【推荐1】How I Failed My Oxford Interview

As soon as the words left my mouth I knew I’d ________ “You think Jane Austen is soft?” The man opposite me asked in disbelief. Then, he and his colleague took turns to ________ my claim, finishing each other’s sentences as they stressed Austen’s novels were, in fact, fierce.

“I just mean…” I said in a(n) ________ voice, trying to keep the tone light, “that she’s not as fierce as Virginia Woolf.”

The two professors patted this idea around, too, like a couple of cats toying with a frightened bird — giving_______ examples of how Austen’s work was, on the contrary, more fierce than Woolf’s. With no more defensive action to take, I ________ smiled and said, “Let’s just agree to disagree, shall we?” And all that moment, my dreams of going to Oxford university ________ in a puff of smoke.

Part of my problem, in hindsight was a lack of confidence. ________ I was a straight A student and had prepared for the interview to the best of my ability, I wasn’t a skilled debater. When faced with two experts who told me that I was wrong, instead of defending myself, I rolled over and accepted ________.

To pass the interview, you need confidence, of course. You also need a ________ passion for your subject, not just a keen interest. In other words, don’t put comments on your personal statement that you don’t have ________ for your in-person backup.

So, months later, I already knew the contents of my thin envelope when it appeared on my doormat. ________, I felt a pan g of disappointment. I had wanted to go to Oxford since I was 13. I used to look up images of my favorite college with the same ________ of a bride-to-be browsing wedding dresses.

Ultimately, I didn’t have what it took — but, looking back, that was ________ a bad thing. Instead of going to Oxford, I found a university that was a better fit for my interests. I loved my eclectic course, where I could write an essay comparing Jane Eyre to 50 Shades of Grey.

Failing my Oxford interview also provided a valuable life lesson. I’m now more confident in my opinions, more passionate when it comes to debate, and I try to back up my points with ________ evidence. What’s more, I had never since ended a discussion by giving a ________ laugh and saying, “let’s just agree to disagree, shall we?”

【推荐2】There was a young boy at a beautiful beach digging sands using his plastic tools. While his other friends were playing the whole time, the little boy spent his day_________his sandcastle. He even_________a moat (护城河) using a spoon, a bridge with a_________, and walls for his castle.

After a whole long day, he finished his_________sandcastle until the waves washed his hard work. Holding back his tears, the boy didn’t get mad and_________decided to study the waves that_________his creation.

The boy was aware of the_________and saw it a couple of times already. He already knew how to do things better. He felt no_________, regret, or fear any more whenever the waves came. He just smiled,_________his tools and left. He knew that the tide was beyond his__________and he couldn’t do anything about it. What he could do though is how to__________those situations.

Basically, no matter where you are, the waves of life will always__________you. What matters most is how you behave during those moments and what they__________about yourselves along this__________called life. Keep calm while looking at things from different viewpoints because sometimes all it takes for__________to happen in your life is by looking at things through different lenses!

【推荐3】Wishing to encourage her young son’s progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they_______, the mother spot a friend in the audience and walked down the aside to_______her.

Seizing the _______to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and_______explored his way through a door_______ “No Admittance”. When the house lights became weaker and weaker and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the_______was missing.

Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights_______the impressive Steinway piano on stage. _______, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the key-board, innocently_______Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

At the moment, the great pianist made his________, quickly moved to the piano, and________in the boy’s ear, “Don’t quit. Keep playing.”

Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his________hand and began filling in a bass(低音) part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he________a running obbligato(伴奏). ________, the old master and the young boy transformed a frightening situation into a ________ creative experience. The audience were deeply moved.

That’s the way in life. What we can________on our own is hardly worth mentioning. We try our best, ________the results aren’t exactly graceful flowing________. But when we trust in the hands of the Great Power, our life’s work truly can be________.

Next time you set out to accomplish your great career,________carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, “Don’t quit. Keep playing.”

【推荐2】Oleita thinks she may have a partial solution for two of her country’s persistent problems: garbage and poverty. It’s called the Chip Bag Project. The 26-year-old student and environmentalists from Detroit are asking for a(n)_______ of local snack lovers: _______ throw your empty chip bags into the trash, _______ them so she can _______ them into sleeping bags for the homeless.

Chip eaters drop off their _______ bags at two locations in Detroit: a print shop and a clothing store, where Oleita and her volunteer helpers _______ them. After they sanitize (净化) the chip bags in soapy hot water, they _______ them open, lay them flat, and iron them together. They use pad-ding (填料) from old coats to fill the insides.

It takes about four hours to _______ a sleeping bag, and each takes around 150 to 300 chip bags, _______ whether they’ re single-serve or family size. The ________ of the sleeping bag is “waterproof (防水的), light weight, and easy to ________ around,” Oleita told The Detroit News.

Since it started in 2020, the Chip Bag Project has collected more than 800,000 chip bags and has ________ 110 sleeping bags. Sure, it would be ________ to raise the money to buy new sleeping bags. But that’s only half the ________ for Oleita and her fellow volunteers. “We are ________ to making an impact not only socially, but environmentally,” Oleita says.

【推荐3】Born in Monterey, Virginia in 1896, Marjorie Stewart Joyner moved to Chicago, Illinois at 16. In 1916, she became the first black woman to __ from the A.B. Molar Beauty School. Later she worked for self-made millionaire Madame C.J. Walker’s company, which owned nearly 200 hair salons (沙龙) and __ many well-known black figures of the time.

During the 1920’s, black women had real difficulty with their __. In order to straighten their tightly-curled (紧紧卷曲的) hair, they would have to __ a stove-heated curling iron (烫发器). This was very __ as only one iron could be used at a time. In 1926, Joyner set out to make this __ faster, easier and more efficient. She imagined that if a number of curling irons could be __ above a woman’s head, they could __ at the same time to straighten her hair all at once.

Joyner __ her concept and completed her invention, which could be worn for a specific period of time, __ hair that was either straight or curled. Beyond __, the device enjoyed immediate success, and Joyner, as the first black woman, __ received a patent for it in 1928. Joyner’s __ was not limited to Madam C.J.Walker’s company but was extremely popular among white beauty salons.

In 1945, along with educator Mary McLeod, Joyner co-founded the United Beauty School Owners and Teachers Association (UBSOTA), and helped the black community by __ money for black colleges.

Joyner died on December 7, 1997. She left behind her wisdom, creativity and __ that served to motivate many generations.