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.

    Last year, my brother and I went to Miami for a vacation. Some of my friends who had been there before said {#blank#}1{#/blank#}was a wonderful holiday destination. Before we went, we had planned for months. When the day came, we were ready.

    After our plane landed, we went to the hotel. We had made our reservation six months{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(early),but the man at the front desk said there had been a mistake. We{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(tell)that our rooms hadn't been reserved for that week, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}for the week after. I didn't understand {#blank#}5{#/blank#}this would happen and my credit card had already been charged {#blank#}6{#/blank#}the reservation. What's worse, the hotel had been fully booked. When we were wondering what to do, the manager came out. She was{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(surprise)helpful. She apologized for the mistake and gave us a spare VIP room on {#blank#}8{#/blank#}top floor. We had never stayed in such an amazing room, and we weren't charged extra.

    The next day, my brother and I went to the beach {#blank#}9{#/blank#}we watched some people play volleyball. We got a little{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(sunburn),but the day had been so relaxing that we didn't mind.

    Many people consider old friends to be more important than new ones. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}an old saying goes, “Friends are like wine, the older, the better.” If two pieces of advice {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (give) to solve a problem, one from a new friend and the other from {#blank#}3{#/blank#} old friend, people would prefer the latter one {#blank#}4{#/blank#} the former one, even though the new friend's advice may be better.

    I, however, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (agree) with the old saying, believing that new friends are not necessarily worse than old friends. It is not always right {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (determine) your friendship by the length(长度) of time.

    Once you call someone a friend, he must be a person who is {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (rely) and whose interests are in common with {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(you). It is mainly his character (性格) and interests that make him your friend. It {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (actual) has little to do with time. People's appearance may change, but their character usually stays the same. Therefore, on this point, there is no {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (different) between old friends and new friends.