Word came that the annual school sports meet would take place next Friday through Saturday. At the exciting news, the whole class burst into cheers. Without any hesitation, we set about making     1     (arrange) for the grand gala for us students.

With the sports meet approaching, we could hardly concentrate on our daily routine. Every day, we spent much of our spare time     2     (talk) about the weather for fear that the sports meet might be postponed again. Then finally came the big day, when the sports meet was held as     3     (schedule). The sports meet was pretty impressive. One of the highlights     4     (be) the parade before the start of the race. Students were marching past the podium with slogans high up in their hands, while spectators were screaming    5    (crazy). Shortly after the parade was over, the race started. Well known for running in junior high school, I     6     (recommend) to enter for the 3000-meter running race, representing my class.

Time was ticking away. Before I knew it, it was my turn to step onto the track. But all of     7    sudden, I felt a bit panicky. As I hadn’t received any training recently, I puffed and panted halfway. I was about     8     (quit) when my classmates cheered me on all the way. Anyway, I made it to the finishing line. Unable to earn a single point for my class, I was     9    low spirits. However, my friends came over and encouraged me to cheer up. It was their encouragement    10    helped heal the pain of failure.

Now two weeks have passed, but the memory still stay fresh in my mind. Disappointed as I am, I never regret taking part in the race. After all, being part of the sports meet is what I really care about.

Our school, Chairo Technical School in Australia, has a strong service idea that covers two of     1    (we) core values, namely “life-long learning” and “life-long serving”. All the students are encouraged to become     2    (active) involved in these programs and many opportunities exist at all the     3    (level) through the country.

Teams of teachers and students from the school     4    (send) to every part across the whole country and other countries regularly to participate     5     different programs, including a regular English teaching tour of our sister school in China. As a school we are always seeking different service opportunities,     6     will encourage our students to devote their time and efforts to     7    (assist) those more needy than themselves.

As     8     matter of fact, many programs     9    (aim) at helping the needy and elderly within our local communities also occur throughout each year, including an annual activity, Service Week. While these programs do assist those in need, it is also exciting to see the    10    (person) growth that occurs among our participating students. The real-life experiences strengthen our teamwork effectively in order to better serve the society for life.

In a tiny school on the southern-most tip of New Zealand, children as young as five     1     (participate) in a rat catching competition recently. Each child was given their own trap, made out of     2     (recycle) billboards. They have been trapping at neighbours’ houses, in their sheds, and in their back yards over the past three months. They’re really into the competition. Their end goal is     3     (enable) bird species to recover.

Last month, students at an elementary school, with the help of their art teacher,     1     (create) a telephone hotline that people can call to get cheerful advice from kids during difficult times. The hotline was available     2     English and Spanish. It offered the happy voices of children of different ages     3     (share) positive messages. For example, by pressing 3, you can hear a group of kindergartners saying together: “You can do it! Keep trying, and don’t give up!”

One day, when I arrived at school, I found some of my classmates     1    (stand) outside the classroom. With windows     2    (break), the classroom looked terrible. No one could tell me anything, and no one could enter the room. A few minutes later, the teacher entered the classroom,     3    (follow) some students. “Nothing serious. Our monitor lost the key and someone broke the window,” said the teacher. All the students     4    (seat), I noticed the teacher     5    (hold) a pot of flowers in her hands. “Let’s begin our class! Beautiful, right? If     6    (give) more water and care, the flowers may seem     7    (become) fresher and more beautiful. So it is with your study.     8    (pay) more attention to it, you’ll gain more in your life and study.” We felt encouraged by the teacher’s     9    (inspire) words and returned to our seats and decided     10    (work) hard!

Twenty-one students from Changchun No.150 Middle School in Jilin Province, China, spent 129 days     1     (create) a relief painting on the wall of the school’s art classroom. Inspired by Wang Ximeng’s famous painting “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains”, the students completed it under the guidance of their teacher Duan Yingzi.

According to the teacher, this painting, which measures nearly 3.5 meters in height and 11 meters in total length,     2     (be) part of the school’s special subjects. The process of creation includes drawing an outline (轮廓) , applying base colors,     3     then painting the final artwork. Most of the students involved in the creation had no painting experience.     4     (make) the process easier for the students, Duan outlined the basic shapes and the students added the     5     (detail). The most challenging part was the process of color mixing, which took from two months     6     three months to perfect.     7     there were slight differences in color compared to the original painting, the students were still very pleased with the final result.

The teacher explained that recreating the artwork allows the students to     8     (true) appreciate the charm of the original painting. In the past, students could only see     9     painting in books. By recreating it, she believes that students can gain a     10     (deep) understanding of the ancient Chinese artist’s wisdom.

A school festival is an exciting event     1     brings together students, teachers and the wider community in a celebration of talent, creativity and unity. The school grounds are changed     2     a centre of colorful decorations, lively music and a wide range of     3     (activity). Students show their skills and passions through various performances. Booths and stalls(摊位) are set up to offer games,food and crafts, creating an atmosphere of fun and enjoyment. The festival serves as an opportunity for students to express     4     (they), learn new things, and build connections.

Social Media Detox (脱瘾)

Today marks the last day of the Social Media Detox, which is     1     fundraising campaign for new sports equipment. At first, over 100 students     2     (persuade) to stop     3     (use) social media, in ANY form, for seven days. Now, with the detox     4     (finish), they’ve switched on their devices and they are back online. In the campaign, some students, who found the detox was difficult to tolerate threw in the towel halfway, while others managed the whole week. Faced with the challenge, they found new     5     (way) to communicate with each other. And now they believe even if social media aren’t     6     (access), they still can enjoy a colourful life.

In my opinion,     7     has been raised through the detox is not only money, but also the     8     (aware) of how much we rely     9     social media. Now it’s time for us     10     (step) away from it and live a more meaningful life.