1 . Three mornings a week, Iona walks six blocks from Eastern High School to Payne Elementary School. She ________ at the front desk just after 8: 30 a. m. and makes her way to a ________ , where she’ll be teaching second-and third-graders who are full of energy after the school day.

Iona, a senior at Eastern High, ________ this work back in the ninth grade. It’s run by Reach, a Washington D. C. nonprofit, which trains high school ________ like her to be reading tutors (教师) for elementary school students. It’s a tutoring program that works in two ________ . It’s serving a(n) ________ need in the city: Two-thirds of students in D. C. public schools can’t ________ and write at grade level when they start high school. Reach ________ these older students to become ________ readers by giving them the tools to teach younger kids.

Tutoring programs that ________ younger and older students are ________ . But most rely on ________ students. Reach turns the ________ on its head: Most of the teenage tutors start the ________ reading between the fourth-and sixth-grade level... The tutors ________ training in literacy (读写能力) instruction and they’re ________ as role models. With Reach, teens are given the ________ of helping a younger student. That’s a big ________ for them.

Iona says she ________ reading a lot more than she did when she started almost four years ago. She hasn’t decided on her future plans, but she does ________ one thing: She wants to work with kids.

2 . Time for girls to shine

Most of us grew up reading fairy tales that start with “Once upon a time” and end with “the princess and prince lived happily ever after”. They seem to be harmless- even _________, perhaps. But in the eyes of two Italian writers, Favilli and Cavallo, this is what’s been _________ with children’s stories for years.

“Children’s books have always _________ the same since we were children,” Cavallo said. And a study also found while 80 percent of male characters in most popular children’s books have a(n) _________, only 18 percent of female characters do.

So they together wrote a book _________ only female protagonists (主角). Good Night Stories for Rebel (叛逆) Girls is an “anti- princess” book, which gives young girls role models of their own to _________.

The original book was published in December 2019, and the second volume _________ on Feb 28, 2021. Both books contain the stories of 100 extraordinary women from all over the world, and much to the_________ of children’s book writers, every one of them has a job or professional ambition. The “characters”_________ pop singer Beyonce and tennis star Serena Williams.

However, the word “rebel” may make some people feel uncomfortable, since it’s not really seen as __________. But being rebellious is__________ being independent, which many of today’s girls need to develop.

“It is important to __________ — especially if you are a woman or a girl- a rebel attitude, a rebel character, because you have to __________ harder to reach your dream and to get what you want.

And this __________ is made clear, with the book’s first page reading “To all the girls of the world, dream __________, aim higher, fight harder”.

3 . Near my house is a library. As an enthusiastic reader, the idea to be surrounded by books itself is ______. So I volunteered to ______ it, managing books. But never had I realized reading had such ______ until I met an old lady.

One day I was arranging books when I heard a lady ______ something at the information desk, where I went to give ______. She was in her 70s with a beautiful smile.

After communication, I was ______ that she came to take the membership. Without family, she had ______ her house and settled in a nursing home, living off ______ the interest from her savings account. Her love of reading, even at such an age, never ______. Her confidence, whenever she ______ reading, livened her up.

The membership was ______ for her, so I explained the fee. She didn’t hesitate to open her purse and ______ for the amount. Noticing her ______ look, I offered to pay for her but she insisted, “I’ll come and pay tomorrow.” I failed to ______ her. The next day she returned, paid up and got her membership card. When I took her into the world of books, her eyes shone with excitement. She became a regular visitor, one I’d ______ every few days.

Now her cute smile in my mind still reminds me of the magic of reading.

4 . There are always some persons in your life who touch your soft heart with kindness.

As a little girl, my favorite thing was _______. And when I thought about _______ I wanted to be when I grew up, I figured I’d be a librarian, just because the two librarians changed my life.

At that time, the town library limited the number of books a person borrowed _______ two once a week. I _______ the books in just three days. So to read more, I was _______ about what books to choose. The librarian, Mrs. Tonne, was a warm person. Every time I went into the library, she greeted me, _______. When learning about my trouble, she often _______ some better books. Thanks to her help, I _______ a lot from these books.

Gradually, I developed an interest in writing, _______ poems. When I was in fourth grade, our school librarian, Mrs. Ketelsen, encouraged me to write more. When my poem was not accepted, she ________ me with comfortable words. Once she helped ________ some poems I’d written about dinosaurs to Highlights magazine. It was my first published writing!

