3 . An early morning winter storm had brought several inches of snow to my small town in the mountains. Schools were canceled, roads were dangerous and all I wanted to do was to stay in bed. However, I knew I had to get the day started so I put on warm clothes and walked outside. The snow got all over my shoes. The cold wind dried my lips and my eyes. My 47-year-old back ached in anticipation (预想) of the shoveling (铲雪) I would have to do if the snow didn’t stop soon.

Yet, when I looked out on the white blanket that covered the ground, I couldn’t help but smile a bit. It was so beautiful. It softened the bare trees and hid the dead grass. In the distance I could hear the sound of the snowplow on the road, the barking of a happy dog and the laughter of children playing outside, enjoying their day off from school. The sweet music of that laughter brought back a hundred memories of winters past. I remembered catching snowflakes on my tongue, building snowmen, making snow angels, running down hills and always losing snowball fights with first my brothers and then my own children. Standing there in that warm coat of memories made the wind a little less cold and my back a little less sore. I turned up my head, stuck out my tongue and for the first time in years caught a snowflake on it. It tasted so fresh and clean. It tasted like youth, like joy and like love.

May you always feel young in spirit, no matter how old or achy your body may be. May you always delight in the simple joys of life. May you always share your happiness with the hearts of children. And may you always give your love, your light, your laughter and your warmth to others even on the coldest days.

4 . Zhao Yuan, who was a dance teacher, lost one leg in an accident at the age of 24._______she had to use a wheelchair, and leave her_______ position and started to make a living in business. She opened a hotel in her hometown and used some of her earnings to help_______for the college cost of 13 poor students.

In 2020, she set up an offline sales platform called Good and Fresh, which mainly sold goods produced by Zhao’s disabled friends. _______ the pandemic (疫情), however, Good and Fresh _______making money, so Zhao _______ online sales instead.

She became a livestream(直播) host on social media platforms, _______ the sales of goods like brown sugar, sweet potato flour and honey that her friends made. Although Zhao Yuan, who only had one_______, had to deal with her own disability, she had made her business succeed in creating a_______ in e-commerce   (电子商务) and had helped more than 2,000 other________ people sell agricultural products. Everything she sold came from 55 agricultural centers around the province________ by the disabled. She had also trained 57 hosts, all of whom were disabled.

With the________ of her business, Zhao has set up the Good and Fresh Agricultural Science and Technology Development Company, of which she is________. She is planning to________ another 1,000 hosts, and hopes that they will also be able to achieve their personal and social________ through work, just as the way she is doing.

7 . Two weeks ago, a 5-year-old girl named Sunshine Oelfke emptied out her piggy bank (存钱罐) onto the living room floor and immediately started counting. Her grandmother, Jackie Oelfke, thought she was playing as she carefully lined up the coins, but then she saw the girl put the coins into a plastic bag and place it in her backpack.

“What are you doing with that money?” Jackie asked her granddaughter.

“I’m taking it to school,” Sunshine replied. “I’m going to take it for milk money. My friend Layla doesn’t get milk— her mom doesn’t have milk money and I do.”

Jackie’s heart melted at Sunshine’s words. Choked with strong feelings, Jackie held her sweet granddaughter tightly in her arms.

Last week, Jackie and Sunshine met with her teacher, Rita Hausher, and handed her the $30 the kindergartner had saved. There are 20 kids in Sunshine’s class and about half don’t get milk. It costs $ 0.45 a carton (纸盒). The total adds up to about $180 a month for every child in the class to have milk every day.

After dropping Sunshine off at school, Jackie posted a tearful video on Facebook to explain her granddaughter’s plan. To her surprise, many people offered to donate toward the cause. Within a week, Jackie raised more than $1,000. Now every student in Sunshine’s class can get free milk for the rest of the year.

Jackie said Sunshine doesn’t see her kind act as a big deal. She was just trying to look out for her friends. “She doesn’t understand the effect she’s brought about,” Jackie said. “But now she knows she can do whatever she puts her mind to.”

8 . I missed my four years at university, although I lived a _________life financially. I was full of _________and was determined to complete a double major in music and English literature.

Apart from a few textbooks a year, I had to _________at least two books a week for my classes, which really cost a lot. My tight _________ provided a roof over my head, in the form of an off-campus small old room. It was not in shape. I was so thrilled, however, to be living my dream and working on my college education. The tough condition could _________ affect me.

I spent almost all of my waking hours after classes _________ the piano and writing papers in the small and cold room. And I also _________part-time jobs in order to cover the cost of basics. To keep warm in the cold, rainy winter, I bought a pair of leather shoes. But soon I _________ them and they started to leak because of my frequent walking and running. I wore heavy socks and wrapped the boots with plastic bags to prevent _________getting in during the rainy seasons.

At the end of my senior year, I was full of __________because I was graduating. But it was also the time to rent graduation dress, book a sitting with the photographer and pay for my diploma. All of these __________seemed like mountains before me. I felt __________. There was no way for me to manage it.

As I was walking back to my room one night, I met one of my professors. When he commented on how excited I must be, I blurted out (脱口而出) my __________He said, “But didn’t you hear that news? You got a big award because of your excellent music composing. That’s a $5,000 cheque in your mailbox! You’re always __________in your study, which I think is why you won the first place in the competition of music composition. ” Later, I rushed to my mailbox! My hands shook as I unfolded the envelope which contained the cheque that could help me __________what were troubling me.

Dad pushed his finger into my basket. “What’s that?” he asked. “Mew,” said the basket.

Dad suddenly pulled his hand away. “Oh no,” he said. “Not a cat. No way.”

I pulled Checkers from the basket. “It’s not a cat. It’s a kitten. Can I keep him? Please?” Dad frowned for a minute, thinking. Then he rubbed Checkers under the chin (下巴). “You’ll have to take good care of him.”

I hugged Checkers. “I will” I promised. “He won’t be any trouble at all.” And Checkers wasn’t — until he grew into a cat. He wanted to be the first one in the house — and the first one out of the house. Sometimes he blocked dad in the way. “That cat!” Dad complained. Checkers climbed onto our roof. He had no trouble getting down. Usually he aimed for Dad. “That cat!” Dad yelled. Checkers flushed the toilet and watched the water circle away. “That cat!” Dad was almost mad. Checkers hid in strange places. He liked to surprise people.

One day he hid under the couch (睡椅). Dad walked by with a glass of orange juice. Checkers jumped out. He curled around Dad’s ankle and attacked Dad’s toes. Orange juice spilt all over the floor. Dad yelled and put Checkers outside. “Get out of my way, cat!” he said angrily. And he slammed the door.

Dad washed the injured toes and peeled open a bandage. He wrapped it around his big toe, and then he opened four more for his ankle.

I watched from the window. Checkers looked frustrated as he walked down the road.

“I’m sorry Checkers scratched you,” I said. “He was just playing. He didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Don’t worry,” said Dad. “That cat will be back.”

After supper I called for Checkers. But Checkers didn’t come. Night time came. I called and called. I knocked his food dish with a spoon loudly. But still no Checkers. I left the porch light on. But the next morning Checkers still wasn’t there.

I carried a picture of Checkers to all the neighbors. I drew posters and hung them all over. But nobody found Checkers.

Days went by. Life wasn’t the same without that cat. I was angry with Dad. I didn’t think he missed Checkers at all.

Then one night the phone rang.

Dad nodded, his face turning red.