【推荐1】A woman professor walked around in a classroom while she was teaching stress management to her students. ________ she raised a glass of water, ________ expected they would be asked the “half-empty or half-full” question.

Instead, with a ________ on her face, she asked, “What’s the ________ of this glass of water?” _____ called out ranged from eight to twenty ounces (盎司).

She ________ the students down and then replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter .It all ________ how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have a ________ in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb (麻木) and paralyzed (麻痹). In each ________, the weight of the glass of water doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the ________ it becomes. Do you know why?”

All the students kept silent and listened carefully, lost in thought.

She ________, “Our and ________ in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing ________. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel ________—unable to do anything.”

It’s important to ________ to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as possible, put all your burdens down. Don’t ________ them through the evening and into the night Remember to put the glass down!

More often than not life gets ________ when we think too much. And the moment you ________ your burden, you’ll find yourself feeling so much more relaxed.

So ________ wondering around and feeling sorry for yourself, start doing something about it. After all, life is too short to devote yourself to anything that makes you ________.

【推荐2】It was early winter several years ago. I pulled out my old winter ______ for another year’s use. It remained in good ______ although it looked dirty. I didn’t really ______ a new one but I wanted one and casually mentioned it to my daughter. A few weeks later, she ______ me with a brand-new coat. I put the old one in my ______. Each day, though, when I opened my closet, something ______ me. It seemed a shame that my still good, old coat should just sit there keeping no one ______ during the cold days.

After a few weeks, I took the coat to a charity shop. I knew there someone who couldn’t afford a coat might get my old one. I ______ it off and walked out the door. As I did so, I saw a shivering (颤抖的) man in only a jacket walking in. I couldn’t help but wonder if he would be the new ______ of my old coat. With a smile, I went home.

My new coat is my old coat now. It is getting a little dirty and ______, too. I wonder if I should buy a new one soon but I think I will ______ a while. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “______ is a growing giant whom the coat of Have was never large enough to cover.” Perhaps the best way to deal with our wants is by ______ and giving something of ourselves. Love brings us ______. The more we ______, the more happiness we have. May all of your days be full of giving and love.

【推荐1】When you buy something with money, you feel as if it’s owed by you. __, when you receive something from someone else, the gift is a __ of something bigger than yourself.

In our living room, we have three shelves of books. We __ them as the “open source” bookshelf because our guests can take any book and __ any book to it. No one __ it; it’s all based on trust, __ our home hosts many events with hundreds of people passing through it.

These books cover various types and you can’t really be __ what you’ll find. So, my brother happened to __ a red book the other day. It __ because it had no title. Since it looked so __, he checked it out.

Page one __ some hand-written words:

To: DJ Burrowes

From: Grandma and Grandpa Burrowes

…

We were __. Every page had a quote written in the __ shaky handwriting of DJ’s grandparents. They had given it to DJ and DJ, __, had given it to us.

A couple of weeks back, DJ __ to go to China to learn its language and culture. Before leaving, he came for a(n) __ at our place, primarily to offer his __ gratitude. But this gift was over the top. Not only did he __ such a precious part of himself, but he did so without telling anyone in our house! What a(n) __ ! For a few seconds, all of us just stared at it in disbelief.

In shocking silence, we all stood in __ of the Burrowes for showing us, by their example, what life is all about. Thank you, DJ, wherever you are!

【推荐2】A successful scientist is generally a good observer. He makes full _________ of the facts he observes. He doesn’t accept ideas which are not based on obvious facts, and therefore refuses to accept authority as the only _________ for truth. He always _________ ideas carefully and makes experiments to prove them.

The rise of modern science may perhaps be considered to _________ back to the time of Roger Bacon, the wonderful philosopher of Oxford, who lived _________ the years 1214 and 1292. He was probably the first in the Middle _________ to suggest that we must learn science _________ observing and experimenting on the things around us, and he himself made many important discoveries.

Galileo, however, who lived more than 300 years later (1564—1642 ) , was one of the greatest men, _________ in Italy, France, Germany, or England, began by _________ to show how many important truths could be discovered by observation. Before Galileo, learned men believed that large bodies fell more __________ towards the earth than small ones, __________ Aristotle said so. But Galileo, going to the __________ of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, let fall two __________ stones and proved Aristotle was wrong. It was Galileo’s __________ of going direct to nature, and proving our _________   and theories by experiment, that has led to all the discoveries of modern science.

【推荐1】Last night was the last game for my eight-year-old son’s soccer team. It was the final quarter, and the score was two to one, my son’s team taking the________. Parents ________the field, offering encouragement.

With less than ten seconds remaining, the ball________in front of my son’s team mate, Mikey O’Donnel. With shouts of “Kick it!”________across the field, Mikey stepped back and gave it everything he had. All round me the crowd ________—O’Donnel scored!

Then, all of a sudden, there was________. Mikey had scored all right, but in the________goal, leaving both teams finishing with the same points. You see, Mikey has Down’s syndrome (唐氏综合征) and for him there is no such thing as a mistaken goal, since he had hugged the________players when they scored.

The quietness was finally broken when Mikey________grabbed my son, hugged him and yelled, “I scored! I scored! For a moment I held my________, not sure how my son would________However, it turned out that I should not have_________

I watched, in tears, as my son________his hand in the classic high-five and started chanting (不停地重复), “Way to go Mikey! Way to go Mikey!” Within moments both teams approached Mikey, joining in the chant and congratulating him on his________.

Later that night, when my daughter asked who had won, I smiled as I replied, “It was a________. Everybody won.’

【推荐2】A few years ago, Andy Davis and his wife decided to ride their bikes across the country. They spent months ________ and planning for their adventure.

But one day just a few months before they were going to ________, Davis felt an intense pain across his ________. He was soon diagnosed with heart failure, a serious condition in which the heart can no longer ________ blood efficiently. “It was ________ because I was so fit, and just a couple months later I could hardly ________,” he said.

His doctors told him that the only way he’d ________ was with a new heart. By November, Davis was placed on a heart transplant list—a/an________ that can take months, if not years. “You don’t know if you’re going to get a heart,” he said. “You ________ hope.”

But Davis’ condition quickly worsened, and for 11 days, he was kept ________ with a balloon pump placed inside his heart. On the 12th day, Davis was ________ learn that a new heart was on its way. It would come from a wife and mother named Sarah Ivy.

Today, Davis marvels that he is still alive. And he is filled with ________ for Ivy and her family, who gave him the gift of life in a time of ________.

Davis and his wife are now considering ________ that cross-country bicycle trip. And on the way, they plan to meet Ivy’s family for the first time, to thank them ________.

【推荐3】Since I was a child,my dream was being a famous singer.Three years ago I moved to London to study_________ and it was the most amazing year of my life.My dream was more _________ than ever.And I didn’t want to be just a _________,but the one that inspires people and _________ a message of love and happiness. 

A year later I figured out it was time for a change and to_________ my professional music career.So I _________ a music business degree in a music university.In one of the university seminars,a director talked about how they _________ young artists and introduce them to successful record labels. 

From that moment I knew I wanted to be_________ with them.It felt like it was a good _________ even though few artists per year could succeed.Sometimes I had __________ and setbacks.Then I met a girl in a management company.But I was __________ since the company only has 20 employees.Anyway I __________ to her a demo of one of my songs. 

I didn’t hear from her for two weeks but I still imagined the__________ of me signing the contract.Then unexpectedly,I got a call __________ they were really interested in me.I’m so happy because I know I’m one step __________ to my dream.Fast forward one month,I finally got to sign with them!