【推荐1】Katie Jo Benitz, who graduated from high school in 2021, is one of the newest trainees at the Yakima Fire Department. She was _________ to join the male-dominated field _________ her mother Captain Bonnie Rogers, the first female firefighter in her department.

The pair finally met for the first time at the scene of the fire, when Benitz was called in to help _________ the Cow Canyon wildfire. In the past, the two had _________ crossed paths, which wasn’t unusual considering they are _________ about 90 minutes from each other. But this time was _________. In this particular instance, they were 20 miles away from each other when the fire started. Benitz described their _________ of paths at the site of the fire as both “pretty exciting” and a(n)“_________ occurrence.”

The mother and daughter’s _________ story has since been ____________ by the media. The pair said they hope it will inspire more individuals—particularly women—to become firefighters themselves. “I am just so ____________ I can do the job I love,” Benitz said. “I hope I can encourage others to become a firefighter.” Rogers added her own ____________. “Everyone should pursue his ____________. And I also want other women to know you can do this job. With ____________ work and determination, it is absolutely possible, and being able to ____________ is a great honor.”

【推荐3】Gail Rodgers, a grandma of three, has become a lifeguard at her local pool. Seeing her local pool couldn’t ________ due to a lifeguard shortage, the 66 year old woman decided that her ________ wouldn’t get in the way while helping her community. “I did this lifeguard thing back in the late ‘60s’.________ , I thought I can do this again,’’ she said.

Rodgers, ________ in the late 1960s, said she had to learn new skills. Jeff Blume, president of Cincinnati Pool Management and Rodgers’ boss, also admitted that the physical examination is ________. “Lifeguard candidates have to swim a 300 yard length, and then submerge (潜入水中) and grab a 10-pound brick off the bottom of the pool,” Blume explained.

Through great ________, Rodgers became a part time lifeguard.   “It’s been fun ________ people enjoying the nice weather in the pool. It’s been more ________ than I expected to be,” Rodgers said. Her boss said it has also been a joy to have her on their team.

Blume noted that fear can ________ a lot of people and he’s glad that Rodgers is such a(n) ________ for being courageous. “I think there’s a ________ of ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘That’s not for me. That’s for the young’ or something like that. So, there’s a lot to ________, but if people want to do it, we could help them with the skills and give them a little bit more of a________ before they actually take the class. If people ________ that is an option, I think they might not look at the skills test as a tall mountain to get over.”   They hope more people are inspired to ________ life-guarding as the country continues to face lifeguard shortages.

【推荐2】The snowstorm swept across my city, with biting wind piercing (划破) the silence of the empty street. I was a nurse in the emergency room. It was a (n) ______ quiet day on New Year’s Eve.

Quiet, that is, ______ the nurses who were standing around the nurses’ station ______ about having to work at such a special time.

I was having a cup of hot tea in the nurse’s station when an admitting clerk came and told me I had five patients waiting to be evaluated. So I went straight out and called the first name. Five bodies ______ at my triage desk (分诊台) , a pale little woman and four small children in somewhat ______ clothing.

“Are you all sick?” I asked ______.

“Yes,” she said weakly.

“Okay,” I replied, unconvinced, “Who’s first?” One by one they sat down, and I asked the usual questions. When it came to descriptions of their presenting problems, things got a little ______. Something was wrong with the picture. When I explained that it might be a little while before the doctor could see them, the mother responded, “ ______ . It’s warm in here.” She turned and, with a smile, guided her children into the waiting room.

I checked the registration. No address. I went back to the nurse’s station and mentioned we had a ______ family in the waiting room.

The team went into action. We prepared a ______ for our special guests. We put together candies, fruits and other things available from different departments. ______ in and out, our team made great efforts to make a party to ______ the family who just wanted to be warm on New Year’s Eve. When the party ended, as the family walked to the door to leave, the mother came running back, gave me a ______ and whispered, “Thanks for your ______ today.” As she ran back, they all waved one more time before the door closed. Inside the nurse station, there stood a group of nurses with tears in their eyes. Much as we did when there’s a medical ______ , this was a special one on New Year’s Eve.

【推荐1】A couple weeks ago, I ventured down to Charlotte, NC, to meet Cole Rosenberger, who had a serious passion for protecting forests. I wanted to _________ share his story with you.

Cole _________ me in March asking how he could help protect North Carolina’s coastal forests. By the _________ of his email I assumed he was in high school, so I sent him materials that I thought would be _________ and talked with him about our _________.

A few weeks later he informed me that he had received the _________ from his principal to get postcards signed by the kids at his school and developed a (n) _________ plan. It was also at this time that I _________ a “secret” email from Cole’s mom, letting me know that he is eight years old and really excited about this project. That _________ me away!

Cole organized his elementary school to sign postcards to ask McDonald’s to use ____________ packaging. A few months later, McDonald’s decided to use 100% recycled fibers in their bags. This win ____________ Cole to do more, and he was ready to ____________ KFC. He partnered with seven schools, got the attention of media, and ____________ over 6,000 postcards to KFC’s headquarters. It took several years before KFC ____________ to use more recycled paper in its packaging.

I almost cried at the beauty and ____________ of youth to make a positive impact on the Earth.

【推荐2】One early March morning in Baton Rouge, LA, a 11-year-old boy, Ellis, was waiting for his father outside a coffee house. He saw a middle-aged man walk in. A few moments ________, he came out, stood in a corner and ________ his eyes.

The boy took him for a/an ________ man. He had a dollar coin in his pocket, and realizing his chance to make a ________ had come, he walked right up to the man and said: “________ me, sir. Are you homeless? If you are, here’s a dollar.”

The man opened his eyes and looked the boy, ________. Thinking of his sleepless night, he ________. Instead of accepting the coin, he ________ to buy Ellis a breakfast. Then they sat down to chat. With the ________ going, Ellis learned that the man he had ________ for homeless was Matthew Busbice, the co-founder of Wildgame Innovations. He has ________ three new hunting companies. His net ________ is an estimated $5 million.

However, Busbice was touched that the kid was ________ to give everything he had to a stranger. If more kids like Ellis are going to ________, they’re going to change the ________, the state, and even the world.