A study of 207 Victorian children found household (家庭的)     1     (task) like making meals and caring for plants are connected with better planning and problem-solving ability. The lead researcher Deanna Tepper said the study’s results suggest children could benefit greatly     2     doing chores.

The study    3     (conduct) in 2020. Collected from children aged 5 to 13, the results show 86 percent of the kids put their dirty clothes in a basket and clean up after playing, but only 59 percent make their own bed.     4     (old) children are more likely to do chores than younger ones.

“Parents may be able to use some chores     5     (encourage) the development of executive (执行的) ability,” Ms. Tepper said. “Doing more jobs around the house may help kids achieve    6     (excellent) at school. Children who have a habit of     7     (cook) family meals may be more likely to do other things very well.”

Ms. Tepper said making a meal was linked to better working memory and the ability to think before acting. “    8     (typical), these skills begin to develop in early childhood,” Ms. Tepper said. “Delays (延迟) in the development of executive functioning can lead to difficulty in planning and problem-solving as adults,     9     may have harmful effects later in life on their reading performance and mathematical ability. Therefore,     10     is helpful to get kids to do chores.”

2 . Making a family

For years, Dad had avoided getting a dog. Whenever the _________ came up, Dad complained, “Dogs are a pain. I don’t want to be _________.”   Despite his strong opposition, Mom brought home a puppy named Chip, a cute ball that _________ us all.

For me, at age thirteen, Chip brought out my _________ side. I fed, brushed and walked him every day. I also learned that when we take care of what is important to us, we _________ the benefits. And this _________ stayed with me as I grew. At that time, Chip meant a loyal (忠诚的) companion, someone to _________ me at the door when I returned, and someone to kiss my face when I was sad.

Chip even _________ Dad. It was nearly a month before Chip’s _________ personality won him over. Dad was the first to __________ him to sit on the sofa. He even made chew toys for Chip to play with.

Most __________, Chip brought us together as a family. After dinner, instead of escaping to our bedrooms as before, we all __________ Chip into the family room. We’d teach him new __________ or perfect his old ones. We’d recall stories of the cute things he’d done that day. The key is that we’d do this together.

People sometimes complain that dog lovers are __________ humanity; rather, their pets stimulate the __________ of their humanity.