【推荐2】In 1999 Rebecca Constantino began doing a study at schools across Los Angeles, and she was analyzing children’s access to ________ in rich and low-income communities.

One day, she ________ something that stopped her tracks. “I was at a school in a wealthy community, and they were ________ almost brand-new books because they didn’t have ________ in the library,” Constantino said. She put the books in her car and drove them to a school in a(n) ________ community.

________ by the difference she saw in public school libraries, Constantino became ________ to bridge the gap. “If you’re a child in an underserved community, ________ you’re left with boring, outdated and uninteresting books.”

Word spread about Constantino’s work, and books began ________. Donors buy new hardcover books. Kids ________ what they think are the most interesting books. Today, her nonprofit, Access Books, has ________ more than 1.5 million books for public-school and community libraries across California. The group has also ________ close to 350 libraries, making sure the reading environment is relaxing and comforting.

“________ we provide high-interest books and a more beautiful library space, they do come and they do read and circulation doubles. So, we know that kids come to the library and read the books we give. They are ________ to keep on the shelf because we’re giving books that really ________ kids.” said Constantino.

【推荐3】Last year a group of friends and I began a project called The World Needs You. Its aim is to show how ____ it is to make a positive difference in our community. Over the holidays, we collected hats, ____ and other cold-weather equipment for the “store” at an elementary school, where students can “buy” things with ____ earned through good behavior. It was a ____ way to get these items to children whose families might not be able to ____ them.

“Do the children need anything else?” I asked the coordinator(协调人) when we sent our ____ to him.

“Umbrellas!” she said. “Most of our ____ have to walk to school, and when it rains they come in very ____.”

Of course! I thought. It doesn’t snow much here, ____ we do have a lot of cold rainy days. Parents who are poor might not buy ______. My friends and I began to ____: We sent e-mails, called people and ____ the project at social events. Everyone had the same ____: “I’ve never thought about that before!” We collected more than 50 umbrellas for the school ____ April showers. We were very satisfied. ____, the kids will be singing in the rain!

【推荐1】Casey and John, a young couple, had been driving from Maryland to North Carolina when their 36-hour nightmare began. They expected the road trip to ________ five hours, but a massive snowstorm led to ice-related ________, and the state closed a 50-mile stretch of the ________ for safety reasons.

With traffic stopped and no clear information on when the highway would ________, some drivers abandoned their cars and set out on foot. Others, like Casey and Joe, turned off the ________ to save gas and seated themselves in their vehicles. They tried their best to stay warm.

A cold night in hunger and little sleep left them feeling ________. After 21 hours of suffering, Casey ________ a bread delivery truck among the waiting vehicles. On a sudden inspiration, she called Schmidt Baking Company, the owner of the truck She left a ________ on the company’ s customer service line, asking if the truck driver could ________ the baked goods with troubled drivers. She didn’t know if they would take her request ________, but she wanted to try.

Her idea worked.   Incredibly, Schmidt CEO Chuck personally returned Casey’ s call within 20 minutes. He asked her to hand her ________ to the company truck driver, Ron, and then directed Ron to ________ the bread to the people on the highway.

Casey, John and Ron were excited to pass out the bread along the ________ highway to as many people as possible. Among those to ________ the food were elderly passengers and families with children. They all felt incredibly thankful for the offering of food and some ________ after so many hours waiting in the cold.

【推荐2】Adam Finley loves his job as a mail carrier. When the ________ in his community moved entirely online, Finley felt sorry for the students ________ inside all day.

One day, Finley decided to do something to help lift the ________ of the Jones sisters who haven’t been able go to school all year.

After ________ with the girls’ parents, Finley drew some index cards (索引卡) out of his pocket and started the first of many ________ of Tick-tac-toe (井字棋).

Every morning, the girls would run to the mailbox to see Finley’s latest move and make their strategic ________, leave the cards in the mailbox and wait for Mr. Adam to make his move when he returned with their mails the following day.

“It was what they ________ every morning, seeing what move he would make,” said Mrs Jones.

Finley would let the girls ________ so he could reward them. “They are always ________ to win. I’ve surprised them with gift cards for ice-cream, popcorn, anything to make them ________. At 7:30 every morning, those girls are excited waving at the door. That’s my ________,” Finley said.

Nowadays Finley is playing the game with other neighborhood kids. Mrs. Jones said although 2020 has been ________ she is grateful for the ________, which taught her and her family about ________ the small moments in life. “Thank you, Finley, for bringing such ________ to such a dark year.” she added.

【推荐3】At the start of every school year, we are happy to welcome a group of new faces.   Freshmen enter high school not knowing what to expect. In no time they will _______ that classes are harder, bathrooms (卫生间) are busier and grades seem to _______ more than in middle school.

Despite the fact that classes are more difficult, freshman Adam Lin finds high school more _______ than middle school. “The _______ are more flexible (灵活的) with what we do in class. I am allowed a lot more freedom here, the administration (管理) is not as _______ and we can _______ what we want to wear,” said Lin.

While Lin enjoys his freedom and teachers who are more flexible, he _______ being able to talk to his friends in P. E. class. “In high school, P. E. is an elective (选修课) and no longer a(n) _______ class. I regularly miss hanging with my friends in P. E. class because that was the pleasant time when I could forget about my studies and _______,” commented Lin. “My classes can be hard at times and I wish I had more ________ time with my friends.”

Lin entered the school campus without a sense of ________. The campus was bigger than he had expected and classes were usually in the ________ direction of the earlier one. “________ are too far away from class. If I am walking across campus to my next ________ and meanwhile I decide to use the bathroom, I’m likely to end up being ________, said Lin.   “I love the classes here, but it will take me some time to ________ my way around the campus.”

When ________ high school, freshman carry many goals (目标) of what they hope to ________. At the end of high school, It’s Lin’s hope to get excellent grades and ________ a university like Harvard University ________ his love of medicine.

【推荐1】When I was about twelve years old, my mother told us that we would not be _______ Christmas gifts for lack of money. I felt sad and thought, “What would I say when the other kids asked what I’d _______?” Then, three women _______ at our house with gifts for all of us. For me they bought a doll. I would no longer have to be _______ when I returned to school.

Years later, when I stood in the kitchen of my new house, thinking how I wanted to make my _______ Christmas special and memorable there, I_______ remembered the women’s visit. I decided that I wanted to create the same feeling of _______ for as many children as I could possibly _______.

So I _______ with a plan and gathered forty people from my company to help. We gathered about 125 orphans (孤儿) at the Christmas party. For every child, we wrapped colorful packages filled with toys, clothes, and school supplies, each with a child’s name. We wanted all of them to know they were ________. Before I called out their names and handed them their gifts, I ________ them that they couldn’t open their presents until every child had come forward. Finally the ________ they had been waiting for came as I called out, “One, two, three. Open your presents!” As the children opened their packages, their faces beamed and their bright smiles ________ up the room. The ________ in the room was obvious, and it wasn’t just about toys. It was a feeling — the feeling I knew from that Christmas so long ago when the women came to visit. I wasn’t forgotten. Somebody still remembered me. I know I ________.