1 . Shortly before Dad died, I got a call from Betty. She was a ________ of our family who lived right across the street. She asked me if I’d noticed that Mom was getting ________ and was starting to tell stories and ask questions time and again. My thoughts ________ my phone calls to Mom. I agreed with Betty. I had noticed some things, but I ________ wasn’t too concerned. After all, Mom was in her 70s. Don’t all people in their 70s ________ things?

I got another call from Betty. She told me about the card game they had ________ one week ago. And it was Mom and Dad’s turn to have it at their house. Everyone ________ but Mom just forgot that and ran around trying to find the cards. That never happened before.

Betty phoned again, telling me one day when Mom drove, she ________ in front of oncoming cars to make a left turn. Mom, in Betty’s opinion, was becoming a very unsafe ________. At this point, I had no idea what to do about that.

Looking back, Dad had been ________ for Mom. And the rest of us were ________ these things as part of her growing old. For months after Dad passed away, we all blamed her forgetfulness on ________.

Alzheimer (阿尔茨海默症) is a very ________ process and most people experience symptoms for nearly three years before being confirmed by doctors.

I am ________ that our friend Betty was right across the street for all the time I couldn’t be there. It’s still ________ to me to think what could have happened without Betty in those days.

2 . The 11-year-old Freddy was chasing a rabbit on Monday when he got trapped down a narrow hole in Blackroot Pool, West Midlands. His ________ Richard Hill said he could hear Freddy’s whimpers (呜咽) underground but was unable to ________ him. The 55-year-old man ________ gave up searching for him when it got dark. “I really thought I had ________ Freddy for the very last time,” said Hill.

But Hill ________ on Tuesday morning and decided to call 999 after he could hear Freddy’s cries for help. Freddy had already been ________ for 24 hours by that time. The West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service found them after Hill used an app on his phone to help firefighters find Freddy’s exact ________. Crews used cameras and listening equipment on their mission to find the ________ dog, and eventually dug a 6-ft by 9-ft hole.

________, after two hours’ digging, firefighters ________ the exhausted Freddy, who “ran out of the hole as they got closer to him”. “I have to say a huge thank-you to the firefighters.” says Hill. “It was just ________ when he ran out of the hole after the ________, it was just like nothing had happened.” Freddy is still showing an orange color after being ________ with the clay soil.

According to the ________ owner the 4-legged adventurer will “definitely be staying on the ________ the next time we go out for a walk.”

3 . One day, hundreds of people were stuck in traffic on the highway in below-freezing temperatures due to a snowstorm. With the conditions making it _________ for rescue workers to help, many were trapped overnight with no access to _________.

But one stuck driver found a _________ spot in the despair. As she was sitting in her car fearing the _________, Casey Holihan and her husband, John Noe, _________ a bread truck just ahead of them in the jam. Willing to try just about anything, they called the customer service number listed on the back of the truck and left a _________ begging for the driver to open the back and _________bread to the hungry passengers around them. It was a last-ditch effort, and the couple wasn’t very_________ about getting a response. But to their_________ they soon received a phone call from the company’s owner, Chuck Paterakis, with the news that he was __________ the truck’s driver to open up and pass out loaves of bread from his cargo. Overjoyed by the news, Holihan and Noe __________ the truck’s driver to bring much-needed things to the cars around them.

The simple loaves of bread were surely a ray of __________in an impossibly disturbing situation. Holihan herself calls it “one of the __________moments” she’s ever witnessed. This company could have made a(n) __________ from the bread but instead chose to help the people around them. That is just so incredible that someone chose __________over profit, especially in a situation where people were so desperate.

4 . Believe it or not, I hate birthdays. First of all you keep getting ________, and second you always get presents you can’t ________. If I could just have a nice chocolate cake all to myself, I’d be very happy. But no! I have received more ties, pajamas, umbrellas, and gloves than you can imagine. I keep all my unwanted gifts piled neatly in a corner of my closet. If I need one of the items, I draw from my stock, but that is a ________ occurrence. The result is that my pile is quite large.

One day, my Aunt Gloria called me.

“Hello, Shelley,” she said. “We’re having a surprise birthday party for Cousin Stove. Will you be able to come on Thursday the 29th at 2p.m.?”

“One minute, while I look at my ________,” I said.

