1 . When I was a boy growing up, we had a potato garden half the size of a football field. I remember planting it was a family _________. First Dad would use a push tool to _________ the earth. Then Mom would go down the rows, _________ dropping seed (种子) potatoes into the freshly turned earth. Next it would be my _________ — dropping some fertilizer (化肥) in between each of the potatoes. Lastly, my brothers would push earth back over the potatoes to let them _________ all summer.

In fall, when we were digging out the potatoes, I would be _________ to find how much the potatoes had grown. They would fill one bag after another and would _________ us all the year through.

With so many potatoes to cook, Mom and Nana had to be _________. Mom would make mashed (捣碎的) potatoes one day and then use the leftover potatoes to _________ potato cakes the next. Nana would cook them __________ on Sundays for a long time in her red soup to serve with noodles and meat balls. She would also cook them in the cooker with chicken, __________ with other food materials.

Years later, my daughter tried to recreate Nana’s chicken and potatoes just this last Sunday evening. When it was cooking, the smells were __________ and when I tasted it, I was filled with loving __________ from my childhood. The happiest part of it all, though, wasn’t those old memories but creating a(n) __________ one with my daughter and sons. What a pleasant and loving __________ my daughter prepared!

2 . “Mom.” Eric pulled gently at his mom’s sleeve. Eric’s mom turned to Eric briefly, showing him a hand gesture to wait before pointing at her work phone. Eric knew he’d be _______ a long time once his mom started talking to her colleagues.

He returned to the living room. Dad was also _______ on his phone now! Eric curled up on the couch. It was nearly time to go to the playground. He didn’t want to wait any longer.

Finally, Erie’s dad sat beside him on the couch. “I’m _______, but we can always go tomorrow.”

“But you always say that, and it never _______!” Eric jumped off the couch.

“We’ll make it up to you this weekend.” Mom entered the room and put a hand on his shoulder. “Santa will visit the mall to collect _______ from all the kids. Would you like to go to see him?”

Eric spent the next few days working on his letter to Santa. On Saturday morning, he woke up _______ to go to the mall and see Santa. He entered the kitchen, where he _______ to find his parents, but instead, Grandma Annie was there.

Grandma smiled at him. “Your mom and dad had to work today, so they asked me to _______ you. I hear we will deliver your letter to Santa at the _______!”

“No, I don’t want to go anymore.” Eric turned away.

Late that evening, Erie’s parents came home. Grandma Annie said to them, “I know you both have to work very hard, but it’s important to make ________ for your children.”

Eric’s mom and dad looked at each other, feeling ________.

After Grandma Annie ________, Eric’s mom and dad went to his room. Eric was already asleep, with tear marks on his soft cheeks. His mom ________ a letter to Santa in his hand.

They ________ out the paper. There was only one item on Eric’s wish list, and it brought them to ________. “Dear Santa, can you give my mom and dad a lot of money so they can spend more time with me instead of working all the time. I miss them so much.”

3 . In China, there are a lot of traditional festivals like Spring Festival, Mid-Autumn Day and Tomb-Sweeping Day. Mid-Autumn Day is very popular._________ that day, Chinese people usually get together and_________moon cakes. The moon cakes are round_________usually have some meat or nuts in it. They also eat nice food and drink some juice. After that, they often_________TV. Today is Mid-Autumn Day. In my family, my father is_________his car, he will drive to work tomorrow. He loves his_________very much. My mother is looking at the moon, and_________me a story of Chang’e. She likes the big moon. My sister Lingling is_________her American friend Jenny. Jenny is 14 years old, too. She is now in New York in_________with her parents. She is telling__________what she is doing on Mid-Autumn Day. We all love our Mid-Autumn Day.

4 . I made bread yesterday because I was missing my mom. As I poured over the oil, I _______ the time Mom taught me to make bread.

I was about sixteen and I asked her for a _______ for her bread. She told me she didn’t have one but she would guide me through the _______.

So I went through the process under her _______ eyes. When the water had _______, I mixed those and started adding flour, putting the dry masses into the mixture. I kept adding _______ until I couldn’t stir in anymore. Mom watched and checked from time to time to _______ the movement or to feel the shape and thickness, encouraging me to _______ it too.

As the right standard was reached, I _______ the entire mass and put it in the bowl to rise. I gave it a good pat with my hand.

Mom looked at me ________ and asked, “Why did you do that?”

I shrugged and said smilingly, “Because you always do it. Why do you do it?”

________ to a friend yesterday afternoon she suggested getting a bread maker. My answer was a swift NO! The joy is ________ the process. For me, it slows down my ________ and the process is calming in the movements.

My small batch(一团生面) produced six loaves. There was satisfaction knowing they came from my own hands—and ________ in knowing that I had extra loaves to ________ with family and friends.

