1 . Every year, I circle the first day of spring on our calendar. In this way, it won't slip by_______. I'm not sure why _________ the calendar to announce spring's arrival, since it has so little bearing on the matter. Spring comes when it's good and ready; sometimes well before its _________day, sometime well after.

For years, spring in our town was _________ by Leon and Jo Martin, who owned the Dairy Queen. Every year, they would _________ the words “Now Hiring” on their sign. I would walk past to see Leon and Jo Martin _________ for their spring opening. It was as _________ an indication of spring as any calendar, and after the Dairy Queen was sold to an out-of-town outfit who kept it _________ all year round, it threw off our towns' circadian rhythms（昼夜节律）._________, when Johnston's grocery store __________ selling snowplows and starts selling lawn mowers（割草机） that's a pretty good __________ winter's grip（抓紧，把手，柄） has loosened.

But let us suppose Johnston's store ignores its duty and we are left __________ of spring's arrival. We would then have to look and see whether Bill Edd, our town's plumber（水暖工），was wearing coat.__________ the first leaf dries up and falls to the ground in autumn, Bill __________his brown Carhartt coat and doesn't remove it until next spring. I've known Bill since we were very young, so I am well acquainted with his __________.