My previous home had a stand of woods behind it and many animals in the backyard. That first year, I1 feeding peanuts to the blue jays, then the squirrels. The squirrels had no2 coming up right to me for them. As the months went by, the rabbits saw that I was no 3and didn't escape. When I threw carrot slices(薄片)，they even came for a nibble(啃).Slowly they came to4 me, and by the end of the year they were eating out of my hand.

    That second year, the rabbits5 me, and one would even sit up for slices! While I was feeding them, I 6 that a groundhog who used to run away was now taking an7interest in this food situation. I carefully extended a long8, with a keen eye on those teeth, and 9,there were times I would have the groundhog sitting next to a rabbit, both munching(津津有味的咀嚼) on carrots. A few months later, while 10,she would even turn her back to me.11when she was facing away, I reached out and 12scratched（搔）her back with my finger, She didn't move.

    By year three, the rabbits and the groundhog were back. The groundhog 13didn't have a problem with me scratching her back, and I got an idea, I'd always14,while slicing up carrots, that the end looked like a cap.15one day, just to see what she would do ,I gently 16 one on top of the groundhog's head. Again, not a 17,The next time, I had my camera ready to record what you see here, one of several dozen such pictures,18she had a slice to eat, she never 19 the one of her head. It was a fair 20 —I got a pleasure, and she had yet another tasty treat.

    I remember arriving at my college accommodation for the first time. I 1my things, and then sat on the bed and burst into2.This 3 for a year. The lectures and exams were both filled4sorrow. I had a terrible 5 that I must be doing something6since everyone else seemed to be happy.

    It was my mum who finally gave me the7to leave. I was home for the weekend and we were talking about how much 8I was putting on myself. Finally she 9said, "How about just not going back on Monday?" At the time, I didn't think of this as10. It felt like falling back into a11hole without a ladder.

    It was hard to climb out. My depression(沮丧) was far12 serious than anyone had ever thought. But I know now that my decision to leave school wasn't about13. It was about stepping back from the education 14wasn't right for me. And it was about moving forward by pushing  15depression.

    I can't say enough about how valuable stepping back was for me. After I left  16 I was ready to move forward. I 17my own company. Almost five18years have passed and my little company is doing well19 now I find myself with another choice to expand or to stay small for another year. I may step back20 but then I will move forward.

    I hadn't even wanted the dog in the first place! My husband insisted I get him to 1 the dog that had died recently.

    Soon, he was "my dog", a friend and 2 companion, not asking for any more than I was willing to give a daily meal and a warm bed. But not my 3! No dogs are allowed on my bed.

    The night after my husband died, I lay there, staring into the darkness, my eyes full of4. The bed seemed so 5all by myself and I was wondering how long it takes for a good case of loneliness to 6. It was cold and moving slowly into my open hand outside the 7. It has prickly (刺痒的) hairs and just before I 8, a familiar call came from the creature that was forcing its cold, wet nose into my trembling (颤抖的) hand.

    "Oh, Shawn! What are you doing on my bed?" I put my arms around his hairy neck and 9 him.

    In the months to follow, I came to realize that this dog I hadn't 10 was a gift of love. He was a warm companion always 11 and available to go for a 12 when I needed to get out of the house. Twice, he snapped (咬) at me 13 I cried loudly and out of control, as if to tell me to be 14.

    Shawn taught me all about love, 15 and forgiveness. That crazy dog 16 me just as I am. And I've learned to help those around me who are 17 and to approach them 18, loving them just as they are. Like a dog curling up by the warm fire, I just want to be there in case I'm 19. I thank life for providing me with a(n) 20 when I felt alone, and for the comfort of a cold, wet nose.

It was my last class before summer break, and I was finishing up the first year of a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program in poetry. Unsure if I deserved a 1 in the program, I worried I wasn't as2 as my peers. When the professor asked about our summer 3 , I panicked. I didn't want to appear idle (闲散的)，so without much 4 , I burst out "gardening". Surprisingly, my professor nodded and mentioned Emily Dickinson loved gardening. Emily Dickinson, a great American poet, studied plants as a 5 . But I was in my twenties and had no gardening 6 .

