During COVID-19 lockdown, my husband, Peter and I needed something 【小题1】 (brighten) up our day. Peter found some flower pots, 【小题2】 (hope) flowers would attract some birds.

At a flower shop, I saw lavender flowers (薰衣草花) matched beautifully with some yellow flowers. The saleswoman said,” Hummingbirds (蜂鸟) love those flowers.” I liked the idea of small 【小题3】 (visitor) flying around flowers, so we brought both flowers home and put them on 【小题4】 balcony.

Every day, we’d look out onto the balcony and enjoy the vivid 【小题5】 (arrange). The best part was the hummingbirds’ showing up. They brought joy that we 【小题6】 (great) needed. Being apart 【小题7】 family, I was concerned about 【小题8】 would happen if we were infected with the virus.

One morning, I noticed that a hummingbird’s tiny head 【小题9】 (stick) between two boards and another was trying to free it by pulling its tail. I ran to fetch Peter, but when we returned, the birds were 【小题10】 (go)! I let out a sigh of relief, recalling the saying “He who endures (忍耐) to the end shall be saved.” Those hummingbirds didn’t give up. Why should I?

A man was spending his holiday in Africa. One day he watched the elephants【小题1】(pass) by. To his great surprise, these giant, strong animals were being held only by 【小题2】small rope tied to their front leg. 【小题3】(obvious), they could easily run away any moment.However, they did not. Then he saw a trainer and【小题4】(ask) him how come not a single elephant tried to break free. The trainer explained: “【小题5】the elephants are very young, we use the same size rope to tie them, and at that time it is enough to hold them. Gradually they grow up and get【小题6】(strong) than before, but they never attempt【小题7】( get) away, because they believe that the rope will still hold them.” Sometimes people act【小题8】 elephants; they give up after the first failure. Remember that failures are part of learning If we want to be 【小题9】(success) one day, we should never give 【小题10】,but try and try again.

Su Shi, a famous scholar of the Song Dynasty, was 【小题1】(high)thought of in poetry, prose and painting.

At the age of 21, his fresh prose style earned him the 【小题2】(recognize)of Ouyang Xiu. He 【小题3】(say)that Su Shi’s writings were outstanding. This made Su Shi instantly famous. However, 【小题4】 his political dream was realized, he had to leave his position and return home.

His dreams cut short, Su Shi turned his focus toward nature. In the spring of 1082, he took an outing with his friends. When 【小题5】 sudden shower of rain made his companions rush for shelter(遮蔽物), Su Shi burst into laughter as if completely unaware of the rain.

Along both sides of the path were growing trees, 【小题6】 leaves made soft sounds as the rain-drops fell. With wet clothes, he walked along while 【小题7】 (sing)a happy song. Then it hit him: “I shall go through this life in a 【小题8】 (peace)mind, if only wearing a straw rain cape(蓑衣).”

Su Shi’s optimistic and open-minded attitude 【小题9】 life ensured his advancement despite political ups and downs. Expressed in his poetry and essay, which have been passed down through generations, such an attitude has truly inspired us 【小题10】 (keep)a broad mind and persist in our struggle against all difficulties