When I heard the news, tears ran down my face. Some years ago on a hot summer day, a little boy decided to go for a 1 in the lake behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the 2 water, he ran out of the back door. He flew into the water, not 3 that an alligator（鳄鱼）was swimming toward the 4. His mother in the house was 5 of the window and saw the alligator 6 it got closer and closer. In fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her sin as 7as she could.

    Hearing her voice, the little boy became 8 and made a return to swim to his mother. It was to 9. Just as he reached her, the alligator 10 him. From the shore, the mother grasped her little boy by the arms just as the alligator grasped his legs. The alligator was much 11 than the mother, but the mother was much too struggling to let the boy go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard her 12, raced from his truck, took aim and 13 the alligator.

    14, after weeks in the hospital, the little boy 15. His legs were scarred by the animal and, on his arms, were 16 scratches where his mother's fingernails scratched. A newspaper reporter, who 17 the boy, asked if he would show him his 18. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious 19, he said to the reporter, “But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my mom wouldn't let me go. They are my mother's 20 for me.”

A Controversial Restoration(修复)

    Certain masterpieces are recognized worldwide as outstanding achievements in human creativity and imagination.  All of these works are hundreds of years old, and like everything that ages, some parts of them need to be restored from time to time. However, not everyone agrees on how and when certain works should be restored.

     For example, through careful study of the building, experts found that the Taj Mahal was sliding toward the river beside it! Restoration efforts then began to repair cracks in the building and halt (停止) its slide. However, such works as the Sistine Chapel and the statue of David are not under any threat of serious damage or loss. Rather, restorations are planned to clean or touch up the works so that they look better.

    David is a perfect case in point of just such a touch-up project. For the statue's 500^th "birthday", the museum in Italy where David stands today planned to restore the statue's appearance. In reality, David was just dirty. For more than 300 years, the statue stood outdoors in a square in Florence. When he carved the sculpture, Michelangelo planned for it to stand outside and naturally accumulate the marks of weathering. Therefore, critics of David's restoration claimed that cleaning the statue would change its intended appearance by the artist.

     After nine months of careful cleaning, the restored David was revealed (展现) to the public. So, how was the statue different? For one thing, David's hair was no longer blackened with thick dirt. Also, the stains on his hands were gone, and the dirty streaks (条痕) on his left leg had been erased. As one art expert remarked, "Only someone with expert knowledge and long as familiarity with the ‘skin' of the statue will be aware that certain unattractive irregularities are no longer there."

    On the other hand, the restoration of the Sistine Chapel resulted in a dramatic difference in the work's appearance. Through painstaking efforts, the frescoes (壁画) of the Sistine Chapel were beautifully restored by erasing years of dust and dirt from the ceiling and walls.  However, most view its restoration as a marvelous success.

A. That should not have surprised anyone.

B. A few critics maintain that the artist's work has been ruined.

C. Ignoring these cries of disapproval, the museum went ahead with the restoration.

D. The museum wanted to understand how the changes were happening and the best way to restore it.

E. In some cases, there is a pressing need for something to be done in order to save a historical treasure.

F. Even critics of the project agreed that the touch-ups to the masterpiece were very moderate (适度的).

G. Three good examples of such works are the Taj Mahal, the Sistine Chapel，and the sculpture of David.

    If you see a group of people dancing and singing on the street or in the railway station,  you don't need to feel surprised．They are a flash mob （快闪族）, which is a group of people who come together suddenly in a public place, do something unusual for a brief period of time,  and then quickly break up．They are usually organized with the help of the Internet or other digital communication network．At a predetermined time, they gather and perform some  distractions（消遣） such as waving their hands and exchanging books, Then, they quickly break up before the police can arrive．Using mobile phones, the flash mob can change its location if the first one has been replaced for any reason．

    Bill Lasik, senior editor of Harper's Magazine, organized the first flash mob in Manhattan in May 2003 and the first successful flash mob came together on June 3, 2003 - after the first try was foiled at Macy's department store．Lasik claimed that the activity was designed to make fun of hipsters （起时髦的人）, and call attention to the cultural atmosphere．

