3 . Compared with Mother’s Day, Father’s Day is a fairly new celebration in the British calendar. In reality, Father’s Day was first celebrated by Americans, inspired by the actions of a man named William Smart, a veteran of the US Civil War, whose wife _________ away giving birth to their sixth child. He raised six children alone without remarrying, which was undoubtedly _________ back in those days.

His daughter, Sonora Dodd, _________when she was an adult what her father had sacrificed for his children. It was in the early 1900s and she was actually _________ one day, listening to a sermon on _______. She thought there should also be a Father’s Day celebration.

And so the _________ was born, on the third Sunday every June, close to the anniversary of Sonora’s father’s death. Britain took the idea of Father’s Day from the American celebration and it has been celebrated _________ since the 1970s.

Father’s Day is never quite such a big commercial event as Mother’s Day is, probably because it hasn’t been in _________ for so long. But what do British people do for Father’s Day? Well, most people would buy their fathers a card. The card would probably have nice message in it _________ what a great Dad their father is. Some people do buy presents as well.

__________ gifts for Dads are probably ties, chocolates or socks because there are things that Dads can __________ use even if they don’t want them. In the run-up to Father’s Day, or indeed Mother’s Day, there will be advertisements on TV giving __________ideas of CDs or gadgets we can buy. Card shops will be full of mugs or pens and similar goods with “World’s Greatest Dad”__________on them.

Some families __________ do things together to celebrate Father’s Day like going for a meal. As a special treat, British people might give their Dad a bit of a rest, __________ him a cup of tea, or even wash his car and mow the lawn to make him feel really appreciate.

4 . Today was Mother’s Day. The young woman was feeling a little ______ because she was 800 miles away from her parents.

In the morning she called her mother to ______ her a happy Mother’s Day and her mother told her about the beautiful lilacs (丁香花) in their garden.

Later that day, she told her husband how she ______ those lilacs in her parents’ garden. “I know where we can find some,” he said. “Get the ______ and come on.” So off they went, ______ down the country roads. There on a small hill were a lot of colorful lilacs. The young woman ______ over and buried her face in the flowers, ______ and enjoying them. Carefully she ______ a few and went back to the car.

On the way home the woman held her flowers, ______ all the way. When they were passing a ______, the young woman saw an old granny sitting alone in a wheelchair at the gate.“______!” she said to her husband. Getting off the car, she quickly walked up to the granny and put the ______ in her hands. As their car pulled away, the old granny ______ with a smile and held the lilacs tightly (紧紧地).

When the young mother sat back to the car, her kids asked her ______, “Who is that old granny? Why did you give her ______ flowers?” “I don’t know her. It is Mother’s Day, and she seems so ______ while I have all of you. I believe those flowers ______ much to her.” The kids nodded with ______, looking rather happy.

Now, every Mother’s Day my kids will go to that small ______ and pick some lilacs for me and that old granny. I’m glad that my small act of ______ has a good effect on my kids.

5 . I’d never been to a Day of the Dead festival before. As my dad and I looked around for seats, I _______ Marco, my best friend, hurrying toward us. “Hi, Mr. O’kane,” he _______ my dad. Then he turned to me. “Nate! Will you help me?"

“Whatever you need,” I said.

Marco threw me parts of a _______ : Mexican sandals（凉鞋）, a straw hat, a cane(手杖), a gray wig, and an“ old man” mask（面具）. “My cousin couldn’t_______ !” Marco’s voice rang with worry.

“It’s part of a traditional dance” he said.

“You expect me to dance? ” I _______ . “I don’t dance!”

Marco smiled. “It’ll be fun. And hurry! We’re _______ late.”

“ We’re going to do a lot of stomping(跺脚). Slow at first. Keep one hand _______ on your back, like an old man with an ache.” added Marco.

The speakers _______ : “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for The Dance of the Little Old Men!”

“Be quick,” Marco _______ to me to follow his lead.

We all began stomping slowly to music. I could only see ________ the small holes of the mask. I continued to stomp, trying to ________ what to do. I leaned on my cane and kept a hand low on my back. After a few minutes of dancing like that, my back ________ started to ache.

The music ________ . And we stomped quickly. Performing with Mexican sandals was ________ . People laughed as we hopped and kicked, but after a moment the laughter turned into cheers.

