2025年高考英语一轮复习强化训练 专题14 完形填空

One day, we had a family dinner. While the adults were busy with their serious talk outside, I was left alone in the 1 to help my grandmother wash dishes.2 my grandmother would tell me stories about her childhood.

Born just before WWI, my grandmother3 an entirely different childhood lifestyle from mine. She did not have a chance to go to4 . Like in typical families, where boys were5 much more than girls, my grandma had to stay at home to do6 . The only opportunity(机会)she could seize to7 was when her brother was having Chinese8 with the family tutor. She would sit quietly at the far end of the long dinner table, listening9 . This training taught her to read and write her Chinese upside down一 a skill that has turned out to be quite10 ，especially whenever we share the newspaper. On most weekends, my grandmother, a young girl then，and her brother would go to the11 . There, they would walk through deep water, sit down cross-legged underwater and hold their 12 while they watched all action going on around them. This is something I13 — her ability to open her14 underwater and still sit comfortably on the seabed.

My childhood is quite15 compared with hers. I am16 that I did not need to17 the hardships like she did. I've never faced the problem of18 . I guess our different childhood background is what makes my grandmother such an amazing person to19 to: her stories always make my history textbooks20 .

When I decided to buy a house in Europe ten years ago, I didn't think too long. I liked traveling in France, but when it came to picking my favorite spot to 1 , Italy was the clear winner. 

During my first visit to Italy, I 2 to ask for directions or order in a restaurant. But every time I tried to 3 a sentence of Italian together, the locals smiled at me and 4 my language skills. That encouragement helped me to get through the language 5 . After I made Italy my permanent home, I discovered how 6 Italians are. Neighbors will bring me freshly made cheese and will come to my door to 7 me to close the window in my car when rain is coming. It's these small 8 of kindness that make a new country feel like home. 

As a foodie, the way to my heart is through my stomach, and nowhere fuels my 9 quite like Italy. Each town has its own traditional 10 , and every family keeps a recipe passed from one generation to another. Families 11 for big meals on Sundays, birthdays, and whatever other excuses they can 12 . These meals are always 13 by laughter and joy. Whatever 14 life in Italy might have, the problems are 15 once you sit down to a big meal with friends and family. 

I've been motivated-and demotivated-by other folks' achievements all my life. 

When I was a teenager, a neighborhood friend 1 a marathon race. Feeling motivated, I started running2 , but then two things happened. First, a girl I met one day told me she was3 for a "super, "referring to a 52.4-mile double marathon. Then, the next day I went on my longest run-15 miles. To be honest, I 4 it! Between the girl making my 5 seem small and the pure boredom of jogging, I decided that the only6 I'd ever run again is if a big dog was running after me!

So I 7 cycling. I got a good bike and rode a lot. I 8 of entering cycle races until I flew to San Diego to visit my sister. While she was at work one day, I 9 her bike and went for a ride. The10 : The roads there went through large valleys where I'd be riding uphill for miles at a time. I'd never faced such 11 . That day, I got12 by about 100"local"bikers who were used to such roads. When I got back home, suddenly riding my bike didn't seem quite as 13 . 

I've 14 a lot since then. I've come to accept that whatever 15 I set for myself, they just have to be my own. 

While taking a 20-hour train ride along the edge of the Taklimakan Desert in northwestern China, I had the kind of humbling, educational, and above all else, wonderful 1  with a local that all travelers long for. A young Chinese man 2  me on the train. My 3  friend spoke virtually no English, so I happily took the 4  to practice my Chinese. 

Over several hours he would tell me about how he had 5 a two-year professional school to quickly find a job 6 highways in order to help support his family. Perhaps the most 7 , however, was the fact that this man spent hours studying every day after hard physical labor. Without batting an eye, he would 8 a translated Emerson passage before asking about the literary influence of American 9 as a whole. "And what do you all learn about Russian authors?" I 10 him asking at one point.

It would have been easy to 11  my assumptions about this highway builder who had never been more than a few hundred miles from home. But this highly informed, 12  , and admirable person prevented me doing so. In the course of a couple of hours, he 13  me just how much one can gain from 14  with an open mind, and a willingness to 15  with locals from all walks of life. 

