China and Western countries may have different cultural beliefs about certain animals. But when it comes to pigs, we have somehow reached a(n) _______ －that pigs are ugly, lazy, stupid and _______.

Just look at the _______ and phrases in our languages. In Chinese, we have the likes（类型）of “_______ a dead pig” and “A pig looking in the mirror is still a pig.” And in English, there are _______ such as “Eating like a pig” and “Sweating like a pig”. _______ of them are exactly complimentary（称赞的）.

But the truth is that pigs do have some _______ qualities. And there's probably no better time to _______ their names than now, with the arrival of the Year of the Pig on Chinese Spring Festival.

For starters, science long ago _______ that pigs aren't stupid at all. According to a paper published in 2017 in the International Journal of Comparative Psychology, pigs are “mentally and ________ similar to dogs and chimpanzees（黑猩猩）”. They like to ________. They have good long-term memories. And they know the difference between those who ________ them well and those who don't.

There are lovable pig characters in cartoons too. Peppa Pig（小猪佩奇），for example，a UK animated television series that began in 2004，has now become one of the most popular cartoons in 180 countries and regions. The four members in the cartoon's pig family ________ children from all around the world about love, friendship, and the ________ of family. And in China, the adventures of McDull, a young pig who works hard toward his dreams ________ he keeps failing, have been recounted（讲述）in films since 2001.

“People are putting too much emphasis on efficiency and immediate ________, but McDull is slow and patient, and not afraid of ________ failures,” said MeDull's creator Brian Tse when she was ________ the 2009 film McDull, Kung Fu Ding Dong in Beijing. “He has a heart of gold. ”

Perhaps these are the qualities of pigs to keep in mind when we ________ the Chinese New Year－their intelligence, cuteness, ________ and innocence.

When our girls are brave, they are free to explore in their learning and in life. That exploration leads to the ______of their talents, passions and weaknesses. On Saturday night we saw one of our   students act so bravely that it took my______away.

One of the lead characters of our show, Blue Stockings, was played by a science teacher, Ben Walker.______, Ben broke his nose very   badly   playing   football   on   Saturday   and   as a result couldn’t ______. Ella Jones, a Year-11 student and part of the cast(演员), who _____to rest on Saturday, was_______to play Ben’s role.

Think about that. She had three hours’ _____, playing a role of a _______she had never played   before, in front of a paying audience, and if she couldn’t_______, the effect of the whole play would be reduced. It was not the end of the world, but it would be_______for all concerned.

I would have _______. But Ella rose to the _______. She said, “I was astonished; _____, I figured the show must go on and I wanted to_______. I wasn’t scared_______I arrived at the theatre and realized how much there was to______. It wasn’t just about lines, but it was the stagecraft (舞台表演技巧). I was_______about the other actors because I know how______it is to perform a role with someone who isn’t well-trained, especially if it is an emotional scene.”

Asked how the show________, Ella said, “It was amazing, and the audience seemed to love the male character I played for the first time.” She added, “Just because you’re scared doesn’t mean you can’t be______ . Anyway, I made it.”

Cast Away is a heart-warming movie. Chuck, _______ by Tom Hanks, is the hero. He is a very successful _______ He is always so _______ that he has little time for his family. He keeps going all over the world for business talks. One day while Chuck is _______ across the Pacific Ocean, the engine of his plane suddenly stops _______ his plane crashes. But Chuck survives the crash and _______ on a lonely island.

Chuck has to learn to make a_______all alone on the island. He has to learn how to collect water, hunt for food and make fire. Perhaps the biggest _______ is how to live without friends and a family. In order to _______ Chunk develops a friendship with a（n） __________     friend—a volleyball he calls Wilson.

Chuck learns a lot about himself when he is__________on the island. He realizes that he hasn't been a very __________husband and father because he has always been away. During his five years on the island, Chuck starts to __________Wilson. He talks to him and__________with him as a family member. Chuck feels so happy because he can __________ his happiness and sorrow with him. He has found out that it is __________ to have someone to care about. He has also __________ that family is about feelings and that he must give as much as he __________.

The__________we can learn from Chuck is that loneliness helps us__________who we are, why we need each other and what we can do for each other.