【推荐2】In one of my son’s favorite TV shows, Herkie, the Helicopter has to perform a good deed in order to earn a Merit Badge. Herkie spends the entire show attempting to perform a remarkable, heroic deed, only to ______ again and again. Finally, Herkie ______. However, at the end of the show, he is surprised to find he has earned the award after all by doing a ______ act.

Years ago, as my pregnancy has progressed, I’ve had more and more trouble ______. People have suggested I get a pregnancy pillow to help me find a comfortable position, but all of the pillows I saw were so ______ that they didn’t seem worth it for a few months’ relief. Finally, I spotted one on the Internet whose price was right — $10, even I was willing to ______ something for that!

When the pillow arrived, I was, ______, disappointed. It ______ exactly like a blue wedge of cheese, and it left me wondering how such an ______ product could be any help at all. But, as I didn’t want to ______ $10, I diligently took it to bed with me, jamming it under my belly as instructed on the box.

What a ______! Sleep was no longer a problem for me. And, the Cheese’s small size proved to be a(n) ______ as well, as it easily fit into my suitcase on a trip.

So often in my life, I’ve felt like Herkie, needing to perform a big awesome act to _______ And, it is easy for me to start to feel pretty useless since heroic acts are few. ______, we all have much more of an opportunity to be like the Cheese doing something small that we may not even ______, but others appreciate tremendously.

【推荐1】Our oversized, male Golden Retriever (金毛寻回犬), Rusty weighed much more than most Goldens. Though big, he was _________. When Karen, my 18-month-old daughter, held a cookie out to him, he’d take it gently. Wherever she went, Rusty would _________ her. If we grown-ups held out food for him, _________ , he ate it like a hungry wolf.

One day, I was occupied with chores all the morning in the kitchen. When I looked out the window, my heart _________! Our back yard had two levels, with stone steps leading from the lower level to the larger open area above. At the highest point of the steps was a _________ of 1.5 meters to the lower level. Then and there, I saw Karen on the upper level walking along the edge!

Though _________, I didn’t shout for fear of frightening her into losing _________ and falling to the ground below. Then I noticed Rusty beside her, moving to _________ the way. Not to be stopped, Karen walked to an open spot. Just as quickly, Rusty moved himself in front again, _________ her.

That repeated a couple of times. Finally, she got __________ and moved back to the center. Sighing with __________, I ran up immediately. “Come on, Karen,” I said, “Let’s go inside and get a __________.”

She clapped her hands and grabbed mine, making her way down slowly. Rusty stayed by her side, moving at her pace. When we got to the door, she __________ my hand and crawled through the doggy door. Rusty followed. This was how they got outside with the door __________. By the time I got to the kitchen, Karen and her four-legged nanny were waiting for the __________ cookie.

I never worried about Karen playing outside after that.

【推荐2】I’ve had many opportunities to experience living in a foreign culture, but my first experience came in an unexpected place-my own country. When I was 20, I got an internship(实习职位)in New York City. It was my first time to _________ outside of my home state of Texas.

With my move north came culture _________. I grew up in a big city in Texas. But it was no comparison to the tightly _________ New York with their 8 million citizens. I was used to life at a _________ pace; New York moved fast. The saying is true-this city never _________ . I had to adjust.

My first reaction was fear. Fear I would _________ at my new internship in the 54-story office building. Fear of getting lost on the subway. Fear that the locals wouldn’t have _________ for my frequent moments of confusion. My _________ ranged from reasonable to silly. But I _________ my fears and kept trying.

I learned quickly never to __________ a New Yorker always speaks English. New York is home to people of all walks of life, from all corners of the world. At weekends, I would spend hours __________ along Canal Street in Chinatown—the closest I’d ever been to an __________ country.

By the end of my internship, I was a little older, a little wiser and sick of big city life. I __________ the skyscrapers, tourists and the high price I had to pay for a cheeseburger and fries. But I had __________ , too. I was quicker, smarter and more independent. I knew I would miss that feeling of having the world right at my doorstep. But it was good __________ for the life of travel I’d soon begin.