Like many young people, Jessica wants to travel the globe. Unlike most of them, this 25-year-old is doing it 1. She and her husband have spent the last two years traveling the world, stopping everywhere from Paris to Singapore. It might sound like one long, expensive 2, but the couple has an unusual way to make their travel 3.

They're part of a new form of the 4 economy: an online group of house sitters. Throughout their no-cost stays in 5 homes, they feed pets and water plants in the homeowner's 6.

It's not all sightseeing. The two travelers carefully 7 their trips, scheduling their days around the pets that are sometimes difficult to 8. But house sitting also offers a level of 9 they can't find in a hotel. "It's like 10 at a friend's house," Jessica says.

The couple has a high 11 rate in getting accepted as house sitters and they always go beyond the homeowner's 12. For Jessica, that means 13 plenty of pictures of happy pets, keeping the house 14 and leaving a nice small gift before heading to the next house. "You want to make the homeowner feel that they made the right 15," she says.

Many years ago, I bought a house in the Garfagnana, where we still go every summer. The first time we1 there, we heard the chug chug-chug of a motorbike2 its way down the hill toward us. It was3 called Mario, coming to4 us a box containing some tomatoes and a bottle of wine. It was a very nice5 for him to make. But when we looked at the tomatoes, we were6 because they were so misshapen: not at all like the nice, round, 7 things you get in a supermarket. And the wine was cloudy, in a funny old bottle with no label(标签) on it These can't be any8 , we thought. But we were9 his kindness, so we10 them.

What we discovered is that it's11 to judge what you eat only by its12 . Those tomatoes had13 that reminded me of the ones my uncle used to grow when I was a child. Nowadays supermarket tomatoes14 perfect but taste of water. Nobody's going to have a15 memory of those. It's a surprise they haven't managed to grow square ones so that they can16 them easily. Mario's wine may have been cloudy and come out of an old bottle, but it was17 .

It's good to eat things at the correct time, when they're18 , and as close as possible to where they were19 . What Mario had20 us was the taste of the Garfagnana.

On Oct. 11, hundreds of runners competed in a cross-country race in Minnesota. Melanie Bailey should have 1 the course earlier than she did. Her 2 came because she was carrying a 3 across the finish line.

As reported by a local newspaper, Bailey was more than two-thirds of the way through her 4 when a runner in front of her began crying in pain. She 5 to help her fellow runner, Danielle Lenoue. Bailey took her arm to see if she could walk forward with 6. She couldn't. Bailey then 7 to let Lenoue climb onto her back and carried her all the way to the finish line, then another 300 feet to where Lenoue could get8 attention.

Once there, Lenoue was 9       and later taken to a hospital, where she learned that she had serious injuries in one of her knees. She would have struggled with extreme 10 to make it to that aid checkpoint without Bailey's help.

As for Bailey, she is more 11 about why her act is considered a big 12. "She was just crying. I couldn't 13 her," Bailey told the reporter. "I feel like I was just doing the right thing."

Although the two young women were strangers before the 14, they've since become friends. Neither won the race, but the 15     of human kindness won the day.

In April last year, I saw a post on the PNP (Pilots N Paws) website from a family in Topeka. They had to move to Virginia but they were on a very tight 1. They could not afford to pay for 2 for their dog, Tiffy, and 3 wanted to take her with them.

It just 4 that I was planning another PNP flight with another pilot, Karen, who 5 to take Tiffy from Kansas City to Virginia. What I was to do was fly to Topeka to 6 Tiffy.

When I met Tiffy's owners, they seemed very 7. George, the husband, was trying to be calm, but I could tell this was 8 for him, having to leave his dog to a 9 and trust that everything would 10.

After some goodbyes, I asked George and his wife to help me 11 Tiffy into the plane. I promised to take care of Tiffy and 12 them as soon as we got to Kansas City.

The flight was 13, and Tiffy was a great passenger. The next day, she 14 with Karen and made it back to George in Virginia within a few days. He was so 15 and sent me a nice e-mail with pictures. It felt great to know that I had helped bring this family together again.

