【推荐1】I played a racquetball (壁球) game against my cousin Ed last week. It was one of the most ________ and tiring games I’ve ever had. When Ed first phoned and suggested we play, I laughed quietly, figuring on an ________ victory. After all, Ed’s idea of exercise has always been nothing more ________ than lifting a fork to his mouth. ________ I can remember, Ed’s been the least physically fit member in the family, and ________ proud of himself. His big stomach has always ballooned out between his T-shirt and trousers. Although the family often ________ about that, Ed refused to buy a larger T-shirt or to lose weight. So when Ed ________ for our game not only with the bottom of his shirt gathered inside his trousers but also with a stomach you could hardly ________, I was so surprised that I was speechless. My cousin must have made an effort to get himself into shape. ________, at the point in our game when I’d have predicted the score to be about 9 to 1 in my favor, it was ________ 7 to 9 — and Ed was _______. The sudden realization was painful. We continued to play like two mad men. When the score was 16 up, I was having serious ________ about staying alive until 21 years old, let alone ________ that many points. When the game finally ended, both of us were lying flat on our backs, too tired to ________. In a way, I think we both won: I the game, but cousin Ed my ________.

【推荐2】Paul and I were on our school basketball team, The Lions. We loved basketball and were both huge fans of the NBA. Paul's favourite ______ was Tyrone Bogues, a guy who played for the Charlotte Hornets.

Bogues was only 1.6 metres tall, which made him the ______ player ever in the NBA. Guess what? Paul was only 1.6 metres tall, too! Paul knew that being shorter than other players meant that he had to ______ more. During all those hours of doing jump shots on his own, he used Bogues as his ______. Paul once said, “If Bogues could make it, why not me?”

Our coach was not so ______. Paul had to try out many times just for making the ______ . He was still ______ on the bench, being just someone taking the place, and just an under dog. Everyone knew Paul had real ______, and was someone who worked really hard and had a strong desire to play for the team. However, Paul didn't get a chance.

This week, The Lions were playing our main competitors, The Bears, a team whose ______ this season had been ______ . They hadn't lost a single game. Paul didn't know he'd soon get the chance that he'd been waiting for.

Suddenly, a player and I crashed (碰撞) into each other. My knee hurt badly. The team gathered around, looking worried. The last ______ was about to begin, and my team was ______ by 10 points. I asked the coach to let Paul play.

The coach finally agreed. Paul ______ the chance and rushed onto the court. And ______, all the extra hours that he'd spent practising alone ______. The other team just couldn't keep up with his energy and speed. He made shot after shot, and the crowd couldn't stop clapping and cheering. When the game ended, our team had won by two points.

【推荐2】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3】On a Monday afternoon, I was driving to a business appointment when I came to a very busy crossroad. The traffic light had just turned red. Suddenly, an unforgettable ________caught my eye. A young couple, both blind, were ________ arm-in-arm across this busy crossroad with cars racing by in every direction. Each of them had a walking stick ________, searching for clues to guide them.

Initially I was moved. They were trying to ________ what I felt was one of the most feared disability - blindness. It ________ be terrible to be blind. My thought was quickly interrupted by ________ when I saw that the couple was directly walking toward the middle of the crossroad. Without _________ the danger they were in, they were walking right into the path of oncoming cars. I was concerned because I didn't know ________ the other drivers understood what was happening.

As I watched from the front line of traffic, I saw a(n) ________ scene unfold before my eyes. Every car in every direction came to a(n) ________. I never heard the sharp sounds of brakes or noisy horn. ________ even yelled, "Get out of the way!” Everything ________. In that moment, time seemed to stand still for this family.

Amazed, I _______ the cars around me. I noticed that everyone's attention was fixed on the couple. ________ the driver to my right yelled, “To your right! To your right! Other people ________in union, shouting, "To your right!"

The couple ________ their own course and they made it to the other side of the road. ________they arrived at the roadside, one thing impressed me — they were ________ arm-in-arm. I was astonished by the ________expressions on their faces and judged that they had no idea what was really ________ around them.

As I drove away, I did so with more awareness of life and care for others than ever before.