【推荐2】Life is to be lived. No excuses. No holding back.

A story about the violinist Fritz Kreisler tells how he once _______ a beautiful instrument he wanted to get. When he _______ raised the money for the violin, he returned to buy it and learned that it had already been sold to a(n) _______.

He went to the new owner’s home in order to try to _______ him to sell the violin. However, the collector said it was one of his valuable possessions and he could not let it go. Kreisler felt _______ and turned to leave, but then asked a favour, “May I play the instrument once more _______ it is put away?”

_______ was given and the great musician began to play. The violin sang out a quality of music which was so beautiful that the collector himself could only listen in _______. “I have no right to keep that to myself,” he said after the musician finished. “The violin is yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people _______ it. ”

For you and I are excellent violins—our ________ is meant to be heard.

I want to live my ________ that way—to take it into the world and live it fully. I’d rather be ________ than die not having done whatever I could.

I’m not talking about ________ ourselves by doing too much. Happiness is never found in excessive business. But it is found in applying our lives to helping others. Say yes when asked for a hand. ________ to work for a charity organization. Spend an hour with a lonely relative.

In the end, I know that my happiness is not about what I can or cannot do. It is about how much I ________ to others. My life is meant to be lived.

【推荐3】Under Water

June was sitting by the swimming pool in her new swimsuit . Feeling really hot, she dived into the water. _______ else was in the pool. It was so good to have the whole pool to herself. The fresh water _______ her body immediately. She _______ on swimming around the pool.

Not having swum in the past several years and being a bit out of shape, June grew _______ easily. “Ah, no pain no gain,” she thought to herself. June continued to swim, realizing her head was hurting. Her breathing became _______. Then she saw the lifeguard and some others around the pool. No sense in embarrassing (使尴尬)herself or bothering anyone, she _______ on.

Then June found herself in the middle of the pool. Deciding not to make a _______, she continued on.   _______ she made it to the other side of the pool. Tiredness and weakness made it difficult for June to get out of the pool. As she _______, her body swayed (摇摆)back and forth, losing her ________.

Realizing she needed help but unable to even say anything, she leaned against the pool side. Several minutes later she had enough ________ to pull her body up out of the pool. Sitting at the side of the pool, she felt that someone was ________ at her. It was the lifeguard. June was only able to wave her hand, telling him that she was okay.

Have you ever found yourself in such a ________ and you don't ask for help? Maybe you're afraid you'll be made a laughing stock (笑柄). We've all been there. There is nothing wrong in asking for help. ________ has many ups and downs. When you find yourself unable to “keep your head above water,” stop, look around and ask for help before you find yourself “________”. The journey of life will be happier and more satisfying.

【推荐1】It is natural that young people are not often comfortable when they are with their parents. They say that their ______ don’t understand them. They often think that their parents are out of touch with modern ways; that they are too strict ______ their children; and that they ______ give their children a free hand. It is true that parents often find it difficult to win their children’s ______ and they tend to forget how they themselves ______ when young. For example, young people like to act at once without much ______. It is one of their ways to show that they have ______ up and they can face any difficult situation. Instead, ______ people worry more easily. Most of them ______ things ahead, at least in their minds, and do not like their plans to be upset by something ______.

When you want your parents to let you do ______, you will have better success if you ask ______ you really start doing it.

Young people often make their parents angry with their choices in clothes, in _____   and in music. But they do not mean to cause any trouble; it is just that they feel ______ from the older people’s world, into which they have not yet been accepted. That’s why young people want to make a new culture of their ______. And if their parents do not like their music or entertainments or clothes or their ways of speech, this will make the young extremely ______.

Sometimes you are so proud of yourself that you do not want your parents to ______   “yes” to what you do. All you want is to be ______ and do what you like. It is natural enough, after being a child for so many years, that you were completely under your parents control.

If you plan to control your life, you’d better persuade your parents and try to get them to ______ you. If your parents see that you have a high sense of responsibility, they will certainly give you the ______ to do what you want to do.

【推荐2】In Thanks for What We Have

I sat and waited for Kathleen to speak. “Annie,” she said, “A food bank that serves the elderly is asking for ______. I’d like you to organize the event” “Well, errr…sure.” As I stuttered(结巴地说) through my ______, all I could think was, “What? Why me?”

I walked back to my office wondering where to ______. This was a time when the economy was ______. The rise in unemployment forced many of my coworkers to ______ to survive. How could I ask them for more?

That evening I drove home with negativity. Then I remembered a time when my father was out of work. Mom wrote a note to Jim, the milkman, asking him not to ______ any more milk. Two days later Jim picked up the ______ and left four liters of milk. He wrote his message, which read, “Kids need milk.” The milk delivery ______ as usual and Jim never collected a cent ______ us.

The memory of Jim’s ______ fired my enthusiasm. Perhaps I’d be in for a pleasant surprise.

The next morning I ______ signs about our food drive all over the cafeteria and on every notice board I could find. Each sign said, “Food drive to support the poor elderly! ______ of non-perishable(不易腐的) foods are greatly needed.”

Within a few days I had to locate empty office space to ______ the massive number of contributions we had ______. One of my coworkers, Maggie, made the rounds with me every day from one department to another to pick up the canned goods and other ______. Though over sixty, she pushed our food trolley around with the ______ of a woman half her age.

I asked her where she got all the enthusiasm. She said, “with the unemployment rate touching 10 percent, I can’t think of a better way to be ______ for keeping our jobs when so many have ______ theirs. Sure money is ______. But when isn’t it? People need food.”

As I listened to Maggie, the milkman’s words ______ in my ears, “Kids need milk.”

【推荐3】We have all heard how time is more valuable than money, but is it possible to have too much time?

I _______ back in high school I spent most of my day at school since I also played a team sport. By the time I got home, I only had a few hours to do my homework, and I had to do it _______.

When I got into college, things   changed . I suddenly found myself out of class before noon time. Because of all this _______ time, there was no sense of urgency to do my school work immediately. I was performing this action of waiting until it later became a _______. Once that happened, I just kept push my studying further and further back in my day. Then I got to the point where I was _______ really late at night to get my work done.

One day I met a former classmate of mine who was _________ a lot of money running a sideline (副业). Since his regular job was_______ , I asked him why he just didn't do his sideline full-time. He said without the job, he would simply have too much time and would just do what I did back in college. He said that if he _______ the job, he would lose his chance to work and succeed.

So, try _________ your time with other work. This is why there is a __________ that if you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.

【推荐2】Everybody seems to pay more attention to my little sister Lisa. I've_______enough of this big-sister thing!

So I decide to______________，with my favorite toys and other____________like clothes. Mother__________my running away. However， she's not as upset as she_________be， “Are you going to Grandma's?” I can't believe she can even_________this out. She's like a witch!

I don't_____________her and go out. So_____________on my leaving， I' m unaware Mother is________me. Finally I get to Grandma's.__________I even knock， the door opens. I realize Mother has_______ahead.

Mother comes in and sits down， patting her thigh(大腿)，“Come here.”I don't want to， but I'm hot and tired， so I______her thigh. She pushes my hair behind my ear and asks________，“Dear， why have you left?”And it all comes out: “It's__________and all the time with Lisa， I get into trouble···”

Taking my face in her hands， Mum says，“I don't want you to be so_______. If it's hard for you， I'll call the orphanage and send her away tomorrow.”I start to_________and I beg her， “No. Don't send her away!”Seeming__________，Mother agrees.

______，whenever we have a(n)_______if I say， “Mum， Lisa's being mean to me!” Mum smiles， “You had your__________”