To become the Olympic champion in the individual (个人) all-around event, Gabby Douglas had to leave everything she 1 best. She had to 2 her bedroom in Virginia. She had to say 3 to her two dogs and to the beach, where she loved to 4 waves on her board. But it was 5 to take the leap (飞跃), however 6 it would be. Even at 14, Douglas knew that. So she 7 about 1,200 miles away from home, to 8 with a coach from China. She lived with a family she had never 9 and everything was new to her.

As it turned out, Douglas did 10 what she needed to do to become Olympic champion when she 11 two Russians. The Chinese coach12 Douglas into one of the best gymnasts in the 13, helping her skyrocket from an 14 member of the national team to the top of the sport. By 15 the Olympic all-around title, she became the first black woman to do so. She 16 the competition from beginning to end. She said she had felt 17 all along that she would win.

Not so long ago, Martha Karolyi, the coordinator (联络人) of the women's national team, did not think Douglas had what it 18 to be an Olympian. As time went by, she thought 19 that she could make the London Games — and win.

"I'm going to inspire so many people," she said. "I'm ready to 20."And shine she did.

The sun was beginning to sink as I set off into the Harenna Forest. I was on my way to 1 a unique honey harvest. Here, in south-east Ethiopia, hand-carved beehives(蜂箱)are placed in the 2. Reaching them to get the honey is difficult—and often 3 .

I 4 beekeeper Ziyad over a wide stretch of grassland before entering a thick jungle. Ziyad began preparations. He 5 handfuls of damp tree leaves, wrapped them with string, and 6 the bunch to create a torch(火把). Then, with one end of a rope tied to his waist and the other end around the trunk of a tree, Ziyad began 7 . He stopped every few minutes to move the 8 higher up the tree trunk.

9 , Ziyad got close to the hive which was around 20 metres above the ground. Sitting on a branch, he 10 towards it and blew smoke from his torch into a tiny hole in the hive. Suddenly, Ziyad let out a sharp cry. Within seconds, he'd 11 the trunk and was back on the ground.

It was too 12 to collect the honey. A cool summer had delayed 13 . Baby bees were still in the honeycombs(蜂巢). The adult bees were 14 and kept attacking as Ziyad escaped from the tree. He had to wait for the right 15 to go back up.

When I was in sixth grade, I joined the band program to learn to play the clarinet (单簧管). The beginning of the year had gone 1. But as most students progressed, I seemed to fall behind. One day, when my teacher told us to play in front of the other students, I was filled with fear. I knew I would 2. When I began to play, my rhythms (节奏) were good, but my tone was another 3. "Did you practice your lesson?" the teacher barked at me. I felt so 4 and my world came 5 down in an instant.

From then on, I hated playing the clarinet and I kept getting 6. With the day of the new performance approaching, I grew increasingly upset. In a moment of 7, I asked for sick leave. It was so relieving and such a(n) 8 way out.

The avoidance of my lessons continued until my mum asked me about it. "I want to quit. " My tears started 9. "If you really want to quit, why are you crying?" asked mum. She 10 and I realized I wanted to stay in band and, by not facing my fears, I had created a black hole that would be difficult to 11 out of. I made a 12 not to hide from my fears and to stand up to even the worst of them, so a 13 could be achieved.

The next day I met with my band teacher and told her I was having a problem and couldn't 14 why. She asked me gently to play for her. I tried, but only an unpleasant sound came out. She didn't 15 at me and handed me a new reed (簧片). I put it in place and tried again. To my great 16 I could play well. My problem was solved and my fear was 17 a lot that year.

18 I'm glad that I overcame my fear. Fear can 19 everything in a person's life. Hiding from those very fears only creates a hole, which makes a person stay 20 inside. After facing up to a fear, one may find life easier and much more enjoyable.

One Monday morning, while the children were enjoying "free play", I stepped to the doorway of the classroom to take a break. Suddenly, I 1a movement of the heavy wooden door. This was the very door I2guided the children through to ensure their safety from the bitter cold. I felt a chill (寒意) go through my body.

My legs carried me to that door, and I pushed it open. It was one of my kindergarteners who I thought was3that day. He had been dropped off at school late and was4 to open the door.

He must have been waiting there for quite a while! Without a word, I rushed him to the hospital. He was treated for frostbite on his hands. He'd need time to5 and wouldn't come for class the next day, I thought.

