【推荐1】My daughter has been saving her birthday money for almost nine months. She did it so that she could ______ an iPod touch independently.

By this morning, she had saved the ______ amount needed and headed to the Apple Store in Utah with my wife. They arrived at 10:30 am, not ______ that the store would be closed from 11 am to 2 pm today. As they ______ the store, two friendly Apple ______ greeted them and said that they were sorry, but their store would be closed.

My wife ______ my daughter who had a jar full of cash in her arms and ______ why they were there. They ______ said they were sorry, but could not let them in. My wife and daughter were _______ , but understood and made their way to another store in the mall.

About three stores down, one of the two men _______ them and said that the manager was going to make a(n) _______ and let them in. When they were let in the store, they were the _______ customers in the place and everyone ______ what they were doing to serve them.

_______ she took all of the cash out of the jar, a crew member stepped ______ to help her and said, “I have to tell you that this made my day.”

After ______ the iPod, my daughter and wife were on their way out；the store manager ______ his voice and said to his crew members, “Everyone, please use your ______ to give the girl a round of applause for saving her money and buying an iPod today.”

My daughter was caught a little off guard by all of the ______ and waved goodbye, and then left. The Apple Store earned a ______ forever by doing this.

【推荐2】My parents never once spoke of the stress of having to pay for college, but I knew enough to appreciate that it was there. Therefore, when my French teacher announced that she’d be leading an optional class trip to Paris over one of our ________ for those who could come up with the money to do it, I didn’t even ________ to raise the issue at home.

Yet one evening my parents ________ me down, looking puzzled. My mom had learned about the France trip through my friend’s mom.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” she said. “

Because it’s too much money. ”I replied.

“That’s actually not for you to decide, Michelle, ” my dad said gently, feeling almost ________. “And how are we supposed to decide, if we don’t even know about it?”

I looked at them both, ________ of what to say. My mother glanced at me, her eyes soft. My father had changed out of his work uniform and into a clean white shirt. They were in their early forties then, married nearly twenty years. Neither one of them had ever ________ in Europe. They never took beach trips or went out to dinner. They didn’t own a house. We were their ________, me and my brother. Everything went into us.

A few months later, I ________ a flight to Paris with my teacher and a dozen or so of my classmates from Whitney Young in Chicago. We would stay in a hostel, and ________ the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. We’d buy snacks from ________ on the street and walk along the banks of the Seine. We’d speak French like a bunch of high school kids from Chicago, but we’d at least speak French.

As the plane ________ from its gate that day, I looked out my window and back at the airport, knowing that my mother stood somewhere behind its black-glass window, dressed in her winter coat and waving me on. I remember all the ________. I remember the jet engines firing, ________ loud. And then we were rattling down the runway and beginning to tilt upward as the ________ seized my chest and pressed me backward into my seat for that strange, in-between moment that comes before finally I feel ________

【推荐1】On the sports field, athletes compete not only with others but against themselves. And in each race they try hard to _________ a new personal best.

For one teen Brandon Schutt, in his final cross-country outing, his personal best turned out not to be about marking the fastest time, but displaying the biggest _________ . A mile into the 3. 1-mile race, Schutt realized he couldn’t keep up the necessary speed, so he just _________ to a comfortable pace to simply enjoy the moment.

Another runner Blake Cerveny aimed to beat his own personal record. After a fast start, he continued to push himself _________ . However, with less than 400 meters to go, Cerveny’s legs cramped up (抽筋)and _________ him. His will didn’t though.

_________ to finish, Cerveny rose from the ground and continued on his way, only to fall again after another 150 meters. Feeling _________ , his coach asked Cerveny if he wanted to _________ . He didn’t. The young runner pulled himself up and with _________ steps, he moved forward for one final push. It wasn’t enough. At 100 meters from the finish line, he __________ curled (蜷缩的)on the ground. His legs had simply given out. Then it was Schutt who went to Cerveny’s side to offer a __________ hand.

His first __________ to get Cerveny up failed, but Schutt refused to quit. With a second try, Cerveny was on his feet. The two __________ the final 75 meters.

In today’s competitive world, the __________ of athletics is usually put on breaking records. It was inspiring to see that for athletes like Schutt, the value of true __________ still mattered.

【推荐2】In one Nebraska teen running race before graduating from high school, Brandon Schutt’s personal best turned out not to be about marking the fastest time but displaying the biggest heart.

