1 . I had the meanest mother in the world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal eggs and toast. Others had Cokes and candy for lunch, while I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different from the other kids. But at least I was not alone in my suffering. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.

My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing. We had to wear clean clothes every day. Other kids always wore their clothes for days. We felt embarrassed because she made our clothes herself, just to save money.

The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by 9: 00 each night and up at 7: 45 the next morning. So while my friends slept, my mother actually had the courage to break the Child Labor Law. She made us work. I believed she lay awake all night thinking up mean things to do to us.

Through the years, our friends’ report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother, however, would only be content with the black marks. None of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout.

She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults. Using this as a background, I’m now trying to bring up my three children. I’m filled with pride when my children think I’m mean because now I thank the meanest mother in the world every day.

2 . One day when I was 5, my mother scolded (责骂) me for not finishing my breakfast and I got angry. I wanted to play outside and not to be made to finish eating my breakfast. When angrily opening the screen door with my foot, I kicked back about a 12-inch part of the lower left hand corner of the new screen door. But I had no remorse, for I was happy to be playing in the backyard with my toys.

Today, I know if my child had done what I did, I would have scolded my child, and told him about how expensive this new screen door was, and I would have delivered a spanking (打屁股) for it. My parents never said a word. They left the corner of the screen door pushed out, creating an opening, a breach (裂缝) in the defense against unwanted insects.

For years, every time I saw that corner of the screen, it would constantly make me think about my mistake. For years, I knew that everyone in my family would see that hole and remember who did it. For years, every time I saw a fly buzzing (嗡嗡) in the kitchen, I would wonder if it came in through the hole that I had created with my angry foot. I would wonder if my family members were thinking the same thing, silently blaming me every time a flying insect entered our home, making life more terrible for us all. My parents taught me a valuable lesson, one that a spanking or stern (严厉的) words perhaps could not deliver. Their silent punishment for what I had done delivered a hundred stern messages to me. Above all, it has helped me become a more patient person and not burst out so easily.

4 . Daniel lived on top of the hill. From his house, he could see the sea and the _________ below. One day, the villagers _________ something different about the sea. The sea seemed to be moving from the land. _________ of the villagers knew what was happening.

Daniel understood what was going on. He had seen such a(n) _________ when he was young. A tsunami (海啸) was approaching and the villagers had to be _________, but there was no time to send a message to the whole village.

“Jack!” he _________ to his grandson. “ _________ a torch quickly!” The boy did what he was told. Daniel took the torch and set his _________ on fire. Immediately, red _________ shot upwards and thick smoke rose into the sky.

Jack cried out, “Grandfather! Why are you setting our house on fire?” Daniel did not answer. __________, he stood quietly and watched the village. Suddenly, some villagers noticed the __________ and shouted at everyone to run up the hill to help put out the fire. When Daniel saw everyone running towards him, he was so __________. The villagers did their best but they __________ to control the fire. Daniel’s house was completely burned down but he stood on the hill __________. They thought Daniel had gone __________. They stared at him in disbelief.

Finally, Daniel said, “__________ towards the sea.” The villagers turned and saw a huge __________ of water rushing towards the village. They were __________ to see the water swallowing the whole village and __________ everything in its path.

Nothing was left of their homes __________ everyone was safe on the hill. The villagers realized why Daniel had set fire to his house.

7 . Every Sunday morning I take a walk around a park near my home. There's a lake in one corner of the park. Each time I walk by this lake, I see the same elderly woman sitting at the water's edge with a small metal cage beside her.

This Sunday, I stopped walking and went over to her. As I got closer, I realized that there were three turtles(乌龟), unhurt, slowly walking around the base of the metal cage. She had a fourth turtle on her knee that she was carefully wiping with a brush, which made me feel surprised.

"Hello," I said. "If you don't mind my nosiness, I'd love to know what you're doing with these turtles."

"I'm cleaning off their shells," she replied.

"Anything on a turtle's shell weakens the turtle's ability to take in heat and blocks its ability to swim. It can also impair and weaken the shell over time."

She went on, "I spend a couple of hours each Sunday morning, relaxing by this lake and helping these little guys out. It's my own strange way of making a difference."

"Well then, don't you think your time could be better spent? It's a waste of time. And 99% of these turtles don't have kind people like you to help them clean off their shells. So, how exactly are your efforts here truly making a difference?"

The woman smiled, then looked down at the turtle on her knee, wiped off the last piece of algae(海藻)from its shell, and said, "Sweetie, if this little guy could talk, he'd tell you I just made all the difference in the world."