Marco gave me a thumbs-up. As the audience clapped for our group, I said to him happily, “You were right. That was ________ .”

6 . Once a year in the town of Wuzhen all the tourists can be audience members.

Picture an entire town turned into one grand immersive （沉浸式）_______: huge marionettes walking through a narrow, flagstone -paved lane, mother and daughter sitting _______ in a " paper boat that _______ along a river, young couples whispering under a night sky _______ up by bloomed kites.

No matter where you go in the town of Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, during its_______ theater festival you are likely to_______ performances --- and some in the unlikeliest of places, such as at the _______of an otherwise quiet square, under the roofs of a moss-carpeted dock, and even on rowing boats.

Even tourists_______of the festival will find themselves_______in plays, dance and music, everybody being ________ to wander the 1,300-year-old town's alleys, riverbanks and theater venues.

They can, for example, step into the “home” of the Italian director Eugenio Barba as he throws a "dinner party”. "This is a very________way of thinking theater, that the audience are my ________ to share a dinner, and food are sounds, ________ , words, poetry,” said Barba pleasingly, founder of the Odin Teatret of Denmark.

But those who wanted to watch The Tree were________to hand in their phones before performances. When the show began they sat ________ one another quietly, professionals and ________ alike, not knowing what the evening would bring.

What gradually________were various stories with a tree at their center. The performance immersed its audience in an overwhelming auditory（听觉的）and________head trip, or,________one viewer commented on the ________ site Douban, “the best nightmare I have ever had”.

7 . I just marked my first Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in China._______a week after arriving for my graduate studies, I was kind of homesick—memories of past _______ back in Serbia with family and friends exchanging scenes in my mind. On the morning of Friday, September 13rd, the _______ on the campus was very cheerful. Chinese students explained to us the importance of the day as gifts of mooncakes were _______ . Then came the night. The full moon appeared: huge, _______ball high above the campus, and eyes looked at it with _______. Unlike previous nights, a cool breeze swept through the campus.With Serbian music playing on my headphones, I danced my way, _______ in the wind, and forgetting myself for a moment.

As I _______ back into my room, I was fascinated by the festival’s idea. My _______ mind pushed me online where I came across the poem Prelude (前奏) to Water Melody, by the well-known Chinese writer Su Dongpo. This poem concisely(精确地) seized what I was ________ . The message and the tone both resonated (共鸣) with my feelings. Writing to his family, Su wondered what time it was back at home. ________ the time differences between China and Serbia, I was constantly trying to ________ what time it was back at home.

Eventually, Su asked his family to join him in ________ the timeless perfection of a full moon in a ________ night.What a way to finish! I, too, was hoping that all was well with my family. Despite the distance and ________ that comes with not seeing or hearing from a loved one, we were all flourishing (繁盛的) under the watch of the ________ moon.

And while we may go away from home, as happens from time to time; the family remains the most important ________ to our productive existence. As the Chinese used the holiday to ________ with the loved ones, the Serbian community also got together, shared a meal and walked on the streets under the neon (霓虹灯) lights.

As I write this, a day after the Festival, I cannot help but look forward to the next. Thank my Chinese friends, whose________ made me and a crowd of other foreign students experience an ________Mid-Autumn Festival.

8 . Geraniums of Love

As the fifth of seven children, I went to the same public school as my three elder sisters and brother. Every year, my mother went to the same ceremony and had parent-child interviews（亲子交流会）with the same teachers. The only thing different was the child. And every child _______ an old

Third grade was the first time that I was allowed to take part in the plant sale. I wanted to surprise my mother. _______, I didn't have any money. I went to my eldest sister and _______ the secret, and she gave me some money. When I arrived at the plant sale, I carefully made my _______. I agonized（苦苦思索）over that decision, _______ each plant to ensure that I had indeed found the best geranium. The moment I had smuggled it home, with the help of my sister, I _______ it on the upstairs neighbor’s porch. I was very afraid my mother would find it before Mother's Day, but my sister assured me that she wouldn't, and _______ she did not.

When Mother's Day arrived, I was bursting with pride when I gave her that geranium. I remember how bright her eyes were, and how delighted she was with my _______.