The next morning, one of the first to6 was my little frostbitten boy. Not only did he run in with energy, but his7 could be heard as loud as ever! I gave him a warm hug and told him how8I was to see him. His words have stayed with me all these years, "I knew you would open the door."

That cold Monday morning, he waited a long, long while for adults to9. To a child, every minute feels like forever. He didn't attempt to walk back home, he waited and trusted. This five-year-old taught me a powerful lesson in10.

My husband, our children and I have had wonderful camping experiences over the past ten years.

Some of our1 are funny, especially from the early years when our children were little.

Once, we2 along Chalk Creek. I was3that our 15-month-old boy would fall into the creek (小溪). I tied a rope around his waist to keep him near to our spot. That lasted about ten minutes.

He was4, and his crying let the whole campground know it. So5 tying him up, I just kept a close eye on him. It6he didn't end up in the creek. My three-year-old, however, did.

Another time, we rented a boat in Vallecito Lake. The sky was clear when we7, but storms move in fast in the mountains, and this one quickly8our peaceful morning trip. The 9picked up and thunder old. My husband stopped fishing to10 the motor. Nothing. He tried again. No11We were stuck in the middle of the lake with a dead motor. As we all sat there12a fisherman pulled up, threw us a rope and towed (拖) us back. We were13Now, every year when my husband pulls our camper out of the garage, we are filled with a sense of14 , wondering what camping fun and15 we will experience next.

Young children across the globe enjoy playing games of hide and seek. For them, there's something highly exciting about 1 someone else's glance and making oneself unable to be seen.

However, we all witness that preschool children are remarkably 2 at hiding. They often cover only their eyes with their hands, leaving the rest of their bodies 3 .

For a long time, this ineffective hiding method was 4 as evidence that children are hopelessly "egocentric"（自我中心的）creatures. But our 5 research results in child developmental psychology 6 that idea.

We brought young children aged 2-4 into our Minds in Development Lab at USC. Each 7 sat down with an adult who covered her own eyes or 8 . We then asked the child if she could 9 or hear the adult. Surprisingly, children replied that they couldn't. The same 10 happened when the adult covered her own mouth: 11 children said that they couldn't 12 to her.

A number of 13 ruled out that the children misunderstood what they were being asked. The results were clear: Our young subjects 14 the questions and knew 15 what was asked of them. Their 16 to the questions reflected their true 17 that "I can see you only if you can see me, too." They simply 18 mutual（相互的）recognition and regard. Our 19 suggest when a child "hides" by putting a blanket over her head, it is not a result of egocentrism. In fact, children consider this method 20 when others use it.

You can tell a lot about a man by how he treats his dogs.

For many years, I enjoyed living with my dogs, Tilly and Chance. Their 1 was nearly enough to keep my loneliness at bay, Nearly. Last year. I started dating, but with 2. When I first dated Steve, I 3 he had a dog. Molly, and a cat, Flora. While I was 4 that he was an animal lover, I 5 that three dogs were perhaps too many, and my dogs might attack 6 , the cat.

The next week we 7 our dogs together. It was a hot day. When we paused to catch our 8 , Steve got down on one knee. Was he proposing (求婚)? I liked him too. But so 9 ? He poured water from a bottle into his hand and offered it to my dogs. 10 , I began to fall for him.

We 11 to date, though neither of us brought up the future. And then in late November, Tilly had an operation on her 12 . I took the dogs out four times a day, and I worried that Tilly 13 climbing the stairs could reopen the wound. Then Steve 14 his house. All worked 15. The three dogs formed a pack that, with coaching, 16 Flora's space; Steve and I formed a good team 17 for Tilly. We made good housemates.

A year later, much to my 18 this man produced a little box with a ring and proposed to me. He did not kneel (跪) down, nor did I 19 him to. That's only for giving 20 to the dogs that brought us together.

In a crowded migrant camp in Tijuana, Mexico, a three-year-old girl wandered 1 . toward the exit. She was steps from a busy road. Estefania Rebellon was the only person who 2 her. The writer had just driven from Los Angeles with a group of friends to drop off food and clothing to a(n) 3 organization . 

It was December 2018, a time when the US-Mexico border was seeing migrants from Central America 4 violence and poverty. Rebellon rushed over to the child and took her 5 .

