【推荐1】What to Do when You’re Falling Behind

When I was a kid, it took me longer to learn how to ride a bike. I kept using a bike with training wheels and I didn’t _______ much, so of course I didn’t learn how to balance.

One day I _______ that my sister, 2.5 years younger than me, was getting close to _______ how to ride a bike. She wasn’t quite there yet, but she was _______ much closer to balancing than I was. I couldn’t let her _______ me to it!

So I took my bike, _______ it out to the street, and decided that I was going to learn how to ride it right now. I _______ the training wheels, jumped on, and swerved (突然转向) all over the place like an out-of- control madman. I tried to stay near the grass when I could get some degree of _______, so when I fell, I’d _______ fall to the lawn instead of the street or sidewalk.

After many attempts, I finally learned how to ________ Then I rode my bike a lot that summer and have had the ________ ever since.

Up until that point, I’d been making a big deal out of the whole process. It seemed ________ and discouraging. I was afraid of falling. But once I began to face the fear and ________ the courage to risk getting hurt, I quickly showed my ________ ability on the other side with a whole new skill. From the moment of making the decision to the time I ________ to get the basic skill it probably took me less than an hour.

What finally ________ me to face the fear and take action? It was the ________ that I was falling behind. My sister was leaving me in the dust. She could ride ________ I couldn’t. I really didn’t want that to happen.

I had no idea that I could learn to ride a bike so quickly. The feeling of falling behind served as a powerful motivator (动力). ________ trying to hide the disappointment, I allowed myself to feel the weight of that pressure. I used the ________ feeling to motivate myself to take action.

【推荐3】Nearly seven years ago, I hitchhiked （搭顺风车） across Canada. It was an exciting experience, which allowed me to look into the ______ of humanity.

Once, I was dropped off in front of a（n）______ woman, who had pulled over because her   ______ had broken down. I approached to make sure she was ______. She assured me she was fine and that her husband was on his way with a truck. So I went back to my ______, standing about 150 metres away. Her husband arrived. And ______ they had picked up the broken-down car, the old couple ______ to bring me back to their place for lunch. I ______ agreed.

But our ______ was very funny. I could not—for the life of me—figure out what her husband was ______. He spoke English, but his strong accent made it ______ to understand. Every time he spoke to me, I’ d have to ______, “I m sorry, but what did you say?” And every time I said this, his wife would ______: “He saaaaaaid...” and then ______ her husband’s words. But we had a good time together.

This old couple’ s random ______ was just what I enjoyed about hitchhiking.   You have non-stop social interactions（互动） that are authentic but only in a ______ time. A person becomes an important part of your life for an hour or two and then they ______. However, the beauty of these ______ being so kind never gets old.

Each meeting I had was ______ into my little treasury （宝库） of memories that has begun to ______ with time. But together, they paint a broader picture of harmony in this country.

【推荐1】This happened just a few minutes ago and I wanted to share. It was not a huge deal but put a smile on my face and made me feel very _______.

I headed to the local store, which was also _______ as a petrol station. As I entered, I noticed that all the pumps (油泵) didn’t work. I thought they had just run out of _______.

The local store was being _______ tonight, somewhat different from usual. I grabbed a few bits and pieces and headed to the checkout. After _______ chatting with the shop assistant, I _______ that earlier that day there was something wrong with the fuse (保险丝), which _______ the electric system in the entire store. Pumps and refrigeration out of action, no online payments.

I went to pay but the card reader didn’t even try. I tried again, same deal._______ I was holding up the line so I put aside the things I _______ and told the cashier (收银员) I was heading outside to their ATM.

I headed out, but the ATM was also out of ________. I went back in and while dealing with the next customer, the cashier ________ and spotted me. I told him the ATM was out and suggested running home to ________ some cash. At that moment, a man after me insisted on ________ the cost of my things. It wasn’t a large amount, ________ £5, but made a great ________. It was a lovely thing for him to help others in ________. He said it was nice to ________ someone out and it ________ me having to run back home and back to the shop and back home again.

________ many twists and turns exist in the world, there will always be gifts in your life. Enjoy the gifts, and ________ the gifts.

【推荐2】As the eldest of three children, I never had any hand-me-downs to wear. Instead, Mom acquired my clothes from _________ neighborhood mothers. Imagine the fun other kids had when they saw me wearing their _________ clothing.

Perhaps my biggest _________ came from Charlie, a boy from a middle-class family. Each time we met, Charlie would _________ me for my ill-fitting clothes. I hated Charlie for making my life _________, but there was nothing I could do.

_________ did change after I graduated from university and joined the Navy, which made me a social equal. Hard work and a few lucky career choices _________ promoted me into the upper class.

Once I was invited to a luxury dinner and had an _________ with Charlie for the first time in almost 20 years. He, then a waiter, didn’t _________ me. His words were brief, but I’ll never ____________ them. He said, “Sir, what kind of dressing would you like with your salad?”

The tables had ____________. Charlie was calling me “Sir”. While hundreds of ____________ responses raced through my mind, I could only give a two-word reply: “Blue cheese.” Much as I wanted to get back at him, I ____________ to do it. I wouldn’t put another person ____________ what I had experienced as a child. It was time to put the childish things behind. I left him a good ____________ and didn’t say anything about it.