The year I was fifteen, my younger sister reached third grade. In early May, she came to me full of wonder and secrecy and told me that there was going to be a plant sale at school and she wanted to __________ our mother. Like my __________ sister did for me, I gave her some money and off she went. She arrived at home full of __________ excitement, the geranium hidden in a paper bag __________ her sweater. “I looked at every plant,” she explained, “and I know I got the __________ one!”

I helped my little __________ hide that geranium on the upstairs neighbor's porch, assuring that our mother wouldn't find it before Mother's Day. I was there when she gave my mother the geranium, and I watched them both bursting with pride and __________. It was like being in a dream I had already dreamed. My mother noticed me __________, and she gave me a soft secret smile. Shocked and puzzled, I __________ back. I had been wondering how my mother could __________ to be surprised at this gift from her sixth child. But as I watched her eyes light up with delight as she was __________   with that most precious gift, I knew she was not pretending.

9 . My tenth Christmas was one I was not looking forward to. Money was tight. Mom said we were old enough not to have __________. Just being together would be enough.

We weren’t the only family in our small community who would have a __________ Christmas. But knowing that others were going through the same thing didn’t __________ much.

One night we had a small pity party for each other.

“How can I even wear that same old dress one more time?” I __________.

“I know,” said my sister. “I think I might as well give up asking for a __________.”

The next day, Mom told us that she had been saving up and shopping around so that we could give the Walters family a Christmas basket.

“If anyone needs some __________, it’s the Walters.” Mom said.

The Walters! They were the strangest people we knew. How could Mom be so __________ with them when our own family didn’t have enough?

Mom was determined. She packed flour and sugar, a small turkey, some fruits in a basket and asked us to __________ it to the Walters.

I really didn’t like to have anything to do with them. Not wanting to be __________, we left the basket on the doorstep and hid behind a nearby bush.

Seeing the Waiters gather up the basket, I asked my sister in whisper, “Did they look happy?”

“Well, yeah, happy, but mostly they looked like they were thinking: Maybe we do belong.”

Christmas morning arrived. To my great __________, I received a beautiful dress. I couldn’t believe it’s for me, I was about to __________ when we noticed Dad ride up on a new horse. My sister screamed and ran out. She couldn’t __________ to meet her “gift”.

“Mom, how did you do all this?” I asked. “We were __________ for a no-present Christmas.”

“Oh, not necessarily trading but just helping each other. Mrs. Olsen at the dress shop let me bring your gift home. Dad offered to __________ up Mrs, Marshall’s tree lights. Mr. Jones had a horse and he was __________ to know we had someone to love it.”

“I thought since you were giving away food to the Walters, we would never have enough. They really don’t have anything to give in __________.”

“We are like a big family. Never __________ who can or who can’t give. The most important is that we should listen to our hearts. Perhaps the right gifts will end up with the right families.”

Mom always knew __________. Thinking about the expression on the Walters’s faces when they discovered the Christmas basket, I realized their “__________” feeling was more precious than any of the gifts.

That was the Christmas that I learned about the magic of __________.

10 . America is a fast-paced society, which may seem very troubling to foreign visitors. One’s first _____ is likely to be that everyone is in a rush. City people always seem to be ______ and are very impatient if they are delayed even for a brief moment.

______, this may seem unfriendly to you. _____, drivers will rush you; storekeepers will be in a hurry as they _____ you; people will push you _____ walking along the street. You will ____ brief conversations with people when you shop or dine there as people seem to be on the go.

Do not ____ that because Americans are in such a hurry they are ______. To them, that is just part of their _____ of life. Americans who live in cities often think that everyone is _____ in a hurry to get things done so they naturally ____ others to behave similarly. _____, when they discover that you are a stranger, most Americans become quite kind and will take great _____ to help you. Many of them first came to the city _____ strangers and they remember how frightening a new city can be. If you need help, _____ a friendly-looking person and say, “I am a stranger here. Can you help me?”

Most people will stop, ____ you, and help you find your way. But you must let them know that you need help. Otherwise they are _____ to pass you by, not noticing that you are new the city and ____ help. If, occasionally, you find someone too rushed to give you help, don’t be _____; just ask someone else. Most Americans enjoy helping a stranger.