4 . My mother passed away when I was two. Two years later, I got a stepmom, Tina. I________to accept her and I didn’t treat her well. Somewhere inside me a________said, “She can’t take the________of Mom. She’s not my mom; she can’t tell me what to do.”

________I was about twelve, my father gave me a sudden awakening. One day, after I had been terribly ________to Tina, he took me aside and said something like, “Do you think that I’m the one who________your favorite foods, clothes and toys? Do you think that I plan________things like going to the movies, pool, and Kings Island? Well, I don’t. Tina is the one who does all those things. It’s time that you start________her with kindness.”

I was________shocked. Instantly (立刻), my heart was________guilt and shame. A________of thankfulness and love came over me. That day I ________calling her Mommy Tina. By the age of fourteen, I________the Tina and called her Mom.

Now, at age twenty-five, I’m writing this to show my love and________for her. I will always be________for this strong, beautiful woman who was brought into my life.

5 . We stopped to choose a cake for our daughter. We’d passed several other elderly customers but our daughter Norah seemed drawn to (被吸引) a man. Her face lit up like the sun and she waved excitedly saying, “Hi, old person! It’s my birthday today!” “Hello, little lady! And how old are you today?” He asked. They chatted for a few seconds.

We said goodbye and carried on shopping. A few minutes later, Norah asked me, “Can I take a picture with the old man for my birthday?” I thought the old man couldn’t have gone very far. So we quickly found him. “Excuse me, sir? She’d like to know if you’d take a photo with her for her birthday,” I asked. He looked surprised and then happy. “A photo? With me?” He asked. “Yes! For my birthday!” Norah cheered. And so they posed together and then they hugged each other like they were long lost friends.

We thanked Mr. Dan for sparing a few minutes of his day with us. He was moved to tears and said, “No, thank you. This is the best day I’ve had in a long time. You’ve made me feel so happy and valuable, Ms. Norah.”

Now, Norah and Mr. Dan often visit each other. While they don’t, Norah makes sure to call him at least once a week. Norah worried about Mr. Dan being alone and brought Mr. Dan a dog on his 82nd birthday. Mr. Dan said that his meeting with Norah helped to heal (治愈) his broken heart as he was having a difficult time before he met Norah that day. Sometimes talking to strangers turns into the most beautiful thing in the world.

One of my unforgettable memory of my school in Xinjiang is that of lunches we brought from our homes. I hold my lunch-box in my hand when I was going to school. The smell from it was very good. Since the lunch bell finally rang, my friends or I met under a tall tree and had our lunches. My best friend Aigulie was used to share her Nang with me. Nang is a specially kind of cake in Xinjiang. I like them very much. Now Aigulie and I study at different colleges or we can only see each other during the summer vacation. I think over her a lot and I miss the food and the good time we had together.

10 . E-pals are different from daily friends. It is_________ knowing someone only by simple letters, yet it sometimes gives people a_________of mystery and excitement.

It all started last July, when I met Vera in an online summer school_________. After talking about essays, we became e-pals and _________ our daily life, study and pressures.

One time, I felt extremely_________about the upcoming exams, and I wasn't comfortable _________my classmates and parents. Suddenly, a message from Vera_________my phone. What a coincidence! I_________out all of my annoyances from schoolwork and interpersonal relationships at school. I didn't expect Vera to show _________ at first. However, she took my situation__________. She sent me long messages, which __________ me from my worries.

We also talked about cultures, including festivals, which are an interesting topic. Last December, I__________her a merry Christmas. She was over delighted and __________my kindness. Then we talked a lot about Chinese and Western __________ and we were both__________   about each other's culture traditions. She sent me photos of how New York people__________ their Thanksgiving, while I__________the Spring Festival dinner. She was a bit shocked about the variety of Chinese dishes.

Thanks to my pen pal, my life was not__________during the quarantine (隔离期). Thanks to weekly conversation with her, I can share my__________that I'm unwilling to share with others. No man is an island. We all need __________ with others to live a better life.