2 . “Fire! Fire! ” What terrible words to hear when I _______ in a strange house in the middle of the night! It was a large, _______ house — the sort that burns easily — and my room was on the top floor. I jumped out of bed, opened the door and stepped out into the passage. It was full of _______.

I began to _______, but as I was still only half awake, instead of going towards the stairs I went in the opposite direction. The smoke grew thicker and I found it hard to _______. The floor became _______ under my feet. I ran into another room and tried to reach the window for fresh air. Suddenly, one of my feet got caught in something _______ and I fell down. The thing I had fallen over felt like a package of clothes, and I picked it up to protect my _______ from the smoke and heat. Just then the floor broke under me and I fell through to the floor below with pieces of _______ wood all around me.

__________, there was a doorway in front, so I put the package over my face and ran. My feet were terribly burned, but I __________. As I reached the cold air outside, my package of clothes gave a __________. I nearly dropped it in my surprise. Then I saw there were many people in the street. A woman screamed (尖叫) as she saw me and came running __________.

“My baby! My baby! ”she cried. Those people cheered loudly __________ she took the smoke­blackened package out of my arms. I almost failed to see who she was — my boss's wife. I had __________ her baby, and I became a hero!

3 . Next week, as millions of families gather for their Thanksgiving feasts (大餐), many other Americans will go without. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, more than 12 million households _________ enough food for everyone in their family at some time during the year — including _________.

Hunger is surprisingly widespread in our country — one of the world’s wealthiest — yet the government estimates that we waste almost 100 billion pounds of food each year, more than one-quarter of our total supply.

Reducing this improper distribution of _________ is a goal of America’s Second Harvest, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization. Last year, it _________ nearly 2 billion pounds of food to more than 23 million people in need.

America’s Second Harvest is a network of 214 inter-connected food banks and other organizations that _________ food from growers, processors, grocery stores and restaurants. _________, the network distributes food to some 50,000 soup kitchens (施食处), homeless _________ and old people’s centers in every county of every state.

A great deal of work is involved in distributing tons of food from thousands of _________ to thousands of small, non-profit organizations. Until a few years ago, America’s Second Harvest lacked any _________ way to manage their inventory (存货). Without accurate and timely information, soup kitchens were sometimes empty while food was left to __________ in loading places.

In 2000, America’s Second Harvest began to use a new inventory and financial-management system — Ceres. It is a __________ designed specifically for hunger-relief operations. It is used by more than 100 America’s Second Harvest organizations to __________ food from donation to distribution.

Ceres has helped __________ the spoiling of food and improve distribution. An evaluation found that the software streamlined (精简) food banks’ operations by 23 percent in the first year alone.

With more accurate and timely reports, Ceres saves time, frees staff members to focus on finding new donors, and __________ more efficient use of donations.

Hunger in America remains a(n) __________ social problem. Technology alone cannot solve it. But in the hands of organizations such as America’s Second Harvest, it is a powerful tool that is helping to make a difference — and helping more Americans to join in the feast.

4 . In China, square dancing is an exercise routine performed to music in squares or parks. Recent years have _________ the growing popularity of square dancing among elderly people in China, _________ it provides them with a good platform to _________ and make new friends in their ordinary lives. Although the practice has roots in both ancient and modern Chinese history, today the Chinese hold _________ views towards it. Some people, the young in particular, argue that it has disturbed their peaceful lives.

As for _________ citizens, square dancing is relatively easy to learn compared to traditional _________ and thus win their _________. Moreover, practicing square dancing doesn’t need special equipment. All it needs are open ground and loudspeakers. _________, it can be found across the country.

_________, many young people have showed their dissatisfaction. They think that square dancing __________ too much space in their neighborhood and disturbs their life. In fact, it is the noise __________ square dancing that young people __________ most.

Therefore, concessions (让步) should be made by both __________ so that they can live in __________ with each other.

People taking part in square dancing are expected to dance in areas far away from residential communities (居民区), while the young are called on to show more __________ of square dancing.

They will also become old and one day may be one of the dancers they dislike now.