"Where are your parents?" she asked anxiously. Eventually, she and her friends found the girl's 6 father, who had stepped away to 7 for food. 

Back at home, Rebellon gathered a group of volunteer 8 via social media, and using a thousand dollars from her 9 , set up a school at the Tijuana border. In five years, the pilot program has grown into the non-profit Yes We Can World Foundation, which has 10 three tents into classrooms and established two schools. 

11 by donations, the foundation's teachers have provided a bilingual education to more than 3,000 kids. The schools 12 an official curriculum from Mexico's education ministry. They also offer 13 courses, which help kids understand more about migration. 

Rebellon has received numerous 14 for her work, including Outstanding American By Choice. As more than 6.6 million people still live in refugee camps around the world, she says she'd like to 15 the foundation's influence and support migrant children globally. 

Successfully receiving a US visa (签证) is full of ups and downs. In early 2023, I received an offer to join in the Sports Industry Management Summer Program at Georgetown University in the US. Never having been to the US before, I was thrilled about the upcoming 1 .

However, my excitement turned into shock when I 2 a scheduled interview appointment at the US embassy (大使馆) in New Delhi in early May. The waiting list was so long that it 3 all the way to September, well 4 the start of the summer program in July.

Still, that wasn't the only 5 we faced with the US embassy. A friend planning to visit France mentioned that the visa application process now took two months longer than before. It seemed that an increasing number of people were applying to travel abroad. I waited until mid-July before 6 giving up on the summer program for 2023.

At last, I secured an appointment for Sept 18, 2023. After all these difficulties, I thought I could finally get my US visa. During the interview, the visa officer, a pleasant woman, began asking me a few questions. Then there was 7 as she typed on her keyboard for five minutes. I though that the exciting moment was coming. 8 , after smiling at my mom and 9 a green form to her, she said, "Sorry, but due to your job, we require 10 documents."

As a journalist, my mother was required by the green form to email a list of her published stories. Fortunately, she specializes in 11 and art, with hundreds of articles on cultural exchanges and interpersonal communications between India and the US. I don't know whether or not her touching stories 12 the visa officer. After all, the embassy gave us 10-year visas after about a week.

With the visa I am applying for the summer program for 2024 now. If you're planning to travel abroad, I 13 starting the visa process early, 14 many others likely have the same plans. Your parents' jobs can also affect your visa application, so make sure you do some 15 and are ready to provide extra documents.

Achenyo soon arrived at the water's edge with her pot, and she found a huge surprise. The river was 1 ! In its place was a blanket of dark green leaves and lavender-colored (淡紫色的) flowers.

"Oh no!" Achenyo heard the adults crying, "They've 2 again!" It seemed Mama wouldn't have water to mix the dyes (染料) for her weaving.

Last year, the rainy season had brought a(n) 3 of water hyacinths (水葫芦). The plants had covered the river and left no 4 to dip a pot. Every day, people had to walk into the water and clear enough plants to get water.

What a shame to 5 such pretty flowers, Achenyo thought as she 6 the plants with others and threw them on the riverbank. Then, she had an idea. Carrying the plants under her arm, she got Mama's water and ran home 7 .

"Mama, will you teach me to weave?" asked Achenyo. Mama laughed. It was her wish to pass on the 8 to her daughter. But looking at the thick stalks, she was 9 . Achenyo showed her how difficult it was to break and begged 10 Mama said yes. Then they wove together every day after school. It was 11 weaving the stalks into different shapes, but she was 12 .

One afternoon, Achenyo held up her finished work to Mama. It was neatly woven and well decorated. "What a nice mat!" They showed it to their neighbours, who were 13 and began to use the stalks to make things. By the end of the rainy season, the 14 no longer thought of the plant as an invader, but a 15 .

It was a sunny Sunday afternoon. My husband was taking care of our baby girl so that my six-year-old son and I could do some yard work, just the two of us. It was sure to be 1 . But soon, the clouds of mosquitos seemed 2 to our bug spray (喷雾). I was sweating, itchy, and arguing with my son about how to pull weeds. I had told him the "right" way — getting those weeds out from the bottom, by the roots, 3 them entirely. 

