Gift from A Stranger

My local supermarket is always busy. The first parking space I found was convenient. but I'd noticed a woman in a blue car circling for a while. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}I was in a good mood, I let her have it. On the edge of the car park I backed into the next available spot——it was a tight fit. Pretty soon I'd made my way through the supermarket and was back in the flesh air. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(feel)good, I emptied my purse change into the hands of a homeless man and{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(help)a struggling woman reverse park.

    Just as I approached my car, I saw the woman I'd let have my car spot earlier. She was giving me {#blank#}4{#/blank#}odd look——half intent(热切的), half puzzled. I smiled and wished her a pleasant day. As I squeezed back into my car, I saw the same lady{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(look)in at me. "Hello, "she said, hesitantly. "This {#blank#}6{#/blank#}sound crazy but I was on my way to drop some of my mother's things off at the charity bins. You are just so much {#blank#}7{#/blank#}her. You helped those people, I noticed, and you seemed so happy. "She looked at me{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(meaning)and passed a box in through the window. "I think she would like you to have it. "{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(shock), I took it from her automatically. She smiled and walked away.

    After a pause. I opened the box. Inside was a beautiful gold necklace with a large grey pearl. It was the {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(nice)gift I'd ever received, and it was from a complete stranger. The necklace was around my neck, a warm reminder of human kindness.

    In northeastern Liaoning Province, winter can be very cold. For months, almost nothing grows on these frozen areas, except for one {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (surprise) product—grapes, which make something special, ice wine. Ice wine {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (make) from frozen grapes. The freezing process gives the wine a sweet flavor. It's so much {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (strong). It tastes like a raisin (葡萄干).

    Here, conditions for making ice wine are so perfect {#blank#}4{#/blank#} a third of the world's ice wine is now produced here. Strict rules mean that the temperature must be at least -8℃ for hours. While they wait, the grapes could go bad. So, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (prevent) this from happening, they need to be picked as soon as the conditions {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (be) right.

    In the early morning, the villagers are all {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (die) to help. The grapes planted here are called Vidal. As soon as the grapes are picked, they are transported to the wine company—the largest {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (produce) in China. Two years later, the wine is ready to be in the bottles, each of {#blank#}9{#/blank#} contains the juice of a 2.5 kilograms of grapes. These bottles will be{#blank#}10{#/blank#} the dinner table across China and even the world.