【推荐1】When I entered Berkeley, I hoped to earn a scholarship. Having been a Straight-A student, I believed I could _______ tough subjects and really learn something. One such course was World Literature given by Professor Jayne. I was extremely interested in the ideas he _______ in class.

When I took the first exam, I was _______ to find a 77,C-plus, on my test paper, for English was my best subject. I went to Professor Jayne, who listened to my arguments but remained _______ .

I decided to try harder, although I didn't know what that _______ because school had always been easy for me. I read the books more carefully, but got another 77. Again, I _______ with Professor Jayne. Again, he listened patiently but wouldn't change his mind.

One more test before the final exam. One more _______ to improve my grade. So I redoubled my efforts and, for the first time, _______ the meaning of the word “thorough”. But my _______ did no good and everything went as before.

The last hurdle(障碍) was the final. No matter what ________ I got, it wouldn't cancel three C-pluses. I might as well kiss the ________ goodbye.

I stopped working hard. I felt I knew the course material as well as I ever would. The night before the final, I even ________ myself to a movie. The next day I decided for once I'd have ________ with a test. A week later, I was surprised to find I got an A.I hurried into Professor Jayne's office. He seemed to be expecting me. “If I gave you the A as you ________ , you wouldn't continue to work as hard.”

I stared at him, ________ that his analysis and strategy (策略) were correct.I had worked my head off, as I had never done before.

I was speechless when my course grade arrived: A-plus. It was the only A-plus given. The next year I received my scholarship. I've always remembered Professor Jayne's lesson: you alone must set your own standard of excellence.

【推荐2】When two sisters found themselves having difficulty finding a way to get to their aunt’s 100th birthday party, they were fortunately ____ by a stranger in a very unexpected way.

Last weekend, sisters Kerry Maggard and Deb Eggers   ____   to fly from Minneapolis to Sioux Falls to go to the party, but their flight was canceled ____ bad weather. They soon found that all other flights to South Dakota were ____,   and there were no taxis available, ____ they had no way to make the 200-mile journey themselves.

Feeling like they had no other   ____ , Kerry made a last-ditch(孤注一掷的) attempt to get to the party by calling Uber, and their ride was ____   by a man named Jesus Florentino.

“I was shocked that someone picked it up. It was kind of a last resort(最后一招)to ____   if anyone would consider it, ”Kerry recalled. “It was picked up at once and of course I got the   ____   on the phone which said ‘Jesus is 7 minutes away, ’which was quite a   ____ .”

Kerry called Jesus to make sure that he was   ____ to make the 400-mile round ____ , and much to her surprise, he said he was game for it! Jesus   ____ to get the sisters to their aunt’s house in time for her 6 pm party, and he quickly turned back around to make the four-hour trip back to Minneapolis.

Kerry said afterward that she____ Jesus $50 for the $216 trip, which is a(n) ____ price to pay for the quality time that she got to spend with her aunt. As for Jesus, he was just   ____ that the women got to be there for their aunt.

"I felt that they needed to ____ the birthday party and I enjoy ____ , so it worked out well, ” Jesus said. “It's a(n) ____ occasion, and if I was in their place I would ____ very much someone bringing me there when there was no other way.”

【推荐3】On a recent trip to California, I was Introduced to Smile Cards. I promised to _________ an act of kindness before I left California. I _________ thinking about it but I didn’t know what to do.

I reached the airport and the _________ was about to begin when I saw an ice cream store. I went in and told the guy at the store that I _________ to do an act of kindness. The guy, named Jose looked confused (困惑的). _________ I explained that I had just attended a conference, where I was told Smile Cards and _________ to do an act of kindness. Jose showed _________ I told Jose. “Whoever is your next _________, treat him to some ice cream and then give him this Smile Card” Jose_________ read the card and agreed with a smile that was both __________ and confused at the same time.

Since this was my first time, I wanted to know the __________ of the receiver. “Jose, I have to catch a __________ but here is my cell phone number. Would you be __________ enough to call me and tell me the persons reaction?” He __________.

I went to my gate, and as I was about to board, Jose __________, “I did the act of kindness. The person was very happy, and asked me to express thanks to the person who paid for him!” I again thanked Jose and boarded the flight feeling proud.

【推荐1】I had just started my second year studying at the University of Cambridge when I was faced with the news I had never expected. A lump in my neck turned out to be cancer. I would ____ six months of chemotherapy(化疗). 

After the shock, I was struck by this thought: my ____ didn’t have any room for cancer. I had so much I wanted to achieve and so many goals I wanted to chase. 

I was faced with the ____ job of telling my friends and family. Then, I had to decide whether to ____ in Cambridge and take five exams at the end of the year. My doctor advised against it, and so did my parents and teachers. 

