【推荐1】I used to spend two years working with children with disabilities. I learned that ______ and threats of punishment would result in a ______. Coming up against their ______ could only make the job harder and their behavior more extreme. I found something that ______, though.

There was a very ______ boy in the school and a teacher who was generally very confident with the children was asked to ______ him. One day the boy joined a session (活动) in the room next to mine but then created a ______. He spent the entire session running ______, hitting and kicking.

I was then working with my students when my co-worker said that this boy’s teacher lost the ______. As we were talking, the boy ran in. I told my ______ that I would take care of him.

I closed the door. He was ______ energy, making a huge mess. But I could see that he was doing all these to ______ me. He needed ______, and this was the only way he knew how to ask for it. So I sat back ______ and kept quiet. Then he ______ and began making a rocket. I talked to him about it. We continued ______ this for a few minutes before I slipped into the conversation:

“So what happened today?”

He told me that the teacher ______ him to do what he disliked. He ______ admitted that he had enjoyed making her run around and saw it as a game. I explained that his teacher was very ______. I suggested that next time he had a session, he talk about what lie hoped to do at the start, which might be ______ for everyone. He agreed and was quiet for a moment.

【推荐2】Outside our hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, a seemingly ancient woman waited beside the door with her hand outstretched (伸出的). Every day I put my hand in hers as our eyes met. She never _________ to return my smile, my grasp, and my greeting.

On the last day of our visit, I found myself _________ on a busy corner across the street from our hotel. Bicycles and motorbikes rushed in front of me. We had been advised to walk straight through the heavy traffic without looking right or left. Let them _________ us. But tonight I was by myself and felt _________ to face the stream of vehicles. As I hesitated on the sidewalk, I felt a hand on my elbow and looked down to see the smile of my small beggar friend looking up at me. She nodded her head toward the street, indicating that she would take me across. Together, we moved slowly into the chaos.

Then we moved on towards the sidewalk, where she pulled my face down to hers, kissed me on both cheeks, and then walked away, still smiling and waving back to me. I had not given her a single coin. We had _________ something vastly more important — a warming of hearts in friendship.

Traveling in poorer nations, I have witnessed a variety of ways to deal with beggars. The most common response of tourists faced with those extremely poor people is to ignore them and focus their eyes elsewhere. I have seen people push away an outstretched hand in _________. A few may hurriedly drop a few coins, and then make a quick getaway in hopes that another 20 ragged beggars won’t immediately appear on the _________.

For many reasons, giving money is not the best response to an outstretched hand. The greatest gift is time and respect. To look beggars in the eye and smile, thus acknowledging their existence, is a small thing. Putting your hand into another’s outstretched hand and grasping it _________ for a moment is also a small thing. But these are important. Everyone needs _________, to be seen as worthy of being __________, to feel appreciated and loved. And I believe that everyone is worthy and worth knowing.

【推荐3】The Cost of Dishonesty

David began studying in Germany two years ago. The college was a little far from _______ he lived, so he had to take the _______ every day. This clever student soon found it was _______ to escape buying subway tickets, _______ he often went and returned without a ticket to _________ money. As a result, he had been caught with no _______ in the subway four times but he _______ took them to heart. He thought what he should pay more attention _______ was his study. He did work very hard in the last two years and graduated with _________ grades a month ago. Everyone, including David __________, thought he would get a good job easily in Germany and have a bright __________. He went to a big local company __________. But to his surprise, he was not __________ given his chance for an interview! He then went to __________ famous company, only to receive the same treatment. When he was __________ a third time, he couldn’t __________ telephoning the company to ask why they didn’t __________ him. The answer was simple, “We don’t offer jobs to ________ people in Germany!”

Being dishonest may bring us something useful sometimes, but the truth will __________ sooner or later and the cost is high. So remember, __________ is the best policy (策略).

【推荐1】I always preferred to take on more than I should when I was a young man. At times, it was to prove to myself that I could _________ it. At other times, it was to please someone and gain _________ for my efforts. This sometimes led to _________ or frustration.

When I was an IT manager after college graduation I was _________ to work with a wealthy customer and be a go-between (中间人) for my company. I took on the task _________ , thinking that this might be my time to shine. _________ , the customer’s demands proved to be more than I could do with. And the company chose to _________ the customer and try to meet his unreasonable requirements rather than stick to what we had _________ offered in the contract (合同). As you can imagine, this led to a lot of unexpected _________ and arguing with some of the staff who __________ to do anything outside their range of work. I remember walking into my office one morning, opening my laptop and __________ the blank screen for long, thinking to myself: What should I do? That was a(n) __________ time in my life and then I finally had to give up my first job and __________ that company sadly.

Perhaps, I thought then, I could find the __________ that didn’t involve dealing with difficult people and difficult situations. But later I realized: Is this __________ in our modern world? No, it is impossible. Now, I know, I shouldn’t run away from the __________ I faced in life. I had to learn how to deal with them. I __________ not persevering (坚持) in my job. We should train ourselves to look at things from a __________ point of view, because that is far better than being __________ in the bad circle depression. I’ve come to __________ that when faced with difficulties, I should not give up, but persevere.

