【推荐1】One day, my uncle brought home a parrot. My cousin and I called it Mitthu. My family were so _________ strongly that they trimmed (剪掉) its wings. They said if it left home, it wouldn’t _________ outside without us.

As time went by, we grew and so did Mitthu. Its wings grew quite a lot. Mitthu wasn’t kept in a cage. I sometimes wondered why it didn’t _________. Maybe it was quite attached to us and didn’t want to leave us, or it didn’t want to leave the luxurious life and _________ the harsh reality of life.

As I grew older, I _________ that Mitthu’s life wasn’t very different from mine. I was pampered(溺爱) and _________ carefully. I was prohibited from really _________ the outside world. My house became my whole world, which was like an invisible _________ that had bound my spirit.

Now I’m sent out to study and told that I have the whole sky to fly, but _________, just as Mitthu, I am not able to do so. Mitthu and I might be two different beings but we are __________ in a similar situation. I am afraid of flying. I am afraid my behavior might hurt my parents’ feelings. These emotions and __________ will never really allow us to fly independently!

It’s good for parents to love and __________ their children, but, sometimes, over-protectiveness from parents might harm their children’s future and __________ children’s decisions. True __________ is to allow kids to grow freely and let them try __________ things. Thus, they will be brimming with confidence and courage.

【推荐2】Growing flowers from seeds needs both physical work and self-control. One must take care of the seeds, and make sure they get watered on _______ basis and believe they will actually produce flowers beautifully. Thus, _______ beautiful flowers without mistakes is a miracle（奇迹），which needs to be fed,_______ and hard work. How does the same thing _______in life?

The miracle I dreamed of was to become an excellent_______.I would, to be honest, sit in front motivational speakers as they spoke, _______ one of them would spot something valuable in me and encourage me to follow my _______.I neither said anything nor did anything _________wish. Then one day, I met a professional speaker at a conference I attended. He told me the National Speakers Association _______helps whoever makes up his mind to start professional speaking businesses. Their club was two hours' drive away from my home, and expensive, but I was very ________ to hear of it. Frankly, it didn't matter to be ________or to pay it. I joined it and made my first speech but I ________ halfway. I got so angry at myself that after getting home I locked myself in my home to ________making speeches for three days. And I ________ figured out what I would speak on and then tried to improve my speaking __________ .I stuck to it and sincerely said thanks to whoever ________ my shortcomings. All the time, I stopped the negative voice in my head from ________me.

Now five years passed, and a(n）________ was worked. At the age of 53, I became a professional speaker at last. What miracle are you hoping for? What seed do you mean to ________ and then water it, to grow your miracle? If you haven't started, remember to do it now, and the________, the better.

【推荐3】Someone recently asked me when I became more confident about my abilities as an entrepreneur. I thought it was a funny question, _________ I’m not very confident at all, and constantly filled with _________ about every decision I make.

It doesn’t exactly hold me back in my work; it is just that I am very _______ of what I do, and I’m always _______ on the way I work, think and talk. I have also learned over the years that making a decision is often more important than making the right decision. Preferably your decisions are the right ones, but inaction or indecisiveness is more _______ than making the wrong decision every now and then.

There is one thing I have learned over the years that I wish I had learned earlier in my career. And that is the _______ that I am not stupid.

It sounds logical, but I often sat in on meetings and heard people explain things and then _______ to myself, “I don’t understand that. Maybe I’m stupid?” or I would hear about a startup and I would not _______ their business model and think I’m stupid. Or I would hear an entrepreneur speak and think, “That all _______ like bullshit, but I must be stupid, because other people seem to love it.”

A couple of years ago, I came to the ________ that I was not stupid at all. When people in meetings say things I don’t understand I speak up and tell them so. Usually, I hear a sigh of ________ in the room and find out nobody understood what was being talked about.