In addition, the government should spare more suitable areas where the elderly can do their favorite activities.

5 . A friend of mine met with an accident driving in darkness. His legs were so hurt that he couldn’t move. What was the ______ was that he found himself unable to ask for help—his mobile phone went out of ______ as a result of exhausted battery (电池). Nothing could be done but ______ in cold wilderness. It was 8 hours later that day broke, and then the _____ of the rescue (救援).

It is almost ______ that he could stand the horror in the darkness for so long. Even more surprising was his ______: “First of all I checked up my ______ conditions and found myself not in fatal (致命的) danger. As there was no ______ to call for help, I leaned back in my seat trying my best to keep the wound from ______. In this way I dozed (打盹) off.”

His story put an end to my regret for the ______ of an exploration adventure that happened last year. A group of young men ______ to explore a mountain cave and got lost.                           ____ to find a way out in the dark cave they were frightened and ran anxiously without a sense of ______. Finally they fell dead in fear and exhaustion. According to the ______ people that found them, the place where they got lost was only about 10 meters away from the ______ of the cave. If they stayed on the spot when they lost their way and tried to ______ themselves, they would probably sense a faint light glimmering (闪烁) not far away.

Don’t you think that you can compare it with ______ itself? When you meet with obstacles in life and work, you are lost in darkness. Mind you (请你注意) it’s ______ yet and you needn’t put up struggle ______. It seems to be a negative attitude; ______ a person who can afford to do so must have foresight (预见) as well as great courage in the first place.

6 . I was eleven years old standing outside in just my underwear (内衣) while I saw our house burnt to the ground. A few minutes earlier I had been sound asleep in my bed when a _________ woke me up. My nana’s _________ was just next to my brother’s and mine. A fire had broken out there and awakened her. Hearing her shouting, my older brother _________ quickly. While I was walking difficultly in the _________ and darkness, he ran from room to room _________ everyone in the house. The house, however, was over 50 years old and made of wood. Before we could _________ anything, the fire destroyed it.

I stood there _________ when the fire destroyed my books, clothes, and toys. I watched_________ while my mom cried and my dad sighed (叹息). I _________ what was going to happen to us since we had __________ all of our things. As I looked around, though, I __________ something for the first time: The things that __________ aren’t things. I saw my older brother running to get __________. I saw my nana and dad sitting together and my mom __________ our little dog. I realized at that moment that we were all__________. Everything that was essential (必要的) had survived the fire. Our __________ would continue. We were so __________. We would all be around to love each other for many years to come. And that was all that mattered.

I __________ think of that fire that helped me to become who I am today. It showed me for the very first time what is truly __________ in my life. It helped me to learn that the__________ we share is far more important than the things we own.

7 . A recent survey in the United States showed that the average family spent more money on its pets than on its children. Although rather shocking, it should not _______ anyone who has seen the doggy parlors(客厅) where loved pets rest. It is possible that: Americans are unique in treating their little friends in this way, but the information we have suggests that the English, too, are _______ to their pets.

This can clearly be seen when we look at pet foods, which often contain more vitamins than human food or at least, are _______ less nutrition. They certainly cost much. Last year the British public spent two hundred million pounds on pet food alone, _______ veterinary(兽医的) bills or animal furniture. It is difficult not to feel _______ with this when considering what the same amount could do for victims of starvation and poverty, so it is _______ for me to get hot under collar when I read an old man left all his money to his dog instead of his children.

There are a variety of reasons why I find the popularity of British pets _______. They cause physical problems. An example of this is New York where they have great difficulty getting rid of the mess that dogs leave on the streets. Many people find this funny, but in a number of large cities it is a major problem. Animals can cause disease, too. It is the threat of rabies—a disease with no known cure—that has made the English government impose strict _______ on animals coming into the United Kingdom. When the Spanish government recently _______ a number of stray dogs as protection against the same threat, English tourists immediately wrote letters to the newspapers ________about 'mass murder'.