    Flash mob gatherings can sometimes shock people．Such an activity might seem amusing and untrue, but it also might frighten people who are not aware of what is taking place．Undoubtedly, flash mobs can serve as good political tools in any direction．They also have great economic potential, such as using flash mobs to advertise a product．

    The flash mob is now becoming more and more popular．People use it to do many things．For example, in 2009, Michael Jackson's fans took part in a flash mob to remember him．Hundreds of his fans gathered singing and dancing Michael's famous song "Beat It" together．Flash mobs give people from all walks of life an opportunity to come together to create a memory．

    Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!

    When I was a senior in high school, I 1 knew I wanted to pursue writing as a career.

    Writing had basically 2 me when I was only 7 years old,3 since that time, I'd been bombarded(轰炸) by guidance counselors and career planners who all 4 me to have " a back-up-plan" in case writing didn't work out.

    I'd never even 5 a different career path, so I was very 6 and worried. After much thought, I decided 7 would be my "back-up-plan", and I signed up for a class through my high school.

    This 8 that every morning, I would serve as a teacher's helper for my favorite 6th grade teacher, Mr. Ralston. Morning after morning, I showed up in Mr. Ralston's classroom and 9 papers for him.

    Sometimes, I even 10 a lesson or two. It was fun, and the students seemed to like me, so I was surprised when it came time for my 11.Mr. Ralston looked me right in the eyes and asked, "Do you really want to teach?"

"Had I really been that 12?" I thought.

    "Don't misunderstand. You'll do fine in teaching," he continued. "But, is your 13 really in it?"

    "Not really," I 14. "I want to write. I want to write new stories and fiction and poetry and so much more... but I've been told it's tough to make it as a writer 15 I thought maybe I would teach and then use my summers 16 to pursue writing."

    As I shared with Mr. Ralston my hopes, dreams and carefully plotted-out back-up plan, he smiled and said, "Why are you preparing to 17 with this back-up plan? If you want to be a writer, go for it! Pursue writing!"

    Mr. Ralston's 18 to follow my dreams was the little nudge(推动) I decided to help me push past my 19 of not making it as a writer and simply "Go for it!"

    That's what an encouraging word will do when spoken in love in 20 season. So, Let's try and be like Mr. Ralston and speak that word of encouragement at just the right time and make a difference in someone's life today.

A Journey across Canada

    After a quiz last autumn, Kuang crossed the continent eastward to Toronto to visit his schoolmate, the distance measuring a 5,000 kilometers,

    His train started from Vancouver, a city s by mountains. After confirming his baggage was a the train, Kuang settled down in his seat. Having a gift for c, he started chatting with another passenger w 5 minutes. Their t included the Canadian traditions, the Prime Minister, the m of races, and the terrifying Great Fall. After a nice buffet at noon, he was pleased to find that the scenery was i. He saw beautiful harbours in the d, wealthy urban areas and maple forest that covered thousands of acres. He even managed to catch s of an eagle flying u over bushes.

    Kuang reached Toronto w lies slightly near the border at a m dawn. There was frost and the broad d streets were very quiet. Though it was early, Kuang phoned his schoolmate in a booth nearby at once r  than waiting for him to come. They had a good time together.

For the past ten years, my dad and I have attended the same school—he as an administrator and I as a student. Our relationship, in and out of school, has been totally unpredictable.

When I was younger, all 1 my dad said was doctrine (信条). We played games together, and stayed up late reading bedtime stories. I could 2 my dad taking me to school, running into him 3 during the day and riding home with him every afternoon.

As I grew older, we were not as 4 as we used to be. He wasn't cool any more. He wore his socks too high, listened to 5 country music and laughed too loudly in front of my friends. He became a total embarrassment.

However, the 6 that occurred in school were even worse. The worst one happened in seventh grade. My dad came to our New Year party, 7 as Donald Duck, guitar in hand, singing silly songs. Just kill me！I wanted to run away.

