【推荐1】In April 1952, I was 11 years old and in the sixth grade at an elementary school. My teacher was Miss Pemberton. It was spelling bee time in our city - students were issued with brochures of words to study in     _____ for the class spelldowns (比赛). They would lead to a schoolwide contest and ________ qualification for the citywide spelling bee, where school ________ competed for the ________ of being the spelling champion of Houston.

The day ________ the class spelling bee, my youngest brother was playing with matches and ________ set a fire in our apartment. My mother made sleeping arrangements for all of us and ________ the school in the morning to inform Miss Pemberton of the accident, ________ that the class spelling bee was that day.

When I arrived at school, Miss Pemberton ________ me aside. She asked if I wanted her to ________ the spelling bee to another day because of my ________ about the fire. I told her no. That day, I won the spelling bee for my class.

The next week was the school spelling bee, with class champions ________. I won again! The ________ spelling bee was one month away.

Every Sunday afternoon, Miss Pemberton would pick me up, and we would go to her house, where she would help me ________ by calling out spelling words. After a couple of ________, Miss Pemberton would ________ me to Rettig's ice­cream parlor, where I could ________ a hot chocolate sundae (圣代冰激凌) which I'd never had. We practiced every ________ until the citywide spelling bee.

I did not win the citywide spelling bee, but I still felt ________ to have participated. I also felt grateful that I had such a ________ teacher in elementary school.

【推荐2】Days ago I visited my grandfather in hospital. He has Alzheimer's-a_______that usually starts slowly and gets worse over time. I thought I was prepared to see him. I knew chances were small that he'd_______me.

In fact, he had no idea that he_______had grandchildren. But he was excited that somebody came to visit him. I tried to_______who I was, but failed. And my heart broke into a million little_______

I was tired of explaining things. So I just_______ He smiled back. Like a long time ago, when he'd take me_______the hand and made this big world feel a little bit less scary for_______Now I have to take his hand.

We sat in_______for a little while, before he told me to call my grandma. This was the first time I had tried so hard to________tears. He forgot she died four years ago and thought she was on her way to________him up.

My grandpa used to be the person I________when I needed my car fixed, or something like that. ________, that man left this world a long time ago, and left behind a________that is lost and scared.

I________his hand, and every once in a while I told him how good he looked and how much I liked the________of his shirt and how it brought out the blue in his eyes. I told him that my________was on the way whenever he asked about her, and I________the glass in his hand was always filled with water.

I can't take away his________. I can't help him remember. I can't make the disease go away. All I can do is hold on to the________-hold on for both of us.

【推荐3】The first day at school has left a deep ________ on me. I'll never forget it.

I got up late in the morning. As soon as I rushed into the classroom, the bell rang. A young beautiful woman came in, but she was ________, no smile on her face. “You are not allowed to ________ in the course of class unless…” She was speaking when I heard a ________ “Lily, Lily” from outside the door. My grandmother was standing there with a pair of socks in her hand. I didn't realize I was bare feet ________ then.

I wanted to ________ them, but I dared not do that. I shook my head, ________ “Don't wait here any longer. Leave quickly.” As I did so, I still ________ my eyes on my teacher. I really didn't want her to take ________ of me, but she did. She went out to get the socks and returned. When she gave them to me, she looked at me for a while. My face suddenly turned ________ and my heart ________ faster. I began to put the socks on. Unfortunately I was so nervous that my ________ hands couldn't get them onto my feet easily.

Just then I heard my name called. I ________ from my seat quickly. “Can you ________ the numbers from one to one hundred?” the teacher asked. I nodded. ________ her surprise, I did very well. Finally she said, “Be ________, please. Study hard.” I looked ________ her to find a smile on her face. I felt ________ at last.

The first day at school has stayed in my ________ as something embarrassing but ________.

【推荐1】I was sitting in a chair having coffee when a text message from a former colleague woke me from my daydreams.

“Do you want to______your rocking chair?”

I taught grades 1-2 for 17 years, and my dreams as a teacher were tied to that rocking chair. It was a ______ idea to have it in my class. Every day after break time, the class would ______ around it and listen to the story I was reading. When the students are close, they find the______ to share their stories, dreams and fears. The chair was part of my______, part of me.

______, I became unwell and couldn’t keep teaching. I experienced ______ anxiety and at last I was forced to ______ the job. With my life as a teacher ______ , I needed a new path. And I didn’t have to look far.

My husband and I adopted one of my former students in 2017. The complexity of______ a child who came to us at 9 years old changed our lives in ______ ways. But it inspired the part of me that enjoys being a parent. We spent countless hours staying with books—healing,______and solidifying (巩固) our family, which gave me a new purpose.

I joined a ______ group of local moms. For about a year, I met with them weekly for walks or coffee. We came together to share, and then I started giving and receiving help. I gave driving practice to a single mom with her learner’s license and received emotional support ______. I also took her son on hikes around the city. Another woman encouraged me to buy a stand-up paddleboard and gave me ______.

My family, my books, finding a new purpose and belonging in a(n)______—these are ______ the sense of self I used to prize as a teacher. I learned my ______ doesn’t need to change, I’m still honoring those core values ______ I am working as a teacher or not. What about that rocking chair? I______ at the text message, my answer was no, and I don’t need the chair. I’ll let it go to a new teacher!

【推荐2】“My name's Jim Shelley and I’m an addict(有瘾的人)...”

With these words I began to______the problem , the problem of my telephone addiction.I used to call people________, from the moment I woke up to the time I went to sleep.I ______ to be phoned ,I wanted to phone .Just one more call.

It started socially-a few calls each day.It seemed _________,just a quick chat.Gradually though , the _________got worse . soon it was _______use , until , finally , addiction.

And it began to affect my________. During the day I would disappear for________call .If i couldn't make a call , I spent the whole time waiting for the phone to ring .Getting more and more_________,in the end , I would ring someone , then someone else,________ myself just one more call.

I was phoning people and_________ messages to make sure ________ calls would see me through the day . I used to arrive at friend’s homes and before the door was closed , go straight for the phone with the ________“Is it OK if I just use the phone...?” At work ,I became_________ when my fellow workers tried to_______ me from using the phone.And one day I hit my boss (with the phone ).Finally , the police caught me________a phone box that had taken my last one pound coin, and I was_________to see a psychiatrist (心理医生).

I haven 't_________ a phone in the house for three weeks now , and it 's several days_________ I used a phone box .I try not to watch TV because there are_______   people on it making phone calls.My name is Jim   Shelley and I am an addict.

【推荐3】My husband and I were serving in Peace Corps in a remote village in northern Thailand. There were many _________ and difficulties, particularly around our housing. We moved into our house this June. Shortly after, while we were away at Peace Corps training, the owner ripped out (扯掉) all the surrounding banana groves to raise the ground level — she had planned on _________ our house and building a new one after we left.   

She brought in tons of dirt. This _________ our house in a kind of moat (壕沟), and when the heavy rain came, our house _________. This, needless to say, was upsetting, but it turned into a _________, because when the headmaster at my school became _________ of it, he got my eighth-grade class to come to help clean up. The boys _________ into the moat to drain (排水) the water, while the girls mopped up the water _________, spread newspapers to _________ it and cleaned up. Before the __________ was truly solved, however, we had another flood. This turned into a party, with teachers and students __________ helping clean up, and our host mother bringing lunch for everyone.   

There were countless other less dramatic (引人注目的) __________ students of care and generosity. This community is __________ to us, and there is no way we can ever __________ them. I plan to pay it forward as best I can, by __________ looking for people in need of some kind of help, remembering how kind and compassionate my Thai community has been.