1 . Wang Fang, a Suzhou native, has given her heart and soul to Kunqu Opera. Wang, who has twice won the Plum Performance Award — China’s top award for theater and opera performances-started to learn the traditional art form in 1977.

Born with a melodic voice, Wang loved to sing and dance when she was little. She performed frequently, and was recruited by the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Troupe (剧团) when she was in middle school. However, her parents refused the troupe’s invitation, insisting that she should concentrate on her studies and not drop out of school. After members of the troupe visited the parents repeatedly and showed great sincerity,Wang’s parents finally agreed.

Learning the traditional art form was never easy. She started to learn how to pronounce words, sing them lyrically and make gestures gently. As an actress playing martial artists roles at first, she had to spend extra time practicing kung fu movements. Years later, Wang used the word “unimaginable” to describe how hard the days were when she first learned Kunqu. She was soaked in sweat when practicing movements in summer, while in winter she often had chilblains (冻疮) on her hands when training in shabby classrooms with broken windows. “But I was young and determined at the time. No matter how difficult, I always got up early the next morning to practice,” Wang recalls.

Wang says she did not love Kunqu at first, but in her early 20s,when she watched the show Peony Pavilion performed by Zhang Jiqing, a master of the art form, it clicked. “I was shocked,” Wang says. “Her every movement was full of elegance and delicacy. Each of her lines and songs was perfect. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of Kunqu for the first time in my life, and it has stayed with me since.” Now, Wang has herself become a master of Kunqu. Her performances have impressed generations and helped to promote the art form among young people.

2 . Bournemouth in Dorset has always been my favourite seaside town. When I was growing up, Mum and Dad didn’t have much money, but they’d saved enough for a few days in Bournemouth. I was four years old at the time. I don’t actually remember much about the trip, apart from being devastated when we had to leave. Mum said I fell in love with the place and insisted on waving goodbye to the sea when it was time to go. So I grew up believing Bournemouth was a wonderful place.

Forty years on, my wife and I returned for a week’s break. I was nervous, wondering if I’d be able to bring back that delight I’d felt as a child. I needn’t have worried. We had a fantastic time. It helped that the British weather had decided to provide us with high temperatures and plenty of sun. But it was Bournemouth that kept me spellbound, making me feel like a child again.

Bournemouth and its neighbour, Boscombe, are always busy, alive with chatter, music and other lively sounds. But as we stepped into Boscombe Chine Gardens, all the noise faded away. A sense of peace spread through us as we meandered along the paths, delighting in the squirrels climbing up and down the trees and the bright colours of the pretty plants.

One morning, we made a short trip to Poole Quay and took the ferry to Brownsea Island. Owned by the National Trust, it’s a feast for the eyes, from its mock Tudor entrance, to the many peacocks walking around, to the magnificent views of the sun sparkling on the shining waters and boats bobbing up and down, seen from the island’s highest point.

Before we knew it, it was time to return home—but not before waving goodbye to the sea.

4 . At noon, I would race breathlessly home, a ten-minute walk from my school. My mother was waiting for me with pleasure to have lunch while I shared what happened at school.

I had been picked to be the princess in the school play, and for weeks my mother had rehearsed (排练) my lines so hard with me. But no matter how easily I acted at home, hardly had I stepped on stage when every word escaped me. Finally, my teacher asked me to change to a narrator’s (解说员) part. Her word, kindly expressed, still hurt, especially when I saw my part go to another girl.

I didn’t tell my mother what had happened that day. But she sensed my pain. Instead of suggesting we practice my lines, she asked if I wanted to walk in the yard.

Under the rose vine, we could see yellow dandelions (蒲公英), as if a painter had touched our landscape with shades of gold. I watched my mother casually bend down by one dandelion. “I’m going to dig up all these weeds,” she said, pulling it up by its roots. “From now on, we’ll have only roses in this garden.”

“But I like dandelions,” I argued. “All flowers are beautiful — even dandelions.”