This 8 continued into high school, but we somehow began to find a balance. Things started to 9 around the time of my 10th-grade physics project. The 10 was to build a wood bridge with the best strength-to-weight ratio (比率). All the students and physics teachers11. So did my dad, the only administrator! Embarrassed, as usual, I 12 the scene. 13, when I learned from my friends that my dad 14 all competitors and won everyone's admiration, I found that mixed in with my 15 was a touch of pride.

I had needed someone else to show me what I 16 in my dad. It wasn't the fact that he'd won; it was more than that. I began to 17 that we have many of the same values and the same opinions. No matter how much I had tried to 18 him, he still influenced me.

I feel 19 to have such an unusual father. The 20 I have developed with my dad over the years has enabled me to look back and see how I've grown.

Research by De Montfort University recently found that negative emotions have something to do with bad living habits. Here are five of them that you should try to stay away from.

Constantly checking your phone

A hurtful habit is being glued to our phones and checking them without even thinking about it. This can make you more distracted and forgetful. To overcome this, monitor your screen time and focus on the positive posts rather than the negative ones.

Being inside all day

Spending the majority of your day indoors can significantly increase your risk for depression due to lack of sunlight and vitamin D. The natural light, change of scenery and exercise can boost your mental health, improve your mood, and increase your ability to concentrate.

A lack of sleep can leave us feeling a little ropey (状态不佳). That is because sleep deprivation leads to low mood, difficulty concentrating, and getting more easily angry, which can negatively impact your mental health. Using techniques to relax before bed will develop a good sleep routine, making you energized and positive during your waking hours.

Bad diet

High-sugar, processed foods like cakes, bread, and biscuits, as well as red meat can substantially raise the risk for depression. Topositivelvimpact your mental health, please choose a diet full of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Lack of exercise

Lack of exercise can lead to feelings of depression and exhaustion while regular exercise can help improve your energy levels and motivation, increasing feelings of happiness. Then, how often?

A. The best way to stay away from your phone is to power it off.

B. Even worse, this habit can injure self-esteem and cause negative thoughts.

C. Therefore, set aside a period of time each day to be exposed to nature.

D. Getting enough sleep.

E. For maximum benefit, do at least 30 minutes of exercise 3 to 5 times a week.

F. Sleeping too little.

G. Eating these foods on a regular basis could be one reason your mental health is suffering.

    Imagine being a business that regularly takes huge quantities of your own products worth millions of pounds and burns them up. Your stock literally goes up in smoke. It sounds crazy, but the practice is common for some of the world's biggest clothing manufacturers. They argue that it is the most cost-effective way of maintaining their brand's exclusivity (独特性).

    The clothes that are burned are those that do not sell at a high enough price. Rather than watch them go on sale, the companies would set fire to them and regain a small amount of energy.

    Nobody knows exactly how much unsold stock is burnt annually by those fashion houses, but burning clothes has various negative impacts on the environment. For example, burning clothes made from artificial fibers may release plastic microfibers into the atmosphere, which worsens global warming. A UK parliamentary committee report on sustainability and the fashion industry advises the government to ban the burning of unsold stock if it can be reused or recycled.

    Actually, there are other approaches. What if those companies had a section tasked with taking back unsold clothes, redesigning them into new products, and shipping out the new products to the market once again?

    There is also now an opportunity to focus on biodegradable (可生物降解的) fabrics. Clothes that break down faster might not have to be burned. They would also appeal to those who care about the environmental impact of their own wardrobes (衣柜).

    Additionally, we have an over-production problem. According to the World Bank, while clothing sales have risen steadily since 2000, clothing utilization has fallen at roughly the same rate. For every extra T-shirt that is sold, it will be worn roughly half as much as it would have been 20 years ago. That means better forecasting market trends would in theory result in less waste.

    Burning clothes won't happen simply through fashion firms. The scale of fashion production has to change. And it's important to recognize that these consumer-focused brands will only go where the market takes them. If protecting the environment really matters to the public, they have to make clear that they want more sustainable clothing in the first place. Without consumers demanding that, it won't change.