Later, at the University of Iowa, ________ I majored in journalism, my dream was different. I realized that I was shy about interviewing people, which made me ________. When I recalled Mrs. Tonne and Mrs. Ketelsen, I made a decision without ________ to be devoted to writing. And now I am an editor at Reader’s Digest.

Whenever I think of the help from them, how ________ I am. It is their kindness that makes me what I am.

5 . It was Jennifer Williams’s mother who got her hooked on books. When Williams, now 54, became an elementary school teacher in Danville, Virginia, she wanted her ________ to fall in love with ________ just as she had. But early on, she realized that some kids had ________ access to books.

“At the end of the first day of school, it’s very ________ to teachers which kids are read to and which kids are not,” she said. To Williams, the ________ was simple: Give kids books. In 2017, as part of a charity event called Engage Danville, she ________ 900 used children’s books over three days. “I just ________ to do something that’s going to stretch my faith.” she said.

So she set a new ________ for herself: Donate one million books. It sounds like an ________ number, but as Williams posted on Facebook: “Don’t complain in the bleachers (露天看台) if you aren’t ________ to work hard out on the field.”

So she got to work, first by ________ friends to donate books or money to buy books. Before long, as news of Williams’s project ________, strangers started ________ bundles of books on her front porch. As ________ as the books come in, Williams ________ them to local schools and little free libraries around the city.       By 2021, in the four ________ she’s been doing all this, the Book Lady, as Williams has come to be known, has given away more than 78,000 books—only 922,000 more to ________ her goal! And she’s not ________. It’s too important for kids with few ________.

“Reading can take you anywhere,” she told CNN. “You can travel in time and space. If you can read, there’s nothing you can’t ________.”

6 . The Market for Self-help Books Is booming

Bookshops in China are filled with works offering advice on self-betterment. Topics range from coping with shyness (“How to Make Friends with Strangers in One Minute”)   to succeeding in business (“Financial Management in Seven Minutes”). The title of one recent bestseller urges: “Don't Opt for ________at the Stage of Life that is Meant to be Difficult”. Their popularity and ________reflect the stresses of a society in rapid flux—one in which paths to wealth are opening up in ways barely imaginable a generation ago.________statistics on China's book market are hard to find. But according to a study by Eric Hendriks-Kim, a sociologist at the University of Bonn, self-help books may ________almost one-third of China's printed-book market. In America they make up only 6% of adult non-fiction print sales, reckons NPD Group, a research firm.

Although China's leaders keep stressing the need for China to be ________, seekers of advice on how to succeed often turn to American books for guidance. In China last year the top ten self-help sellers included ________ of several American works, such as “How to Win Friends and Influence People”.

Chinese readers appear more eager for such imports than people in many other countries that are ________closer to America. That may be because both China and America are “hyper-competitive”, argues Mr Hendriks-Kim, who has described this in his book. In the early 2000s a Chinese translation of “Who Moved My Cheese?”, a motivational book by an American, Dr Spencer Johnson, became so popular that a play based on it ________theatres and the Chinese word for cheese acquired a new meaning: one's own self-interest. Books proliferated (激增) in China with cheese in their ________.

China has a long tradition of reading for ________purposes. In 2018, fiction makes up 7% of sales, compared with more than 30% in Germany. “One of the most striking features of China's market for books is its absolute and passionate ________to life,” said a report in 2006 by Arts Council England. The ________education system leaves little time to develop interpersonal skills, so people, desperate for advice on how to sell themselves, turn to self-help books instead.

Perhaps the self-help industry has come full ________. ________, China's 6th-century-BC masterpiece for would-be generals, “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu, was arguably the self-help protolype. Its title has been echoed, consciously or otherwise, in the names of countless other books of the genre. One such is Donald Trump's “The ________ of the Deal”. Its fifth and most recent translation in China was published in 2016.

7 . It was reading test day, and Barbara knew she would fail, again. Why did it take her so much ________ than everyone else? She ________ to go to school. She would rather stay at home.

“________ , Barbara,” said her mum. “I know it’s test day, but just do your best, and don’t feel embarrassed if you don’t get a good ________ . After all, you always ________ on top in the maths tests. Just keep a(n) ________ attitude!”

The next day, Barbara’s mum said they had an ________ with a special reading teacher. Barbara groaned (抱怨). “Just try,” said her mum. “I think you’ll be ________ .”

