【推荐2】One day I took a bus with my girlfriend. It was so ______ that we stood for several stops until a vacant seat was ______ for her.

Then a pretty girl rushed toward me, saying, “Hi, where are you going?” I was so struck by the stranger that I had a hard time trying to ______ her. Clearly she had mistaken me ______ somebody else. I returned her greeting with politeness, ______ to give explanation to my girlfriend later.

Noticing my dialogue with somebody else, my girlfriend ______ her eyes and found she was pretty. She asked jealously, “Who’s she?” The pretty girl, quite ______ of the situation, spoke out first, “Hi, let me ______ myself. I’ m Nancy; we used to be ______. Very glad to meet you.” She behaved very ______.

But I was ______ to search in my memory for someone called Nancy among my neighbors. I was worrying about how to explain this to my girlfriend ______ the pretty girl again turned to me, “Will you give me your cell phone number ______ we can keep contacts later?” I had to submit (服从) to her ______. Then the girl got off the bus at the next stop.

A minute later I got a short ______ on my phone—from a stranger. My girlfriend ______ my phone and read the note. It was from the girl, who said, “Just now, two thieves tried to ______ your pocket. I had to act as an acquaintance to draw your attention. I should have left at the ______ stop but gave up as I noticed these two thieves also ______ to leave at the same stop. Because of the ______ I delayed my departure. Now you’ ll understand all I have done to you. Wish you luck.”

【推荐3】Days after Argentina (阿根廷) canceled all international flights to protect the country from COVID-19, Manuel Ballestero ________ his journey home the only way possible. He stepped aboard his small ________ for an 85-day journey back.

The 47-year-old sailor could have stayed on the tiny Portuguese island of Porto Santo, to ________ the time of lockdowns in a scenic place largely free of the ________ . But the ________ of living away from his family, especially his father who was soon to turn 90, was ________ . So he loaded his 29-foot boat with canned food and ________ in mid-March.

A very ________ part of this terrible period was the inability of a great number of people to rush home to see loved ones. Friends tried to ________ Mr. Ballestero from starting the risky journey and the ________ in Portugal warned him he might not be allowed to re-enter the country if he ran into trouble and had to ________ . But he was determined.

Sailing across the Atlantic is challenging. The increasing ________ of doing it during a pandemic (流行病) became ________ three weeks into the trip. On April 12, the authorities (当局) in Cape Verde ________ him to dock (靠岸) at the island nation to get a new supply of food and fuel. He was experienced in spending long time at sea, but being ________ on the open ocean is frightening to even the most experienced sailor.

Learning about his ________ , people bored at home were impressed. He ________ created an Instagram account (账号) to ________ the final leg of the trip. “I see it as my ________ to accomplish,” Manuel said.

________ Mr. Ballestero didn’t get to celebrate his father’s 90th birthday in May, he did make it home in time for Father’s Day.

【推荐1】A few years ago, I worked as an English teacher for girls in Silverton, a small, rural farming community south of Portland.

One day, I asked the girls what ______ they were interested in. To my surprise, the answer was wife / mother or hairdresser. I was ______. These were bright girls with so much to offer — such limitless ______. And yet, they saw only two ______ in their futures. These girls needed role models. They needed exposure to the working world so they could make informed decisions. How could I help them? What resources were ______?

I searched the Internet, and ______ a gender equality grant (拨款) through the state and applied. Much to my joy, we were selected. Together with two qualified educational assistants, we started ______. We needed to get help from successful ______ women. I wanted to arrange field trips to their workplaces, but I was ______. The conservative parents would not ______ their girls to travel. So I started making phone calls and inviting presenters to our school. To my surprise, many of them ______ to make the trip. The girls listened attentively to their ______ and responded with reflective, in-depth questions.

The school year passed quickly. When our final presenter had left, I posed the ______ question to the girls. “What careers are you interested in?” This time, the ______ were very different: accountants, educational professionals, bookkeepers, nurses, managers... The result went beyond my ______. Bringing about positive changes in these girls’ dreams makes me feel great.

【推荐3】In the comer of my desk is a note, slowly yellowing from time. It is a card from my mother, containing only four sentences, but with enough impact to _________ my life forever. In it, she praises my abilities as a writer. Each sentence is full of _________. The word “but” never appears on the card;_________, the word “and” is there many times. Every time I read it, I am _________ to ask myself how many times I’ve “but-ted” my own daughters.

Although our eldest daughter _________ got all A’s on her report card, teachers would always suggest that she talked too much in class. I always forgot to ask them if she was making improvements._________，I would greet her with, “Congratulations! Your Dad and I are very _________, but could you try to talk less in class?”

The same was _________of our younger daughter. Like her sister, she is a lovely and bright child. She also treats the floor of her room as a closet, which has often caused me to say, “Yes, that project is great, but _________ your room!”. I’ve noticed that parents constantly do the same thing. “The hockey team won, but Mike should have made that last goal,”“Amy’s the homecoming queen, but now she wants $200 to buy a new dress and shoes.” But, but, but.

What I learned from my mother is to start thinking “and, and and” instead. __________:“The hockey team won, and Mike did his best the whole game.” “Amy’s the homecoming queen, and she’s going to look perfect!” The __________ is that “but” feels bad, “and” feels quite the opposite. When our children feel __________ about what they are doing, they do more of it.

This is not to say that children don’t need or won’t respond to their parents’__________. They do and they will. When parents give positive responses, amazing things happen. It’s not __________ just to say we love our children. We’re also going to have to start guiding and taking part in what is right with our children.

“No more buts!” is a __________ for love. It’s an opportunity every day to put our attention on what is promising about our children. And if I ever forget, I have my mother’s note to remind me.

【推荐2】In order to separate loving parents from their freshman sons, Morehouse College in Atlanta has held a/an _______ “Parting Ceremony.”

When University of Minnesota freshmen _______ at the end of this month, parental separation will be a little trickier: mothers and fathers will be _______ to a reception elsewhere _______ students can meet their roommates and talk about dorm room space -- _______ adult breaking in.

In the latest wave in which superinvolved parents _______ their children to college, universities are _______activities _______to speed the separation. In the age of MSN and twice-daily texts home, _______colleges are urging “sticky parents” to leave sooner so students can ________independence.

Grinnell College here, like others, has found it ________ to make it clear when parents ________ say goodbye. After computer printers and bags had been carried to dorm rooms, everyone gathered in the gymnasium, students on one side, ________on the other.

Shortly________, mothers and fathers were urged to leave campus.

Moving their students in usually takes a few hours. Moving on? Most deans can tell ________of parents who hang around campus for days. At Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y. “We recognize it’s a ________ day for families,” Beverly Low, the dean (学监) of first-year students said.________, during various parent meetings on Colgate’s move-in day, Ms. Low and other officials plan to tell the parents ________ that “activities for the class of freshmen begin at 4 on time, so parents should leave before 4.” she said.

Formal departure ceremonies are unusual ________ growing in popularity, said Joyce Holl, head of the National Orientation Directors Association. A more common method is for colleges to limit the hour for last hugs.________, the parents of Princeton freshmen learn from the move-in schedule, “the rest events are intended for students only.”