My mother asked thoughtfully, “Yes, every flower gives pleasure in its own way, doesn’t it?” I nodded, pleased I had won her over. “And that is true of people too,” she added. I burst into tears, a mixture of relief and regret swelling up as I told her what had happened.

“But you will be a beautiful narrator,” she said, encouraging me as she did. “The narrator’s part is important, too.” Composing myself gradually, I began to accept the narrator’s part. Then came the performance day. I was still nervous, but it was at that very moment that I found a dandelion in my pocket. It was obvious that my mom secretly put the flower there, which magically gave me confidence.

5 . Last May I bought some sweet potatoes for food. Several days later, a tuber (块茎) left in the kitchen was sprouting (发芽). Thinking it was a waste of money to throw it away, I_________ the tuber into a pot hoping it might take root and _________ something that could be put on the dinner table.

_________, the tuber did take root and began to grow. In the following months I _________ it when necessary and it grew very well. Seeing that it was autumn and that the plant would not grow any longer, I decided to _________ . I pulled out the plant, which took some_________ and began to dig with my fingers to see if there was any tuber in the pot. When my fingers could almost _________ the bottom of the pot, I took the root and pulled it carefully, for the potato could _________ easily. As almost no earth was left, I tried to pull again and again but I failed to lift it up. In _________, I pushed the pot over and found the root was outside the pot! It had grown through one of the holes in the bottom.

Then and there I changed my opinion of this plant, for the seemingly soft plant gained the__________ of me. Very carefully I __________ all the soil out of the pot, __________ the root might be harmed or broken. Holding the root, I was deep in thought. The root outside the pot looked like a __________ and strong finger of an old farmer who has __________ his life to make a living. The end of the root was dark grey and __________ Obviously, the peel (皮) must have been removed during its struggle with the __________ of the heavy pot. It struck me that the tuber, though seriously __________, had struggled hard and it seemed it had never__________.

Such is a sweet potato, an ordinary-looking plant with __________ characteristics. It managed to grow where I thought it was almost impossible to __________.

6 . About five years ago, I was part of a pilot group (试验组) for my employer tasked with figuring out how to hire and instruct people with disabilities and make them successful inside the organization. Until then we had only _______ people with visually challenged disability. I led the interview process and hiring of a candidate with an autism (自闭症) disability. The candidate had the _______ but our interview panel felt that the disability would _______ him from learning the skills and being successful in the role.

I _______ my peers to give him a role, and try out — also, it was a pilot program meant for our organization to learn. I gave the candidate a lot of _______ and I became one of his instructors. Our HR department was not too supportive to take some _______ . So we could only hire him as a(an) _______ contractor (合同工).

The candidate _______ and surely blossomed in the workplace. There were many _______ along the way but the candidate came to be ________ by his colleagues and his leadership. I ________ to instruct him closely and helped him to ________ a number of challenges that his disability ________ at the workplace and home. The candidate too ________ many friends and ________ at the workplace. Fast forward five years, he called me last night to let me know that he got a ________ offer yesterday from his manager as a regular employee with a job title. I ________ him and told him my joy knowing no bounds on his success. He went on to say “Sir, without your ________ all these years, I would not be here”. I told him “Your success is the reward of your hard work and ________ . You are an inspiration to a lot of people with ________ disabilities.

7 . Brave daughter Neve, aged seven, and son Billy, five, saved their mum's life after calling 999 to say "mummy's dead". A proud mum was _________ by her young kids after she fell down the stairs and knocked herself out. Neve found her phone and _________ called 999, while anxious Billy who _________ her a blanket as the mum _________ unconscious was saying, "My mummy is dead." Ambulance service chiefs gave a lot of _________ to the children, describing Neve as "very brave".

The mum said she remembered going upstairs at her home that morning, but after that everything went _________ and she estimated she had been black out for half an hour. Neve told the operator, "I need _________ for my mummy. She's not awake." _________, Neve was able to give the ambulance service her full _________, and counted her mum's breaths for the __________.

