I have always considered myself a positive optimist, trying to find the best in every situation. Iˈve recently become aware of how two little  (1)   have had a great impact on people.

My son  (2)  to tell me about a house he was interested in.I said, "Honey, I am glad that youˈve found something you like,   (3)  …"There, I continued, "Donˈt you think,with the gas prices, you might want to buy one  (4)  to your work?" As he told me all about the possible house, I could hear the  (5)  in his voice. The moment I spoke the word, BUT, it was  (6)   I pricked a balloon with a needle（针）.I could hear him slowly deflate（泄气）. I  (7)  that if I had used the word AND—"Honey, Iˈm glad you found a house in your  (8)  range, AND Iˈm happy for you."—he wouldnˈt have been  (9)  , and weˈd have both hung up feel better.

My daughter  (10)  at my door dressed like a princess on her way to the prom. I told her how graceful looked and I was  (11)  of the young lady she has become, and I said, "Sweetheart, you  (12)  having a great time, but please donˈt drink tonight." I know she doesnˈt engage in  (13)  behavior; sheˈs responsible and sensible. She looked as though Iˈd snatched her crown. "Mom!" The tone of her voice indicated how Iˈd  (14)  her feel. How I wish Iˈd said, "I want you to have a great time, AND I   (15)  you."

My husband helps around the house. I was  (16)  he had lightened my work load. I told him how wonderful he is, and I used that naughty word again."BUT,why did you  (17)  crumbs（面包屑）all over the counter? "Why?Why?Why didnˈt I say," Thank you, AND I am  (18)  or all you do around the house."

Iˈve been doing some  (19)  . I am going to remove that naughty little word from my  (20)  and replace it with the word AND. This is a decision I intend to keep!

Easter is still a great day for worship, randy in baskets and running around the yard finding eggs, but every year it gets quite a bit worse for bunnies.

And no, not because the kids like to pull their ears. The culprit is climate change, and some researchers found that rising temperatures are having harmful effects on at least five species of rabbit in the US.

Take the Lower Keys March rabbit, for instance. An endangered species that lives in the Lower Florida Keys, this species of cottontail is a great swimmer — it lives on the islands! — but it is already severely affected by development and now by rising levels. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, an ocean level rise of only 0. 6 meters will send these guys jumping to higher ground and a 0.9-meter rise would wipe out their habitat completely.

The snowshoe hare, on the other hand, has a color issue. Most of these rabbits change their fur color from white in the wintertime to brown in the summer, each designed to give them better cover from predators. As the number of days with snow decreases all across the country, however, more and more bunnies are being left in white fur during brown dirt days of both fall and spring, making them an easier mark for predators. Researchers know that the color change is controlled by the number of hours of sunlight, but whether the rabbit will be able to adapt quick enough to survive is a big question. The National Wildlife Federation has reported that hunters have noticed their numbers are already markedly down.

American pikas or rock rabbits, a relative of rabbits and hares, might be the first of these species to go extinct due to climate change. About 7-8 inches long, pikas live high in the cool, damp mountains west of the Rocky Mountains. As global temperatures rise, they would naturally migrate to higher ground — but they already occupy the mountaintops. They can't go any higher. The National Wildlife Federation reports that they might not be able to stand the new temperatures as their habitat beats up.

The volcano rabbit has the same problem. These rabbits live on the slopes of volcanoes in Mexico, and recent studies have shown that the lower range of their habitat has already shifted upward about 700 meters, but there are not suitable plants for them to move higher, so they are stuck in the middle. Scientists are concerned about their populations.

Native to the US, pygmy rabbits weigh less than 1 pound and live in the American West. They are believed to be the smallest rabbits in the world. Their habitats have been destroyed by development. Several populations, such as the Columbia Basin pygmy, almost went extinct and were saved by zoo breeding programs. Pygmy rabbits also rely on winter cover by digging tunnels through the snow to escape predators, but lesser snowfall is leaving them exposed.

All of this gives new meaning to dressing up in a giant bunny costume this Easter.

The International Space Station (ISS) is a huge space station. It is being   (1)   by thousands of people from 16 countries. All these people are trying to find out if humans can one day build   (2)   in space.

Floating 230 miles above Earth, the International Space Station currently   (3)   a huge building-block project out in space. US space shuttles and Russian rockets have been   (4)   tools and pieces of the   (5)   into space to help finish building it. From the beginning of its construction in 1998 to its   (6)  , more than 100 major pieces will be put together to create this   (7)   space station. When   (8)  , it will be the largest structure ever to fly above Earth. The ISS will be   (9)   than a football field and will weigh about one million pounds.

In addition to helping build the space station,   (10)   are trying to answer such questions as these: How does space travel affect germs? Does the human body break down food   (11)   in space? Someday, the station may even serve as a launchpad (发射台) for trips to other   (12)  , such as Mars.

Because of its   (13)   size, the ISS needs a lot of   (14)  . Like other man-made bodies in space, its power comes from the   (15)  . To create solar energy, large panels (嵌板) are lined with special materials. These materials   (16)   the sun's energy and change it into electricity.

So what does it cost to build such a   (17)  ? It costs over $60 billion dollars.   (18)   this may seem astronomical, it may be a small price to   (19)   a project that enables some of the world's finest scientists to work together, exploring space for the world's   (20)  .

Last year I went to America and stayed there with an American family for two months.

    As is said, “The best house is inAmerica, the best wife is inJapan, and the best food is in China.” So I   (1)   pride and pleasure to   (2)   “the best food” for my American family. Each day, regardless of my poor skill of cooking, I would do something in a __  (3)  _  way: changing the dishes color, the meat’s type or the soup’s style. Thus, my American friends could discover the   (4)   of eating Chinese food. Because of my “  (5)   ”job, I was often rewarded by their    (6)   of thanks such as “very delicious”, “excellent”, etc.

       (7)   something funny happened yesterday when I cooked Sichuan style fish for dinner. I was   (8)   with my work.

    When the whole family sat round the table, they first looked   (9)   at the fish, then looked at me. “Why do all the fish have their  (10)  ？” they asked，“It’s terrible!”

      (11)  or terrible？I can’t understand. But I do know that fish heads are delicious. The head is the   (12)   part of fish; in   (13)   only the important guest can have the   (14)   of enjoying it.

    Another   (15)   thing is: the American friends often said to me“   (16)  ”as they   (17)  home fruits or other things. According to Chinese tradition I would simply smile in answer to their kindness   (18)   actually helping myself to any of the food.   (19)  , I said “help yourself” to them whenever I brought home fruits. Dear me! No matter how much or how often I brought home food, as long as it was nice to their taste, they  (20)  hesitated (犹豫)to use their hands to “help themselves” until all was finished.