【推荐3】Dad is a reserved man of few words but is always strict. What's more, he is quite _______ from other fathers and he believes a dutiful _______ is the product of the stick.

When I was 8, Dad _______ himself outside in the day time because of his tight schedule but began to take me to task for whatever I did _______ at table after supper. He would _______ me with a belt, leaving my arms many   _______. I was emotionally upset and disturbed, so I used to _______ with other kids in the neighborhood and Dad would _______ me more heavily the next time, making it impossible for me to _______ on my lessons. Everything went from bad to __________ for me so much that I even couldn't __________ out the English alphabet. Later, I was even   __________ into a reformatory school（少年管教所）.

This time bitter tears were in his eyes, __________, "Son, it is not that I don't love you, but that I should not have been so angry at your __________ to live up to my expectations!"

Twenty years later, the Ph. D. graduation ceremony was around the __________ and my parents were __________ invited to show up. Dad didn't say a single word in praise of me but __________ bitterly again this time, and at this very moment, my mind was filled with mixed __________ and I stood on the stage with warm tears __________ up in my eyes： the first time you shed tears bitterly for my being __________, but this time you did so for my being a Ph. D.

【推荐1】One summer night, my friends and I stole into the Jordans’ backyard and started harvesting their sweet, juicy raspberries (树莓). We were enjoying every bite of the tasty berries _________ Mr Jordan came charging outside all of a sudden.

“What are you boys doing out here?” he yelled as my friends ran off _________ all directions. He attempted to catch one or two as they rushed past him, but they were too _________ for the older gentleman to catch. Within seconds, the boys _________ into the dark of the summer night, all except me. Speed was never my _________. I took the tongue-lashing (痛骂) that Mr. Jordan gave me as he marched me down the block to my house, where my mother took over and scolded me _________. My friends said they could hear every colorful word she spoke from the darkness of our backyard, where they had gathered to _________ their escape and to observe my capture.

They _________ me about it for days afterwards, while all I could do was complain about how _________ it was that I was the only one who had to pay the price. After about a week of this, I complained to my father about the inequality of the situation. Dad said, “You took raspberries without __________, and you get exactly the punishment you deserved.”

“But what about the other guys?” I asked. “They didn’t get punished at all!”

“That’s not my concern nor should it be yours,” Dad said. “You can’t __________ what happens to others. You can only __________ what happens to you. You made a bad choice that night, and you were punished for it.”

For the duration of the following years, I come to realize there is no __________ that life will treat us fairly. That’s why we can’t __________ comparing our lives with the lives of others. Like Dad said, that isn’t our __________.

【推荐2】Table Talk

As we got out of the car, our son announced, “Phones stay in the car.”

“Why do you always have to tell us that?” complained our fifteen-year-old grandson.

Our son’s wife winked at us and then explained, “We have a family _______ that no one may bring anything electronic to the table.”

We _______ our phones in the car. Even though the restaurant was filled with families, there was little noise. All I heard were a few quiet conversations and the ding of forks on plates. The _______ unnerved me. I looked around. Everyone, even the young kids, was _______ at some kind of screen.

The silence was broken when the six of us sat down, and started talking. The waitress stood patiently and waited for our orders. When our food came, we continued to chat.

An elderly couple at the next table were finishing their dinners and conversing quietly. I noticed that they shot us a few glances, and wondered if our constant chatter was annoying them.

After the dessert, my son signaled the waitress for the check. She hesitated when she brought the black folder to our table. My son opened the black folder — it was _______ . “You forgot the check,” he told her.

“There isn’t one. Someone else _______ your bill — and the tip too.” she said with a giggle (咯咯笑).

“Why?” asked our son, his wife and myself at once.

“They loved it that no one was connected.” she continued. “They loved watching you guys _______ . The old lady went on and on about how nice it was to see a family eating and talking instead of looking at ‘electric games’.”

For a moment, everyone at our table was at a loss for _______ . Then we all started talking at once. My son's voice rose above the others. “Where are they? We want to thank them.”

“They left after you ordered dessert,” the waitress replied.

We spent the next fifteen minutes discussing this goodness and camp up with a _______ . Next time we see a family eating at a restaurant ________ looking at anything electronic, we'll pay it forward, just like what happened to us.

【推荐3】I had worried myself sick over Simon’s mother coming to see me. I was a new teacher, and I gave an honest _________ of the students’ work. In Simon’s case, the grades were awfully low. He couldn’t read his own handwriting. _________ he was a bright student. He discussed adult subjects with nearly adult comprehension. His work in no way reflected his _________.

So when Simon’s mother entered the room, my palms(手掌心)were _________. I was completely _________ for her kisses on both my cheeks. “I came to thank you,” she said, surprising me beyond speech. _________ me, Simon had become a different person. She talked of how he _________ me, he had begun to make friends, and for the first time in his twelve years, he had _________ spent an afternoon at a friend’s house. She wanted to tell me how grateful she was for the _________ I had nurtured(培养)in her son. She kissed me again and left.

