I had to visit my sister in another town because her husband {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (be) very ill. My children stayed back in {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (they) father's care, except for the youngest. I was nervous taking a train journey alone with my one-year-old daughter. However, I gathered all my courage and boarded the train.

    It was {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (surprise) that there were only three other passengers in that carriage, two old ladies and a young man. My daughter was crying, missing her dad. I tried to comfort her, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} her crying wouldn't stop.

    Just then the young man offered {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (take) my baby into his arms. He stood with her near the window and started talking to her in a soft voice. My daughter stopped crying {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (slow). I was both surprised and relieved. {#blank#}7{#/blank#} stranger handed my daughter back once she was asleep. During the long train journey this young man continuously helped me. He fed my baby, sang to her and told her countless {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (story). I was grateful for this man {#blank#}9{#/blank#} had come to my rescue.

    After so many years, I still remember this stranger on the train with a {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (thank) heart.

    I was on my way to the Taiyetos Mountains. The sun was setting when my car {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (break) down near a remote and poor village. Cursing my misfortune, I was wondering where I was going to spend the night when I realized that the villagers who had gathered around me were arguing as to {#blank#}2{#/blank#} should have the honor of receiving me {#blank#}3{#/blank#} a guest in their house. Finally, I accepted the offer of an old woman who lived alone in a little house. While she was getting me {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (settle) into a tiny but clean room, the head of the village was tying up his horse to my car to pull it to {#blank#}5{#/blank#} small town some 20 kilometres away {#blank#}6{#/blank#} there was a garage.

    I had noticed three hens running free in my hostess's courtyard and that night one of them ended up in a dish on my table. {#blank#}7{#/blank#} villagers brought me goat's cheese and honey. We drank together and talked {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (merry) till far into the night.

    When the time came for me to say goodbye to my friends in the village, I wanted to reward the old woman {#blank#}9{#/blank#} the trouble I had caused {#blank#}10{#/blank#}.

    Sometimes your friends start to talk about a new video game or a new app they have downloaded. It sounds pretty cool, and your friends really seem to like it. You become so {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(interest) in it that you want to buy it too. Has this ever happened to you?

    In the US and in places around the world, there is a similar feeling of wanting the {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(new), greatest tech gadgets (小玩意). There is a big {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(attract) to getting the latest technology even though people may not need it. But why is this?

    As to(关于) these technologies, there's {#blank#}4{#/blank#} initial （最初的） excitement that {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(get) people's attention, according to Richard Larson, a director at MIT, US. If there's a big group of people {#blank#}6{#/blank#} want these things, you want to be a part of the excitement too.

    One of the major US {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(company) that really take advantage of this is Apple. It comes out with a new iPhone with very small changes every year. But people still flock (涌入) to the stores even if they have just bought the previous phone.

    However,{#blank#}8{#/blank#} （buy）these things may not always be the best choice. You could be buying things that you don't really need and {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (spend) too much money just for the right to show it off to your friends.

    Not only that, but our need to always be on your phones or playing video games takes {#blank#}10{#/blank#} a lot of time in our lives. So is this excitement over technology a good or a bad thing?

    It is a common thing to forget to return a book to the library after you've borrowed it. Maybe, you'll you'll realize it has been some{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (month) since you borrowed it and decide to return it.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} (similar), when Ron Webster borrowed a book from the library of the University Of Liverpool, he too forgot to return it. When he was 30, back in 1953, he was working {#blank#}3{#/blank#}a research assistant in the university. It was during this time {#blank#}4{#/blank#}he loaned a book titled “Structure and Function in Primitive Society.” Shortly after he borrowed this book, he {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(call) to London to continue his research. Just as you might have expected, Ron Webster completely forgot the whole thing.

    Ron had a {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(success) career and worked for Ford before retiring and leading a relaxed life. Recently when he took {#blank#}7{#/blank#}look at his collection of books, he discovered the old book. He contacted University officials to ask about the {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(possible) of returning the book.

    University Librarian was {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(amaze) to see Ron arrive at the University Of Liverpool,{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (try) to return a book that he borrowed 61 years ago.

    Just in case you were wondering, the total fine that Ron Webster had accumulated over the years amounted to ￡4,510.

    Saint Patrick's Day is a major holiday in Ireland, but the rest of the world has influenced its celebration as much as the Irish{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (they). Most Americans think of Saint Patrick's Day as a big party{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(center) around drinking alcohol. But its {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (origin) in Ireland were religious, says Mike Cronin, a professor of Irish history with Boston College of Massachusetts.

    Saint Patrick lived in Ireland more than 2,000 years ago. He is{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (wide) considered to have established Christianity in the country. The Church decided to honor him with a holy day. March 17, the date of his death{#blank#}5{#/blank#} (choose) in the 17lh century.

    St. Patrick is believed{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(serve) in Ireland as a Catholic Bishop (主教). The average Irish person honored March 17 quietly{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(attend) church services was the main activity. In fact, most businesses that served alcohol would close in honor {#blank#}8{#/blank#} the day. In the early 1900s, Ireland's government made St. Patrick's Day{#blank#}9{#/blank#} official holiday. By the 1960s, towns across Ireland started celebrating the holiday with parades and music.

    In Ireland today, St. Patrick's Day is a four-day public celebration {#blank#}10{#/blank#} includes parades, music, food, and games.

    A 71-year-old female {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Taobao has become a role model for many women in this country.

    Yang Guang began moving from Shanghai to Hangzhou in August 2015 when she launched her modeling career {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(success) on Taobao after her {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(retire).

    Yang, who starts her journey at 6:30 a.m., tries more than 100 clothes and poses for photos {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(advertise) these clothes for senior women until 7 p.m. each working day.

    She says she enjoys the process and feels {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(delight) and energetic every day, even though she{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(bother) by diseases such as high blood pressure and heart trouble sometimes.

    {#blank#}7{#/blank#} the saying goes, “Opportunities are for those who are prepared.” Yang {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(shoot) tens of movies{#blank#}9{#/blank#} television dramas with many singers before she became a model on Taobao.

    {#blank#}10{#/blank#} is never too late to realize your dream and time can give everything you want,” says Yang, who has a special kind of beauty that comes from life experiences.