When I don’t understand a business model it usually means there is not one, or it sucks. Turns out I’m not stupid and ________ I don’t understand it, most people won’t understand it at all. ________ doubting my own abilities I’ve learned to trust my “bullshit radar” a bit more and not understanding something is a clear sign that something is off.

My advice to young entrepreneurs is this: you are not stupid! If something does not make ________, if it sounds stupid, if you do not understand it, something is wrong! Trust your gut (本能的) ________. Feel free to not know and be honest when you don’t understand something!

【推荐1】When she was 16, Joanne learned that she was adopted (收养的) and that her birth mother was a woman named Lillian and that she had died days after giving birth to her. Feeling hurt and confused, Joanne spent many nights crying, ________what her birth mother had been like. And yet, some part of her believed her mother was still ________.

The doubts ________ Joanne for years. In 2017, when Joanne was already 79 years old, her daughter-in-law, Shelley, suggested her taking a DNA ________. Shelley thought learning something about her ________ family might give Joanne some ________ .

So Joanne took the test, and about a year later Shelley received a(n) message on ancestry.com from a man named Sam, whose genetic report had ________ him with Joanne.

Shelley immediately wrote back to Sam, asking ________ he knew a Lillian. Yes, Sam said, that was his mother’s name. Almost ________, an even bigger shock came that Lillian was alive, at age 100.

The families quickly planned a(n) ________ where Lillian lived. A month later, Joanne found herself sitting across from the mother she had ________ in her whole life, looking at Lillian, who suffered from dementia (痴呆症) and used a wheelchair.

“I don’t know if she recognizes me,” Joanne said.

She   told Lillian   that she   had been ________ in 1940 and that she’d been told   her birth   mother   had ________. No response. Joanne started to cry. At that point, her mother ________, as if she had started to understand. Joanne excitedly continued telling Lillian all about her children and grandchildren. Lillian smiled. Then she said the words Joanne had waited more than 60 years to hear: “This is my ________ .”

【推荐2】It always seemed like having traditions was a good thing. They create _______that will last a lifetime. So when our children David and Darla were preschoolers, we set up a family Christmas tradition. It was our tree-decorating party and it would be complete with eggnog and pfeffernűsse cookies.

The kids were excited as we pulled the freshly _______ tree into the house. It smelled so good. We would turn on the Christmas songs _______the tree decoration began.

Our hearts seemed to _______ to the merriment of the Christmas songs. The kids’ eyes twinkled with excitement. It was a heartwarming evening. When finished, we would sit drinking the eggnog and snacking on pfeffernűsse cookies as we _______ the beauty of the Christmas tree.

Years later when my daughter Darla was home from college she offered to help decorate the tree. I was so _______. Before we knew it, the tree decoration was finished. It was a beautiful tree and its _______ smell filled the room. As we had every year before, I brought out the eggnog and the pfeffernűsse cookies for our traditional celebration.

Then during the laughter Darla suddenly got very _______ and said she had something to tell me. From her hesitation and body _______I learned that she was fearing it. She sat down next to me. Then very ________and caringly Darla looked me in the eye and said “Mom I’ve ________ liked pfeffernűsse cookies.”

Then I ________ the importance of what she had just said. Why didn’t she ever tell me? All those childhood years rather than ________ Mom’s feelings and spoil Mom’s tradition, she had stood the cookies silently. From a child’s heart year after year she had given me the gift of ________!

My daughter taught me life’s very important ________: The best gifts aren’t always found under the Christmas tree.

【推荐1】One day Burton ______ his children to the zoo. He told them to be ready at two o'clock, but they weren't all ready then: little Tommy ______ find his shoes. He could find his brown shoes, but he couldn't find his black shoes, and he wanted to wear his ______ shoes to the zoo. At a quarter past two his brothers and sisters told him to wear his brown shoes, so he put them on; and ______ they were all ready to leave. Their mother ______ goodbye and told them to enjoy their trip to the zoo. Then she sat down to ______ a book in the empty, quiet house. When they ______ the zoo, Burton told the children to stay with him; he didn't want them to get ______ in the zoo. Little Tommy asked his father to buy some food for the bears, but his father answered, “Look at that notice, Timmy. It ______：DON'T FEED THE ANIMALS.”

