1 . Italy’s one-euro-home sales have been attracting a lot of interest over the past few years. Some towns like Mussomeli in Sicily and Zungoli in Campania have managed to _________ abandoned properties to foreigners pursuing the Italian dream. However, some have _________ to sell their empty homes. Among them is Patrica, a remote village of barely 3,000 residents located south of Rome, where more than 40 properties deserted in the early 1900s have been left _________.

In an attempt to breathe new life into the dying village, the town’s mayor Lucio Fiordaliso has been trying to _________ the success of other Italian villages who’ve put their empty homes up for sale for one euro, or just over a dollar. “The process is not _________. We first mapped out all abandoned houses and contacted the original owners to ask for permission. Only then can we place these properties up for sale with their _________, which makes the process very complicated.” However, the permission from one owner of the house sometimes is not enough for the sale of potential one euro homes. That is because most relatives sharing the same property often _________ one another for personal reasons or some hardly speak or know each other.

Another reason that the one euro plan never really started in Patrica could be due to the _________of its homes. Some of the houses are simply too neglected to sell, even if the owners were willing to agree to it. _________, Patric a local Gianni Valleco and his two brothers decided to place their parents’ abandoned home on the market to see what would happen. But they soon disappointedly found that the house was far from __________.

In the meantime, Fiordalis o has been coming up with new ways to __________ newcomers. He prompted several locals to entirely restyle their old family homes and put them to use after decades of neglect. “The mayor’s move finally gave us a good excuse to fully restore the property which had been sitting there __________,” says the locals. The mayor also decided to start operating some commercial activities like an B&B or a restaurant or a shopping center.

“There is __________, but then when many foreigners actually see the bad shape of the old homes they’d prefer to opt for turn-key apartments that are already restyled or in need of just __________ fixes,” says Fiordaliso. “So it’s much more convenient to buy one of these newer ones than __________ an old building in need of major reconstruction, where the final cost would end up being much higher.” Despite these challenges, Fiordalis o hasn’t given up on selling the town’s long forgotten homes.

2 . The public library is one of the greatest inventions humankind has ever imagined and actually made happen. Libraries are a (an)_______ , quiet place where all people can hang out and read, without having to ______ anyone anything. Apart from being a place that is full of ______ to borrow, libraries are something that offers ______ and warmth. A post on Twitter celebrating the wonderfulness of libraries ________ this point perfectly.

“Today a woman with developmental disabilities came into the library, and she was ________,” wrote a Twitter user. “She didn’t _______ her address, but her phone number was in her pocket on a piece of paper with Elmo on it. She kept saying, ‘The library is a safe place.’We called and her guardians (监护人) came right over. It seemed that they were not worried at all. Apparently this happens pretty _______. They even stayed long enough for her to _______ some new books and Sesame Street DVDs. The library is a safe place indeed.”

The post _______ others to share their own stories of libraries being safe places for them, and it’s enough to _______ even the hardest of hearts. For people who grew up in dysfunctional (功能失调的) homes, the library can be a safe heaven of calm and kindness. For people lacking financial means, the library is a space that provides free education and free entertainment, as well as a free indoor place to go. This is the reason why _______ people grouped to libraries when they have nowhere else on earth---the only place that doesn’t _______ money. We cannot understate Literal lifesavers. Libraries also fill up a lot of gaps in other social _______ and help people find their way to information about other opportunities. They open the doors to so many ________.

3 . Working hard, Stevie had saved money for many years and was able to buy a nice house on a cliff (悬崖) overlooking the ocean. It seemed that all his work _________ and that he had finally realized a (n) _________.

As life would have it, along came events over which he had no _________. The cliff was eroded (侵蚀) so much that the backyard was totally _________ and all that was left was the back of the house sitting on the _________ of the cliff. The cliff was over one hundred feet high so no matter who tried to save the house, it was really _________.Worse still, he became very _________ to the point where he had to take a lot of time off from work.

Stevie had no house insurance because he couldn't get any from insurance companies who knew of the _________. Stevie thought he had reached the dreams he had worked so hard for and now only to find everything was _________, though it was not his __________.

The good news was that he wasn't done for. __________, his family, neighbors, friends and even those who didn't know him personally __________ to fund raisers and __________ to help him get enough money to __________ over. And, they did.

Life has a way of turning around and __________ us in the backside and even kicking us again when we are really down and out. But, life also gives us a way out if we look for it.

4 . "I've lost my home. The home I bought, treasured, loved."

It now stands _________. The bare picture windows stare out like hollow (中空的) eyes. The flowers I planted and watered become _________, hanging low as if weeping. Putty (油灰) and paint cover the holes in the walls where pictures _________ hung.

Even though the house is empty, images _________ my mind of a time when it was filled with life.

On the driveway, we _________ our son how to ride a bike. In this house _________ both kids learned to read and write, we taught our son to tie his shoes, and for several terrible months _________ our daughter's toilet-training.

_________ it was our first home, we set right to decorate, make it our own. My arm _________ aches from painting my son's bedroom wall a bright blue that needed three coats __________ it stopped appearing streaky (有纹理的). I remember the __________ to paint my daughter's room pink that never came true.

Many injuries accumulated (累积) over the years. There's the __________ my daughter tried to climb on top of her dresser and it fell over on her. __________, she wasn't badly hurt. Or the time my son fell off his bike and scraped his knees.

I remember the __________ about having a master bedroom with our own bathroom and walk-in closet. Many fond __________ are associated with the room I shared with my family. The room we talked in, embraced in, laughed in.

My heart hurts __________ we drive away from the house, __________ it in the dust like nothing more than a distant memory.

Behind me my kids' chatter fills the back seat. My husband at my side threads his fingers through mine. It's then __________ I realize I haven't truly lost my home. My home is not a structure __________ four walls and a roof. It's not something that can be bought or sold. My home is not the place I live. It's the people I live with. The people __________ here in this car.

My family is my home.