【推荐1】I had a deadline (截止日期) for a huge project at work. When I’d picked up my son that afternoon, I bought a roast chicken for dinner. I _________ that’d save me an extra hour to _________ my project.

It was 6:00 p.m., and I was typing, making good _________. Then my sons, Nathan and Jordan, came in and said they were hungry. Soon my 18-year-old daughter, Julia, made the same   _________ .

Suddenly I couldn’t help _________. “You can put the roast chicken in the microwave by yourself,” I nearly shouted. “I think you’d realize I’m busy and just take some _________.”

Twenty minutes later, a plate filled with food appeared on my _________. I smiled. “Sorry I screamed at you guys. I’m just so _________ of being ATF around here. I mean All Things Food. If it’s food-related, it _________ falls to me. Since we eat three times a day, it’s a __________ job. Now I am so busy and have to __________ my project in two days.”

Then Julia said, “Mom, for the next two days, we’re ATF. We will __________ the load to help you.”

The next two days, my children prepared the meals and __________ them to me. Then I took a __________ , and got back to work.

To my great joy, I finished my project __________ . I’m grateful to my children. They showed me that it’s our joint duty to take care of each other.

【推荐1】By the time he was 24 years old, Imran Nuri quit his job in a bold move, and emptied his savings account to carry out an ambitious ________ he’d been bearing in mind. Nuri would drive his car to every state on a 100-day trip to find 1,000 ________ and ask them to share one thing they wish they’d ________ when they were younger. Nuri was hoping for answers that might help him ________ the rest of his life.

He ________. But to his shock, he chose a ________ person for the first time. He met a man, who had a dark look at Nuri. Nuri thought the man was going to ________ him. Then, doing the most ________ thing he’d done, he introduced himself, “I’m ________ around the country to talk to 1,000 unfamiliar people. I’m asking them for pieces of life advice about things they wish they knew ________.” The man remained silent for a minute or so and ________ said, “We should spend more time with our family.”

In Colorado Springs, Colorado, a man in his 50s who had stage 4 terminal cancer told Nuri, “Life is about the human ________. There would be no life without social interactions.”

In Tillamook, Oregon, a waitress-a college student told him, “whether it’s changing your major or changing your whole life path, you don’t have to ________ yourself for taking a step back and reevaluating your past choices. Just do what you think to be right.”

Nuri found beauty in every place as well as ________ from the people he met. Those people taught a lot. Now he always puts himself in other people’s shoes even when a person sees the world ________.

【推荐2】Sergeant Frank Spike sat behind his desk and looked out of the window. Outside, cars _______slowly in the cold, grey rain. He looked down at the grey hairs on his arms. His _______stomach pushed against the desk. This was his final month before he _______ the police. For Frank, his last day couldn’t come too soon.

Frank felt angry as he thought about the   _______ he would get when he retired. It wasn’t enough money to pay for a short holiday on the cold and rainy east coast of England _______ he lived. It _______ wouldn’t pay for his dream holiday —   a _______, round-the-world cruise.

Just then, Inspector Spencer came to Frank’s desk. Spencer had perfect white teeth and he was always smiling. Three years earlier, Spencer _______. Now he was an inspector at the young age of forty. Frank wasn’t so lucky. He had worked for the police for forty years and he was still a sergeant. Frank knew he wasn’t as handsome or as friendly as Spencer, sorry, Inspector Spencer. _______ Frank was a better policeman. Frank had a nose for crime and Spencer didn’t. That “nose” meant Frank could think like a ________ and solve the most difficult crimes.________, the younger man often asked for Frank’s help. In fact, it was the only time Spencer spoke to him.

“Hey, Frank, can I ask you something?” asked Spencer.

Frank wasn’t surprised.

“Do you know who the Babbingtons are?” Spencer ________.

Everyone knew who the Babbingtons were. Ronald Babbington was the super-rich owner of Babbington Oil, and his wife Tabitha was a model. Together they loved showing   ________ rich they were. They often appeared in magazines like Hello!, with their beautiful house and their ________ of cars. Last month, Ronald had bought an ________ diamond for Tabitha. The diamond sat in a large gold and glass case at the end of a long, red carpet. There was an alarm system to keep it safe.

— (Story written by Clive Lane and adapted by Nicola Prentis)

【推荐1】Rosie Jon was a painter who was born without arms. She thought creativity was a world where there was no limit. So, when her son was headed to _________, she turned to art to ease her nerves. _________ had always been one of Rosie’s favorite colors because it _________ her of the sky and the sea, places where there were no _________.

When Rosie saw these preschool kids _________ the window of the bus pointing at her, she felt like she was sending her _________ into a cave of lions. Then Rosie took _________ to invite herself to her son’s classroom. _________, when she arrived in the classroom, some of these _________ were afraid and didn’t know what to __________. But then, Rosie drew them in. She invited them to __________ with their own toes. In that __________ process, there was so much joy and they got to ignore her __________ difference.

During the process, Rosie __________ kids to think what her gift to share with the world was. After a while, she wrote her __________ on the plexiglass (有机玻璃) with her foot. It was her __________ painting on the plexiglass, telling stories with positivity and light. Rosie then __________ the plexiglass, which allowed every kid to __________ the piece from all directions. The kids got happy and they wanted to __________ their feelings with Rosie.

Rosie was also __________ to see what her art brought to her. For now, she’ll keep donating her time, helping kids open eyes and inspire hearts into art.

【推荐2】At the age of 91, living alone, Thomas was quietly enjoying his old age. His days were filled with ________ and leisure. He would watch TV and ________ leave his place. His lack of physical activity ________ his granddaughter, Diana. She wanted her grandpa to live a long and happy life and she finally had a perfect ________.

Armed with a handful of love-a(n) ________ little dog named Frederica, she set out to________ her beloved grandpa. Diana knew her grandpa’s ________ for animals. Thomas was even considering getting a dog in the past, but his family ________ him. This time, Diana ________ to take matters into her own hands. She knew that having a puppy would be a ________ for the elderly man, so she was ready to ________ him with whatever he would need. What a wonderful and ________ decision!

Thomas’ face ________ up when he saw what his granddaughter was holding in her arms. He then ________ the puppy from the floor and immediately fell in love. The whole family were astonished by the immediate ________ between Thomas and the cute puppy. In the following days, Thomas began his remarkable ________. He used to kill most of his time inside by watching TV. But now with Frederica, he has developed a new ________.

“Now, my grandfather gets up early to go outside with Frederica, and the dog ________ him when he works in the garden. They go for walks on the beach — all sorts of activities my grandfather used to ________ to do,” Diana said in an interview, “He is much more active and ________.”