My doctors and teachers tried to convince me that taking some time off to ____ and relax would be the best thing for me. I could not think of anything ____. I did not want to ____ a year of my life receiving pity from those around me. 

Together with my parents, I tried to persuade the university to ____ me to stay at Cambridge and study only half the courses. At the end of the year I would take two exams. It was really a ____ to persuade them to agree. 

Treatment began and I was up and down from Cambridge to London every other week. It made me feel ____, but to a much lesser degree than I had expected. I was able to read, eat and socialize exactly as I used to. I slept a lot and rested a lot, but I also worked hard at my studies. It gave me focus, and it also gave me purpose. Completing my ____ at the end of the term was really a great personal victory. 

I took a ____ of continuing studying while undergoing treatment, and it ____. I was successful in my exams — and more ____, I made a full recovery. 

Every person facing a disease like cancer must make the ____ that are right for them. I am proud that I made the decision that was right for me.

【推荐2】A few months ago, I left my job as a program director. Ever since I was a little girl, I have been _______ about the different ways life is experienced on our planet. I wanted to turn that curiosity into a _______ job. A journalist was eager to give me a _______, but there was nothing concrete(具体的) at that moment and I still needed more income.

One night, I sat at my computer _______ at job postings. My heart _______ with every one I read. I was _______ with work that involved sitting in front of a computer. Frustrated, I _______ up and decided to clean the fridge.

As I _______ the fridge, I thought, “That’s it! People do this to make a _______. Why can’t I?”

Back at my desk, I opened Craigslist, a website which provides jobs, found a listing for cleaners and ________. An hour later, I got a job from Pixel, who owned a ________ company.

On the first day of the work, I was ________ exhausted with the cleaning, but more ________ than I had been in years.

A month later, I ________ Pixel’s company. Working so hard and ________ a large part of what I earned to someone else just didn’t ________. Within a week of posting my ________ at stores around the city, I had seven clients.

That same week I got a call from the ________ saying she had work for me to produce community videos. Now I was moving more than ever!

It was one of the best years of my life. I was reminded that ________ and pride came not from the work you did, ________ from the energy you brought to doing it.

【推荐3】My life as a tax-paying (纳税的) employed person began in middle school, when, for three whole days, I worked in a baking (烘焙的) factory.

My best friend Betsy’s father was a manager at Hough Bakeries, which, at Easter time, ______ little bunny (兔子) cakes for all its ______ throughout Cleveland. It happened that the factory downtown needed eight kids for ______ help during our spring break, for which I had no ______ beyond listening to my favorite records. I’d ______ the lowest wage (工资). I’d see how a factory _______. My parents thought all of this was a great idea and called Betsy’s dad with their ________

Our_____ in the factory were simple: Place cakes on a moving belt. Attach icing (糖霜) ears. Apply icing eyes and nose. ____ bunny from the belt. This was _____ than it sounds. _____ a bit and the cakes pile (堆) up. As I told my parents at dinner that first night, it was all a little more high-pressure than I’d _______.

Dad _______. The son of a grocer, he’d spent the summers of his childhood ______ food in Bemardsville, New Jersey. This was the sort of work that made you ______ the dollars you earned and respect those who did the work, he told me.

Make the Most of What You Have Got

For Nick Vujicic, life was going to be difficult from the day he was born. When Nick arrived into this world, he_______everyone. He was not like the other babies and it was_______obvious to his parents and to the doctors in the hospital.

There was no________or answers for his condition. Nick was born without any limbs — that is he was born without any arms or legs. But despite being physically_______, he was mentally________and the rest of his body was functioning fine.

________he had loving parents, Nick would find school hard as he would often be looked down upon by the other children and at the young age of 10, he considered________his life by drowning himself in a bathtub. These dark thoughts were_______by his negative attitude to being disabled and at the time, he thought that he would never be able to do________by himself, that he would never have a job and that he would always have to_________on his parents for help.

Nick was wrong.

As an adult, Nick is a successful public speaker and is famous for his motivational_________which focus on life with a disability, hope and finding meaning in life worldwide. ________so many people with the story of his life, how he has_________so many difficulties and most importantly how he is happy every day.

Despite having no arms or legs, Nick lives________, even finding ways to do almost_________things like brushing his teeth on his own and swimming. He has to work harder than a full bodied person and he achieves his goals.

At the first impression, you may look at Nick and feel_________. You may feel sad that this man has no arms or legs and you might feel his________and upset that he could find everyday situations difficult. But we should_________Nick, as he is extremely positive and he gets on with life. He________every day and makes the best of what he has: a positive attitude, a creative mind and a powerful________. He also has a very kind and very beautiful wife and they are truly happy and in love.