However, my son went about things in his own way. He pulled the 4 of the weeds off, moving quickly down the line as he left the remaining part still in the soil. Somehow, I found this to be incredibly 5 . Why couldn't he do it in my way and save me the time of having to 6 his portion (部分)? Why did he do it at all if he wasn't going to do it properly? 

"If you do as told, we'd be done earlier and 7 a longer period before we would have to return and pull weeds next time," I said, trying to keep my tone 8 . 

He went back to his work, shaking dirt from his handful of growing things and throwing 9 stems into our shared basket. "People do things 10 , Mom," he said innocently. 

My fire soon faded, replaced by the 11 realization that I'd just received a valuable12 from the person that I was supposed to be teaching. While trying to 13 my baby girl, my kindergartener, and the yard work, 14 was a lifeline for me. But my way was, perhaps, not the best way after all. His time shouldn't be 15 . His job was to be a kid and take his time, for as long as he was able.

Have you ever heard of and seen Canadian geese? Do you know that they 1 fresh grass and seeds?

Canadian geese have a good 2 for their politeness. They always bow down to you whenever you walk by. However, I have recently found that they can sometimes be 3 to their peers, especially on occasions when they quarrel for food——yes, these 4 gentlemen do quarrel, just for something to eat

Yesterday I witnessed two Canadian Geese arguing 5 for a clump(草丛) of beautiful fresh grass. The clump was 6 right in the middle of them, while the two were shouting noisily, stretching their necks as long as they could to look aggressively at each other. It's 7 to witness the "impolite" side of Canadian geese. Hence, I couldn't help 8 my morning walk, standing still to watch these "gentlemen" quarreling. Interestingly, after a short while, a truck roared past their feast, disturbing their 9 conversation. The two geese were equally 10 by the massive "monster", thus giving up their conversation.

Would they start quarreling again? I stood still, 11 the ridiculous question and waited. Beyond my expectation, right after the truck's passing by, the two geese immediately lost their 12 for quarreling as if they had forgotten all about what had happened. Even the two turned around and left the 13 in opposite directions as if nothing had happened. They left only me there, imagining what might have happened without the 14 .

They got along harmoniously again. Sometimes it's not that bad to be 15 .

Why should mankind explore space? Why should money, time and efforts be spent exploring and 1 for something with so few apparent benefits? Why should many resources be spent on space 2 than on conditions and people on Earth?

These are questions that, understandably, are very often asked. Perhaps the best answer 3 in our genetic makeup（基因构成）as human beings. What4 our ancestors to move from the trees into the plains. and on into all 5 areas and environments? The wider the 6 spread of a species, the better its chance of 7 . Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to expand 8 possible.

Nearly every successful civilization has 9 , because by doing so, any dangers in surrounding areas can be identified and prepared for. Without knowledge, we may be 10 destroyed by the danger. With knowledge, we can 11 its effects.

Exploration also allows minerals and other potential（潜在的）resources 12 . Even if we have no 13 need of them, they will perhaps be useful later. Resources may be more than physical possessions. Knowledge or techniques 14 through exploration. The techniques may have medical applications which can 15 the length or quality of our lives.

On Oct. 11, hundreds of runners competed in a cross-country race in Minnesota. Melanie Bailey should have1 the course earlier than she did. Her 2 came because she was carrying a3 across the finish line.

As reported by a local newspaper, Bailey was more than two-thirds of the way through her4 when a runner in front of her began crying in pain. She5 to help her fellow runner, Danielle Lenoue. Bailey took her arm to see if she could walk forward with6 She couldn't. Bailey then7 to let Lenoue climb onto her back and carried her all the way to the finish line, then another 300 feet to where Lenoue could get8 attention.

Once there, Lenoue was 9 and later taken to a hospital, where she learned that she had serious injuries in one of her knees. She would have struggled with extreme10 to make it to that aid checkpoint without Bailey's help.

As for Bailey, she is more11 about why her act is considered a big12 . "She was just crying. I couldn't 13 her," Bailey told the reporter. "I feel like I was just doing the right thing."

Although the two young women were strangers before the14 they've since become friends. Neither won the race, but the15 of human kindness won the day.

