【推荐3】It has been another long, rough winter here in the mountains of my home. And today as I looked at the broken ________ littering my yard it brought back ________ from another rough winter several years ago.

A foot of snow had fallen and was rapidly melting. The ________ from the hills had swollen the rivers, filled the ditches and ________ puddles(小水洼)in the road. In addition to this broken and fallen tree branches were everywhere. I was ________ home and suddenly saw one of these branches had broken off a tree overhanging the ________ and fallen across it. It was big enough to damage my car if I didn’t stop in time so I ________ on the brake and hit my emergency flashers.

I got out of my car ________ and tried to pull the branch to the side of the road. This branch was a lot ________ than I thought it would be. Inch by inch I ________ it off the road. When it was finally safely moved to the side I________ and smiled. Just then a little red car raced around the curve(弯道), ________ a pool of water in the road and splashed my pants. I shook my head and laughed at the ________ of it all.

Sometimes we all do good things in this life only to get ________ with dirty water for our kindness. When this happens just remember that the real reason you do good is because of the ________ inside of you.

【推荐1】It was the coldest winter I had ever experienced, with the trees _________ and the rivers frozen solid. People _________ themselves in their coats and were walking fast on the street, hoping to return to their _________ and comfortable homes. However, a _________ was sitting on the sidewalk wearing only a thin, ragged (破旧的) T-shirt. His body was pale and shivering (颤抖) with a frostbitten (冻伤的) arm. A young man _________ and glanced down at the _________ figure. “Please give me some food, sir,” the beggar pleaded, his voice shaking. The young man looked away, _________ his step and hurried past.

A little girl came by with her tiny hand _________ gripping (抓住) her father’s finger and walked up to the beggar. “Give him some food, Daddy,” she said, gazing at the beggar huddled (缩成一团) in front of her. “No, honey. He must be a _________, not a real beggar. Come away,” her father replied. __________, the girl shook her head. She went up to the beggar and handed him a small bag of __________ from her school bag. “I am sorry, sir. I’ve only got these.” Looking up at her with a smile, the beggar said, “They are already enough for me. God bless you.”

Time flies and all of us __________ grow older. If I had been that little girl, I hope I would have gladly __________ the beggar all my snacks and even given him my own hat. Are we all changed by the passing of time? How I wish that the little girl would never grow up and keep her child’s __________ in her heart __________. I hope she will always remember that cold winter day when she gave the poor beggar her biscuits.

【推荐2】On a freezing January evening, Ashley Austrew sat in her car in an Omaha parking lot. She was working up the _______ to go into a comedy improv (即兴表演) class. For 20 minutes, the 33-year-old journalist and mom of two sat with thoughts of _______: “I can’t do this. I’ll be the worst one.” Then she turned off the engine, took a few deep breaths, and went _______.

For Austrew, _______ improv was the first small step to improve her self-esteem. She lacked confidence and didn’t have the courage to try anything _______. So she made a list of all the things she was afraid to _______ and then asked herself, “What if I didn’t let my excuses win?” Improv was her biggest _______.

Her fear _______ as soon as she walked into the class. Her classmates were also _______, and she discovered that she was ________ capable of earning a few laughs and making new friends. Over the next two years, Austrew went on to deal with other what-ifs, including writing a book. “Self-esteem is like a muscle--you have to ________ it constantly,” she says.

Some people are ________ with a seemingly unshakable positivity, but most of us need to learn how to ________ ourselves up by our own hands. Thankfully, like Austrew, we can learn to feel ________ about ourselves and ________ our feelings of hope.

【推荐3】The release of the iPhone 11 last September was greeted with open arms. People _____ for four days just to be one of the first people in the world to get their hands on these gadgets. They _____ up to 800 dollars for the privilege (特权).

But a phone, nowadays, is no longer just a practical device, which used to _____ and call. It has become a symbol of status, and so much more than a telephone. Children as _____ as five years old have been in Britain carrying round _____ mobile phones. And for what reason? The answer lies in the _____ that the primary use for mobile phones is no longer a phone. More photos are taken using the iPhone than any camera in the world.

As an iPhone _____ myself, I am never without my phone. I check Facebook, Twitter and my e-mails several times a day, along with taking _____ and keeping in touch with friends and family. But do we _____ our phones too much? I love sharing things that I enjoy and keeping up with my friends’ lives, but I do think it’s got out of hand. Instead of talking together, friends sit round ______ in restaurants scrolling through Facebook, and we are more interested in photos of special moments than ______ enjoying them. I think it’s ______ to make time for each other. Turn off your phone every now and again. One _______when you go out with friends is to put all of your phones in the middle of the table, and whoever ______ his phone first has to pay the bill! Sharing and keeping in touch is ______, but don’t let your phone become more important than the people in your life.