[2025南通市如东县期末]Chinese New Year marks the end of the winter season and the beginning of 1. s ______ . According to tradition, people like to give flowers and fruit to each other during Chinese New Year, because they carry many 2. s ______ meanings. They represent(象征) the earth coming back to life and best 3. w ______ for new beginnings.
Orchids(兰花) come in many 4. c, but many people like purple and red ones for Chinese New Year. They are believed to represent love and beauty. Orchids say, “Wish you to be 5. l, successful and happy.” During the holiday, this plant is a must.
Kumquats(金橘), with their golden colour, are a 6. s of wealth(财富) and luck. The Chinese word for “kumquat” sounds 7. l “gold orange”, which connects kumquats with richness. This small 8. f tree is often given in pairs.
The apple, with its bright colours and round shape, means 9. p and harmony. In fact, the word for “apple” in 10. C sounds like “peace”. Of course, apples make great gifts.

E
[2026 南通市海门区期末]One warm evening, a group of monkeys are playing by a quiet pond in the forest. Everything is calm under the beautiful and 1. b moonlight. Suddenly, the youngest monkey sees something shining in the well. He points at the water and shouts, “Look! The moon has fallen into the well!”
The 2. o young monkeys rush to the edge. They shout, “The moon has fallen into the well!” Big Monkey hears him. She swings over from a nearby tree. She looks into the well. “Oh, no!” cries Big Monkey. “The moon has fallen into the well!” All the big monkeys hear the shouting. They soon swing over to the well. “Oh, no! The moon has fallen into the well.” They all shout in 3. s.
“What can we do?” asks Little Monkey. “We must 4. s it! We have to get it out!” answers Big Monkey. All of them 5. a with her and shout, “Let's take it out of the water!” They get an idea at once. The monkeys 6. q make a chain(链条) by holding each other's tails in one minute, reaching down into the well to catch the moon. Just then, Big Monkey looks up at the sky. “Wait a minute! The real moon is not in the well,” she cries. “It is still in the sky! It is shining. The one in the well 7. o looks like it.” All the monkeys know that it is just the moon's reflection in the water! Then they try to 8. c out of the well and keep laughing.
From the story, we know when we meet 9. p, we should be calm and careful before doing something. It 10. m to everyone, because it helps us see “the real moon” instead of just its reflection.