Heaviest snow in half a century hit the south of the country. It snowed continuously for half a month, 1the railways, highways, and runways in the airfields. Ice wrapped and paralyzed（使瘫痪）the power and communication system. Many people were2in railway stations, bus stations and airports, and3in cars, buses and trains. Governments and people did everything they could to fight the snow4, resulting in the good news that no one was killed from5and hunger. Gradually, trapped people all went back home6. While fighting the snow, people forgot their7until a moving story of a swallow couple was widely8on the Internet.

    Being hungry and cold, the swallow couple tried to fly9people's home to warm themselves, but every house was closed10. They jumped and flapped their wings to11the attention of the people inside the house, but failed. The wife's body was12, she could not move any longer. The husband came near and wrapped his wife with his wings. He lost his13soon because of his opened wings. The couple died in the end.

    The next morning, the housemaster went to the balcony to14his flowers because of concern and saw a15swallow outside the window pane. Touching it, he found that they were two16together. Moved to tears, he took them in, giving them some17, but in vain. He found a small cardboard box, laid them in and18them in the back garden.

    In my hometown, in the countryside, a swallow family lives in the19of my house. I wonder if they will come back this spring20they did.

    Last month, I visited one of my old neighborhoods in New York. I had not been there for twenty years and as I walked along the street, my mind was 1 by memories of the past. I saw the old 2 building where I had lived and the playground where I had played. As I viewed these once 3surroundings, images of myself as a child there4 However, what I saw and what I remembered were not the same. I 5realized that the best memories were those kept6

    My old apartment building, as I remember, was bright and alive. It was more than just a place to live. It was a movie house, a space station, or whatever my young mind could 7 I would steal away with my friends and play in the 8This was always exciting because it was so cool and dark, and there were so many things there to 9among. There was a small river in the back of the building. We would go there to lie in the shade of trees and enjoy ourselves.

    However, what I saw was 10different. The apartment building was now in bad11What was once more than a place to live in looked hardly worth 12in. The windows were all 13The once clean walls were covered with dirty 14The river was hardly recognizable. The water was polluted and the trees and flowers were all 15The once sweet-smelling river now smelled16It was really heartbreaking to17all this.

    I do not18having seen my old neighborhood. However, I do not think my 19 childhood memories can ever be the same. I suppose it is20when they say, “You can never go home again.”

As a child, I hated going to the store with my mom. Whenever my mom asked if I wanted to go1, I would say, "No, mom! Who wants to get car sick and walk near the frozen section(冷冻区)? That's the2 part — the freezers and smell of seafood. Why would any mom3their only child this way? I hated it. 4, I did get cookies, French fries, and chocolate. This5 treatment went on until I left for Culver Academies.

    Here at Culver, I had no chance to walk around with my mom and get snacks I wanted. I found myself stuck(被困住) at the 6 whose store had high prices for a slice of cheese. I 7walking near the frozen sections with my mom.

    My first vacation home, my mom asked what I wanted from the 8, knowing I wouldn't go.

    "Can I 9?" I asked with a look of 10 because I wanted to spend time with her. I also felt sad while asking 11 I took all those 12for granted in my childhood.

    I 13 come home now. But when I do, I 14 to go with her every time. If not, I always say, "Love you mom. Drive safe!" I run to the gate and watch her15. I wave, smile, and 16 that I stay home.

As a child, I hated going shopping with my mom, but now I 17 it. I like walking near the frozen sections of stores now— it gives me a(an)18to stay with her. When I go with her, I really19 every detail in our trips. Now I'm eighteen and will be in college soon. I hope she knows how much those eight minutes'20 to the store meant to me .Thanks mom.

    Once there was a farmer in Africa named Hafiz who was happy and content.

    One day a(n)1 man came to him and told him about the glory of diamonds and the 2 that goes along with them. The wise man said, "If you had a diamond the size of your thumb, you could have your own city. If you had a diamond the size of your fist, you could probably own your own3." With that said, he went away. That night the farmer couldn't 4. He was unhappy and he was 5.

