When you live in a seasonal environment, you can learn that both outdoor and indoor activities have their place. As the seasons1 so does your mood. Certain activities become more or less attractive2 the weather and the length of the day.

    Spring is a time of the year when the world starts to3 from its winter sleep. During this season, I enjoy going on long walks through parks and watching the world come4.

    Many consider summer to be the top of the year. The city comes into full swing5 the weather becomes warmer and warmer. During the summer, I prefer to spend the daytime anywhere that is air-conditioned. This 6include the library, a shopping center or a movie theater. I often enjoy spending the7evenings sitting on the wide balcony of my house and having drinks with my friends.

    Fall, with the8 of the leaves and the summer heat gradually 9is probably another 10 time to go on long walks during the day. I love to be 11during fall and see the life of the city returning to its hibernation (冬眠). Another12to go outside during autumn is to 13the last days of warmth until the next year.

    Winter14 the shortening of days and cooler weather. Outdoor activities tend to become less 15 and sinking down on the sofa with a good book becomes my16 activity. It is not enjoyable to spend time outside if it is too 17I only choose to go outside when I want to go skiing.

    So, my 18to spend time indoors or outdoors is vastly dependent on the19. Different seasons 20different activities and therefore it is Impossible to choose whether I would spend all of my spare time indoors or outdoors.

    I can never wipe off the memory that I met my current stepmom for the first time. After I parted with my father for ages, I moved to America and was 1 with him. In the beginning, she made sure to let me know that I was welcome in her 2. I remember when I first saw her at the 3. It was different, but not 4. Over the past years there is 5 I needed that she did not provide. I'm the young woman I'm today because she made sure to 6 me properly. Yesterday I went to see her for Mother's Day. When I gave her 7, she held my face in both of her hands and kissed me straight on the mouth 8 I had the flu.

    Her simple act of affection 9 me back to my first night in America. After I was 10 up from the airport we went home and she11 my luggage and took me shopping for new clothes since the ones I had brought with me from Africa were a bit 12. That night before I went to bed, she came to my room, the first room I had ever had for my own. She told me she was 13 to have me and that she would take good care of me. Before she 14 she asked me for a hug. That was my 15 first hug and I was 11 years old at that time.

    I'm 23 years old now and I have received many 16 over the past years, but none has given me a greater 17 or deeper impression. I regarded her as my 18 mother because my new life began when I came to 19 with her. Today I say to my mother, Mrs. Sherrill Kirundi, thank you, mom. Thank you for your giving me my 20 childhood back.

    My husband Bill's Grandma was in a nursing home when we moved back to Michigan. Grandma had been unable to walk for quite some time; now her eyesight was almost gone.

    Over the years Grandma and I had 1 many cards and letters. I knew how she enjoyed 2 in touch with people. Grandma would have me write letters to go in the cards she would send. And she would always have me 3 what I had written back to her. Grandma didn't have a problem with hearing then 4 she was always telling me, "That is not 5 how I said that!"  I would then rewrite whatever I wrote in her exact words.

    Since I had some 6 time before Christmas, I asked Grandma if she would like to send 7 some Christmas cards. Grandma readily 8. I rounded up several different kinds of cards. I knew she had friends and family who all had different 9. I would take each card and 10 in detail the front of the card, then I would read the words inside. After 11 it over Grandma would tell me who she thought would like 12 card.

    After a while I 13 and I noticed that we had several nursing home 14 standing in the doorway. I started to notice as I read each card, the 15 on their faces and Grandma's face, too. Each one had a 16 smile and a far­away look in their eyes, as they were seeing the scenes in their minds' eye.

    I thought when I went over to do the Christmas 17 I would be doing Grandma a favor, but it 18 that she did me a big favor. I'll always 19this special memory of bringing some Christmas joy and pleasant 20 to Grandma and her fellow residents（居民）.

    One day, a professor entered the classroom and asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. They waited anxiously at their desks for the test to begin. The professor 1the question papers, with the text facing down as usual.2he handed them all out, he asked his students to 3 the page and begin. To everyone's surprise, there were no 4, just a black dot in the center of the page. The professor, seeing the expression on everyone's face, told them the following:

    “I want you to write what you 5 there.”

    The students,6,got started on the inexplicable(费解的) task.

    At the end of the class, the professor 7 all the answer papers and started reading each one of them aloud in front of all the students. All of them, with no 8, described the black dot, trying to explain its position in the middle of the sheet, etc. After all had been 9, the classroom silent, the professor began to explain:

    “I'm not going to grade (打分)this. I 10 wanted to give you something to think about. No one wrote about the 11 part of the paper. Everyone focused on the black dot, and the same happens in our 12.We have a white paper to observe and 13,but we always focus on the dark spots. Our life is a 14 given to us with love and care, and we always have 15 to celebrate: nature renewing itself every day, our friends around us, the job that16our livelihood and the miracles we see every day.17, we insist on focusing only on the dark spots: the health issues that bother us, the lack of money, the18 relationship with colleagues, the 19 with a friend, and etc.

    The dark spots are very 20compared to everything we have in our lives, but they are the ones that pollute our minds.”

In October, I told the eight-year-olds whom I taught about my plan. "I'd like all of you to do1 jobs to earn some money," I said. Then we'll buy food fora(n)2 dinner for someone who might not have a nice dinner otherwise."

Early in the Thanksgiving week, the boys and girls arrived in class with their 3 money. They had set tables , washed dishes and looked after younger siblings(兄弟姐妹). And now they couldn't wait to go 4 .

I supervised(监督) while they5 up and down the supermarket aisles. At last we headed toward the 6 pushing a cart filled with a7 and other food. Then someone8 a "necessity".

" Flowers!" Kristine cried. The group ran toward the holiday plants.

I advised, "You can't9 flowers. " " But Mrs Sherlock, we want flowers." I was finally 10 .

With all those gifts, we went to visit an old woman who had lived11 for many years. When seeing the flowers, the woman seemed 12 . "Do you like them?" Michael asked. The woman brightened up and 13 .

[ After a happy moment, we had to leave. Sitting in the 14 , we could see the kitchen window. The woman inside waved goodbye , then turned and walked across the room, past the turkey, straight to the flowers. She put her 15 in them. When she raised her head , there was a smile on her lips. ]

Taking a gap year between high school and college can be a great way to explore your interests, gain new experiences, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} develop skills that will benefit you in the future. For me, my gap year was {#blank#}2{#/blank#} unforgettable adventure that allowed me {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(step) outside my comfort zone and see the world in new ways.

During my gap year, I traveled to several {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(country) including Thailand, Japan, and Peru. I {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (volunteer) at a wildlife preserve in Thailand, where I worked with elephants, monkeys, and other animals. In Japan, I taught English to elementary school children, and in Peru, I worked on a farming project with a local community.

These experiences were greatly rewarding and taught me valuable lessons about the world and myself. I learned how to communicate {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(effective) with people from different cultures, how to adapt {#blank#}7{#/blank#} new environments and situations, and how to be more self-sufficient and resourceful.

In addition to my travels, I also spent time {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(explore) my passions and hobbies. I took art classes, learned how to cook new dishes, and read extensively about topics {#blank#}9{#/blank#} interested me. These activities helped me to develop my creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking skills. So far these skills {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(be) invaluable in shaping my ideas and I'm looking forward to continuing to improve them throughout my life.