【推荐1】"Mom, I don't like you," my two-year-old son said.

"Okay…is that because you love me?" I asked.

"No, you're not lovely."

That night, as I washed my face, I ________ a little longer in the mirror-not because I was hurt by his ________, but because I noticed there was no light in my eyes.

I took out a pen and started writing a list-a list to ________ myself; a list to put sparkles back into my eyes. I once made many lists but ________ accomplished anything. This time would be ________!

The first goal on my list I wanted to achieve was ________ a Polar Plunge to raise money for the Special Olympics. On that day, when I ________ into my 1980s workout clothes, Jack smiled, "Mom, you look pretty." Maybe, just maybe some light ________ my eyes.

When coming out of the cold lake, I felt happy and proud. I kept screaming, "I ________ it!" But one of the most exciting parts of the day was when I stood in front of my ________, which was taped on the refrigerator door. I ________ item number one. With that, I began to take back my life.

Everyone taking part in the Polar Plunge received a shirt. Whenever I wore it, Jack asked, "Is that your Polar Plunge clothing?" I answered ________, "Yes!" "I want to do that too." I was happy he remembered I jumped into a ________ lake, and that he wanted to do activities with me.

With each ________ crossed off the list, piece of myself is ________. Not only am I showing my family it's important to dream, but I'm showing myself that I'm worth it.

【推荐3】The rose bushes were finally in full bloom (盛开) on that spring morning.

The _________ of roses always brings to mind Wanda’s childhood memories. Then the family had no _________ to buy extra things, so even a tired rose was something to _________.

Currently, to have a backyard full of different roses is pure _________. And her husband, Dale, devotedly _________ the roses. _________ that she loves the very first blooms, he picked some on this particular morning.

But as Dale returned, he came across a neighbor who had _________ for a quick visit. As the woman turned to go, Dale generously gave the _________ to her. And even though their visitor_________ she didn’t want to take them, she was __________ assured (确信) that the flowers were hers to keep.

Seeing her precious first blooms go out of the door __________ Wanda with regret, and a bit of __________. She knew it was “better to give than to receive”. __________, she wished she could have kept the roses for herself. Later that day, the couple headed to the post office, where Wanda waited outside in the car. Then, without __________, an older woman suddenly appeared at the open window, and gave her a bunch of fresh roses! “These are for you. They’re my first blooms this spring.”

Completely __________, Wanda thanked the woman and __________ for a moment to breathe in the rich fragrance. When she looked back, the mysterious visitor was gone.

That special __________ changed Wanda. It made her understand the true meaning of __________ unexpected gifts. Now, she always __________ her first blooms to others, as a(n) __________ that someone is thinking of them.

【推荐3】A little girl created a perfect gift for her mother’s birthday. It was a drawing of a ______ on white paper with the words “For mom: love, love, love” decorated with hearts. She folded (折叠) her letter, but then she ______ it.

For most people, that would be the ______ of this story, but this story had a different result. James Carrell found the letter. He had just ______ his mother, wishing her a happy birthday. After he hung up, Carrell saw the ______ on the ground outside of a hardware store in Manvel. “I ______ it was a gift,” said Carrell. “I opened it up and saw the flower and hearts. It really ______ me.” Carrell thought the letter would ______ someone’s day and that maybe he could find the owner, so he posted it on the Internet. The message moved a lot of people, ______ one man.

“I was sitting at my friend’s house and saw a man’s ______,” said Carrell.

The comments included one from Robert Alvarado. He wrote, “I can’t ______ you found my baby’s letter.” Carrell reached Alvarado to ______ the letter. It took a few days, but the men finally met on Thursday night.

“Eventually the letter made it home,” said Alvarado. “We are ______ for what James Carrell did.” We often forget the power of ______ things, but for this family from Alvin, Carrell’s small act left a ______ impression.