    The next morning he sold off his farm, took care of his family and went 6diamonds. He looked all over Africa and couldn't find any. He looked all through Europe and couldn't find any. When he got to Spain, he was emotionally,7and financially broke. He got so8that he threw himself into Barcelona River and committed suicide.

    Back home, the person who had9his farm was watering the camels at a10that ran through the farm. Across the stream, the rays of the morning sun hit a stone and made it11like a rainbow. He picked up the stone and12it in the living room.

    That afternoon the wise man came and saw the stone sparkling. He asked, "Is Hafiz13?" The new owner said, " No, why do you ask?" The wise man said, "Because that is a diamond. I recognize one14I see one." The man said, "No, that's just a stone I15from the stream. Come, I'll show you. There are many more." They went and picked some samples and sent them for16. Sure enough, the stones were diamonds. They found that the farm was indeed17with diamonds.

    When our18is right, we realize that we are all walking on acres and acres of diamonds. Opportunity is always under our feet. We don't have to go anywhere. All we need to do is19it. When people don't know how to recognize opportunity, they complain of20 when it knocks. The same opportunity never knocks twice. The next one may be better or worse, but it is never the same one.

My childhood memories involve sitting with my dad in his study every night. When he came home from work, he would put his 1items away: his watch, wallet, comb and car keys which would always 2the same spot on the table.

Dad's 3was jade green. He bought it when he married Mum, which made it two years older than I was. Every night, he would smile, and hand me the comb: "Be a good girl and help Daddy 4it, OK?"

I would excitedly turn the tap on, and brush it with a used toothbrush. When I 5returned it to Dad, he would smile at me, and place it on top of his wallet.

Two years later, I started primary school. That was6Dad's business wasn't doing so well, He didn't come home as 7as he used to, and when he did, it was always late and I'd already be in bed. So the uncomfortable silence between Dad and me 8.

Now 28, I've 9from college and got a job. One day last year, Dad came home early. I helped him carry his bags into his10. When I turned to leave, he said: "Hey, would you like to help me clean my comb? It's been a while since I 11cleaned it." I looked at him a while, then took the comb, and headed to the sink. It hit me then: why, as a child, helping my dad clean his comb was such a joy. That routine meant that my dad was home early to spend the evening with Mum and me. It meant a happy and loving family. With 12in my eyes, I brushed it with an old toothbrush.

When I 13the clean comb back to him, Dad looked at it, smiling, and then carefully put it on his wallet. But this time, I had noticed something different: Dad has 14. He has wrinkles next to his eyes when he smiles, yet his smile is still as 15as before.

Recently, a 15-year-old girl Lynn Sumpter broke the rules by going to a sleepover party secretly. And her 1 gave her a choice between handing over her phone for a month, or giving them access to her social media for two weeks. She chose the latter and the netizens are so 2 of it.

Lynn Sumpter's social media 3 by her parents, Tawnya Ford and Lary Sumpter, began early in November with an instagram (照片墙) post that 4 she had chosen to abandon her social media for two weeks. So her 5 could expect "some amazing Instagram posts, snapchats and tiktoks from her parents". On November 11, Lynn's dad had already begun his 6 exploration to embarrass his teen daughter, by 7 one of his photos, saying "Felt cute. Might delete later". But that was 8 the beginning. From posing in a tight top and 9 a blonde wig (假发) to dancing around in a pair of shorts and a tank-top (背心), it seemed like there was nothing the 43-year-old wouldn't do to 10 .

Over the course of two weeks, Lynn Sumpter's Instagram following 11 from around 2,700 to 12,700 at the time of this writing, so she should probably thank her parents for their 12 punishment. The only question is "Can she 13 dad Larry's creativity?" She'll have to give it a(n) 14 as many of her social media fans are already 15 her to bring dad back.