When I was a young girl, my parents tried their best to make ends meet. My father was a teacher, and my mom     1     (stay) at home to take care of me and my new baby brother. What was more, my mom also took care of two foster (收养的) children, a 12-year-old and a 4-year-old, because no one else had room for them in the area.

That Christmas, my parents faced     2     difficult choice. My dad told my mom that he could either pay the rent     3     give us all Christmas presents.     4     (nature) they decided that rent was more important. They could not even buy a tree.     5     (make) us all happy on Christmas Eve, my mom suggested that we drive into Rochester to look at the city     6     (decorate) by beautiful festival lights, and we all agreed.

On our way there, my dad noticed a huge stand of Christmas trees by the side of the road, and a large sign on the biggest tree. The sign read: “MERRY CHRISTMAS! If you haven’t got your tree yet, please help     7     (you) to one of these. No need to leave any money-just have a     8     (wonder) holiday!”

I didn’t understand at that moment     9     my dad started to cry, but I know now. I think it was the     10     (good) Christmas we ever had.

Many years ago, in a village lived a simple, good-natured fellow    1    (name) Rip Van Winkle. He was very lazy. To avoid work, he would walk away into the forest.

One day, Rip just walked on and on and reached the    2    (high) part of the mountains.    3    (sudden), he heard a voice calling his name. He looked around and saw a short, old man with his thick hair and a grizzled beard, walking towards him with a barrel. Rip hurried    4    (help) him. Together they reached a place where there were some more odd-looking men. His companion emptied the contents of the barrel into glasses and made Rip drink it.

Rip obeyed as he was trembling with fear. Since he was    5    (thirst), he drank a few more glasses and slowly fell into a deep sleep.

On waking up, he    6    (find) that he was at the place    7    he had first met the old man. He began to go back to his village.

As he neared the village, he met    8    number of people but he didn’t know any of them. The villagers also stared at him    9    (equal) surprised.

Then an old woman walked up to him and looked at his face    10    a moment, saying, “It is Rip Van Winkle! Welcome home again, old neighbour! Where have you been these twenty long years?”