“Too ________,” I thought to myself. “I’m free. I guess I’ll have to go.”

To Aunt Gloria, I said, “Yes, that day looks O.K. to me. I’ll be there. Should I bring anything for the party?”

“No,” answered Aunt Gloria, “just bring yourself.”

The morning for the party arrived. After some thought, I ________ that it would be proper to bring my ________ a little gift. I thought it would please her. I had a good stock of gifts in my ________, so I could simply rewrap one and offer it to her. It was getting late by the time I got around to wrapping it. So I ________ the first box I saw and wrapped it in a hurry.

My ________ were all-there when I arrived. They were glad to see me, and if the occasion hadn’t been a birthday party, I guess I would have been glad to see them. Uncle Joe told me I had ________. “You look wonderful,” he said.

I plowed my way through the crowd to Aunt Gloria. “Here,” I said cheerfully, ________ my gift. “A little something for you.”

“Oh, that’s very kind of you,” said my aunt. She began to ________ the gift. “I wonder what it could be,” she murmured. Then she began to read a ________ that was enclosed, which I didn’t remember having put in.

“Dear Shelley,” she read, “hope you enjoy these ________. They’ll keep your fingers warm in the winter. Love, Aunt Gloria.”

5 . Every Christmas, my mom would fill our stockings with small toys and candies. At the very tip of the stocking, the very _________ thing that we would pull out was an orange. For years, I hated the tradition. It was _________ to pull an orange out of my _________ after uncovering so many fun and delicious treats. An orange wasn’t special. I could eat one any time of the year, and it was just _________ room that could have been filled with more candy.

When I was thirteen, I _________ asked my mother why she put oranges in our stockings. She _________ my grand-father had grown up very poor. His father had a brain tumor that left him blind and _________ to work, so his mother relied on _________ from the church to take care of her seven children. Every Christmas, a local church donated a basket of fruit to their family. This was my grandfather’s favorite day of the year because it was the only day when he could eat fresh fruit. The oranges were his favorite because they _________ like sunshine. When he grew up, he always __________ to have a bowl of oranges around at Christmastime so he could __________ his favorite Christmas memory with his children.

When my mom finished telling the story, I felt __________. In my rush to collect as much candy as possible, I had __________ to be grateful. Now the orange at the bottom of my stocking is a __________ to be grateful for the beautiful Christmases that my parents gave me and for the hard work they did that ensured I could have a（n）__________ any day of the year.

6 . Good news came from Killington. In a challenging ______ that unfolded in 2024, the police department, along with the search and rescue team, ______ rescued 23 lost skiers and snowboarders. It was a remarkable ______ of teamwork and commitment.

The police department received a call at 2: 30 pm informing them of 7-9 lost individuals in the woods. However, as the officers, ______ with the search and rescue team, dug into the investigation, they ______ a more extensive situation involving a total of 21 last individuals. They set off instantly.

______ frosty temperatures, the rescuers hiked and snowshoed about 5 miles to reach the trapped skiers and snowboarders. They tripped and ______ their knees. But their goal was ______ : find everyone and bring them to safety. Finally, they did it.

Just when the rescuers thought their mission was ______ , an additional call came in for two more lost skiers. Without any ______ , six of the rescuers reentered the woods. They ______ and accompanied the lost to safety, ______ the highly organized activity at about 7: 30 pm.

The rescuers went to great ______ to ensure the safety and well-being of others. The ______ of these selfless individuals illustrated the true spirit of community. The police department ______ special thanks to all involved.

7 . When the economic crisis hit, Bruno and Marilena lost their jobs in Florence. It was then that they decided to return to their hometown in Tuscany. There, they _________ their lives by making the best use of their available _________ to establish an eco-friendly homestay（民宿）called Bed and Break-fast. This turned their _________ life into a fairy tale. They grew their own organic foods, adopted rainwater collection systems, and practiced natural farming to embrace _________.

Guests at their Bed and Breakfast are treated like extended family, sharing home-cooked meals together and _________ stories of their travels. _________ about Bruno and Marilena’s enthusiasm for guests quickly spread. The homestay was _________ with a boost in popularity as more people started to seek a（n）_________ from busy city life. In a fast-paced world where surface-level interactions are common, Bruno and Marilena have created a space where _________ connections thrive.

