【推荐2】A young man Jermaine Scott set up in business as a barber in Madison, Tennessee, about a year ago. He gradually noted the kids were_______to tablets and electronic products when they came to the barbershop. It was extremely_______to cut their hair when they were focused on those, and kids would feel cross and lack passion for life if they play cell phones for a long time. That led to the_______of Scott’s “Barbershop Books Day”, when kids could come and get a_______ haircut. What was required? They are only required to_______a book while they got it.

He created “Barbershop Books Day” to help not only the kids, but also the anxious parents. Madison has many low-income and impoverished(贫穷的) families and many are entirely focused on just keeping their_______on. Many parents are occupied with their work and barely have time to accompany their children. For people in this community, $15 for a haircut per kid is not easy to _______, so in some way a reduction in the price can_______.

Scott began his _______by borrowing five books from City Library and putting them near his chair. Book________began flooding in when a local news station ________ what he was doing. Scott plans on taking it a step further by________his “Barbershop Books Day” to an “Ice Breaker Book Tour” where he________to get kids excited and motivated to learn while also giving them ________role models through motivational speakers so as to encourage them. Scott said, “If I step out of my comfort zone, challenge myself and instill(灌输) in them the idea that school is cool and educational, hopefully it will guide them in the right direction.” He also emphasized that it’s up to all the members of the society to develop students’ lifelong________for reading.

【推荐2】Nicolas Stacy-Alcantara was a 17-year-old high school student from Fresno. He said he______his friend near Salt Lake City last week and decided to go for a day-long hike alone with______to return in time for dinner.

Stacy-Alcantara said the weather had been______when he began his planned way from Millcreek Canyon(峡谷)to Park City. However, by late afternoon it became_____and snow began to fall. The weather______Stacy Alcantara to stop his journey. His cellphone had no______and his feet began to freeze(冻僵).

Being trapped in the snow, he______a cave to keep himself warm. He rubbed his hands against his______to keep the blood flowing.

“I knew my chest was more______than my feet,”he told reporters.

“I______if I lost those, I could still______, so I just tied the ends of my clothes together.

As the______fell, the teen______his friends were in the cave and had what he believed could be his______conversations with them. He also______letters to his family in case he didn't make it out alive.

He walked out of the______when the sun rose in the morning.______, he came across some skiers(滑雪者) who had a satellite phone. Later, he was______and he was about 6 miles from where he______his hike.

“I’m very______,” Stacy-Alcantara said. “I shouldn’t even be alive right now.”

【推荐3】My senior year, I can’t believe it’s almost over. Now when I ______, it was stressful, but exciting, the ball, graduation, and then of course, college.

I started my college application process months before Christmas. My parents told me it would be ______ if I set up interviews and tours. But I was unmotivated. I wanted to go to college, but I didn’t want to deal with the stress.

As the days flew by, my applications lay on my desk just as I had ______ them three months before. “You are wasting ______ time,” my parents complained. Sweeping away the gathered ______ on the applications, I worked on them every Sunday until I finished. Next came writing the essays. I had many ideas, but every school had different requirements. I changed them until I was pleased. ______, everything was underway.

Now I just had to wait. In March, I started receiving letters of rejection (拒绝). I began to think that I had set myself up for ______. I had a letter from Salem State College stating that they wanted to see my third quarter ______ before they made their decision. Yes! At least someone wanted to ______ me. At the beginning of April, I received a letter from Keens State. I had been rejected. Those ______ words “We regret to inform you...” made me sit down and cry. I had ______ all hope. Then I heard from Plymouth State. Not my first ______, but...I had been accepted. Maybe if I get my grades up, l can transfer to another school...

The college application process ______ me deeply. All my friends had dozens of schools to choose from. I guess my parents were ______. High school grades are undoubtedly important to your future plans. If I could do it all over again, I would take it more ______.

【推荐1】I used to hate running. It seemed too hard, and expanding my comfort zone was not something I like. In fact, I wouldn’t have become a runner if it weren’t for my husband Charles. He had been a serious competitive ______ for many years. After our marriage, he wouldn’t stop talking about how much he ______ it. So he picked it up again, and after about a year, I started to ______ him at the track. Just a few weeks later, Charles signed us ______ up for a five-kilometer race. I ______ about doing it because it was too soon.

The ______ sent a signal. Thousands of runners pushed forward. The first kilometer was ______. I was already breathing heavily and painfully aware of the group of runners ______ me. Charles was trying to ______ me, to get me focused on something _______my discomfort.

After another minute I saw the three-kilometer ______. “Painful” couldn’t _____describe how I felt. And there was pain, so much pain. I rounded a ______, and saw both sides of the street ______ with people watching the race, all ______ the runners up. I tried to keep my ______ going. I knew that if I actually ______ this race I would have achieved something. So, I ______ up and went on.

Finally I passed through the finish line. A volunteer put a medal around my neck. I ______ held my medal, walking to the post-race celebrations with Charles. My lungs and my ______ zone both expanded.

【推荐2】One morning in 2001 Ellen phoned me and asked if I wanted to go to Bosnia. I was _________ because it had just experienced a war.

Ellen _________ and told me that UN was badly in want of volunteers there. I told her I would think it over. For the rest of the day, I was torn by _________ thoughts. Bosnia may be dangerous; do I really want to put myself in the peril? Then other _________ flashed into my mind. I liked challenges. And it’s a fairyland for marvels. If I _________ the invitation, I may never get another chance. In the end, the _________ thoughts won.

A few weeks later, I _________ a plane to Tuzla, Bosnia where I spent three interesting weeks. After I returned, I was asked if I’d like to return and participate in another _________. I said “yes” firmly.

It is twenty years since I let my optimistic thoughts _________ my negative ones. I have finished many other tasks in many other countries since then. When I __________ my first Bosnia assignment, I had traveled to three foreign countries. My __________ is now fifty-eight. I continued to volunteer __________.

If I had listened back in 2001 to the __________ inside telling me not to take a risk, I wouldn’t be talking about this __________ now. Fortunately, I followed the voice that said, “__________ it” and I found a brand new life after sixty!

【推荐3】At age 14, 15 and 16, the way we looked was the most important thing in the world to us. My friends and I wanted nothing less than perfection. We joined the gymnastics team in high school and our _________ became even more important to us.

One summer day, all my friends were at my house swimming. At one point, I was running back to the pool. I _________ on a bee, and while it was dying under my foot, it stung(蛰)me. I immediately started to feel _________. That night, I began to run a high fever and my leg and foot were red, hot and swollen. I couldn’t walk.

When my foot started to go numb(麻木)everyone became more _________. My foot was not getting enough blood. I had to go to the hospital, and my leg hurt as if it were broken. I couldn’t move. All I could do was think about how soft my waist(腰部)was becoming, which _________ me more than any concern over my leg.

That all changed when I heard the doctors mention possibly _________ my foot. It was still not getting the _________ supply it needed. The doctors would have to speed up their treatment.

I never have such great appreciation for my foot before. And walking seemed like a _________ from the gods. Less and less would I want to hear my friends talk about gymnastics and who was wearing what. More and more I expected visits from other kids in the _________, who were quickly becoming my friends.

One girl came to visit me __________. Every time she came, she brought flowers. She was recovering from cancer and felt she should come back and __________ the other patients.

She still had no hair, and she was swollen from medications she had been taking. I would not have given this girl a second __________ before. I now loved every inch of her and looked forward to her __________.

Finally, I was improving and soon I went home. My leg was still swollen, __________ I was walking, and I had my foot When I went back to the hospital, I often saw my friend. She was still visiting people and __________ encouragement. I thought if there was an angel on this earth, it had to be her.