Communicating with the old can be challenging, 【小题1】 (especial) when considering the fact that their abilities are failing.

First of all, you are 【小题2】 (suppose) to respect the old’s thoughts, backgrounds and life experience. Do not correct their opinions even when you can’t reach any   【小题3】(agree). And when old people are talking, listen 【小题4】(careful). Let them finish because letting them express their thoughts and emotions 【小题5】(be) important.

When you’re together with them, try to know if they would like 【小题6】(chat) or be quiet. And when you feel they want to be quiet, just be there, because   【小题7】(spend) time with them is as important as talking to them or cheering them up.

As communication with old people can be difficult, it is     【小题8】(importance) to be always patient. When you are explaining something 【小题9】 them, you should remain patient when they ask you to repeat yourself. Try using gestures while you talk with them, or write down what you want to say when 【小题10】is necessary.

We live in a world where snapping (抓拍) photos of your kids and posting them to social media is about as natural to parents as kissing them. But when enjoying 【小题1】 (they) with little ones, sharing pictures at birthday parties, or wearing new 【小题2】 (cloth), parents should keep some moments private. Otherwise, you may put kids into, or even 【小题3】 (bad), make them a potential target for child traders. 【小题4】, children at certain stages hate their photos to be made public too.

Now, parents posting pictures of their children on social media could be accused by their sons or daughters under France’s privacy laws. Mothers and fathers are likely 【小题5】 (face) a year in prison and a fine of £35,000, if they 【小题6】 (find) guilty of posting details of their children’s private lives without their permission. And adults, 【小题7】 accuse their parents damaged their right to privacy when they 【小题8】 (be) children, could receive a large amount of money from their parents. In February, Eric Delcroix, 【小题9】 expert on Internet law, posted a message on Wechat, reading: “Please stop 【小题10】 (post) pictures of your kids on Wechat.”

Sharing the sweetness

On the 25th of December, my mother expects her children to be present, exchanging gifts and eating turkey. When she pulls on that holiday sweater, everybody better gets festive. Of course, I would be the first Jones sibling 【小题1】 (go) rogue (叛逆). As the middle, artist child, I was going to do my own thing, making some new traditions. From a biography of Flannery O’Connor, I drew inspiration— I would spend the holiday at an artist colony!

No one took my new idea seriously. From the way my mother carried on, you would think I was divorcing the family. Still I held my ground and made plans for my winter adventure in New Hampshire. The MacoDowell Colony was   【小题2】 I could have wished for. About 25 to 30 artists were in attendance, and it was as artsy (艺术的) as I 【小题3】 (imagine). It felt like my life had become a strange independent film.

By Christmas Eve, I had been at the colony for more than a week. The novelty of snowy New England was wearing off, but I would never admit 【小题4】. Everyone around me was having too much fun. Skiing! Deep conversation by the fireplace! What was wrong with me? This was the holiday   【小题5】 I’d always dreamed of. No artificial decoration. Not a Christmas sweater anywhere in sight. People here didn’t even say “Christmas,” they said “holiday.” Then why was I so sad?

Finally, I called home on the pay phone. My dad answered, but I 【小题6】 barely hear him for all the good-time noise in the background. He turned down the volume on the holiday album and told me that my mother was out shopping with my brothers. Now it was my turn to sulk (生闷气). They were having a fine Christmas   【小题7】 me.

Despite a heavy snowstorm, a large package showed up near my door at the artist colony on Christmas morning. Tayari Jones was written in my mother’s beautiful handwriting. I rushed to that parcel 【小题8】 I were five years old. Inside was a gorgeous red-velvet cake, my favorite, 【小题9】 (wrap) tightly in about 50 yards of bubble packaging. “Merry Christmas,” read the simple card inside. “We love you very much.”

As I sliced the cake, everyone gathered around. Mother had sent a genuine homemade gift. It was a minor Christmas miracle that one cake managed to feed so many. We ate it from paper towels with our bare hands, 【小题10】(satisfy) a hunger we didn’t know we had.