Night after night, she'd lean down and push my long hair out of the way, then kiss my forehead. I don't remember {#blank#}1{#/blank#} it first started annoying me —her hands pushing my hair that way. But it did annoy me, for {#blank#}2{#/blank#} felt work-worn and rough against my young skin. Finally, one night, I shouted {#blank#}3{#/blank#} her, “Don't do that any more— your hands are too rough!” she didn't say anything in reply. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} never again did my mother close out my day with that familiar expression of love. Now, my own children are {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(grow) and gone. It was late on Thanksgiving Eve, as I slept in the bedroom of my youth, {#blank#}6{#/blank#} familiar hand hesitantly run across my face to brush the hair from my forehead. Then a kiss {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(gentle) touched my brow. In my memory, for the thousandth time, I recalled the night my young voice complained, “Don't do that any more — your hands are too rough!” {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(catch) Mom's hand in hand, I blurted out {#blank#}9{#/blank#} sorry I was for that night. I thought she'd remember as I did. But mom didn't know what I {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (talk) about. She had forgotten — and forgiven — long ago. That night, I fell asleep with a new appreciation for my gentle mother and her caring hands.

    When I called up my mother in the countryside on the phone, she told me snakes came to her home now and then, and {#blank#}1{#/blank#} they seemed to have made their home there. I got the chance to distinguish {#blank#}2{#/blank#} by inventing something {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (mercy) to catch the snakes.

    No products can help me catch snakes, so I set out {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (research) the habits of snakes to trap them. I decided on three approaches: firstly, removing their habitat; secondly, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(attract) them into {#blank#}6{#/blank#} trap, and thirdly cooling them. I used the {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (freeze) bowl to make the snakes less active, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} then collected them. The next day I released them into the wild.

    I have filled {#blank#}9{#/blank#} the form and filed my patent {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (apply) with the Patent Office.

    Folk music includes many musical variations over the centuries. This form of music is{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (energy) in English-speaking countries.

    In the 1960s, folk music{#blank#}2{#/blank#} (become) very popular thanks to artists like US song-writer Bob Dylan and Canadian singer Leonard Cohen. At that time, folk music used traditional instruments and had lyrics（歌词）that focused on social issues such as poverty and war. The power of folk music was {#blank#}3{#/blank#} big as to inspire political and artistic movements. One of Dedylan's famous songs, Blowin'in the Wind{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (honor) as an “all-purpose progressive anthem (圣歌）” and it suggested {#blank#}5{#/blank#}some things would change. The song served{#blank#}6{#/blank#} the center of several protest movenments.

    Contemporary folk musicians still use traditional instruments and strong story-telling techniques{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (set) their tunes apart, but their lyrics are much less serious. And they have involved elements of other kinds of music.

    The British band Mumford& Sons is one of the most recent examples. When Mumford& Sons burst on the scene back in 2011 with their{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (one) performance in America, they were met with great enthusiasm. The media began to talk about “a new folk rock”.

    Their songs are rich in reference to the Bible and poets as well. Their music removes all politics and becomes an exercise in romantic{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (explain) for nice men with mandolins (曼陀铃）. And most {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(important), their songs are nice to listen to and sing along with.