After months of preparation, my husband Bill and I flew to China to welcome our new daughter, our 18-month-old angel "Shirley". But when we picked her up, Shirley missed her Chinese mother so 1 she would barely look at Bill and me. Instead, she'd stand at our hotel room door and 2 for the only mother she had known. 

I was so embarrassed that lunch in a restaurant was out of the 3 . I was afraid people would think I was a "bad mother. " So I 4 our meals from room service. 

One time I chose the noodle plate and tried to use chopsticks for the very first time. The noodles kept 5 off my chopsticks. At this time, Shirley's screaming suddenly stopped. 

Peeking out of the corner of my eye, I saw her sitting in the room corner 6 me attentively. And in no time, a tiny hand came into 7 , took the chopsticks from my big hand. As I looked up, Shirley — with the chopsticks skillfully arranged in her little fingers — began expertly feeding me noodles, without 8 a single one. 

I looked at Bill, who was wide-eyed with 9 . "Do you think she would 10 me?" he wondered 11 . So, trembling with 12 , I asked, "Shirley, will you feed your daddy now?" and 13 to Bob. She nodded "yes" with a big smile on her face!

That meal was definitely a 14 experience. Shirley must have felt that we would 15 without her assistance!

Torrie, 16, and her friend Azarria were driving back home when another car hit them. When Torrie opened her eyes, she 1 their car had been pushed into a tree. There came 2 from the gathering crowd as the car was smoking. Torrie's door wouldn't open, but her window became an escape 3 .

"Everyone ran away, fearing the car was going to 4 . But turning around, I didn't see Azarria. I ran back and saw she was 5 in the back seat. I decided to help her out of the 6 ."

"I didn't know how I made it. I just became stronger at that moment," she says. She 7 a bystander to call 911 and started CPR.

After 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths, Azarria began to show 8 of life. Just then, the paramedics 9 to rush Azarria to the nearest hospital.

10 for both girls, their Lakewood High School offers a First-Aid Skills class taught by Erika Miller. Torrie had earned her 11 in the class just the day before this accident.

"I was absolutely astonished," Erika says. "In my years of teaching, I never 12 a student would finish the course and in 24 hours have to 13 CPR on her friend."

"I was grateful to Torrie, but I wasn't surprised."Azarria says. "She would have done that for anyone. That's just 14 of her.

"First-aid training should be a (n) 15 in schools," Torrie says. "It can make a difference between life and death."

Kwane Stewart, a devoted vet (兽医) in San Diego, had reached a point of burnout in his career. The animal 1 where he worked was full of abandoned pets as people 2 to deal with the ongoing economic decline. In those days, animals would be euthanized (安乐死) if they weren't 3 in seven days. The cruel reality deeply troubled Stewart, even leading him to consider 4 his profession. 

One fateful day, outside a convenience store, he 5 a homeless man with a dog suffering from a visible skin issue. The man, 6 for a solution, shared his dog's suffering. Stewart examined the dog and then 7 some medicine to him. In tears, the man thanked Stewart, saying "Thank you for not 8 me". The very words served as a wakeup call to Steward and inspired his next 9 .

Stewart began working as a street vet during his free time, determined to 10 on his own. Over a nine-year period, he provided 11 medical care for over 1,000 homeless people and their pets and in 2020, he created a nonprofit organization Project Street Vet. 

For Stewart, the most rewarding aspect of his work lies in the one-on-one 12 with the homeless. By 13 helping their cherished companion, Stewart helps 14 their faith in humanity. Their gratitude fuels him to continue his mission, offering 15 to those facing awful circumstances.

Although many over-processed foods can satisfy the desire for sweet, fatty, salty foods, research suggests these items are particularly bad for the heart and brain, with mood and cognition taking a hit.

The most recent research looking at the 1 of over-processed food found the most far-reaching results. Researchers 2 direct links between higher consumption of over-processed foods and a greater risk of many health issues.

These results are 3 earlier studies. Diets high in these foods were linked to greater risk of depression and anxiety, according to an analysis published in the journal Nutrients. In one of these studies, risk rose from 4 just 33 percent of calories from over-processed food. A separate study found that taking in just 20 percent of calories from these foods was linked to a 28 percent faster rate of cognitive 5 compared with people who ate less processed food.

