to try before. It’s __________ too old to learn.”