Another problem is the ________ of pet owners. Most little children want a dog or a cat, and they continually push their mothers and fathers until they get one. It is only when the "sweet little thing" has been brought home that the parents realize how much time and money must be spent on "Rover" or "Bonzo". Then they just ________ it. This brings me to my last point. Pets, which run free, are often not ________ at all. English farmers lose hundreds of sheep a year, killed by someone’s pet and you must have read of children being hurt by some pets of their own.

________, I would only suggest that we have got our ________ wrong and that something should be done about it. In my view, it’s time we stopped being sentimental about pets.

8 . What would your life be like without phones?

In one of my classes today we discussed the question of how our lives would be without a mobile phone. I actually felt quite sad to hear how some kids cannot ______ without their phones these days. ______, I think nowadays we are controlled and ______ by our technology to keep up. So let’s see some of the points that ______ in the debate and see if our generation really is addicted(上瘾的) to electronic connections ______ true communication.

It is true that everything ______ at a fast pace these days. For example, you can contact someone who lives on the other side of the world within ______. This is great if you think about how connected we can stay to the ______ who are far away from us. However, on the contrary, can we be too connected to the people who are ______ to us? An argument arose about the ______ that it is easier to message someone from your sofa than to meet them ______ and talk. Social skills are ______ to have and if you are not going to put effort into real-life ______, then you are not going to ______ in this ability.

Another point was that phones are very handy for ______ something that you are wondering about. For example, if you don’t know a word in another language, you can ______ and simply use an on-line translator to help you out. This can be very ______ in many situations, but it can also make a person dependent on the ______.

All in all, this question is very interesting to ______ as we become day by day more dependent on technology. We should realize how much we really need to be connected with our phones while considering the ______ and damage it can cause us.

9 . A Heroic Driver

Larry works with Transport Drivers,   Inc.   One morning in 2009, Larry was ______along 165 north after delivering to one of his _______. Suddenly, he saw a car with its bright lights on. _______ he got closer, he found ____ vehicle upside down on the road. One more look and he noticed _______ shooting out from under the _______ vehicle. Larry pulled over, set the brake and _______the fire extinguisher (灭火器). Two good bursts from the extinguisher and the fire was put out.

The man who had his bright lights on _______ and told Larry he had _______ an emergency call. They ________ heard a woman’s voice coming from the wrecked (毁坏的) vehicle. ________the vehicle, they saw that a woman was trying to get out of the broken window. They told her to stay ________ until the emergency personnel arrived, ________ she thought the car was going to ________. Larry told her that he had already put out the fire and she should not move ________ she injured her neck.

Once fire and emergency people arrived, Larry and the other man ________ and let them go to work. Then, Larry asked the ________ if he was needed or ________ to go. They let him and the other man go.

One thing is ________—Larry went above and beyond the call of duty by getting so close to the burning vehicle! His ________ most likely saved the woman’s life.

10 . In our modern world, when something wears out, we throw it away and buy a new one. The _______ is that countries around the world have growing mountains of _______ because people are throwing out more rubbish than ever before.

How did we _______ a throwaway society? First of all, it is now easier to _______ an object than to spend time and money to repair it. _______ modern manufacturing (制造业)and technology, companies are able to produce products quickly and inexpensively. Products are plentiful and _______.

Another cause is our _______of disposable (一次性的) products. As _______ people, we are always looking for _______ to save time and make our lives easier. Companies ________ thousands of different kinds of disposable products: paper plates, plastic cups, and cameras, to name a few.

Our appetite for new products also ________ to the problem. We are ________ buying new things. Advertisements persuade us that ________ is better and that we will be happier with the latest products. The result is that we ________ useful possessions to make room for new ones.

All around the world, we can see the ________ of this throwaway lifestyle. Mountains of rubbish just keep getting bigger. To ________ the amount of rubbish and to protect the ________, more governments are requiring people to recycle materials. ________, this is not enough to solve (解决) our problem.

Maybe there is another way out. We need to repair our possessions ________ throwing them away. We also need to rethink our attitudes about ________. Repairing our possessions and changing our spending habits may be the best way to reduce the amount of rubbish and take care of our environment.