【推荐1】The most important lesson I learned in high school had nothing to do with maths or American history. It came at graduation，several minutes before I left Miramonte High School.

I was rather shy back then，content to_______around with my few friends and to concentrate on my_______.I was doing so well that by the end of senior year I had perfect scores and enough_______to go to college.

But my good record soon became a_______to my well-being. In early June of senior year，the headmaster called me into his office. He asked me to give a leave-taking speech at graduation. I looked at him，my heart________fast. This was the_______for my hard work？I said something，but not very clearly，and hurried away from the office.

I was_______about the decision，finally agreeing to compromise. I wasn’t the only speaker—I would_________the honor with five other students. Still，it was doubtful whether the task was________me. How in the world would I give a speech to hundreds of people?

Graduation day soon arrived and，as________，I was nervous. I’d been practicing my speech for days，and I had it________.But I had never been so________in my life. The first half hour of the ceremony passed，and then my________came. My name was announced. I managed to reach the platform without falling down. But within minutes，I finished my speech，_________back to my seat and feeling unsatisfied with my performance.

Now I still have the________of that speech. My voice trembled a little，but________it was clear and strong. I’m proud of that tape. I achieved something I’d never_______ —I spoke in front of hundreds of people._________I didn’t realize it at the time，the successful completion of that speech gave me the________to participate in class at college，to give oral reports，and to eventually break free of my________.

I never would have chosen to give a speech at graduation. But I am glad I did. I know it may well turn out to be one of my shining moments.

【推荐3】Carl Allamby grew up in a poor African American neighborhood. As a child, pursuing his dream is ________ but easy for him. His school didn’t offer the advanced science classes that might have led him on the path to ________. Even it had, doing well in school could prove dangerous. There were often times they would be attacked for ________ the class. As a result, he ________ the thought of becoming a doctor.

At age 19, he started working alone in a garage. Over the years it had ________ into two shops, but Carl was ________ for something more. So at 34, he went for his bachelor’s degree in business management and he was ________ he had to take biology to get his degree.

It turned out that it was the ________ thing to have happened. Biology class reawakened a childhood dream he had ________ somewhere deep within himself. Determined to accomplish his dream, he skipped business ________ the science classes for a second career. “It was ________ to become a doctor at around 50. I would ________ become a nurse, or a physician assistant.” Carl reasoned.

But Carl’s chemistry professor ________ him after class one day and talked him out of that thought.

He was right. Carl did well in all his courses. And so in 2015, he cut ________ with his past, selling his two shops and everything in them. In 2019, at 47, Carl Allamby became Carl Allamby, MD. The world may have ________ him around once or twice, but it didn’t defeat him.

“How many people can do something so ________ at such a late stage in their life?” he says. “I fit so many demographics (人口统计数据) that ________ you shouldn’t be a doctor. ________ it’s because of my age, my race, my upbringing, or my career, these are all good ________ suggesting I shouldn’t be here. And ________ here I am.”

【推荐1】One evening, Paul O’Sullivan felt bored in his Baltimore apartment. So he got on to Facebook to find out just how many others on the social network ___________ his name. Moments later, dozens of Paul O’Sullivans from around the world filled his ___________. The then-27-year-old employee sent friend requests to them all.

Many of his fellow Paul O’Sullivans ___________ him, but a few felt too curious to ___________ his invitation. Paul O’Sullivan from Rotterdam in the Netherlands says, “My first ___________ was ‘Who is this guy and what does he want from me?’ So I thought about it for a while.” Ultimately, he couldn’t resist the___________ friend request. As Baltimore Paul scrolled through the profiles of the Paul O’Sullivans who accepted his invitation, he noticed something four of them have in common: They were all ___________ . Wouldn’t it be funny if they ___________a band called The Paul O’Sullivans? The other Pauls all ___________ and they created a sort of musical assembly line. They managed to ____________ its first original song, “Namesake,” in March. It’s a passionate track about long-distance relationships. Not romantic ones, of course, but like the friendships they had____________developed.

But just months later, Baltimore Paul began experiencing health issues that ______________ him to take time off from making music. The other Pauls didn’t ______________their friendship. To make sure Baltimore Paul never felt alone, the other Pauls chatted live on Instagram, and checked in on Baltimore Paul and on one another.

“What are the odds (机率)” says Baltimore Paul, “that a random Facebook ______________ would lead not only to new music but to ______________ as well? Some things are just meant to be.”

【推荐2】Six days of spring rain had created a raging river running by Nancy Brown's farm. As she tried to herd her cows to higher ground,   she _______ and hit her head on a fallen tree trunk. The fall knocked her out for a moment or two. When she _______, Lizzie, one of her oldest and favorite cows, was licking her face. The water was _______. Nancy got up and began walking slowly with Lizzie. The water was now waist high. Nancy's _______ got slower and slower. Finally, all she could do was to _______ her am around Lizzie's neck and try to _______. About 20 minutes later, Lizzie managed to successfully _______ herself and Nancy out of the raging water and onto a bit of high land, a small island now in the middle of acres of _______ water.

_______ it was about noon, the sky was so dark and the rain and lighting so bad that it took _______ another two hours to discover Nancy. A helicopter lowered an ambulance man, who ________ Nancy to a life-support hoist. They raised her into the helicopter and took her to the school gym where the Red Cross had set up an emergency ________.

When the flood went down two days later, Nancy ________ went back to the "island" Lizzie was ________. She was one of 19 cows that Nancy lost. "I owe my life to her" said Nancy ________.

【推荐3】A man went to buy fruits and asked the shopkeeper about the ___________ of the fruits. The shopkeeper replied that banana was $2 and apple was $4 per kilo. At the same time, a woman came into the shop and ___________ the same question. Without a second ___________, the shopkeeper answered, “Banana is $1 and apple is $3 per kilo.” Hearing this, the man stared at shopkeeper with_________ . The shopkeeper noticed this immediately and signaled him to wait for a while. The woman took the fruits, paid for them and left ___________.

After the woman left with a smile, the shopkeeper looked toward the man and said,   “I didn’t mean to ___________ you.” He continued after a brief ___________,“The woman lives in my neighborhood. She is a poor mother of four. I have tried many times to help her but she is not_____________ to take any help from anyone in our ___________. Then I thought of this way to help her. Whenever she comes, I sell her fruits at the ____________ price. This way, she won’t feel that she is being helped and __________ on others. This is the only way I can extend my help. And whenever this lady comes, my sales ______________.”

After the man learned the story, tears ____________ in his eyes. He hugged the shopkeeper and bought fruits without complaining or ______________. More importantly, he left with a lesson learned that if you want to ______________, you will always find a way and your own bless will come along.