The little boy has much difficulty o_________ the birds’ behavior at night.

It is _________(不自然的)that she should only wear a shirt in winter.

You can come here tomorrow if it is c___________ to you.

Just keep walking and after two b_______ you’ll see a supermarket on your left.

D______ all our efforts to save the school, the County decided to close it.

As a middle school student, I care much about current a_______ both at home and abroad.

The information will need _________(更新) from time to time.

December 24 arrived along with a heavy snow. It was my first Christmas Eve without my mother, and the day’s usual  21  had disappeared.

The telephone rang. I  22  it and went to my bedroom to bury the continuous 23 , knowing it must be my friend Rebecca calling. How could I be  24  ? I wanted to be left  25 .

My heart felt as  26  as the falling snow.  27  can I stop missing my mother?

I  28  the window. Seeing Rebecca’s car parked out front, I went back to my bed and drew the covers over my head.

“Lucy!” she shouted. “I know you’re in there. Answer the door!”

“Leave me alone!” I  29  back. I heard paper rustling(沙沙作响) as she slid  30   under the door.

“Merry Christmas, ” she called out.

Not answering the  31  made me even 32 . It wasn’t fair to my best friend. Her father and sister  33  in a car accident when she was eight years old.  34 , her mother had to return to  35 , and Rebecca was left to look after herself.

When she left, I carried the small package, sat down and  36  it. Inside was a golden pen and a journal. When I opened the journal’s front cover, out fell a bookmark with a(n)   37   written on it:

Dear Lucy,  

My words won’t heal（治愈）the 38  . But your own words can.

                                                  Love,

                                                  Rebecca

As I stared at the journal’s blank pages, a single tear fell on the page which quickly absorbed it.

That night, I  39  the phone and dialed her number.

“Looks like the snow is melting(融化), ” I said. “Spring was just _____40____the corner.”

Entering the room, I found the Mary ______at the desk and ______a letter.