【推荐1】In a fast-paced world driven by noise, excitement,and continuous connections due to technology , I think we've lost a(n)_______for something essential to the human experience:Quiet.

I'm not talking about the library style version of soft whispers, but about the soul-defining quiet of self-reflection,of being alone and of being_______.

This past weekend, I found myself glued to my computer screen in a flurry (手忙脚乱) of_______work to build my career. I was_______social media and worrying about building my vision for tomorrow. Like so many evenings,the call of the internet had_______me in, and the beautiful July night in Pennsylvania was_______--until my husband stepped. in and reminded me that there's more to life than noises , likes and followers.

We got into our truck and drove ten minutes to a local state park,a place that has _______our different stages of life through the years. Phones and computers_______,we spent the evening in nature, enjoying simple scenes and _______in the quiet of the setting.

Gone were the rings of notifications(通知),   the constant horns of cars flying by, and the________of YouTube videos. In their place, a silence________something we both know but sometimes lose________ of : Life's quiet, simple moments are sometimes the most beautiful.

In these peaceful moments, I,found a(n)________with nature and with my husband. I found a reminder that there is a world________the computer and the________of our fast-paced life.

________ , I was reminded that in these quiet moments, we were able to hear the most important voice : our own.

Our world________constant attention and engagement. We become so________to constantly connecting and engaging with others that we fail to appreciate something________to our happiness : Our inner voice.

So take a moment, take a break and take some time to find the quiet in your life. Let the quiet moments in life remind you that your inner voice________to be heard.

【推荐2】My grandpa Joe is 85 and has been faithfully married to my grandma for 60 years. But now his memory is ________ and he’s really starting to slow down.

Yesterday, he asked me to take him to the ________ because he wanted to get out of the house. I was ________ that he asked me to do so because he shouldn’t be driving by himself. It would also ________ grandma to have the ________ to herself for a while, not having to worry about grandpa for a few hours.

I watched him, walking stick in hand, taking the tiniest ________ all around, searching through the shelves. I had no idea what he was ________; but, as I observed each item he put in the cart, I noticed a(n)________. They were some of my grandma’s ________ things.

He got the type of soda she liked. He ________ picked out a bag of seedless grapes she had talked about several days ago. He even ________ her a small lemon pie! And then, ________ filled my eyes as I watched him walking slowly to the fresh ________ and pick her the bunch of flowers that had the most purple, her favorite color.

On our way home, he ________ we stop and grab a sandwich to take home for grandma’s lunch. May we all take a lesson from Papa Joe: Never stop ________ for our loved ones.

【推荐3】My family moved into our home nine years ago. We live on a corner, and the entire side of the yard is enclosed (围住) by a _________ built rock wall. The front of the house,_________, is another story, because instead of a rock wall along the sidewalk, the rocks appear to be just randomly_________ up onto the dirt (泥土).

We did the best we could and called this area our “rock garden”. Whenever we had leftover flowers or plants, I would _________ them out front, just to bring some _________ to the area.

Last summer I reached the end of the rock garden and found a tiny little plant that I could not immediately _________ , we didn’t plant it. We decided to let it _________ growing until we could _________ what it was.

Weeks passed and as I made my way back to the _________ plant, it appeared to be a sunflower. It was skinny. I decided to __________ it along and weed (除草) around it. As I pulled rocks to get to the weeds, I noticed something __________ . The sunflower had not started where I saw it __________ . It actually had begun under a big rock and grown under and around it to __________ the sun.

That’s when I realized that we should stand tall like the sunflower and the environment will begin to __________ us. We will find a way to go under or around our big __________ in order to reach our desires.

【推荐1】I always think how lucky I am that my work as a travel writer introduces me to extraordinary locations, experiences and people. However, my recent hot-air balloon _________ over the breathtaking ancient temples of Bagan has proved the most impressive. Without _________ it will stay with me forever, and years later I can still smile at the fond _________ .

There are over 2,200 temples and pagodas (宝塔) on the plains of Bagan, _________ the 11th and 13th century. For me, Bagan is the place where travel dreams come true.

The sunrise hot-air balloon experiences are popular so it's best to book _________. My husband Ryan Wright and I were picked up at 5:10 am. After picking up some additional guests, we made our way to the launch field. The pilots introduced themselves and _________ the basics of ballooning. They were warm, _________ and funny and set my nerves at ease. 

Then, _________ I even realized what had happened, we were off the ground. The earth just seemed to drop away from the hot-air balloon. _________, I felt nothing when the ropes were released and we started to fly into the sky. Graeme suggested some of the best sights and photo __________, starting with the sunrise.

Once the sun was up, the temples and pagodas were even more beautiful. Ranging from __________ groups of buildings to tiny structures, Graeme was keen to point out some of his personal favourites, as well as those buildings experiencing restoration work. Who knew that bamboo scaffolding (脚手架) could be so beautiful __________ the sunrise?

With the end of our flight approaching, Graeme reminded us of safe landing procedures. I really __________ that he was so clear and focused on __________! We were soon back on solid land. A circle of chairs had been __________ for us to enjoy a light breakfast.

This hot-air balloon journey was the most wonderful travel experience of my life.

【推荐2】I was on a plane that was about to take off when my phone rang. I felt something ________ had happened. It was my neighbor saying I needed to get to the ________ at once. She explained that she’d ________ my two boys, George, then five, and Mickey, then four, crying. At first, she had ________ it, but when the crying continued for a long time, she _________ something was wrong. So she came round and discovered my wife, Mary, lying on the ________ floor. She had been emptying the dishwasher ________ a live wire fell and touched her.

Mary was taken to hospital. When I arrived, doctors were trying to rescue her, but there was no ________. I explained to the boys that Mum had died; I felt it was important to be ________ with them. For a year I was in a suffering ________ of mind. I went through the activities of a father but inside I felt ________.

Later, I felt I had to honor my love for Mary by not breaking ________. She married me because I was a ________ man and I knew I had to carry on and actively chose to swim rather than ________.

We moved to another city but two years later, I was diagnosed with cancer (癌症). The anxiety that had been gone came ________ back – would my boys be left with no parents? ________, the disease was in its early stage and doctors could treat it in time.

________ everything happening to me, I realized merely thinking “why me” doesn’t ________. We have to learn to accept and adapt to the ________ it has brought about. It is no use thinking about the past or being worried about the future. Instead, just focus on the ________.

【推荐3】Last week, I wrote about how I had no idea how important the social aspect of my life was until the pandemic(疫情)hit．That made me_________ just how much I valued my face-to- face conversations and _________ with my friends. It also hurt that our annual _________ to Europe and other countries was gone. We’ve_________ so many wonderful people and made so many new friends on those trips as well.

Most of us take too much for granted and aren’t as _________ as we should be for what we have. But when one of those great things in our lives is suddenly_________ ,we certainly notice how much we _________ those things when they are gone.

Something I took for granted was my _________ long walk. I have given myself a minimum _________ of 20,000 steps a day. I use a super great __________ my wife gave me, a Fitbit, which __________ each step I take and gives me weekly__________. That little device has helped me stay fit, even now as the __________ age of 80 approaches.

Last week, I had a fall and hit my right knee so hard that I could __________ walk for many days. That is when it __________ me that I’ve taken the __________ to walk without pain totally for granted. I think all of us should take time to __________ all the great things in our lives that we are just taking for granted. I__________ now, that all of us consider making a list of that kind so we have time to enjoy and appreciate what we have while we have it. Doing so has the potential to make us more __________ as we begin to truly __________ all the great things we have in our lives.