Rebecca, who is diabetic (糖尿病患者) and has had four __________ on her back in the last two years, said, "I've always __________ them that if anything happens, this is what they have to do. She listened to everything." Neve even had the presence of __________ to call a friend of Rebecca's and a neighbour as the drama __________. "Billy went to get a blanket, he's a very __________ little boy."

The mother said it __________   the value of being prepared, and said paramedics (急救人员) were full of praise for Neve and Billy for their incredible __________ to the crisis. An ambulance service spokeswoman said, "We'd like to say a very big well done to the little girl for her __________ thinking to help her mum! We would encourage parents and __________ to teach their children about 999 using our __________ campaign called Little Lifesaver."

9 . Once we reach the age of 60 or 65, we all look forward to retirement and living a/an ______life. But that is not the plan for David Flucker from Scotland’s Edinburgh, who is 100-year-old. He______works three days a week at the St. Columba’s Hospice Care shop.

David ______ his 100 birthday this June, but went to work the next day______at the shop. David______ four hours traveling roundtrip to the shop, which he does______the weather. David started working in the ______ shop after he was______ with cancer and it took him two weeks to be cared for by the Hospice. He just wanted to pay it forward for the kindness he ______. “It is a ______feeling to be doing something, ” said the ______, who lives in Balgreen, Edinburgh.

“It is two buses and a 20-minute walk to get to the shop, ______two hours. I work three days a week, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, which are the ______days.” The grandfather-of-seven says the shop in Occan Terminal gets a lot of donations such as toys, books, jigsaw puzzles, and he has to ______them all to sce if they’re OK. But what he loves the most is the ______aspect of his work-when people come in just to chat.

On 22 June, when the senior ______100, the store held a window display on his birthday showing a few glimpses of his life. The store______ a post on the official page of the store where David’s workspace ______. The post shows how David has become an/a ______ for many around the world. Shared on Facebook, the post got many likes and______ and left social media users amazed.

10 . I frowned at myself in the dressing-room mirror. I was wearing white tights, a white leotard, and a white swim cap that hid most of my hair. I was one of 10 snowflakes in my dance school's Winter Wonderland show.

“Grandma, I really don't feel like being in the show,” I said. Grandma Lani looked up from what she was sewing. “Why, mo'opuna?” Mo'opuna means “grandchild” in Hawaiian. Grandma Lani has always lived in Hawai'i. “You love to dance.” I used to love to dance. Then Ms. Tuttle gave the part of the Snow Queen to Christine Abrams. Christine got to wear a blue leotard and a feathery skirt that drifted out like a cloud every time she twirled. And she got to do a dance onstage all by herself. The snowflakes just had to run and spin to look like a snowstorm. I sighed. “I don't like our dance. And no one would notice if I wasn't there. There are so many of us.” “I would notice. So would your parents.”

As Christine walked toward us, Grandma paused and smiled at her. “What a beautiful costume!” Christine glided away, her skirt waving behind her. I hung my head. Grandma took my hand. “What's bothering my Avery?” “And you won't be able to tell me apart from the other snowflakes,” I whispered.

Grandma was about to speak. Then something outside the window caught her eye. She grabbed my hand and my coat and pulled me out of the dressing room and through the doors to the outside. It was snowing. Grandma held her breath and I suddenly thought of something. “Grandma, have you ever seen snow before?” “No, mo'opuna. In Hawaii, it snows only on the very tops of mountains.”

I had seen snow lots of times, but now I tried to see it differently. Like it was new. I saw snowflakes twisting through the air in different directions, sparkling and shining at us. So many snowflakes coming together to create something magical. “Aloha,” Grandma whispered to the sky. Aloha can mean many things, including “love,” “hello,” and “good-bye.” “I don't know when I'll see something like that again.” “I do,” I said. I took Grandma Lani's hand and pulled her back inside.

When the stage lights came up and the music started, I spun and ran with all of the other snowflakes. I didn't care if Grandma Lani could see me. I was helping her see a snowstorm.