“Why does it tell us ______ the animals？” asked Tommy.

“______ they get a lot of food already，” said Burton. “And people often try to give them the wrong food; that's bad for the animals.”

At three o'clock the dolphin show began. All ______ wanted to see it. So Mr Burton bought seven tickets and took the children down to the dolphinariurn (海豚馆)．The dolphins did a lot of tricks (技巧); they jumped ______ into the air and flew through circles over the water; they caught rubber rings with their noses; and they ______ red and yellow balls. The trainer blew his whistle when he wanted the dolphins to do ______ and when they did it he gave them some ______．“______ can the dolphins do all those tricks？” asked little Tommy. “Because they are very clever，” said his elder brother.“They can understand when their ______ tells them to do something; and they like to ______， because he always gives them some fish when they do them.” “That's good，” said Tommy. “I like to do tricks ______. Why doesn't Father give me some candies when I do them？”

【推荐2】One day, I went to my favorite cafe for lunch. I __________ a burger and went to the outdoor seats. While waiting for my meal, a homeless man on a bicycle stopped to ask if there was a grocery store nearby. After I gave him __________, he asked if I had __________ from Santa Clara University. (I was wearing a SCU T-shirt. )I told him, yes. Little did I know that this __________ response would lead to a 90-minute conversation. The man, Michael, told me he was very intelligent. __________, drug use had ruined both his formal education and his pursuit of __________ in his work. He drifted from one topic to another, __________ the fact that I was ready for my lunch.

He clearly had more of a __________ to talk than I did. I made every __________ to give him my full attention, never __________ our talk would go on and on... Eventually, I did eat my meal, bite by bite __________ responses in our conversation. Michael was a bit strange. __________ his interests and viewpoints. We had little in __________, but he was fascinated with talking with, as he __________ it, “intelligent people.” I have to admit, I wish our conversation had been __________ to ten or fifteen minutes, but when Michael finally __________ off, he thanked me for listening so __________ to him and for my __________ to talk with him for so long. It was then that I __________ that, just maybe, that was my purpose in life for today … to be there, in that place, at that time, to __________ in that conversation.

【推荐3】I will never forget the experience of seeing a part of Canada and snowboarding in the mountains.

I got a little emotional on the_______from Montreal to our first stop in Vancouver. Although I have to_______that I watched a movie while we flew over the prairies, I did occasionally look out of the window to see what was what! _______most of the mountains in Alberta and B. C. were covered in clouds so I had to_______our drive from Kelowna to Revelstoke to see those mountains!

I_______I'd entered into Lord of the Rings territory as we took a lift to get to the top of Mt. Mackenzie in Revelstoke.

Before snowboarding I learned not to drink coffee in the morning, which only added shaking to my_______during the first few descents (滑雪下坡)of the day. Snowboarding in powder is quite_______from riding the icy-slopes in Quebec. At least when you_______down several metres, it’s like falling on pillows! My main_______, however, was getting stuck in the few__________sections of the mountain, though a few__________skiers gave me a ride by letting me grab their ski poles and__________me to the next drop.

Even though we could only really ski on the top half of the mountain, it was still at least twice the size of the mountain we usually__________! Our phone pictures don’t do justice to these mountains, __________we have our own memories. When my husband and I asked each other what was our favourite part of the trip, other than spending time with each other, it was__________the view.

【推荐1】One day, Jim played basketball in the living room after school. When he was playing in high spirits, his basketball _______ a vase off the shelf by accident and the mouth of it knocked off a large piece. What made him more _______ was that the vase was rare and valuable. To cover the great _______ he caused, he glued the pieces together and put the vase back to its place.

