How many hands?

Do you know the saying “Many hands make light work”? Well, my sister Pippa and I figured that out the disastrous (灾难性的) way.

We love to skate, so when Mom said that she was taking us to the indoor ice-skating rink (冰场), we were excited. The next second saw us racing outside and scrambling (争抢) to get into the car.

“I bet I’m still faster than you,” I laughed at Pippa, reminding her of the last time at the rink when she fell far behind and was reduced to tears.

“You wish. I’ve been practicing on my inline skates every day for weeks, and I’m definitely faster than you now,” she replied confidently. Arguing was second nature to us.

“You two are too competitive for your own good, and if you’re determined to race, then you can stay away from me,” Mom said.

We should have listened. Pippa and I were both determined to prove who was faster. As soon as we arrived, we laced up our skates and hit the ice. We skated in circles to warm up, and then we danced and spun (旋转) and did anything we could to show our exceptional skills. But that soon got tiresome, and it was time to put our boasting (自夸) to the test.

“Race you to Mom,” I challenged Pippa as I sped away. Skates flashing, we raced across the ice, me leading, then Pippa, then me, then...

BANG! We smashed (撞击) straight into Mom!

We ended up at the hospital, me with a cracked elbow (肘部), Pippa with a wrist sprain (扭伤), and Mom with a torn knee ligament (韧带), She was not impressed.

When we got home, Mom said, “Your ridiculous competing got us into this mess, so you can just cooperate for once and figure out how to get us out of it.”

We were confused and asked her at the same time, “What do you mean?”

“I obviously can’t move around very well,” she said, “so you two can start by bringing in the laundry, and then we’ll tackle dinner.”

2 . On the outskirts of a tiny little town was a neglected (被忽视的) garden. In the garden stood an old house, and in that house lived Pippi Longstocking. She was nine years old, and she lived there all alone. She had no mother or father, which was actually quite nice, because it meant that no one could tell her that she had to go to bed just when she was having most fun. And no one could make her take cod liver oil when she would rather eat sweets.

Once upon a time Pippi did have a father whom she loved very much. And of course she once had a mother too, but that was so long ago that she couldn’t remember her at all. Her mother died when Pippi was a tiny little baby, lying in her cot and crying so terribly that no one could stand to come near. Pippi thought that her mother was now up in heaven, peering down at her daughter through a hole. Pippi would often wave to her and say, “Don’t worry! I can always look after myself!” But Pippi had not forgotten her father. He was a sea captain who sailed the great seas, and Pippi had sailed with him on his ship until one day a big storm blew him overboard and he disappeared. But Pippi was sure that one day he would come back. She didn’t believe that he had drowned (淹死). She believed that he had washed ashore on an island that was inhabited by natives and that her father had become king of them all. He walked around wearing a gold crown on his head all day long.

“My mamma is an angel, and my pappa is king of the natives. Not all children have such fine parents, let me tell you,” Pippi used to say with delight. “And as soon as my pappa builds himself a ship, he’ll come back to get me, and then I’ll be a native princess. Yippee, what fun that will be!” Many years ago her father had bought the old house that stood in the garden. He had planned to live there with Pippi when he grew old and was no longer able to sail the seas. Then, unfortunately, he was blown overboard. While Pippi was waiting for him to come back, she headed straight home to Villa Villekulla. That was what the house was called. It stood there, all furnished and ready — just waiting for her to arrive.

3 . Wang Guilan, a 72-year-old Chinese woman, has been known as “Super Grannie” for her ________ of running. Most people choose to ________ after they retire from work, but Wang Guilan is not one of them. She started ________ at the age of 50, but soon realized it was her passion and developed close relationships with other runners. In 2021, she set a new record by becoming the ________ person to ever complete a 168- kilometer marathon. And so far, she has completed over 100 marathons.

