My uncle worked hard in the day time. In his free time, he went on studying the     1    (character) of those plants. He is said to have placed some samples in his bedroom. Just at that time he began to think about how they     2     (evolve) from their ancestors. Although no income     3     (generate) from his study, he was crazy about it. He often used some primitive methods to carry out his experiments,     4     (detect) how the seeds grew into some tall plants. There was a time when the number of those plants was on     5     decline. He managed to find out the reason and came up with a new way to solve the problem. Later, he achieved a lot in this field. Many people had suspected him     6     his talent, but he succeeded!

3 . One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift. Unlike other gifts, it came without wrap (包装).

On September 11th, 1958, Mum gave birth to Richard. After she brought him home from hospital, she put him in my lap, saying, “I promised you a gift, and here it is.” What an honour! I turned four a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own. I played with it day and night. I sang to it. I told it stories. I told it over and over how much I loved it!

One morning, however, I found its bed empty. My doll was gone! I cried for it.Mum wept and told me that the poor little thing had been sent to a hospital. It had a fever. For several days, I heard Mum and Dad whispering such words as “hopeless”, “pitiful”, and “dying”, which sounded ominous.

Christmas was coming. “Don’t expect any presents this year,” Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living room.“If your baby brother lives, that’ll be Christmas enough.” As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears. I’d never seen him cry before.

The phone rang early on Christmas morning. Dad jumped out of bed to answer it. From my bedroom I heard him say, “What? He’s all right?” He hung up and shouted upstairs. “The hospital said we can bring Richard home!”

“Thank God!” I heard Mum cry.

From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car. I had never seen them so happy. And I was also full of joy. What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home. I ran downstairs. My socks still hung there flat. But I knew they were not empty; they were filled with love!

My father and I haven’t met for a few days.     1    is because the horrible COVID-19    2    (break) out that we can see each other only through phone video calls. Although my father is not a soldier, he is a “warrior”    3    (dress) in white in the war for the virus. My father told me the ward is his battlefield, and that he is duty-bound to fight    4    the virus and protect as many    5    (patient) as possible.

Today I    6    (chat) with my father again    7    (wear) a blue medical cap and a pair of transparent    8    (protect) glasses. His nose and mouth were covered by thick white mist. I could only see his eyes through glasses. The eyes were full of love, tears,     9    (strong), power and courage. I know he was in a dangerous situation,     10    his eyes seemed like they were saying “I’m fine”.