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.

4 . The management of a software company decided to teach its employees (雇员) about finding real ________ to solve problems. When called to play a ________ in a hall, the team of 30 employees was quite ________. As they entered the hall, they found a huge box of balloons (气球) at the centre. They were ________ to pick a balloon and blow it up. And the team leader asked them to ________ their names on their balloons. All tried to do that, but not everyone ________ it. A few balloons burst (爆裂) due to pressure and yet they were given another chance. Those who ________ even after the second chance were ruled out of the game. In all, 25 employees were left for the next ________. All the balloons were collected and the team leader asked the employees to ________ the balloon with their names marked. Also, he told them no balloon should be ________. It was almost 15 minutes and no one was able to find his own balloon.

Now it was the third and final level. The employees were asked to pick any balloon in the room and give it to the person ________ on the balloon. Within a couple of minutes all the balloons reached ________ employee.

The team leader said that this was the real way to solve problems. Often everyone is crazily ________ ways to solve problems without recognizing the ________ way. Most of the time, ________ and helping others can give you the tools you need to deal with all problems.

7 . It was New Year time, and it would be our first New Year away from Alabama. That winter, my mother and my stepfather moved our family to Southern California. My athletic little brother, Paul, was _______ about the climate that allowed him to go to the beach _______ he wanted. I, however, was a fat child with typical southern _______.

On my first day in the new class, I introduced myself in a low voice. All I said was my name and where I was from. The class burst into _______, “He talks funny.” I was so _______ that I went to place a call to Granny Smith after school, who was my biggest _______. But I didn’t _______.

On Sunday evening, the phone rang. It was Granny. She often took advantage of the discounted long-distance _______on Sundays. She said she’d _______ a New Year package. Sure enough, it arrived. Surprised at the box, large enough to hold a small refrigerator, we ________ it open. The smell of Granny’s house filled the room: a ________ of fried meat, sausages, furniture polish and decorations. While always filled with ________ holiday decorations and homemade food before New Year, Granny’s house, in my childhood eyes, was precious and fantastic.

There were countless tins and containers. We opened them to discover piles of holiday ________. She even included our traditional candy bars. The box was as bottomless as a magical box. There, ________ all these, was my familiar holiday.

Every New Year that we spent in California, the ________ service could call. Over the years, many treasures arrived in the box. For me, it’s always been the best part of the holiday.

8 . 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.

10 . One day a famous painter painted a picture. He put it on exhibition with the title “Not for_______”. However, it was so beautiful a painting that whoever_______that exhibition asked the painter to sell that painting for whatever amount he would_______it. But he said, “I'm extremely sorry but I can’t sell this for any amount. I will sell it to only that person who will understand its_______.” Then, an old man came over and said, “I want to buy this painting and here is the_______in this small box for it.” There was a paint brush and colors in it. Then, he gave that painting to the old man.

All the other people asked the painter with_______, “Why did you sell it for a paint brush and a few colors to this old man? We were_______you a huge amount for this painting.” The painter said, “If you_______the painting, there is a man who is teaching a kid to paint with so much_______. So, the man in the picture is this old man and that kid is me. He is my teacher who taught me to paint and made me become what I am today just thanks to his devotion and________. And, the real value of this painting is just a paint brush which is________by my teacher as this paint brush is more________than your wealth. With this paint brush I can paint many more paintings.”All people understood and________the bonding(情谊) of a teacher and his student.

A teacher always gives his best wealth to his student in the form of knowledge, wisdom and art with a(n)________that his student will________make use of it.