【推荐1】When I was 12, I disappeared into my bedroom with my guitar. I had neither musical ________ -many failed music lessons had proved that –nor musical training. My fingers ached as I tried to ________ the strings without making them buzz (发出嗡嗡声).________, I worked my way through 2-, 3- and even5-chord (和弦) songs and discovered the ________ thrill of these musical notes. No one ________ me to do this. I did this myself and of my own free will for a week, and the sense of happiness-true happiness ________ in absorption in something -has stayed with me. Fifty years later, that week’s ________ practice became a model and ________ for almost every meaningful thing I’ve done since. It makes me understand the ________ between achievement and accomplishment (成就).

The world ________ achievement while ignoring accomplishment. The former is the completion of the task imposed (强加) from the outside-the reward being a ________ to the next task. The latter is the end point of an activity we’ve chosen, whose ________ is the sudden rush of happiness.

The seeking of accomplishment always ________ people. I learned so long ago in that ________ week that simply lifting one finger from the guitar’s C chord, you should get the most moving ________. I didn’t know then that it was a major 7th chord, a favorite of some masters’. I just pursued accomplishment. That’s real human “achievement”.

【推荐2】Ever since an accident put him in a wheelchair, Dan has had one dream:______.

That is why he was ______ to learn about a piece of research that could possibly lead to his ______. But there are two ______. First, the research may take years before it becomes a treatment. And the second is the most ______ of all considerations: money.______by love for Dan, friends worked hard through a series of ______ to raise 20,000 pounds for his future surgery. Dan felt he could really start looking forward to the day when he could turn his ______ into a reality.

Then he ______ Brecon, a 5-year-old who ______ from cerebral palsy (脑瘫). Dan read about a new surgical operation that could ______ the little boy to walk unaided. But the surgery would ______ more than 60,000 pounds --- money Brecon’s parents were having a ______ time raising.

Dan said, “I’m in pretty much the ______ condition, but it appears that Brecon can ______ walk if he gets his surgery, and I can’t right now. So I thought I might as well pass the money on to him. I’m ______ to everyone who has helped me out, but this boy needs it ______ I do at the moment.”

And so he took this dream out of the bank and ______ it over to Brecon’s parents, telling them, “It would make me very happy to see the ______ made to Brecon’s life.”

“I wanted to help someone whose life could get better,” he said. “If I can help someone to walk, I will. Even if it means ______ a dream to do it.”

【推荐3】When I was nine years old, I loved to go fishing with my dad. But the only thing that wasn’t very _______ about it was that he could catch many fish while I couldn’t. I usually got _______ and kept asking him why. He always answered, “Son, if you want to catch a fish, you have to think like a fish.” I remember being even more upset then because “I’m not a fish!” I didn’t know how to _______ the same thought. Besides, I _______ how could what I think influence what a fish does?

As I got a little older I began to understand what my dad really _______. So I read some books on fish. And I even joined the local fishing club and started attending their meetings _______ I learned that a fish is a cold-blooded animal and therefore is very sensitive to water _______.

That is why fish _______ shallow water to deep water because the former is warmer. Besides, water is usually warmer in direct sunlight than in the shade. Yet, fish don’t have any eyelids (眼皮) and the sun _______ their eyes. The more I understood fish, the more I became effective at finding and ________ them.

When I grew up and entered the ________ circles, I remember hearing my first boss say, “We all need to think like ________.” But it didn’t completely ________ My dad never once said, “If you want to catch a fish you need to think like a fisherman.” Years later, with great efforts to provide long-term ________ to customers much older and richer than me, I came to realize what we all need is to think more like the group that we ________.

【推荐1】In the doorway of my home, I looked closely at my 23-year-old son. Daniel In a few hours he would be flying to France to experience a different life. It was a transitional (过渡的) time in Daniel’s life. I wanted to give him some words of significance. But came from my lips, and this was not the first time I had let such moments pass.

When Daniel was five, I took him to the bus stop on his first day of kindergarten. He asked, “What is it going to be like, Dad? Can I do it?” Then he walked up the steps of the bus and disappeared inside. The bus drove away and I said nothing. A decade later, a similar scene played itself out. I drove him to college. As I started to leave, I tried to think of something to say to give him _________ and confidence as he started this new stage of life. Again, words _________ me.

Now, as I stood before him, I thought of those _________ opportunities. How many times have I let such moments _________? I don’t find a quiet moment to tell him what he has _________ to me. Or what he might _________ to face in the years ahead. Maybe I thought it was not necessary to say anything.

What does it matter in the course of a lifetime if a father never tells a son what he really thinks of him? __________ as I stood before Daniel, I knew that it did matter. My father and I loved each other. Yet I always _________ never hearing him put his _________ into words. Now I could feel my palms sweat and my throat tighten. Why is it so __________ to tell a son something from the heart?

My mouth turned dry, and I knew I would be able to get out only a few words clearly. “Daniel,” I said, “if I could have picked, I would have picked you.” That’s all I could say. He hugged me. For a moment, the world __________, and there were just Daniel and me. He was saying something, but tears misted my eyes, and I couldn’t understand what he was saying. All I was __________ of was the stubble (短须) on his chin as his face pressed __________ mine. What I had said to Daniel was __________. It was nothing. And yet, it was __________.

【推荐2】The other day, I was looking at my schedule for the summer. I had a moment of _________, realizing I’d be without my laptop for two weeks during our family camping trip.

You might be thinking my response sounds _________ and that two weeks with no pressure to work, just relaxing in nature is the time to _________ and restore one’s brain and body. I used to be a workaholic (工作狂). So taking two weeks off from my business made me _________.

I know I’m not _________ here in our busy world. To work hard is especially significant for high-achieving people to _________ in their careers. We live in a culture that _________ the state of being busy. There might have been many times when you _________ some relatives or friends on the street and heard they said they were very busy when asking about their recent situations. Being busy is the new _________. Therefore. when we’re not busy, we feel like we’re doing something wrong.

I’m not saying working all the time makes us feel OK. Taking a break brings us __________. We’ll be more __________ after relaxing, thus having more novel ideas. Iceland has __________ a 4-day work week for 2,500 people. A study by Stanford University found that their __________ didn’t decline; they reported a better work-life balance.

Our brains aren’t __________ to work all the time. Working hard enough to pass our limits will unavoidably lead to burnout. __________, we should give ourselves a break once in a while.

【推荐3】I was cycling and noticed a person, about a quarter of a kilometer in front of me. I could tell he was cycling a little slower than me and decided to try to _________ him. I had about a kilometer to go on the road _________ turning off.

So I started cycling faster and faster and every _________ I was gaining on him just a little bit. After just a few minutes I was only about 100 yards behind him, so I really picked up the pace and _________ myself. You would have _________ I was cycling in the last section of London Olympic triathlon.

_________, I caught up with him and passed him by. On the inside I felt so good. I beat him, of course, but he didn't even know we were _________.

After I passed him, I _________ that I had been so focused on competing against him that I had _________ my turn. I had gone nearly six blocks past it and had to turn around and go all the way back.

Isn't that what happens in life when we __________ competing with co-workers, neighbors, and friends, trying to prove that we are more successful or more important? We spend our time and __________ chasing after them and we miss out on our own __________ to our future.

The problem of unhealthy competition is that it's a never-ending __________, because there will __________ be somebody ahead of you, someone with a better job, more money and more education, etc.

Therefore, just take what life has given you, your height, weight and personality. Stay focused and live a healthy life. There's no __________ in life. Run your own race and wish others well.