【推荐1】Kristin Schell is the founder of the Turquoise Table Movement.

A decade ago, Kristin Schell with her family ________ to a new home in Austin, Texas. She ________ to communicate with her new neighbors.

One day, Kristin needed some backyard furniture for a party so she bought a few picnic tables from a store. One table was laid in her front yard ________. After the party, she painted the table turquoise—her favorite ________ —and just left it in the front yard.

Unexpectedly, that turquoise table became the ________ where people had social contact. Neighbors began to stop by to ________ themselves and sit down for a chat. Kristin ________ people to join her at the table for coffee or iced tea. Construction workers on jobs in the ________ took their lunch breaks at the table. Then the neighbors followed Kristin’s suit-they chose to put a picnic table in their front yard too. A movement was born.

Some people often ________ to invite others into their homes. They think their house is too small and ________ or they don’t have enough time. Kristin’s turquoise table away the excuses and the ________. With the lovely table, all she has to do is ________. Kristin believes that the table enables her to take a small step toward building ________ relationships in her community.

Nowadays, thousands of such ________ exist in all 50 states in the US and in 13 countries around the world. Not all of them are ________ turquoise. No matter what color it is, it’s a friendships table.

【推荐3】My brother Henry and I were driving home together and were talking with each other. We became so _________ in the conversation that my brother took a wrong turn. The wrong turn took us towards a _________ and we had no way to turn back. _________, my brother paid the toll (通行费) and drove on. He was clearly _________ by the mistake and the waste of $4.

We finally found an exit and, as we took it, my brother noticed an old black car _________ to the side of the road. A young man holding a mobile phone was standing nearby and trying to _________ someone. I was busy trying to find out which way we went next, but my brother stopped to ask the man if he needed _________.

And he did. He had a _________ tire (轮胎) and needed a wrench (扳手) to get it off. My brother gave him a wrench, and then started to help him _________ the tire. He said that this had been a __________ week for him; earlier a minor car accident, and now this flat on his way home. But he called us “A breath of fresh air” and kept __________ us and tried to give $20 to us. “No,” my brother said, “We were never meant to even get on that bridge, but we took a wrong turn. Now we know __________ we did. It was to help you. Thank you for turning our mistake into a __________ to serve.”

What I loved most was watching my brother through the whole __________. He was able to turn his anger for the mistake into __________ energy. He was able to see a chance to help in a negative situation, which I totally missed!

【推荐1】During my junior year of college, I signed up for a volunteer Teaching program in Costa Rica. I taught at a school which was located (位于) within a _________ and every day birds and butterflies flew throughout our school. It was beautiful. We were _________ on Costa Rica’s school system, the country, the language and how to plan a lesson.

The experience was beneficial to my English writing _________ when I got back to college, I began writing. I wrote so much that a piece of my writing about that experience was _________ in Folio’s Literary Magazine. Because of that, I was more _________ to continue working abroad.

After _________ , I moved to China and worked in schools to teach reading and writing. It was a life-changing _________ of my life. Culture differences _________ me and even consumed me in the beginning, but___________I fell in love with the people, their schools and their history.

Upon __________ to my home, I became a teacher in Trenton, New Jersey. The moment I stepped into the classroom. I could empathize (感同身受) with my __________ . I truly feel volunteering in Costa Rica was where it all __________ and working in China enriched my teaching life. If I could do anything __________ , it might be volunteering or working abroad more before settling down.

The __________ I’ve made through volunteering and working abroad are an English major’s dream and I hope that every English major __________ the chance to study or work abroad.

【推荐2】What is a true winner? We may be very ________ Honda.

In 1938, Soichiro Honda was still in school, when he started a little workshop. His ________ was to sell piston rings to Toyota. He ________ night and day, believing he could ________ his design and produce a worthy ________. Then came the day he took a sample (样本) to Toyota, only to be ________ that the rings did not ________ their standards!

However, he refused to give up. Rather than focus on his ________ he continued working towards his goal. After two more years of ________, he won a contract (合同) with Toyota. By then, Soichiro Honda needed to build a factory to supply Toyota, but building materials were in short supply.

Again he would not quit! He invented a ________ process that enabled him to build the factory. But ________ an earthquake destroyed the factory. Was he ________ to give up now? No! Soichiro Honda wrote to 18,000 bicycle shop owners and asked them to help him, 5,000 responded and ________ him some money. Finally, the company got great ________.

Honda succeeded because one man made a truly committed decision, ________ it and made adjustments on a continuous basis.