__________ the welcoming environment they’ve created, living in the Italian countryside has allowed them to embrace a relaxing pace of life. They rise with the sun to __________ their fields, retire under a blanket of stars at night, and __________ seasonal harvests for the long winter. Though the work could be tiring at times, they discovered __________ in their sustainable interaction with nature.

Through commitment to community and sustainability values, Bruno and Marilena have not only found their inner __________ but also built a successful business that ensures their __________ stability and continued country life for years to come.

8 . Back in high school, I loved nothing more than going bowling. From freshman to junior year, starting and leading my school’s bowling club helped me come out of my ________. As time went on, our team began winning local and even ________ tournaments. These victories not only ________ my popularity but also allowed me to form meaningful connections. Man, life was great back then.

Still the bowling memory that really stuck out to me was ________ I met Leroy. I was already a junior by then, and he was still a young freshman. The strange thing about it, ________, was how he would always ________ in the back, watching others play. ________ his regular presence, he seemed too nervous and shy to play or even talk with others.

Then one evening something remarkable happened. During a game, I ________ Leroy actually picking up a bowling ball for the first time. He ________ to lift the lightest ball up, and with each throw, the ball ________ in the gutter lane (边沟), resulting in straight zeroes across the board.

That’s, when I finally went over to say hi to Leroy. ________ to see me, Leroy nervously cracked a smile and murmured with ________, “I just can’t manage the ball...” Reassuringly, I responded, “It’s no big ________. Everyone was a green hand once.” My words seemed to ________ his tension, and in the following hours, he ________ as I taught him how to bowl step by step. From his words, I realized how ________ he had desired to join the bowling club and how lonely he felt without friends.

That was the beginning of our friendship. Since that night, playing together and sharing our life stories has become our weekly ________. I was delighted to see Leroy’s significant progress through ________ efforts. He was a fast learner and soon ________ a spot on the team. What’s more, Leroy gained confidence to try new things. It was through practising bowling that his brand new life journey ________. As bowling enthusiasts, we’ll always cherish the sincere friendship and get the ball rolling forever.

9 . A dog named Kobe became a hero by finding a gas leak in his owner’s front yard. The dog’s action underlined the importance of paying attention to the _______ of our companions.

The story began when Kobe, owned by Chanell Bell, was _______ digging a sizable hole in the yard. Initially _______ it as typical dog behavior, Bell grew _______ as the hole expanded. _______ that Kobe’s action was unusual, she _______ the dog’s judgment, given his normally well-behaved nature.

Following the _______ and repair of a recent gas leak in her home, Bell _______ her house with a gas detection device. She assessed Kobe’s _______ dug hole using the device. The device detected gas coming from the hole, so Bell contacted the authorities about the ________ .

“If the gas had continued to leak into our homes,” said Bell, “something as ________ as a light switch turning on could have caused an explosion!”

Workers discovered three main leaks in Bell’s neighborhood caused by aging pipes. It took the workers over three days to repair the leaks and ________ new pipes. Bell said, “Kobe ________ them as an exceptionally outstanding dog. It feels amazing to know Kobe went to that kind of ________ to save our block. Humans and animals can, should and must enjoy each other’s ________ . I am very thankful to have Kobe.”

10 . I opened the door: the morning dishes weren’t in the sink, and the floor had been cleaned. The pile of junk mail on the counter disappeared, replaced by a single ________. Then I replayed the casual ________ I had made that morning: “You never helped out around the house...”

I picked up the letter, ________ his apology and gratitude for everything I did. But when I read the first line, I felt incredibly ________ myself.

“I’m tired of being ________ of not helping around the house. Yesterday, I washed the windows. I also picked up your car from school and took it for an oil change. Did you ________?”

I glanced through our ________ windows. My car? I did know he took it to the garage so I didn’t have to waste a precious Saturday morning on vehicle ________.

The letter continued in the same________ — a little anger, a lot of hurt. I deserved every word since I wasn’t________ unaware of his household contributions, but instead of giving him ________ for the tasks he did, I complained about the tasks he ________ to do.

I ________ a pen and notebook but my hand paused above a blank page. Careless, ________ words had rolled out so easily from my mouth, but these new words must be deliberate and meaningful, worthy of ________. I wrote, “I’m sorry.”