While cleaning the vase after work, his mother _______ the change on it. At dinnertime, she asked Jim if he _______ the vase. Being afraid of punishment, Jim said a wild cat jumped in from the window and knocked the vase off the shelf. His mother was quite clear that he was _______, for all the windows were closed before she went to work. However, his mother just remained _______ and said it was her carelessness not to have the window closed.

Before going to bed, Jim’s mother asked him to go to the study. He felt he couldn’t _4_______ the punishment.

When he entered the study in fear, his mother’s face appeared no sense of _______. Instead, she took a chocolate box out of the drawer and ________ one piece to him. “Jim, this chocolate is a reward for you, for you ________ a cat that could open the window, with your imagination.” Then, she put another chocolate in his hand. “This chocolate is a reward for your topping________ to restore (修复). You restored with glue, the cracks were filled almost perfectly. ________ remember, to restore a vase needs more powerful glue and higher ________ skill. Tomorrow, let’s bring the vase to the ________ to see how they’ll make it as it was.” With that, his mother took the third chocolate, “The ________ chocolate stands for my deep apology (歉意) to you. As your mother, I shouldn’t have put a vase in a place where it could so ________ fall down, especially when there is a boy fond of sports.”

“But, Mum, I ...” His mother ________ him and said. “My chocolate box has been ________, so our talk is over, too. Now, go to bed!” Then she left for her own bedroom. The following days were the same as before. The only ________ was that Jim never told a lie since then.

【推荐2】My parents left for our native place on Thursday and we went to the airport to see them off. In fact, my father, who________from Indian Government service, had never traveled by air before, so I just took this________to make his experience wonderful. In spite of being asked to________tickets by train, I got them tickets on Jet Airways.

The moment I handed over the tickets to him, the________was very obvious on his face. Just like a schoolboy, he was________himself busily on that day. We all went to the airport together, asking for a window seat and waiting________for the security check-in to happen. He was completely________himself and I, too, was overcome with________watching him experience all these things.________my parents were about to go in for the security check-in, he walked up to me with________in his eyes and thanked me, saying the trip meant a great deal to him.

As a child, did we think about the________our parents had to make to satisfy many of our wishes? Did we________say thanks for all that they have done for us? Many times, when my parents asked me some questions, I would actually answer back without________. When my daughter asks me something, I have been very________in answering. Now I realize how they must have felt at those moments. Let us realize that old age is a second________and just as we take care of our children, the same________and same care need to be given to our parents and elders.

_____my dad saying thank you to me, I would want to say I'm sorry for making him________so long for this small dream. I will do my best to give the best possible attention to all their________. Being old does not mean that they have to________everything and keep sacrificing for their grandchildren also. They have wishes, too.

【推荐3】One of my favorite gardening tasks actually happens long after it’s time to dig, sow, weed, and water. In late winter, I ________ getting out into my fruit trees for their big annual pruning (修剪树枝).

To me, this is the most ________ spring-cleaning task because it is a job that actually ________ a living thing to grow. It is a labor that helps ________ fruit. For seven years, my husband and I have ________ apple, sour cherry, peach, pear, sweet cherry, and orange trees in our tiny orchard (果园).

Before we planted, we ________ a 15-day training class at the University of Massachusetts. The instructor taught us how to shape the ________ and get rid of diseases and insects. He ________ taught us this guiding principle when it ________ pruning: Remove to renew. There is biology behind this philosophy (哲学). Cutting off tree ________ that are damaged, crowding out the sun, or growing at a(n) ________ angle allows for proper air and sunlight circulation. It also makes a tree's root system put out new growth in a way that ________ more and healthier fruit production. ________, removing some branches renews our trees’ growth and vigor (活力).

“Remove to renew” has a deeper ________ for me, though. Having a ________ outlook on life is fueled by my desire to feel renewed, refreshed and ready to ________. And I’ve learned I can’t do this ________ I have enough space to expand and be productive. Not every branch is fruit-bearing ________. Pruning some of them—disorder, stresses, unhealthy foods—from my life is vital to focusing my ________ on those things that bring purpose, uplift and ________ to my days.