During the race, he knew he had the potential to _________ for the upcoming state meet, so he slowed to a comfortable _________ that would allow him to simply enjoy the moment and the day. Meanwhile, aiming to _________ his own personal record, after a fast start, Blake Cerveny continued to push himself _________. With less than 400 meters to go, Cerveny got a cramp (抽筋) in his legs and they _________ him. _________ to finish, Cerveny rose from the ground and continued on, only to _________ again after another 150 meters…and again. This time he’d _________ it only 25 meters more before going down. With tremendous effort, the young runner pulled himself up and with a ( an ) _________ pace, moved forward for one final push. It wasn’t enough. Less than 100 meters from the finish line, he lay curled on the ground. His legs had simply __________.

Brandon Schutt, who was at his side, __________ a helping hand. His first __________ to get Cerveny up failed, but like Cerveny, he too refused to __________. With a second hard pull, Cerveny was __________. With Cerveny holding Schutt for support and Schutt __________ Cerveny maintain balance, the two __________ the final 75 meters. Schutt even made sure the injured runner crossed the finish line first, securing his __________ a faster time.

In today’s __________ world in which the emphasis in athletics is so often put on breaking records, it is __________ to see that for an athlete like Brandon Schutt, the value of true sportsmanship still has legs. And for others, like Blake Cerveny, knowing that finishing the race, no matter the odds or adversity, is the true __________ of a win.

【推荐1】Faisal Zaid Alshara is a fifth-grade student at an Islamic School & Academy in Ramtha, Jordan. He was born without a right hand and only two fingers on his left, as well as a tongue-tie (结舌) for which he had to receive medical ________ at a very young age. These physical ________ made Faisal feel ashamed and ________ the children who were the same age as him, as he could not ________ seeing the looks of pity they would give to him.

Books were Faisal’s safe shelter, where he could ________ new worlds and lose ________ in stories that made him feel ________. However, he struggled to find a way to ________ his passion for reading until his teacher ________ him to the Arab Reading Challenge.

Faisal ________ the Challenge’s fifth edition, qualifying (取得资格) at both the school and district levels. He was delighted when his school district’s director ________ him for his district qualification. He then went on to qualify at the country level. Thanks to his success in the Challenge, Faisal eventually felt comfortable with opening up and ________ hid classmates, who now look at him with ________ rather than sympathy.

Faisal is now preparing for the sixth Arab Reading Challenge and is determined to reach the ________. The child who was once unwilling to communicate with others is now filled with hope and enthusiasm for his ________. His constant smiles and laughs fill the room as he talks to friends he has known through the Arab Reading Challenge.

【推荐2】Fourth-grader, Sarah Haycox, made it her mission to right a wrong. And in doing so, she has shown the world what one _______ person, with passion, can do.

One day, when _________ by an athletic field near her school, Sarah noticed a small _______ with the name Edwin T. Pratt and the year 1930 - 1969 on it. She _______ who he was and what he did.

After some _______, she learned that he was a civil rights leader who had done many good things to _______ others. Sadly, he was _______ just because someone disagreed with what he was doing.

Feeling that the small memorial was _______ big enough for a man who had so much _______ on others, Sarah ________ to do something!

There was a new ________ going up nearby for young kids. She found out who were ________ the building project and asked them if it could be named after Mr. Pratt. Through great efforts, her vision came to reality! Almost 50 years after his death, Edwin Pratt’s life and impact will be celebrated as the name of the new school.

Most kids simply had walked by the memorial without thinking about who Mr. Pratt was. But Sarah had the ________ to learn more, the vision to imagine something better and the courage to ________ her idea. Her amazing actions have ________ many other young people around the world.

【推荐3】Brian Tagalog was born without arms. But that didn’t prevent him from leading a normal life. The _______ young man believes he is the only certified tattoo(纹身) artist without arms in the world.

A _______ of Honolulu, Tagalog moved with his family to Tucson. He had always shown an interest in drawing, and set his mind on becoming a _______ tattoo artist. Not many people gave him a chance, but he _______ improved his foot drawing skills and operated the tattoo gun with his toes.

Brian’s mother admits that _______ him was not easy, but she always made it a(n) _______ to let him explore his options. “The day I gave birth to him, well, I was shocked, but we never hid him. I didn’t _______ him in any way.” And perhaps that’s what gave him the _______ to achieve his dreams, _______ the very obvious absence of two limbs. “I was born without arms,” he said. “But that has not slowed me down to pursue my dream.”

At first, finding a shop that would ________ him proved a very difficult thing. He applied to many tattoo shops and got no calls back. He didn’t give up; ________, Brian finally runs his own shop. Brian uses a(n) ________ technique to tattoo—he draws the design on clients’ skin with one foot, ________ using the other to stretch the skin. And eventually his tattoos always turn out to get his clients’ admiration.

Brian hopes his success will ________ others to follow their dreams bravely. Words and photos just don’t do Brian Tagalog justice. You need to see him ________ to witness how he works only with his feet.