The teacher was old and looked strict. “We’ll start with a little activity,” she said, and Barbara’s heart ________ . “She means a test,” she thought, “and I’ll ________ as usual. But it is OK!” At first, it was hard, but then it was even fun, and best of all, there were no time ________ and no marks.

After the test, the teacher said, “Well, I think I understand your problem. You have dyslexia (诵读困难)，which means you have ________ with reading because of a slight disorder of your brain. But we can develop ________ to help this! It will be hard, and there is no ________ of success, but I think we can improve your reading speed, that’s the ________ , really. It’s just that you can’t go ________ enough in the tests, isn’t it? Let’s see if we can get you a better outcome, shall we?”

The weeks ________ in a blur (模糊的记忆). At first, the exercises were hard, and Barbara’s head ached. But she persevered and ________ she got faster. And then, it all started to snowball!

In November Barbara got her final report of Grade 4 reading - 71%.

“You did it!” said her mum. “I am so ________ of you.” And Barbara was proud of herself, too.

“Working hard and not quitting do ________ in the end,” she said.

8 . “Bookshops are places to let your imagination fly high, with so many possible ________ to discover,” says Laura Iverson. She is one of the ________ at Darling Reads bookshop in West Yorkshire, England.

For Iverson, the best thing about working in a bookshop is ________ new books to readers. “ ________ beats that smile when they find the perfect book,” she says. ________ , when it comes to choosing the right one, she has some useful tips.

Don't feel you have to ________ a book because your friend likes it," Iverson says. "Stick to your own interests and choose what ________ you. "

She also ________ asking booksellers for suggestions because it could open your ________ to a new book or writer you would never have considered. "Bookshop staff are so ________ and absolutely love talking about books all day. "

Iverson says that one of her ________ books is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. She remembers ________ reading it when she was around 12 years old, and not being able to put it ________ . This is one of the things Iverson loves about reading. "No matter where you are, or what you're doing, you can be ________ into another world, once you a pick up a book that fascinates you, in a matter of ________ . "

9 . It's Wednesday at Lismore South Public School, in northern New South Wales, Australia. A group of eight-year-olds practice _________ with four-legged friend Maggie. Sandy-haired Charlie says he likes her “because she's so calm".

Maggie, too, is eight human-years old and _________ enjoys Story Dogs, which is now in239 Australian schools. Owner, Anne Meagher, says Maggie was rather _________ and good at escaping when she first adopted(领养) her. Now Maggie can stay still and patiently allows readers to _________ books on her stomach.

“It's a simple enough idea, reading to a dog, but somehow the children _________ and find reading easier,” Anne says. “Maggie _________ listens to the children read. She doesn't _________ them or correct them. She's non-judgmental. But the facts show she helps children _________ the process. I haven't had one student in two years who hasn't improved. I think we create a space where they can feel _________ to make mistakes and have a ____________.

“Story Dogs is, ____________,” says Janine Sigley who, with Leah Sheldon, came up with the program, to make reading ____________ for children, so they become confident lifelong readers.

“Schools have reported not only improved reading but also ____________ self-confidence among readers who become more prepared to join in classroom activities,” Janine says. “Story Dogs is helping to build up kids' interest in reading, and once a child ____________ to read, they can have a better ____________ at school.”

10 . I have been reading books for as long as I can remember. I have always loved to read and never thought_________about this hobby—until I heard that some people consider reading to be “nerdy”. When did having a_________for reading become associated with being a so-called nerd（书呆子）? People who_________others for their love of novels just don't understand what bookworms experience when reading stories. They don't_________the feeling of wonder and amazement that comes from these paper pages, the_________roller coaster the stories set us on.

Books are like loyal friends—always_________for the day you decide enough is enough in the real world. You take their hand and_________into a whole other universe with them. Throughout my life, I have managed to get through tough times by disappearing into a book, into the story of another_________. I envelop myself in the conflicts, crazy plot twists and small successes that_________these novels, and I forget about the__________moments in life temporarily. When I finish reading, I often say to myself, "If that character can__________in a situation like that, I can__________make it through this day."

Novels have inspired me and helped lead the way through__________toward the light. I'm just going to keep__________the pages of my life and maybe one day, I'll reach a happy ending that allows me to__________the book and, with a smile on my face, pass it on to the next bookworm to start a brand new story.