I was a single parent of four small children, working at a low-paid job. Money was always tight, but we had a 1 over our heads, food on the table, clothes on our backs, and if not a lot, always 2. Not knowing we were poor, my kids just thought I was 3. I've always been glad about that.

    It was Christmas time, and although there wasn't 4 for a lot of gifts, we planned to celebrate with a family party. But the big 5 for the kids was the fun of Christmas 6.

    They planned weeks ahead of time, asking 7 what they wanted for Christmas. Fortunately, I had saved $120 for 8 to share by all five of us.

    The big9 arrived. I gave each kid a twenty-dollar bill and 10 them to look for gifts of about four dollars each. Then everyone scattered(散开). We had two hours to shop; then we would 11 back at the “Santa's Workshop”.

    Driving home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits(情绪), 12 my younger daughter, Ginger, who was unusually 13. She had only one small, flat(瘪的) bag with a few candies—fifty-cent candies! I was so angry, but I didn't say anything 14 we got home. I called her into my bedroom and closed the door, 15 to be angry again. This is what she told me.

    “I was looking 16 thinking of what to buy, and I 17 to read the little cards in the ‘Giving Trees.' One was for a little girl, four years old, and all she 18 for Christmas was a doll(玩具娃娃). So I took the card off the tree and 19 the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn't have anything.”

    I never felt so 20as I did that day.

    Last Christmas while staying with my parents, I 1 across some old love letters that my parents wrote to each other. These letters were all piled up in a basket, dirty and 2 with dust.3 to read and sort them, I asked them if I could take the letters back to my Illinois home. They agreed.

    As I carefully opened each letter, all of them delicate with age, I discovered a new page 4unknown to me in this private chapter of my parents' lives.

    My father used to 5 in the army. So his letters were full of frontline  6 of the things about the war. Each of my mother's letters was marked 7 her 1944 dark red lipstick kiss. I was 8 to these letters like a magnet (磁铁).

    Just six weeks after our Christmas visit, Daddy became very 9and was hospitalized. This time, he was fighting a 10 kind of war. As I sat by his bedside, we discussed the 11 . He told me how much receiving those lipstick-kissed letters had 12to him when he had been so far from home.

    It so happened that the next day would be February 14. From the 13letters I chose the card my father had sent Mother in 1944 and brought it to my father's bedside.

    At his bedside, I joked with him, saying 14, “Today is Valentine's Day, don't you want to send Mother a present?” He became more 15when I handed him the old 16. He carefully opened it and took out the card, and when he 17 it, his eyes were filled with tears.

    My father, in a voice tight with18read the loving19he'd sent to my mother fifty-six years earlier. And this time, he could read it to her 20.

    There was a very popular local restaurant near our company. One day, I went with some colleagues from my office for a dinner in a very popular local restaurant. It was 1 business time and the restaurant was crowded. We 2 found a table in a corner for three of us.

    As soon as we sat down, we heard a crash when a cleaning boy 3 the floor with all the plates he was carrying. There was 4 and no one was saying or doing anything.

    In a flash I remembered my 5 many years ago. Once, I 6 in the airport because I had rushed there on my own on an empty stomach. I was picked up and taken care of by two 7. Now this was my chance to 8it forward.  

    I ran to the young man's side immediately, turned him on his back and screamed for someone to 9 a hot drink. Soon people started asking if I was a doctor. I said I was not, but I was 10 at attending the one blacking out(晕厥).

    The kid soon opened his eyes, 11 what had happened. I 12 him by saying it was OK and I had had a 13experience. He had not eaten anything. I held the 14 drink to his mouth till he finished it and sat with him till he felt OK. By then the 15 had arrived. I asked her to give the kid something to eat. I offered to pay.

    The manager was kind enough to refuse the 16 and agreed to make sure the kid ate before he went home. By the time all this was 17 it was getting late for my colleagues. We hadn't 18 anything yet, so they decided to go home.

    I slowly walked home, not hungry any more, feeling 19 for the opportunity I pay forward the 20 I had received many years ago.

    On a dark grey morning, my mom said in a quiet voice. "Your dad and I have decided that we're moving to Singapore.”

    These words did not1much in my five-year-old brain until the day we had to2 and say goodbye to our close friends.

    Normally，mom always booked our3together. The4of sitting next to a stranger was never something I had to worry about, until now. Booking it late, we weren't given5when buying the seats.

    I was6as I walked on the plane and down the aisle. What I saw was something 7to an alien to me. It was an Indian lady dressed in a traditional Sari and having a massive bindi(额前的人工痣) between her eyebrows. But her8wasn't the only thing that9me away. I made a10 as if I had smelt something sour.

    My mom11walked me to the back of the plane, and12she wasn't any different from me and I should be respectful because it was her13and religion.

    As we got prepared to14, the lady buckled(扣住 )her seatbelt and took out a book from her bag. At that point I am15that the book was in English! After a short sleep, I16to dinner time. I got spaghetti and so did the lady sitting next to me. She was eating the same thing as me!

    Throughout the flight, I17in my young little mind that she was just a human being like me though she looked and18differently, which provided me with a19of being a human being who20all types of lifestyles.

    I was facing a decision. While delivering laundry (洗好的衣服) into the 1 bedrooms, I came across my thirteen-year-old sister's diary, suffused (弥漫) with 2. What was I to do?

    I had always been 3 of my little sister. Her charming smile, endearing personality and many talents 4 my place as leading lady. I competed with her secretly and grew to hate her natural abilities. 5, we seldom spoke. I sought opportunities to 6 her. Her diary lay at my feet, and I didn't think of the 7 of opening it, considering not her privacy, nor the morality of my action.

    I took the book from the floor and opened it 8, looking through the pages, searching for my name, convinced that I would discover 9. As I read, the blood ran from my face. I felt 10 and sat on the floor. There was neither charge nor hate. There was a brief description of herself, her goals and her dreams followed by a short description of the person who has 11 her most.

    I started to cry. I was her 12. She admired me for my personality, my achievements and, ironically (嘲讽地), my 13. She wanted to be like me. She had been watching me for years, quietly admiring my choices and actions. I stopped reading, 14 with the crime I had committed.

    I had wasted years hating her and now I had violated her 15. It was I who had lost something beautiful, and it was I who would never 16 myself to do such a thing again. Reading the earnest words my sister had written seemed to 17 an icy barrier around my heart, and I longed to know her again. On that fateful afternoon, as I 18 the laundry and rose to my feet, I 19 to go to her—this time to experience instead of to judge, to 20 instead of to fight. After all, she was my sister.

(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.