8 . My parents and I visited our relatives in Princeton Junction, New Jersey. Everyday I enjoyed walking a circular way starting from their house. One evening I decided to be adventurous and changed from my _________ way - I was looking forward to a longer walk, _________ that I would be able to find my way back. My walk took me beyond the living area and into a beautiful place with an expanse of fields on both sides of the road. With the sun beginning to _________, it was really a wonderful sight. After about thirty minutes, I noticed that I was not _________ back in the direction I had come - in fact I seemed to be moving further away. I searched my pocket for the mobile phone to get help, but it wasn't there. I had left it at home.

However, I remained _________. Although there weren't any people about, there was some _________ and I was sure that someone would stop and point me in the right direction. As each car or truck came, I stopped and _________, but time after time each one passed me by. No one seemed to feel any sympathy for me. About forty minutes, I was beginning to feel _________. There was no one in sight and my family was completely in the dark as to my _________.

When I just gave up all hope, a black SUV __________ me and stopped. A mother and daughter wanted to know how they could help. I told them I was lost and gave them my address. The mother pointed to a turning a little further down the road and promised me I was pretty close to home. Expressing my thanks, I started off at a fast __________. I had been walking for about five minutes when I heard a car drive up behind me and stop. It was the mother and daughter again. They realized that they had not given me the correct __________ and my destination was much further away.

They offered to __________ me home, and I was so grateful for their help. During our brief conversation I got the __________ that the teenage daughter was going to a school party and would now arrive late. We didn't __________ names but I will never forget their act of kindness.

9 . For most people, having things stolen feels like an offence. Robbie Pruitt admitted that he got ______ when he discovered the theft of his mountain bike last September. But soon enough, his______ took a turn. After letting go of his anger and frustration, he found himself on a road to sympathy ______ .

For Pruitt, a keen bicyclist, the first thing to do was ______ his stolen bike. But when he went bike shopping, he found few available, which got him thinking: What if the ______ of bikes was Covid-19 related, and what if the person who'd taken his bike really needed ______ to get to work?

With that thought in mind, Pruitt ______ a plan and posted it on the community website. He______ to fix bikes free of charge for anyone who needed it. He also asked for unwanted bikes, which he would repair-again______ . And then he would donate them to folks who could truly use them but didn't have the ______ to buy one.

The day the post went live, Pruitt received thirty ______ bicycles. Then came more than 500 enquiries for ______   information. By the end of 2020, Pruitt had repaired more than 140 for donation or to be ______ to their owners.

Pruitt tries to give his donations to families that are ______ struggling. ______ simply satisfying a material need, he has provided an opportunity for kids in his neighborhood to learn how to fix their own bikes.

In addition to ______ skills, Pruitt's lessons teach teamwork, encourage self-worth, and promote feelings of community. ______, the kids have gained a sense of accomplishment.

"It's a really great ______ for kids,“ said a neighbor in an interview with the local newspaper. "Pruitt is certainly providing a ______, but it's not just the bikes. It's the relationships in the community. It's the ______ he can make on people."

10 . I had a picnic one day with my sister. We both like to ride her motorcycle and that day we rode it to the nearest park. We bought some coffee and cakes, and then we enjoyed our food. Within a few hours, the sky changed and looked ready for a heavy rain. We packed everything and were ready to go. My sister, who was sitting on a bench suddenly was very still and couldn't talk to me.She couldn't move. Her eyes were rolling and she was about to lose consciousness(知觉). I held her in my arms and asked if she wanted to rest. She didn’t answer and only said“Sorry.”

It started to rain and I didn't know what to do. She was fighting to stay aware but her skin was pale and her eyes were acting strangely. Suddenly, from nowhere, a woman on a bicycle appeared. wearing a raincoat." She isn't looking good. Do you want me to call an ambulance(救护车)?”“Yes, please,yes!”I begged.

She did. Struggling with the rain, she managed to call some policemen, who quickly helped me carry my sister to a safer place. The ambulance arrived and we went to a hospital where she was treated in time and she came to life the next morning after some rest and medical help.

An interesting fact was that I guessed the woman in the raincoat was a doctor or a nurse. I later learned from one of the police officers who told me: “No.She was an ordinary person who took some courses on emergency situations(紧急情况).”

I am so grateful that she appeared exactly at the moment I don’t know why or how .I didn’t even get the chance to say thanks to her.