3 . I found a wonderful picture of Maolan karst cones online and presented it to the innkeeper. “You can’t go there,” the innkeeper ________me with a smile. “The viewing platform has been closed due to________that too many visitors could cause geological damage.”

Though disappointed, we________an alternative: a seven-hour hike through the“funnel forest”. Initially, we were ________to run the risk. However, I had________the tourism motto in the nature reserve: “If you don’t do it now, you won’t do it in your lifetime.” Three of our group ________decided to venture into the forest. The innkeeper responded with a knowing ________:“Great. Bear Grylls went there.”

The next morning, we set off with a local________. Rain came and went three times, and before I actually________to climb over the first mountain, I had already got wet to the skin. I was a walking________of mud and water.

Our guide, in his 50s, behaved like a botanist, introducing the locally specific plants to us, but I was hardly in the________. Every step sank into the muddy, sucking ground. Every log or rock in front of us was a physical________. “One can never reach those places without strong willpower,” I murmured, reciting that millennium-old________, over and over again.

Sinkholes and entrances to underground rivers kept popping up along our________. Thinking of them leading to an unknown world, I began to________the road that I can control even more.

Wandering in a green chaos without any obvious landmarks is also breathtaking.

7 . Charlie Villanueva, once an NBA player, is known for his ability to shoot hoops(篮筐). He says his success is largely due to what he has _______ since childhood.

Today Villanueva’s career may look successful, but life wasn’t always _______ for him. At 10,Villanueva got a skin disease alopecia. It caused his hair loss, which was not life-threatening but difficult for a kid to _______. Other kids called him hurtful names. In middle school, he was suspended(停学) for _______ a no-hats rule. _______ a note from his doctor allowed him to wear hats, they only _______ more unfriendly attention.

Through it all, Villanueva’s mother was there for him in good times and bad times. With his mother’s help and _______ , Villanueva turned his frustration (挫败) into _______ to play basketball well on the court. As he improved as an athlete , basketball helped him deal with his alopecia.

In fact, over six million Americans have alopecia like Villanueva. They have gifts, abilities and a need to feel _______ , Villanueva established the Charlie Villanueva Foundation to help families of kids with alopecia. Villanueva ________ kids to feel good about who they are, work hard toward their goals and ________ to others. Here’s his ________ for them.

“We’re all ________ in our own different ways. Embrace it and enjoy life ________ . Many didn’t think I’d make it. Thankfully they were ________ about me. Believe in yourself, and all dreams are possible.”

8 . There was a time when I thought my dad didn’t know a thing about being a good father. I couldn’t _________ him ever saying the words “I _________ you.” It seems to me his only purpose in life was to say “No” to anywhere I wanted to go and anything I wanted to do, including getting a car. Some parents bought their kids cars when they got their driver’s licenses. Not my dad—he said that I’d have to get a job and buy my own.

So that is what I did. I got a job at a very nice restaurant and _________ every penny I could and when I had enough to buy my car, I did! The day I brought that car home, my dad was the first one I wanted to show it off to. “Look, dad, a car of my own. If you ever want a ride, I’ll only _________ you five dollars.” I offered with a smile. “I see,” was all he said.

One day, there was something wrong with my father’s truck. So he needed a _________ to work. The sun wasn’t even up when we left the house, _________ it was already getting warm out. It was going to be a (n) _________ day. As I dropped my dad off, I watched him, dressed in his work clothes, getting his _________ from the truck(车尾箱)of my car. Watching his sun weathered face, and even from a distance I could tell there were _________ lines than I ever remembered being there before. I realized how hard my dad works for the family. My father is a cement finisher(水泥修整工).

In that instant, it __________ to me that he actually __________ on his hands and knees to sweat over hot concrete(混凝土)to make a living for his family. And he did this day in and day out, however hot it got. Never, not once, had I heard him __________ about it. To him we were “worth” it. And never once did he “charge” us for it.

When he closed the trunk, his tools set off to the side, he walked over to my window to __________ me five dollars. I rolled down the window and said “Good-bye, dad. Keep your five dollars. It’s my __________. Don’t work too hard. I love you.”

His __________ met mine, then glanced away in the direction of his waiting tools, he cleared his throat and said, “Oh, and... me, too.”

9 . Agnes Lloyd’s 70th birthday came, but the day went normally. Her husband _______ many years ago. She had not heard from her children for a long time, which was _______.

The last bell of the day rang. She picked up her _______ and walked towards her car planning to buy herself a chocolate dessert although her doctors don’t _______ it for her age. But who cares? It was her birthday, and she _______ it.

The thought made her smile as she _______ her car when a sudden “MRS. LLOYD!” _______ her. Agnes dropped her purse onto the ground. She looked around and was _______ by what she saw.

Her students were standing there carrying birthday signs. She hadn’t _______ they had prepared such a surprise for her. Her student Christian came over, picking up her purse, and ________ her to the rest as they all started singing Happy Birthday.

As the song continued, tears ________ in her eyes. As they finished the song, small pieces of coloured paper began flying all over the place ________. But that wasn’t the best part.

Some of the students parted and her three children stepped out holding a birthday cake with two ________ that formed the number 70. “Happy birthday. Mom!” They exclaimed together, and that’s when Agnes lost her ________ for the first time.

Don’t forget your parents, ________ your life gets busy. We need to act and remind them that they are loved.

10 . Yesterday, a salesman called me to sell his phone plans. I was at work and as I usually don’t like spending time on those things, I _________ myself that I couldn’t talk yet and _________ that he call me back at 6 pm.

That’s what he did. So we talked about 20 minutes. He _________ to me his different phone plans. While listening to him, sometimes I was_________ in thought. I gave several “hmm hmm” as a sign of agreement and to_________ that I was still there. Sometimes, I felt a bit _________   . But I stayed calm and _________ until the end of the discussion.

Finally, he said the following to me: “Thank you, Olivier. You are the first person in a long time with whom I had an enjoyable conversation. _________, people shout at us and slam down the phone. Today, since 10 am, I haven’t had a phone _________ without arousing anger. I know you had a long day at work and you could have   __________ in front of your TV. But you listened so carefully to me. I am __________ and I sincerely thank you.”

It set me thinking. He had been the __________ of verbal violence (语言暴力) all through his working day. Physical __________ do not exist in this situation but dehumanization (去人性化) seems to happen. __________, he was only doing his job. I felt a sense of   __________ that I hadn’t treated him so rudely.