2 . The morning commute (通勤) is never fun. But if you pass through Stevenage on your way to work, your morning might be a little ________ thanks to the cat Nala.

Dragging yourself out of bed in the morning and off to work is hard, ________ on dark winter mornings. However, you might ________ to come out of the house with a spring in your step if your commute started at Stevenage station, where you’d be ________ by a cat called Nala.

Usually found sitting on a ticket gate, four-year-old Nala lives close to the station with her owner Natasha Ambler, and often ________ the station at rush hour to enjoy attention from commuters. Ambler ________ a Facebook page called The Adventures of Nala where hundreds of people have voluntarily ________ photos of the adventurous cat.

Recent photos posted by commuters include Nala ________ in line for her canned food at a supermarket, napping on newspaper stands and ________ with commuters at the station barriers to get their attention.

Nala wears a GPS tracking device so that her ________ can be kept track of, and is usually found at the railway station or the ________ leisure park. As well as the usual collar with her name and owners’________ information, Nala wears a tag to let people know that she’s not ________.

According to the BBC, Ambler reported that she’s not ________ about Nala in the slightest: “She’s obviously ________ and she’s very happy doing what she does — I just hope one day she doesn’t actually try to get on a train.”

3 . Peter worked at a grocery store. Recently, he _______ a second job to help pay for his sick friend Dan and his own son’s _______.

Although the job was boring, there were times Peter especially _______. At that time the supermarket was _______, being full of customers. One day, a young woman named Angela caught Peter’s _______ when she turned to her two children, “Sorry, babies. Mommy can’t _______ to get your sweets and snacks, so please put them back, okay?”

The children began to cry and Angela tried to _______ them. Then Peter quickly swooped (接近) in, _______ to help her to pay for the _______. Peter was glad to see the children happy and Angela a little at ease.

The next day Angela returned to the store and explained to Peter, “Thanks for your kindness. It really ________ a lot. I’m a single mother and lost my job, so things are a bit ________.”

“Well, I am ________ aware of your situation. I need help with my friend’s medical bills and my kid’s college. Nothing comes cheap.”

Angela was grateful for Peter’s help. Peter’s actions and ________ touched Angela, and she thought to herself, “This man had his share of ________, yet he was still kind enough to________ and help me. I should pass this kindness on.”

5 .    Lots of kids like to talk about sports, but Joseph D’Avirro talks about sports like a professional host in a show called Sliders & Curveballs. The 9-year-old from Newington, Connecticut is a natural at sports talk and has been broadcasting the show—which is about baseball, basketball and other sports—with his dad, Mike D’Avirro, since September 2019.

   The D’Avirro started the broadcast after two former college roommates of Mike died, which made Mike want to spend more time with his son. Then the idea came to him. So far, they have done about 50 programs. Joseph’s favorite is when the father-and-son team interviewed Jim Calhoun, the coach leading the Connecticut Huskies to three national titles. They have also interviewed important sports authors.

   The father and son make about one 30- to 40-minute podcast each month. They prepare for the podcasts by deciding on the questions they want to ask the guest. Joseph asks half of the questions, and Mike handles the other half. Joseph reads his questions again and again to get them in his brain well. It is a lot of work, but Joseph says it is “a lot more fun than homework”. Joseph has also learned to speak up and speak clearly. He has to listen and to go with the flow of the conversation. For example, he said, “If the guest is talking about sports in the 1990s, you have to think about sports in the 1990s.”

When asked how long he and his dad will continue doing the show, he answered, “Until my dad starts growing gray hairs.” Joseph has other ambitions when he grows up—to be a sports player, a sports broadcaster or to own a basketball team. Those are big dreams, but Joseph is already living a dream: talking sports and spending time with his dad.

7 . Once upon a time, there was a small village in the center of a big forest. All the villagers were used to their robotic farm work and none of them had the imagination or the will (意愿) to try something new, except for one girl named Jo. Very few could read or write, and Jo was one of them.

One afternoon, when Jo was on one of her explorations in the forest, she came upon an abandoned cottage (废弃的小屋). Though she’d been warned to stay away from abandoned places, her curiosity got the best of her. She slid in and was amazed to find a room full of books! Jo’s excitement was huge when she realized she had found a hidden treasure.

She ran to tell the villagers everything, thinking that they would share her excitement but instead, she heard roars of laughter! Jo was confused by this reaction (反应) and a little hurt too, but she did not give up on her books.

She came to the cottage every day and got down to reading the books. For her, each page was an adventure with characters who challenged difficulties with their determination and who struggled for good. Knowing the power of stories in impressing on people the values of life, she decided to share the stories with the villagers, though she knew it would be a difficult journey. Making this her mission (使命), Jo started telling stories every day at her cottage.

In the beginning, only a few came to the readings. But word spread rapidly, causing more and more people to come, some of whom even traveled from far away to just listen to her stories. She also conducted workshops in which she taught people how to read and write. She was remembered and lived in her stories even after she was long gone.

One sunny morning, the sun began to rise, casting a warm golden glow over the park. Two young men named Tom and Jerry, who was lost in their own books, found themselves siting on opposite ends of a bench. The air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the distant sound of children playing. Their eyes met for a brief moment before they both bent down to pick up their pens. It seemed as if they had known before. They quickly became friends and then began to spend many happy times together. They played basketball, watched movies, and spent many unforgettable days together. However, as time went on, their lives changed, and their friendship was put to the test.

A few years later, Tom became a successful lawyer, while Jerry chose a different path and became an artist. Despite different kinds of changes in their lifestyles, they still kept in touch and would gather together every once in a while to recall the good old days.

One day, Tom received a letter from Jerry. The letter said, “Dear Tom, I hope you can come and visit my art exhibition. I know you may not be interested in art, but I think you will like these works. They are all paintings I made during the days we spent together. I hope you can feel the friendship between us.”

After reading the letter, Tom immediately decided to attend Jerry’s art exhibition. He bought a bunch of flowers as a gift and arrived at the exhibition site. When he walked into the exhibition hall, he was shocked by what he saw. The walls were filled with Jerry’s works, each painting full of life and emotion. He saw scenes of them playing basketball in the park, watching movies together, and walking in the rain. These paintings made him feel the deep friendship between them.

At the exhibition, Tom met many old friends.

With the bunch of flowers, Tom still kept looking for Jerry.

10 . My mom spent years as a stay-at-home mom so that my brothers and I could focus on our education. However, I could tell from her curiosity of and attitudes toward working women that she envied their financial freedom and the self-esteem that must come with it. When I asked her about working again, she would tell me to focus on achieving my dream. I knew she had once dreamed for herself.

For years, I watched het effortlessly light up conversations with both strangers and family. Her empathy and ability to reach the heart could make anyone laugh, even when the story itself did not apply to them at all. “Mom, have you ever thought about being a stand-up comedian?” “It is too late for me, son,” she responded, laughing at the idea. I could not bear to watch her struggle between ambition and doubt.

Her birthday was coming up. Although I had already bought her a present, I knew what I actually wanted to give her. I placed little notes of encouragement inside the present. I asked my family and her friends to do the same. Eventually I had collected 146 notes, and each with the same sentiment: “You are humorous, full of life, and ready to take on the stage.”

On the day of her birthday, my mom unwrapped my present. She was not surprised as she had hinted at it for long. But then she saw those little notes. She started to weep with her hands full of notes. She could not believe the support was real.

Within two months, my mom gave her first performance in a New York comedy club. I have read the notes countless times with my mom. They are framed and line the walls of her new office space that she rented with the profits she made from working as a professional comedian. For many parents, their children’s careers are their greatest accomplishment, but for me my mom’s is mine.