1 . Family meetings help your relationship with your teenagers

One good way to build cooperation among everyone in a family is to have a regular family meeting. Getting into the habit of family meetings takes time. Making the meetings work takes effort    1    

Meet at a regular time. A regular time might be once a week. Plan to have the meeting last from twenty minutes to an hour.

Make a list of topics. Some people call this list of topics an agenda. Post it on the refrigerator. Then people can add to it during the days before the meeting    2    

    3    The leader reads the meeting list and keeps things on track. Still, letting each person in the family have a chance to lead is important. Younger children will need help to do this.

Take notes. Write down the agreements and plans made in the meeting. These written notes are the minutes. Take turns doing the job of note-taking    4    Some families put them on the refrigerator near the next meeting’s agenda. Ask teens and older children to read the notes to younger children who don’t read yet.

Do what you agree to do. Stick to agreements until the next meeting. If people want to change the agreements, they can do it then. Children, teenagers and parents are expected to do what agree to do,

Take time for fun.   Meetings are a good way to solve problems    5     To add fun to meetings, talk about good things. Thank each person for some help given during the week. Ask each person to do the same. Ask people to talk about what is good for them right now, This sets a positive tone. It also teaches your children to encourage other people and themselves.

2 . Friday night meant a family dinner for me at home. There would be discussions and laughter. Even so, I______those moments.

Preparations for the dinner would begin______that day. As both my parents worked, sometimes I would be given instructions to______the chicken in the oven (烤箱) after school. I would repeat the______process like a cooking machine. The only______was my mother’s chicken soup. Once the dinner was cooking, the table would be_______ . A white lace cloth, the good china, napkins. Though I failed to see any______, I had to light the candles with my mom.

Years later, my father passed away, and then my mother insisted on going to live in a care home. I seemed to be totally______from the boring tradition, but I didn’t feel______ . I missed the chicken soup. Although I have her recipe, I’ve never actually______the soup myself. I missed the warm-lighted candles. Standing together, we’d make______with our hands around the lit candles, bringing the light into our hearts.

That’s why I accepted______when my husband advised to______the tradition “I can help with the soup.” If there’s one thing I’ve______, these family traditions are really worth cherishing before they______, from the chicken soup recipes to lighting candles.

The family walked out into the night feeling very     1     (sleep) after being woken by an alarm clock at 2 a. m. We took our chairs     2     were set out on the driveway facing northeast. Leaning (倚靠) back, we allowed our eyes to adjust (适应) to the stars covering the sky.

The Perseid meteor shower (流星雨), one of the greatest shows on earth     3     (be) in progress. We kept our voices very low so as not to disturb the     4     (silent), but every few minutes someone would cry out, “Ohhhh... there’s another one!” or “Did you see that one?”

We felt lucky to have such     5       front row seat to the sight of so many shooting stars with each affording the opportunity     6     (make) a wish.

In a soft voice I whispered to Elise, my 8-year-old great-niece: “     7     you are older and perhaps a mother yourself, and you are watching the shooting stars with your children, think of your loved ones looking down from the heavens,     8     (smile) and sending wave of light. ”

We’ve been hosting and will continue to host visiting family     9     (member) for the next few weeks. As the meteor shower     10     (slow) disappears, we will keep the star-seats ready. Who knows who might want to say hello?