A

Every year on my birthday, from the time I turned 12, a white gardenia (栀子花) was sent to my house. No card came with it. Calls to the flower shops were not helpful at all. After a while I stopped trying to find out the sender's name and I was just very pleased with the beautiful white flower in soft pink paper. But I never stopped imagining who the giver might be. Some of my happiest moments were spent daydreaming about the sender. My mother encouraged this imagination. She'd ask me if there was someone to whom I had done a special kindness. Perhaps it was the old man who I looked after when he was ill.  As a girl, I had more fun imagining that it might be a boy.

    One month before my graduation, my father died. I felt very sad and didn't want to go to the coming graduation dance at all. And I didn't care whether I had a new dress or not. But my mother, in her own sadness, would not let me miss any of those things. She wanted her children to feel loved and lovable. In fact, my mother wanted her children to see themselves much like the gardenia—lovely, strong and perfect with perhaps a bit of mystery.

    My mother died ten days after I was married. I was 22. That was the year the gardenia stopped coming.

D

    "My dear lady," says Holmes. "You're shivering. Are you cold? Do you want a cup of hot tea?"

    "I'm not cold," the woman replies, "I fear for my life!"

    "We are here to help you. Don't worry about anything. I don't know you. But I know many things about you. For example, I know how you travel. You came to London by train. You also ride to the train station on a horse-drawn wagon(马车)."

    "Why, yes. You're right. But how do you know these things?"

    "I see a return ticket in your glove. I see fresh mud on the left arm of your dress. Now tell us your problem."

    "My name is Helen Stoner," she states, "My mother and father are dead. I am living with my stepfather, Dr Grimesby Roylott. He comes from a rich family. But they are no longer rich. They have nothing except a small piece of land and a huge old house. We are living in the house. Dr Roylott is using my mother's money for expenses(开支). Part of it was for my sister and me. It was for our marriages."

    Holmes is sitting in his chair. His eyes are closed. He is listening carefully to Helen's story. He hears every detail(细节).

    Helen continues. "My stepfather has no friends. He fights with everyone. He is strong and gets angry quickly. Everyone is afraid of him."

    "He has no friends at all?" asks Holmes.

    "No. He talks to no one except the gypsies. They are poor people who travel from place to place. A band of gypsies is staying on our land right now."

    "Are you and your sister afraid of the gypsies?"

    "My dear Mr Holmes. You are making me so sad. My sister is dead. That is why I am standing here in this room."

My brother Tom is very kind. He is always ready to help people who are in{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(苦恼). Now he is studying in a university. At the same time, he is a volunteer at a local after-school p{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. It {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(提供) some service to those who are not good at their studies. 

Last year, he s{#blank#}4{#/blank#} up a special website for the disabled children. At first, he met many difficulties. However, he worked them out quickly. He also called up more helpers to join the program. They spent{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(数个) hours with the children every week and taught them how to take care of themselves. Many parents feel e{#blank#}6{#/blank#}because they can't imagine their children can study like normal children. 

"W{#blank#}7{#/blank#}Tom's website, the program would be unable to have enough helpers to help us. I get such a strong feeling of satisfaction (满意)" one of the program {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(主人) says. 

"I feel happy to teach those children how to study. The happiest thing is that I can also{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(发展) myself and it can make my dream come{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(实现)." Tom says.

Mr. and Mrs. Green are two old farmers in the countryside. George is 1 only son and he is 30 years old. He works in 2 big city and visits his parents only on weekends.

3 the morning of April 2nd, Mr. and Mrs. Green decided 4 to the city to visit George by bus without giving him a call. The bus was very slow 5 they didn't mind it. It was the first time they went to the big city, so they were 6 to see the new things on the way. When the bus arrived there three hours later, George was surprised and happy to see his parents 7 before him. That evening, they 8 out in a restaurant. The food was quite different from that in the countryside. After supper, George showed his parents around the city. His father said, "If we come here next time, we 9 shopping and buy lots of things."

The next morning, Mr. and Mrs. Green went back home 10 . Although they were away for only one day, they began to miss their farm.