A few days later, I 7 some seedlings in a store. I thought I should get some. At least I could say I had 8 gardening. Wait, was that a jalapeno (墨西哥辣椒)? I 9 it up.

Over the summer, the plant grew, not big but 10 . I was proud. Maybe I didn't have 11 . But then I had to move out of my apartment for some reason. I 12 with my friends. It was December when I found my new apartment, and my jalapeno was suffering: its 13 had fallen off. I set it next to a window by the kitchen sink, and 14 for the best.

I 15 to work hard in school. Then spring came. My plant grew with new leaves. And it flowered when I 16 my graduate paper, a book of 17 , in May.

I was washing dishes one day when my professor called. "Your poems are strong..." he said. I'd done it! I went back to the dishes, but suddenly I found the flowers 18 my jalapeno were gone. Had I done something 19 ?  I looked closer. Where a flower had been, a tiny green fruit 20 through.

(2023陕西西安高一练习)

Donald opened the door of his pet parrot's cage and slid in his index finger(食指).Donald's parrot,Sunshine,jumped excitedly onto the finger."How are you doing today,Sunshine?" {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Sunshine munched(用力咀嚼)happily on the grass while Donald put the bird on his shoulder and walked across the room to his desk.

"I need to earn some money,Sunshine," Donald said to the bird,which was now placed atop Donald's head."But who will hire someone of my age,and what am I good at?"

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} "I'm responsible," he said to Sunshine as he wrote,"and I like people and animals,but,on the other hand,I'm too young to drive,and I don't have much experience in performing most jobs."

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} After a couple of rings,the phone quieted,so Donald knew his mother had answered the phone.He heard an unclear conversation from the room as he continued his job musings(沉思).

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} She laughed when she saw Sunshine stay happily on Donald's head."That was Mrs.Johannson on the telephone," she reported.She wants to know if you would be willing to take care of their two parrots while the Johannsons are out of town next week.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Donald grinned(咧嘴笑) from ear to ear.

A.She's even willing to pay a little.

B.You might be too busy to take the job.

C.Donald was worried about his future job.

D.Donald asked as he held out a leaf of grass to the bird.

E.A few minutes later,Donald's mother walked into his room.

F.Donald was thinking about his options when he heard the telephone ring in another room.

G.Donald tore a sheet of paper out of a notebook and began writing down the things he was good at.

Growing up in a suburban neighborhood in the Northeastern United States, the advent of springtime didn't hold much significance for me. While it did bring a week-long respite from school, the focus was more on the vacation aspect than the season itself.

For the children in my community, spring was largely an overlooked period. The year was divided into two primary seasons: winter, which offered the thrill of ice skating, sledding, and constructing snow forts; and summer, which allowed us to fully enjoy the beach located a short distance from my home. Spring and autumn were merely transitional periods, marking the countdown to the more exciting seasons.

It's true that as I matured, spring began to hold a certain charm for me, as suggested by the poetic line, "In the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love," penned by Alfred Lord Tennyson. However, my fascination was more with the romantic notions associated with the season rather than the season itself.

In essence, spring was not a season I paid much heed to... until my journey to China. After spending roughly three months in Beijing, my first Spring Festival made its presence known in an undeniable way. The sporadic fireworks throughout the day and night were a clear indication, but what truly struck me was the apparent absence of the usual hustle and bustle in the city.

The usual throngs of people, streams of vehicles, and the general city noise seemed to have vanished. This mystery was resolved upon my return to work. My colleagues enlightened me that it is customary for Chinese people to travel, if necessary, to reunite with their families during the Spring Festival. Many residents of Beijing are not originally from the capital.

Furthermore, I was introduced to a fascinating aspect of the Spring Festival that continues to astonish me. Regardless of when the holiday commences, there is an almost instantaneous and perceptible improvement in the weather. Spring truly makes its entrance.

The ancient Chinese ability to devise a system that could consistently and accurately herald the change of seasons, year after year, is beyond my comprehension. Yet, they managed to achieve this remarkable feat.