Wouldn't this be great? You come home from school and your new dog {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (wait)at the dor to greet you. Or, you have a bad and your new kitten jumps onto your lap for a hug. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (have)a pet is a dream for many  teenagers. And finally your mum and dad have agreed. But just because you {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (allow)to get a pet doesn't mean you should. Pets are not toys but friends {#blank#}4{#/blank#} need our love and company. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} don't get a pet if you're not ready to devote.

    Are you facing a situation that looks impossible to fix (修理)？

    In 1969, the pollution was terrible along the Cuyahoga River near Cleveland, Ohio. It {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(be) unimaginable that it could ever be cleaned up. The river was so polluted that it{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(actual) caught fire and burned. Now, years later, this river is one of{#blank#}3{#/blank#}most outstanding examples of environmental cleanup.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}the river wasn't changed in a few days or even a few months. It took years of work{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(reduce) the industrial pollution and clean the water. Finally, that hard work paid off and now the water in the river is{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(clean) than ever.

    Maybe you are facing an impossible situation. Maybe you have a habit {#blank#}7{#/blank#}is driving your family crazy. Possibly you drink too much or don't know how to control your credit card use. When you face such an impossible situation, don't you want a quick fix and something to change immediately?

    While there are{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(amazed) stories of instant transformation, for most of us the{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(change) are gradual and require a lot of effort and work, like cleaning up a polluted river. Just be{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(patience).

    A teacher once told each of her students to bring a clear plastic bag and a large bag of potatoes to school. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} every person that the students refused to forgive in their life, they {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(choose) a potato, wrote on {#blank#}3{#/blank#} the name of that person and the date, and then put it in the plastic bag. Some of their bags were quite heavy.

    They were then told to carry these bags with them everywhere for one week,{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (put) them beside their beds at night, on their car seats when driving, and next to their desks at work.

    During this time,{#blank#}5{#/blank#} they carried the bags around with them, they realized what a weight they were carrying, and{#blank#}6{#/blank#}they needed to pay attention all the time, so as not to forget them or leave them in {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (embarrass) places. Of course, the potatoes were becoming {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (rot), and smelled very bad.

    This is the same as the price we pay for keeping our pain and {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (happy) with us! Forgiving others is not only a gift to them, but also a very good gift to {#blank#}10{#/blank#}！

    Recently researchers have found that singing in groups could have a positive impact on reducing anxiety and {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (depress). The research is from the University of East Anglia in the UK, in cooperation with a community singing group {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (call) Sing Your Heart Out. A research team conducted the study {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(examine) how singing with other people affects mental health. Researchers followed a group of people {#blank#}4{#/blank#} attended free {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(week) singing workshops for six months. They discovered that singing in groups was {#blank#}6{#/blank#} essential part in helping people recover from mental illness. In addition, it helped people feel {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(little) stressed, enhanced their mood and increased their confidence, social skills and feeling of well-being.

    Lead researcher, professor Tom Shakespeare, said: "We found that singing as part of a group contributes {#blank#}8{#/blank#} people's recovery from mental health problems." He added that: "All of the participants we spoke to reported positive {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (effect) as a direct result of taking part in the singing workshops. For some, it represented one component of a wider programme of support. For others, it {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(stand) out as key to their maintenance of health."