Woman: Our design class is really interesting. Don't you think so?

Man: Yeah, I like Professor Vargas, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} sometimes he goes too fast, and I feel like I'm missing something. There's a lot we have {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (remember).

Woman: True. There are a lot of details about all the different styles.

Man: Yeah, there are Art Nouveau, and Art Deco, and Art Moderne... I have a hard time {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (keep) it all straight.

Woman: I know what you mean.

Man: For example, it seems to me {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Art Deco and Art Moderne are the same things.

Woman: Well, it's somewhat confusing. They were both popular in {#blank#}5{#/blank#}1930s although Art Deco came a little before Moderne. I think Professor Vargas {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (say) Art Deco started at an exhibition in Paris in 1925. Let me check out my notes. Right, Art Deco was a popular international art design movement from 1923 until the 1940s, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (affect) the decorative arts such as architecture and {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (industry) design, as well as the visual arts such as fashion, painting, the graphic arts and film.

Man: So, they were about the same time. It's one thing that gets confusing. {#blank#}9{#/blank#} thing is, they seem so similar that it's hard to see why they're {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (consider) different styles.

    Sam was a greedy and selfish man.He never hesitated to cheat others to earn money.The selfish man{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(actual) wanted to own everything in the world.One day,he lost a small bag{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(contain) 50 gold coins.He searched{#blank#}3{#/blank#}the bag day and night.He also sent his workers in search but none could find it.

    After a couple of days{#blank#}4{#/blank#}ten year old girl told her father that she found a small bag with 50 gold coins.The family was rather poor but the honest man decided to give the bag to its owner.He gave it back to Sam and asked him to check{#blank#}5{#/blank#}the bag had 50 gold coins.Sam,who was only happy to get the coins,decided to play a trick.He shouted,“There were 75 gold coins in this bag and you gave me only 50!Where are the other coins?You{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(steal) them!"The poor man was{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(shock) to hear this and they finally took the issue to court to get the right judgment.

    The judge heard both the sides.He examined the daughter and the poor man about the number of coins they had found in the bag and they assured{#blank#}8{#/blank#}was only 50!He asked Sam,"Are you sure you had 75 coins?"Sam nodded his head.Then the judge made his decision,"Since Sam lost a bag of 75 gold coins,the bag found by the girl{#blank#}9{#/blank#}had only 50 coins doesn't belong to Sam.In addition,there were no claims against the{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(lose) of 50 coins and I order the girl and his father to take those 50 coins as appreciation for their honesty!"

Just as I began a new job in New York, I had another important job: father. I was a businessman. At the office I had three new {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(project) and at home I had a young son who was growing fast and {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (need)me. I was puzzled and didn't know how to deal with the relationship{#blank#}3{#/blank#}job and family until one day, during my business trip in Chicago, I came across an old family friend Dan, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}was once a patient of my father. He told me something about my father. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} was my father that helped him go through the cancer. When Dan knew he got cancer, he was very upset and wanted{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (give) up, but my father, his doctor, encouraged him to go on{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (fight) against the cancer. My father said to him, "You have {#blank#}8{#/blank#} wonderful life and three fine children. Take some time with them. It is family that we live for—-not just ourselves. Think of that {#blank#}9{#/blank#} you will know life's worth the fight." His words touched me, and I {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(sudden) realized that family is the most important in the world. I should spend more time staying with them.

    Is there such a thing as being "over-protective"?

    I can honestly say that my answer to that question {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(change) dramatically(戏剧性地)since I became a parent.

    Before the birth of my daughter, I taught at{#blank#}2{#/blank#}private school, often viewing my students as over-protected, worrying  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}would happen when they went on to middle schools.

    Some did fine, and some did not. Some needed constant pats on the back, words of  {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(inspire) and extra support, which I {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(happy) gave. Others were content on their own, needing little {#blank#}6{#/blank#} no interaction(互动)with their teacher.

I'd always supposed their parents were over-protective, for they were the ones that still walked their  {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(five) graders into the classroom and met them at the school gate.

    Admittedly, I laughed at those parents, {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(think) their children would never learn to be  {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(independence) if they didn't let go just a little. Then I had my own daughter. The moment I looked at her little face, I {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(know) I'd do everything in my power to protect her and make sure she always felt safe!