Last weekend we celebrated Jacob turning nine{#blank#}1{#/blank#}his friends with an art party. Instead of hosting it at our house, we{#blank#}2{#/blank#}（decide ）to try something new to celebrate it. It cost US $50,00 to rent a small restaurant. I worked with a store manager. And I bought{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(balloon) and a few other things from him.

    On the day of the party, the tables in the restaurant{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(cover) and waiters and waitresses were ready to get to work when we arrived. We started with helping the children paint their own canvases(油画){#blank#}5{#/blank#}then create their own T-shirts. I should have advised parents {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(take)some old clothes,{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (unlucky)we did not. When one child got paint all over{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(him), I felt bad about that.

    Overall, Jacob had{#blank#}9{#/blank#}wonderful time. We were able to do the art parity for minimal cost. The smile on his face at the end of the day was all{#blank#}10{#/blank#}mattered to me.

    A young man, while traveling through a desert, came across a spring of clear water. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}water was sweet. He filled his leather container so that he could bring some back to an elder {#blank#}2{#/blank#}had been his teacher. After a four-day journey, the young man{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (present) the water to the old man. His teacher took a deep drink, smiled{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (warm), and thanked his student very much for the sweet water. The young man went home {#blank#}5{#/blank#}a happy heart.

    After the student left, the teacher let {#blank#}6{#/blank#}student taste the water. He spat it out, {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(say) it was awful. Apparently, it was no longer fresh because of the old leather container. He asked his teacher, "Sir, the water was awful. Why did you pretend to like{#blank#}8{#/blank#}?"

The teacher replied, “You tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was simply the container for an act of kindness and love. Nothing could be{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (sweet).”

    We understand this lesson best {#blank#}10{#/blank#}we receive gifts of love from children. Whether it is a cheap pipe or a diamond necklace, the proper response is appreciation. We love the idea within the gift rather than the thing.

    Electric bicycles have made life a lot {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(easy) for food delivery workers here in China. More than 10,000 kilometers away, there was a familiar sight in New York City. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, owing to a new policy, e-bikes can no longer be{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(common) seen on the street over there.

    City officials in New York are promising a crackdown(严厉打击) on e-bikes  The pollution-free vehicles are loved by environmentalists and the often poor workforce {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. relies on them. But there are also frequent complaints{#blank#}5{#/blank#} the bicycles from drivers and pedestrians(行人) who consider them{#blank#}6{#/blank#} public danger.

    Now it is legal to own and sell the bicycles, but{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(ride) them on the street could lead to a fine of up to $500. Businesses that equip their{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(employ) with the bicycles will also be heavily fined.

    The bicycles, which look just like regular bicycles, can reach speeds of 30 km/h and are sometimes operated recklessly (鲁莽的). Lots of people have stories about dangerous situations where they{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(step) out into the street, only to be nearly hit by a quick-moving e-bike.

    Police enforcement (强制执行) against the bicycles has already been tightened. Almost 1,000 of them{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (take) away by police since last year, an increase of several hundred from the year before.

    Open up. By the end of the conversation, you could reveal something more about {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (you). Have the person walking away {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (know) something about you, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} could make you connect on a {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (deep) level and make the person think you are serious. You probably shouldn't reveal your thoughts on the {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (mean) of life，lost love, or death in a round of small talk.

    If it's going well, mention hanging out again. If the person wants to hang out again, get the person's number. Or you can just mention a place {#blank#}6{#/blank#} you both like to go. Here are some things you can say: "I'm really serious about seeing that new movie with you. Can I get your number so we can work out the details later？"

    Say goodbye {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (nice). After you've made small talk but have to go, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} it's to get back to class or to talk to someone else at the party, you should make the person feel important. Here are some ways to end the conversation politely. "It's been great fun {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (talk) to you. I'd love to talk more about Spain, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} I haven't said hi to Nina yet, and it looks like she's about to leave."

A reporter from Jiangsu Province went to Australia and some other {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(country) with his father for a 3-month trip. His father spent most of his life {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(work) in the field. The son started the {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(amaze) trips with his father around the world because his father had cancer—a serious illness.

    The reporter wanted {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(take) his father to travel, hoping that his father can find his younger self in his last days. They {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(travel) more than 13, 000 kilometers and took over 110,000 pictures on {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(they) trips to different countries. Well, a miracle happened during the "rebirth" trips. {#blank#}7{#/blank#} their surprise, his father got better from illness and became more open-hearted. He even taught himself to play {#blank#}8{#/blank#}violin, and then {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(gradual) he played it very well, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} encouraged him a lot. Now he is expecting another trip to Africa. He is the most stylish dad ever.

    Time carves (雕刻) his face but youth flows in his blood  This is the real style.