5 . When I was growing up, my family was so poor that when I was 7, we had borrowed from every _________ person in my hometown, sold our valuables, and so on, just to _________ as my parents were both _________. When my dad finally got hold of a job as a janitor, my mother started working as well. Finally after we had gotten on our _________ and were comfortably living, she became a stay-at-home mom. At the time our total _________ for my parents and my brother and I, was roughly 23K a year.

That’s not enough to have a maid _________ you lobster in the halls of a big house. But it is _________ to see a loving parent present you with a home-cooked meal and nothing but _________ in their hearts. Now, as I get _________ to turn 18 in late August, I have a father and a brother. I wondered to myself why I didn’t ____________ as many of my friends did with depression or ____________ thoughts, and so on. It wasn’t because I found a religion, or because I started getting ____________.

I was given a ____________. Not only that, but I was given parents who loved me ____________ and would give anything for my ____________. I knew that when I went home and closed the door behind me, my dad was in his room ____________ (working the graveyard shift is a pain), and my mom was making sure I came home to a meal, a smile, and open ____________.

Parents. Love your children. ____________ for them. Let them know that their problems are your problems and that you ____________ them no matter what will happen. Children. Love your parents, help them and most of all, ____________ them. If you’re reading this, that probably means in less than a decade you won’t come home from school every day to see their smiling faces or loving embrace.

6 . 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.

7 . 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.

8 . It snowed heavily. Five year-old Sean, who ________ went to kindergarten, was staying in the house playing home policeman.

This time, the playful and ________ boy was interested in his brother Felix, who ________ to studying no matter where he was. Sean ________ looked inside his brother’s room from the door, and shouted toward the ________ where Mom was working, “Mom, Felix isn't studying. He’s just watching a funny video.” Sean was ________ smiling at his brother.

Felix was ________ because his little brother was ________ him. Right then, Mom asked ________ from the kitchen, “What are you doing, Felix?” “I’m watching a lecture video for my science class.” Felix ________ against Sean s accusation and ________ his tongue out at his little brother.

“All right. I’m sure you’re doing your work.”Mom ________, and then sharply added a question. “Sean, what are you doing?” Sean’s face immediately became ________, and he said, “________. ” “Come here, honey, and you can help me.” Sean ran to the kitchen right away. “What can I do for you, Mom?” His voice was high, and Felix could sense that his brother was excited.

Felix was pleased to________ the policeman, and now he could concentrate on the lesson.

9 . Joe and Della were a new couple. They were both interested in art--one in painting, the other in music. They lived in a small flat. They loved each other and they were happy.

But one day they found that they had spent all their money. One afternoon Della told Joe that she had found a _________ and was to give her three music lessons a week. For that she could get fifteen dollars a week. But Joe was not _________ because he didn’t want to stay at home, playing with his art while Della was at work. He wanted to earn some money too.

Every day they parted in the morning and _________ in the evening.

A week _________ , Della brought home fifteen dollars, but she looked a little _________. Joe took eighteen dollars out of his pocket. They were both _________ to have so much money at hand.

The next week, Joe _________ home another eighteen dollars but Della came home with her right hand in a bandage (绷带). Joe asked Della what was the _________. Della said, “It was because of an iron-- I mean a plate of soup spilled on my _________.”

“What do you do every day, Della? Do you __________ give music lessons?” Joe asked. “Tell me the __________!”

Della cried. She told Joe that she was working in a laundry (洗衣店), __________ shirts. A girl accidentally __________ an iron on her hand and she got a __________ burn. But Della asked Joe how he had guessed that she wasn’t giving music lessons.

Joe told Della that he worked in the engine-room of the same laundry where she worked. They both let out their __________ and laughed.

10 . “I am leaving home.” When Timmy, my 10-year-old son eagerly announced that he couldn’t wait to ______ , the feeling of guilt peaked as I tried to figure out the ______ “So, I can get a dog.” he stressed.

But I stayed ______ we didn’t need a dog to complete our life—and he gave up. Until the day I overheard Tim my, with his brother, discussing his moving plan. Suddenly, the situation ______ gain a dog or ______ a child? I felt my resolve ______ “We can look into it,” I replied doubtfully, but the kind we wanted cost a ridiculous $1000! Yes, love had a price. I ______ for thought again.

I shared my _____   with my friend whose love for dogs was quite sensible. He connected me to his pet keeper friend who got a pregnant dog and the baby dogs were due soon. A few days later, we took a surprise trip to the countryside when the little dogs were born. I would admit that all my previous ______ reappeared after watching a group of blind things, but it was too late. Among screams of ______ we chose one of the little dogs as ours.

We attempt to ______ our kids in a healthy way—I didn’t realize the added dimension of love and ______ that a dog would teach my kids. On a hot day, Timmy cut short his outing to check if Odie, the dog, had enough water. When Odie was sick, my elder son made fresh soup and ______ fed it to him.

My children no longer talk about leaving home ______ there is the troublesome issue of who will take the dog. They quietly learn how to give and receive love. If having a dog means linking my children even closer together, it will be a mother’s prayer ______