【推荐1】A daughter was tired of fighting. She thought about _________. It seemed as if one problem was just solved before a new one _________.

Her father took her to the kitchen. He _________ three pots with water and placed each on a fire. He placed carrots, eggs, coffee beans in each of the pots. He let them boil, without saying a word.

The daughter _________ waited, asking repeatedly what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned _________ the burners. He pulled the carrots and the eggs out and placed them each in a bowl. Then he spooned the coffee out and placed it in another. _________ her he asked, “Darling, what do you see?”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she _________. He asked her to feel the carrots. She did so and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After _________ off the shell, she found the hard-boiled egg! Finally, he asked her to taste the coffee. She smiled as she tasted its rich flavor (香味). She _________ asked, “What does it mean, Father?”

He explained that each of them had faced the same __________, boiling water, but each reacted differently. The carrot had been hard. But after __________ the boiling water, it softened. The egg had been easily __________. But after sitting through the boiling water, its __________ became hardened. The coffee beans were different, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the __________. “Which are you?” he asked. “When challenge knocks on your door, how do you __________? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”

【推荐2】Four years ago, I felt great joy after freeing myself from one of those 2-mile gym fitness runs. I once _________ running with a passion; it was just something that never came_________to me. At that time, I never _________ that I would one day run a marathon.

Things began to _________ when I met my new neighbor Mrs.Gray. She was fifty years old, going through cancer, and still _________ to run 30 miles a week. I _________ myself that if Mrs.Gray could run 6 miles at a time, I could run at least one or two. In February, I started to walk a 2-mile _________ and would try hard to run for a few minutes. Two months later, I finished the whole route, _________, for the first time. I felt _________, but I felt great.

Over the next several years, I continued to push each run for a few extra minutes. Those last few minutes would often be __________, my mind fighting against my body, saying it was time to __________. The fight between my mind and body never stopped, __________I loved every minute of these runs.

A(n) __________ was born; my heart was in it completely. I didn’t need to compete against other runners. For me, the most important competitor was myself.

Slowly, I started entering some local road races. After continuing to __________ myself and finishing two half marathons, I __________ I would train for the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon. My summer was filled with many long 6 AM runs to __________ the summer heat. I loved my __________. I knew I was finally on the road to success.

Race day finally came, and I was filled with __________. It was hard, but the experience ended up being __________. As I crossed the finish line, I experienced the strongest sense of __________ I’d ever had in my life.

【推荐3】When I was a small child, I believed wholeheartedly in magic. I was ______ to the remarkable Harry Potter books. With ______, I could dig deeply into the magical world and explore my fantasies.

Sad though it may seem, I wasn’t ashamed of being ______. I was confident that I would soon receive my envelope ______ me into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. So I waited ______, sometimes planning what I would do once I was unmasked to be a wizard (巫师).

As you’re probably predicting, the ______ happened. The year came and went when I was supposed to ______ the invitation. With the ______ of that letter came the loss of all of my hope. And I had to leave behind that dead dream. The world was ordinary and dull. Filled with a bit of ______, I continued my life. And soon, the dream ______ my mind.

However, as I grew up in a world with no spells (魔咒) or flying broomstick, I realized something. Magic did ______. Maybe it didn’t appear in the form that I had ______ while reading the Harry Potter series, but it was ______ there.

It surprised me every time I looked outside at the great moon and the stars. It ______ me in the form of loyal friends or caring family. It said hello as I burst into tears feeling extreme kindness or ______. Magic was joy. Magic was love. Magic was hope.

So I became childish once again. For magic is real, and magic is everywhere.

【推荐2】Gidda’s Team

The door closed behind Malik, making Mama look up from the hot meal. “Just in time for dinner. Will you _________ Gidda, please?”

Gidda was staying in Malik’s bedroom. He didn’t mind giving up his room for his 82-year-old grandmother at first. But then she didn’t leave. Malik tripped over her suitcase on the floor. “Sorry,” Gidda said, “I’m just a nuisance (讨厌的人) here. I’m _________.” Malik didn’t answer as he helped her up from her chair.

At dinner, Mama asked Malik, “How’s your meeting with the coach?” Malik was captain of school soccer team, and he had to discuss a fundraiser with the coach. They’d have to raise hundreds of dollars to _________ their old shirts, and that seemed unlikely _________ Malik could come up with a brilliant plan. Unwillingly, Malik said. “It’s just team stuff.” Changing the _________, Malik turned to Gidda. “Do you want to go sit outside after dinner?”

Gidda agreed. In the soft warmth of the evening, Gidda _________ herself beneath the enormous fig (无花果) tree. “Feels like home,” she said. But Malik _________, “It drops figs everywhere.” Right then, a fig landed on his head. Gidda laughed, picked it up, and took a _________. “Perfect. Pick me a bunch. I’ll make fig cakes.”

The next morning, Malik found Gidda making fig cakes in the kitchen. She offered him one. Malik, hoping it wasn’t too _________, put it in his mouth. His eyes __________ as he chewed. It was delicious. He eyed the tree in the backyard. How many fig cakes could it __________?

Malik __________ his phone and started texting in a(n) __________ of excitement. An hour later, most of the soccer team gathered in the kitchen, and ate up fig cakes. “Gidda’s F abulous Fig Cakes!” Malik said. “We’ll sell them! Gidda said they were easy to make; she’ll show us how.” At dinner that night, Gidda shared their plan with Mama, smiling __________ as she repeated the __________ Malik gave on her, “Team Grandmother”.

The next day, the kitchen was full of __________. Walking slowly __________ the excited boys, Gidda taught them to make fig cakes. Soon the fig cakes __________.

As Malik __________, Gidda’s Fabulous Fig Cakes were a huge __________ and they were quickly sold out. When the new uniforms arrived just in time for the opening game, Coach Garcia invited Gidda to watch. She arrived early, and waved at Malik. Then she turned around to show off her shirt. On the back were the words “Team Grandmother”.