【推荐2】In January this year, a fire destroyed the building that housed Yossi Heiman’s Fish Market in Borough Park, Brooklyn: The _________ made Yossi Heiman have no place to operate his business and no ability to get _________.

The merchant Shea Langsam owns a(n) _________ store, just a few blocks away. One would have _________ that sympathetic as he maybe to his competitor’s bad luck, he would welcome this opportunity to _________ new customers and increase his business. _________, Shea did something truly excellent. When he learned of the fire, he _________ the phone and called Yossi Heiman. Not only did he _________ him but when he heard Yossi say he would need a facility and deliver _________ to his customers, he said, “don’t worry! Why not join me in my store before your store could be rebuilt? As fellow community members we all should try to help each other.” Shea did as he promised and Yossi __________ his losses.

The story is wonderful and it’s a(n) __________ of seeing fellow community members as part of one family, putting needs of others __________ their own needs. Businessmen usually want to make more money or grow their __________ but the story is __________: It’s a truly sincere display of true faith and great kindness. Real faith means __________ others and having a heart of compassion (同情) and mercy like Shea.

【推荐1】When I entered Berkeley, I hoped to earn a scholarship. Having been a Straight-A student, I believed I could _______ tough subjects and really learn something. One such course was World Literature given by Professor Jayne. I was extremely interested in the ideas he _______ in class. When I took the first exam, I was _______ to find a 77, C-plus, on my test paper, for English was my best subject.

I went to Professor Jayne, who listened to my arguments but remained _______. I decided to try harder, although I didn’t know what that means _______ school had always been easy for me. I read the books more carefully, but got another 77. Again, I _______ with Professor Jayne. Again, he listened _______ but wouldn’t change his mind. One more test before the final exam. One more _______ to improve my grade. So I redoubled my efforts and, for the first time, learned the meaning of the word “_______”. But my ________ did no good and everything went as before.

The last hurdle was the final. No matter what grade I got, it wouldn’t cancel three C-pluses. I might as well kiss the ________ goodbye. I stopped working hard. I felt I knew the course material as well as I ever would. The night before the final, I even ________ myself to a movie. The next day I decided for once I’d have fun with a test. A week later, I was surprised to find I got an A. I hurried into Professor Jayne’s office. He ________ to be expecting me. “If I gave you the grade as you expected, you wouldn’t continue to work as hard.” I stared at him, ________ that his analysis and strategy were correct. I had worked my head off, as I had never done before.

I was ________ when my course grade arrived: A-plus. It was the only A-plus given. The next year I received my scholarship. I’ve always remembered Professor Jayne’s lesson: you alone must set your own standard of excellence.

【推荐2】That day was calm and splendid. I walked slowly towards the edge of the cliff and looked out. The ____ was amazing. I could ____ the gentle wind coming from the coast while watching the brilliant sunset.

My dad and I used to enjoy the sunset together on that very place. We ____ also watch the waves ____ the rocks below. Yet, my mother always annoyed us how ____ it was. I never got worried, ____ always became secure next to my father, who spent most of his life out ____ in his boat.

I remember one time on his boat; I had ____ off the back and into the cold water accidentally. My dad instantly jumped off to ____ me. That day was especially unforgettable and from that point I realized ____ would prevent my dad protecting me if I my life was in threat.

As I ____ approached the top of the cliff, I recalled the most valuable time ____ I spent with my dad. I looked down desperately at the urn (骨灰瓷) in my hands. My father was my rock, someone I could ____ every time I was in awkward dilemma. But now he was gone eternally, and the urn for me meant absolutely ____ itself. ____ there been another chance to stay with my father again, I might have cherished it more than ever before.

I ____ the urn, said a ____ farewell and then slowly twisted off the lid. The wind started to change ____ , blowing out towards the sea. I looked last time at my father’s ashes and then ____ for a moment, I scattered the contents out over the cliff.

I wiped away a tear, but it was perfect happiness rather than sadness, because I finally knew the man who ____ so much to me, my father, was eventually at peace.

【推荐3】Recently, one of my best friends, whom I’ve shared just about everything with, spent the weekend with me.

Over the weekend, we spent _________ talking about the people she was hanging around with. She started telling me _________ about her new boyfriend, about how he experimented with drugs and was into other _________ behaviors. I was blown away! No matter how _________ I tried to tell her that she was ruining her future and she _________ better, she didn’t believe me. I felt like I was getting _________.

By the time she left, I was _________ by the experience and really worried about her. I had come close to telling her several times that maybe we just couldn’t continue our _________, but I didn’t. I put the power of friendship to the final _________. I had to hope that she __________ me enough to know that I was trying to save her from __________ herself and that our friendship could __________ anything.

A few days later, she called to say that she had thought long and hard about our conversation, and then she told me that she had __________ her boyfriend. I just listened on the other end of the __________ with tears of joy running down my face. It was one of the truly __________ moments in my life with a friend.