【推荐2】My mother used to say that when your mother was really good at something, you didn’t learn to do it. What she said was ________. My grandmother was skilled in baking and cooking, but my mother was a barely ________ cook for our family of seven. We didn’t ________; we had meat, potatoes and another vegetable at every meal out of a can.

Baking was not Mom’s ________, so on Saturday mornings, she would ________ us to the bakery for fresh cake. Mom did learn to make the ________ Dad loved — bacon and eggs, spare ribs (排骨) and, ________, potato salad. Potato salad was my mom’s major ________ to every summer, ________ eating such a dish on a hot July day wasn’t a good idea. Mayonnaise (蛋黄酱) in it could be difficult to ________ and you might have to go to the bathroom frequently.

Case in point: the time my uncle and aunt and their six kids ________ at the lake with us. The ________ included burgers, burnt or slightly raw, lots of pop, and Mom’s potato salad. We spent hours at the lake. Unfortunately, so did the salad.

________, I realize that polishing off Mom’s potato salad may have been the reason that Dad finally built us a second bathroom, which ________ that everything can have a bright side. My mother didn’t ________ in the kitchen, but I miss her cooking so much.

【推荐1】On a warm pre-spring afternoon, I sat on the balcony, enjoying the weather and a good book. Some birds sang softly for the coming of spring.

I _________ my head at the sound of a train’s horn wailing into the still air. I watched the rail cars roll by. The full cars rumbled (隆隆响) past, but the _________ ones, rattled (嘎吱地响) and banged along, making more noise. They’re _________ for the ears. The _________ between the full and empty cars makes me think of the people in my life.

I remember Don, who gave me a _________ at his company. It was a pleasure to work under his leadership. He didn’t order his _________; he guided them. During our first weekly meeting, he asked me, “What did you accomplish last week?” I _________, unsure of what to say. Don then asked, “What are your plans for this week?” I stumbled (结巴) again. Those two _________ led me to think and plan. From then on, each meeting I showed up with my _________ for the week and plans for the next.

Another empty rail car rattled by, reminding me of a former co-worker. When I was working on a trouble, he would __________ me. I ignored him and tried to __________ my task but I couldn’t. I had been sure of myself but his words made me __________ my abilities.

You meet quiet and noisy ones as you travel through __________. The quiet ones are full of __________: great leaders and mentors (导师). The noisy ones: empty of knowledge. They think they can __________ those around them by making a lot of noise and make themselves look important. In reality, they are just empty cars.

【推荐2】I hadn’t got exercise lately and felt a bit dizzy. I was a little ______. One of my friends invited me to show up to see a ______ that they said would help me feel better. Little did I know that I was about to see something I would never forget.

They introduced a young ______, Mr Patrick Henry Hughes. He was ______ onto the stage in his wheelchair and began to play the piano. His fingers ______ across the keys as he made beautiful music. He then began to sing as he played, and it was even more beautiful. For some reason, ______, I knew that I was seeing something special. Ten minutes later, someone came on the stage and ______ a video of Patrick Henry Hughes.

Patrick was born with no eyes and a tightening of the joints which left him ______ for life. Before his first birthday, he ______ the piano. On his second birthday, he asked to play it. His father was ______. “We might not play baseball, but we can play music together.”

Today, Patrick is a ______ at university. His father attends classes with him and he has made nearly all “A” s. He is also a trumpet player of a band. He and his father do it together — they ______ all the band practices and the half-time performance in front of thousands of people.

But even more than his ______ musical talent, it was Patrick’s attitude to gratitude that touched me. I will never forget that night, that smile, that music, but most importantly, that ______ attitude to gratitude. Gratitude can change your attitude, ______ your life forever.