I sat, stunned(惊呆), for about half an hour, __________ what had just happened. How did I make such a life-changing difference to that boy without __________ knowing it? What I finally came to __________ was one day, several months before, when some students were __________ reports in the front of the class, Jeanne spoke __________, and to encourage her to raise her voice, I had said, “Speak up. Simon’s the expert on this. He is the only one you have to convince, and he can’t hear you in the __________ of the room.” That was it. From that day on, Simon had sat up straighter, paid more attention, __________ more, and became happy. And it was all because __________ to be the last kid in the last row. The boy who most needed __________ was the one who took the last seat that day.

It taught me the most __________ lesson over the years of my teaching career, and I’m thankful that it came early and positively. A small kindness can indeed __________.

【推荐1】Table Talk

As we got out of the car, our son announced, “Phones stay in the car.”

“Why do you always have to tell us that?” complained our fifteen-year-old grandson.

Our son’s wife winked at us and then explained, “We have a family _______ that no one may bring anything electronic to the table.”

We _______ our phones in the car. Even though the restaurant was filled with families, there was little noise. All I heard were a few quiet conversations and the ding of forks on plates. The _______ unnerved me. I looked around. Everyone, even the young kids, was _______ at some kind of screen.

The silence was broken when the six of us sat down, and started talking. The waitress stood patiently and waited for our orders. When our food came, we continued to chat.

An elderly couple at the next table were finishing their dinners and conversing quietly. I noticed that they shot us a few glances, and wondered if our constant chatter was annoying them.

After the dessert, my son signaled the waitress for the check. She hesitated when she brought the black folder to our table. My son opened the black folder — it was _______ . “You forgot the check,” he told her.

“There isn’t one. Someone else _______ your bill — and the tip too.” she said with a giggle (咯咯笑).

“Why?” asked our son, his wife and myself at once.

“They loved it that no one was connected.” she continued. “They loved watching you guys _______ . The old lady went on and on about how nice it was to see a family eating and talking instead of looking at ‘electric games’.”

For a moment, everyone at our table was at a loss for _______ . Then we all started talking at once. My son's voice rose above the others. “Where are they? We want to thank them.”

“They left after you ordered dessert,” the waitress replied.

We spent the next fifteen minutes discussing this goodness and camp up with a _______ . Next time we see a family eating at a restaurant ________ looking at anything electronic, we'll pay it forward, just like what happened to us.

【推荐2】It has been difficult to sit on the bench most of the time, watching my team from the sideline. I always _______ why I am not good enough to be on the floor. After endless hours of work and devotion, pushing myself through drill after drill, the last thing I want is to be a cheerleader. The feeling of being _______ is sometimes too much and drives me to _______ on the spot. I often feel as though my _______ are wasted and my time is eaten away, _______ nothing. It is heartbreaking to be a spectator (旁观者) for the game I love, knowing that no one has enough faith to give me the chance to _______ on the floor. Tears well up (涌出), but I _______ them back. I shouldn’t be so _______ something so silly.

Away from the game, it’s easier to put my thoughts together, rather than letting my _______ drive my reasoning. I consider why I am where I am. I have played basketball my whole life. I have a strong ________ for the sport and always have. There is nothing like the ________ of playing: the swish (飕飕声) of the net, the sweat rolling off my cheeks, even the bruises (青肿) are battle wounds worn ________ after every game.

Even if I don’t play much, I participate in every ________. I am part of a team of girls who stick together like a family. I am there for them, as they are for me.

Should I move on？Or should I stay with my team and continue playing basketball with great passion just a little longer？The ________ isn’t difficult when I consider the joy that being a part of a team ________ me — and not just any team, but my team. I love basketball and my teammates. When I think about that, my view from the bench really isn’t so bad after all.

【推荐3】The depression (经济大萧条) was coming to an end and Mum had a(n)_________ time raising us kids on her own. Christmas was _________,and we received some money for Christmas.Mum said that _________   buying food, she would use the money to pay back rent. Unknown to Mum, I had been doing tough and odd jobs (零工) to earn enough money to buy myself new_________.

The big day came on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. I was very _________, as I hurried up the road to catch the bus. But on the way, I _________ a house with Christmas lights and decorations. It was then that I realized that at our house, we had _________ for Christmas. I felt sad and I was feeling a strange_________ of guilt. Here I was going to buy a new pair of boots _________ Mum would be trying to explain to us why there were no presents.

I went into a grocery store and bought a turkey, ham, oranges and all the Christmas _________. I _________ every penny of my_________ money. I asked two boys to _________ them to our house. I _________ for the delivery boys to quietly _________ the groceries on the porch and pile them _________ the door. Once they had done this, I knocked on the door. I could hardly _________ to see my mother’s face! When Mum opened the door, some of the groceries _________ inside onto the floor, and she just stood there dumbfounded. _________ the tears, I yelled, “Merry Christmas Mother! There really is a Santa Claus!”

I had a lot of _________ as we unpacked all the food. That day I got enough hugs and kisses from Mum. It was a Merry Christmas for us after all!