【推荐1】Mary has been living alone since her husband passed away 37 years ago. In May 2021, the lockdown was particularly ________ for her. The 99-year-old spent her days watching television game shows. Also ________ at home, Benjamin, a then two-year-old who lived next door was unable to ________ with kids of his age.

The ________ friendship developed gradually. At first, Mary would ________ at Benjamin from her window whenever she saw the young boy in the yard. Then, she risked going outside to ________ him in person. The routine (惯例) eventually expanded to daily ________ by the fence (围栏) that separated the two homes. The unlikely pair even ________ a socially distanced game that Mary calls “cane ball”.

“I came out of the house one morning, and he threw his ball toward the ________ ,” she said. “I got my cane (手杖), and I reached over the fence and ________ the ball toward him, and he’d throw it back. That’s how it started. ”

This spring, Mary ________ Benjamin with a colorful toy truck collection that had once belonged to her son. The young boy returned the ________ with a gift of his own—a pile of dirt that he ________ carried in his small hand and dropped at her door.

“Friendship really knows no ________ ,” Benjamin’s mother said. “Certainly, you wouldn’t guess that a 99-year-old and a 2-year-old would be ________ , but they could be. And they both got a lot out of it. ”

【推荐2】I like riding. For me, setting out on a 20-mile _______ ride on a sunny Sunday morning was nothing _______ . But on 9 August 2018, the brake (刹车) on my bike _______ on Bury Hill when I lost control. As a result, I broke my back and was paralysed (瘫痪) from the waist down. But my happy-go-lucky spirit would not be _______ .

From my accident on, I’ve done so much. Since that day I’ve _______ three operations, signed up for a marathon and _______ won several running races in my wheelchair. _______ is a roller coaster of ups and downs, highs and lows and I am so thankful to _______ every day that I have.

Two weeks ago I received a phone call from a _______ about disabled toilets and the government’s plans for updating them. The minister wanted me to get involved (参与) too, how ________ ! It certainly ________ sometimes to make an effort to get things changed. I am so glad that my little amount of effort may have a(n) ________ on other people’s lives.

To ________ the first year from my injury, I jumped out of a plane! Life is meant to be lived, so live it to the ________ , even if you have a disability. Up here no one needs ________ —you fly. It’s such an exciting rush, with the wind ________ past you, deafening you.

I think my story just ________ that no matter who you are, you never ________ what is going to happen to you, but you can ________ how it affects you. You are the ________ of your own destiny (命运).

【推荐3】Four teenage girls. Two tents. No cellphones. A severe thunderstorm. One hundred and thirty hours of nonstop _________ . This was what Julia Ruelle just _________ .

“It was really _________,” said Julia Ruelle of her recent weeklong adventure to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness with three childhood friends.

Earlier this year, Julia, having completed a _________ for a brain tumor (肿瘤) in April, won an essay contest and was _________ a five­-day camping adventure with up to three friends. Its aim is to get kids away from technology. She struggled to choose the _________ three—Anna Wander, Madeline Wilson and Julianna Torelli. No _________ are allowed, so getting their approval was kind of _________ . Having a satellite phone and promising to check in twice during the week finally won their _________ .

The four girls arrived in Ely on June 10 for training. They __________ the next day at 7：00 a.m., and quickly developed a __________—getting up early every morning, going boating __________, then having lunch at the campsites, __________ by swinging, reading, talking, and napping.

“I love how you are separated from everything in your life, especially __________ ,” Anna said. Without her phone, she said, “I'm less __________ about things.” “We got along pretty well,” said Madeline. “We were always talking before bed, about specific things and thoughts __________” “But we might sometimes have had __________,” Julianna added. No one was even hungry or homesick, but they were __________ nervous one night as they waited out a thunderstorm.

After the adventure, Julia will continue to take physical examination every three months to make sure the tumor is gone. “Mental health can be __________ so much in the Boundary Waters. It really helps to __________ and reconnect with yourself,” said Julia.