Wang Guilan’s impressive achievements have attracted attention from runners of all ages. A runner in his twenties expressed his ________, saying, “This lady is as old as my grandmother, how can she run so fast? ” After running the 110 km version of the marathon with her ________ in 2020, Wang waited for them to ________ for about 5-6 hours so that they could ________ the finishing line together. Therefore, this year, she took part in the marathon ________ and chose the longest distance.

So how does a 70-year-old stay in such a good ________ that she can achieve what most people half her age can’t? According to Sina, one ________ is that Wang Guilan runs at least 20 kilometers every day. In addition, she follows a ________ diet and sleeps for at least 8 hours every day to ensure that her body is well-rested and energized.

Wang Guilan’s passion for running has also inspired many people in China. She has been invited to give ________ at various events and has even been featured in a documentary about her life. Her message to everyone is ________ but powerful: “Age is just a number. As long as you have the determination and the willpower, you can achieve anything you ________ your mind to.”

4 . Two years ago, Laura Eshelman was struggling with a mental problem. And to top it off, she was having trouble finding work.

One day, she was leaving a downtown business where she had yet another job application rejected (拒绝). Feeling extremely disappointed, she decided to go to the Whole Foods across the street and found something for her hungry stomach.

As she crossed the street, Eshelman noticed a man, who was asking for money on the corner. His messy hair and clothing made it seem like he’d been living outside for a while. She watched as he asked a passerby for change, but she even didn’t look at him.

As Eshelman approached, the man turned his attention to her, and again he asked if he could have a little bit of money. “Leave me alone. I don’t have anything to give you. Just go away!”, Eshelman shouted, almost giving vent to (发泄) all her negative feelings. But these unkind words were just what made her feel regretful and ashamed later.

The man was obviously embarrassed as well as a little surprised. It was normal for him to be refused, but not usually in such a rude way. He just lowered his head and Eshelman continued into the grocery store. After picking up some bread and a bottle of water, she went to the checkout to pay. And it was at that moment that she found her purse, where she had put all her money and important papers, was missing.

5 . Nanuq, an Australian shepherd (牧羊犬), went missing while his family was on a trip in March, Anchorage Daily reports.

The dog lives with his family in Gambell, a small town on Alaska’s St. Lawrence Island. He disappeared while the family were _______ in another town. Mandy, the hostess of the family, said they had been _______ for Nanuq for several days, but had no _______ in finding him.

One month later, Mandy’s dad _______ her, saying there was a dog like Nanuq in Wales, which was really _______. Wales is 166 miles away and across the Bering Sea. How could it be _______? But when she saw the photos her dad had sent, she immediately knew it was Nanuq.

“I was so _______! That’s our dog! He has been _______!” Mandy told the newspaper.

No one knows how Nanuq _______ to cross the frozen sea, but it must be difficult. And getting him back home was also a ________, because there are no direct flights from Wales to St. Lawrence Island. ________, there happened to be a flight bringing students from Wales to Gambell — and Nanuq was able to ________ on the plane.

The family was overjoyed when the plane ________. They felt relaxed Nanuq was in fairly good ________ and needed no medical treatment. Although Nanuq’s journey to Wales remains unknown, what ________ to the family is that he is now safe at home.

Kyle and I are best friends, but how we started to talk is a long story. One day, while     1     (walk) in one of the library passages, I saw a boy carrying a huge pile of books. This meant he   was a person with no     2     (society) life on weekends.     3     (sudden), some boys knocked the books out of his hands. His glasses flew off. With a sad     4     (express) on his face, he struggled to get his glasses. At that moment, I gave him a hand, and since then, we     5     (be) friends. A few years later, he became a handsome young man. He got so popular     6     almost everyone wanted to make friends with him. When he gave a talk on the last day of our high school, he told us that he had secretly planned     7     (kill) himself on the day when he and I talked     8     the first time. Then he gave me     9     grateful look. At that moment, I realized       10     I had done had helped him so much and even saved his life.