The Value of an Hour

    It was Thanksgiving morning. In the crowded kitchen of my small home I was busy preparing the traditional Thanksgiving turkey1the doorbell rang. I opened the front door and saw two small children in2clothes and thin little sandals(凉鞋), staying together at the door on the top step.

    “Any old3, lady？” asked one of them.

    I was4. I wanted to say “no” until my eyes were5their sandals, which were wet with heavy snow.

    “6 and I'll make you a cup of hot cocoa.”

    They walked7and sat down at the table. Their wet sandals left marks upon the8. I served them cocoa and bread with jam to fight9the freezing cold outside.10 I went back to the kitchen and started again on my household budget for Thanksgiving Day.

    The silence in the front room struck me. I looked in. The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked in a flat voice，“Lady, are you11？”

    I looked at my old sofa covers（沙发套）. The girl put her cup back in its saucer(托盘)12 and said, “Your cups match your saucers.” Her voice was13with a need that no amount of food could

    supply. They left after that，14 their papers against the wind. They hadn't said “Thank you.” They didn't need to. They had15me that I had so much for which to be grateful. Plain blue china cups and saucers were16worth five pence. But they matched.

    I tasted the potatoes and the meat soup. Potatoes and brown meat soup, a roof over our heads, my man with a good steady job—these17，too.

    I moved the chairs back from the fire and18the living room. The muddy(沾上泥的)19 of small sandals were still wet upon my floor. Let them be for a while, I thought, just in case I should begin to20how rich I am.

The Value of an Hour

    It was Thanksgiving morning. In the crowded kitchen of my small home I was busy preparing the traditional Thanksgiving turkey1the doorbell rang. I opened the front door and saw two small children in2clothes and thin little sandals(凉鞋), staying together at the door on the top step.

    “Any old3, lady？” asked one of them.

    I was4. I wanted to say “no” until my eyes were5their sandals, which were wet with heavy snow.

    “6 and I'll make you a cup of hot cocoa.”

    They walked7and sat down at the table. Their wet sandals left marks upon the8. I served them cocoa and bread with jam to fight9the freezing cold outside.10 I went back to the kitchen and started again on my household budget for Thanksgiving Day.

    The silence in the front room struck me. I looked in. The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked in a flat voice，“Lady, are you11？”

    I looked at my old sofa covers（沙发套）. The girl put her cup back in its saucer(托盘)12 and said, “Your cups match your saucers.” Her voice was13with a need that no amount of food could

    supply. They left after that，14 their papers against the wind. They hadn't said “Thank you.” They didn't need to. They had15me that I had so much for which to be grateful. Plain blue china cups and saucers were16worth five pence. But they matched.

    I tasted the potatoes and the meat soup. Potatoes and brown meat soup, a roof over our heads, my man with a good steady job—these17，too.

    I moved the chairs back from the fire and18the living room. The muddy(沾上泥的)19 of small sandals were still wet upon my floor. Let them be for a while, I thought, just in case I should begin to20how rich I am.

    A big fire broke out in a clothing factory in our city last Wednesday. At 9:18 that morning, when the employees were working {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (busy) in the 4-storeyed building, heavy smoke was seen {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(come) out of the windows on the second floor. The fire lasted nearly an hour, and the majority of the 345 employees managed {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(escape) from the fire. Unfortunately, 7were killed, and 23 injured, lightly or seriously.

    Some workers {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(complain) that aids came too late,{#blank#}5{#/blank#} the firemen did come just 10 minutes after the fire was reported. To rescue everyone from the burning and smoking building in such a short time was too difficult. The only two exits of the big building were not enough for so many people to withdraw in {#blank#}6{#/blank#} hurry.

    The reason of the fire, according to an investigator, was {#blank#}7{#/blank#}someone broke the non-smoking rule in the factory, because some cigarette {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(end) were found. Next two weeks, 15 inspection teams will be working in all the factories {#blank#}9{#/blank#} turn, aiming to clear away the possibility of more fires.{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (hope), no disasters like this will happen again.

    A big fire broke out in a clothing factory in our city last Wednesday. At 9:18 that morning, when the employees were working {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (busy) in the 4-storeyed building, heavy smoke was seen {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(come) out of the windows on the second floor. The fire lasted nearly an hour, and the majority of the 345 employees managed {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(escape) from the fire. Unfortunately, 7were killed, and 23 injured, lightly or seriously.

    Some workers {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(complain) that aids came too late,{#blank#}5{#/blank#} the firemen did come just 10 minutes after the fire was reported. To rescue everyone from the burning and smoking building in such a short time was too difficult. The only two exits of the big building were not enough for so many people to withdraw in {#blank#}6{#/blank#} hurry.

    The reason of the fire, according to an investigator, was {#blank#}7{#/blank#}someone broke the non-smoking rule in the factory, because some cigarette {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(end) were found. Next two weeks, 15 inspection teams will be working in all the factories {#blank#}9{#/blank#} turn, aiming to clear away the possibility of more fires.{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (hope), no disasters like this will happen again.