Also 6 is a study tracking about half a million people living in England, Scotland, and Wales that found the risk of dementia (痴呆) went up by 25 percent for every 10 percent increase in over-processed food. While the exact cause-and-effect relationship is still unknown, the strongest evidence from prospective studies 7 the idea that eating high amounts of over-processed foods increases the risk of depression in the future. 

It is common knowledge that eating too much salt or sugar is linked to high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes. What the public may not appreciate, 8 , is that all these conditions affect the brain by raising the risk for dementia. 9 such as certain artificial sweeteners may also disturb the production and release of brain chemicals, such as dopamine, which can negatively affect mental and emotional 10 .

Another problem with over-processed foods is that they might be addictive. Over-processed foods have more in common with a(n) 11 than foods by Mother Nature. Humans have evolved to respond to foods that are sweet fatty, and high in calories. For most of human existence this helped us 12 . But in nature, foods are 13 modestly high in sugar — like berries — or high in fat, like nuts. You don't find foods high in both sugar and fat. That's a distinctive 14 of over-processed foods. Add in salt, artificial flavorings and bright colors, and our brain simply 15 these foods.

It was the end of the school day, and I was tired. I grabbed a pile of about 130 exam papers to 1 on the train ride home. I'd bring them back the next morning.

My principal（校长）pushed her head into my classroom and said, "Friendly 2 ! You need to make sure your word wall is 3 by tomorrow morning." She then moved on to the next classroom to 4 the message. I sighed and thought, "Are you making a（n）5 ? What a waste of my time!"

My principal was 6 about making our school beautiful, while my goal was to get my students to pass the Algebra Regents Exam. She wanted every classroom to have a word wall, where student's works on creative projects would be 7 . She brought in beautiful planters（花盆）that 8 the hallways with greenery. However, I assume that school and classroom 9 aren't important when it comes to learning. To me, spending time and money making our school and classrooms beautiful was just a distraction（使人分心的事）. Those things don't 10 my students with math.

However, after three years of teaching, I went to graduate school in part to study how resources 11 teachers and students. What my research found 12 me: When teachers 13 their classroom environment resources, their students did better on standardized tests. My principal was 14 . She was creating more than just a beautiful 15 —she was building a welcoming and positive environment for students to learn and teachers to work.

Have you ever felt the need to grab a pen and start writing your thoughts on paper? Words—beautiful and fascinating. But you know what is better than putting your imagination somewhere? In my case, to win the competition for the best novelist.

That was a small tournament organized by my school annually to 1 our creative writing and vivid imagination. Since I had a burning passion for 2 , I decided to show my power. I thought no one could 3 me.

I finished a long story and e-mailed it. As I 4 the email every day, my eyes were wandering to 5 the line "Congratulations! It is a great pleasure to inform you that…". 6 , no such thing came.

I was not accepted. I 7 my abilities. The next day at school, I tried my best to be 8 , avoiding the usual contact. But in the corridor, I 9 Stacy Williams, my school rival. Could she be the 10 ? I started walking sneakily. In class, I was just looking out of the window at the 11 clouds which were a reflection of my soul.

Thankfully, a film that night—Forrest Gump lifted my 12 . I wouldn't let a stupid competition 13 my future. I could win on the next one or even at a better tournament. The important thing was to 14 my head and face my challenges without losing hope when everything seemed 15 .

When my son Reace celebrated his sixth birthday two years ago, he made a wish that I would get a transplant. Less than a week later, his wish came true when I received new 1 .

Born with a breathing disease, I was able to manage my 2 without a hospital visit until I was 23. At 30, 3 , it steadily worsened and I was 4 for a transplant. I started having check-ups once a year, then every six months, then every three months until I was 5 living at the hospital and reliant on oxygen to survive. Everyday 6 like having a shower or brushing my hair became 7 .

After four months on the list, I 8 the call to say a pair of lungs was available. The transplant was successful and the 9 was noticeable. Before my transplant I had been so 10 , I couldn't even walk from the couch to the front door without 11 my breath—and it was only six paces. 12 . I was so used to being breathless that I didn't know any difference. I had 13 what it would be like to be a 14 person and now I know. I can do everything an ordinary mum would do: housework, workout, or taking Reace to basketball.

I am extremely grateful to my 15 and his family.