【推荐1】My father brought home a sailboat when I was ten, and almost each Sunday in summers we would go sailing. Dad was quite skilled in sailing, but not good at _______. As for me, I _______ both before twelve because of living close to Lake Ontario.

The last time Dad and I set sail together is really _______. It was a perfect weekend after I graduated from university. I came home and _______ Dad to go sailing. Out we set soon on the calm lake. Dad hadn’t sailed for years, but everything _______ well with the tiller (舵柄) in his hands.

When we were in the middle of the lake, a _______ wind came all of a sudden. The boat was hit _______. Dad was always at his best in any danger, but at this moment he _______.

“John! Help!” he shouted in a trembling voice, with the tiller still in his hands.

In my memory he could fix any _______.He was the one I always ________ for strength and security. Before I could respond, a ________ of water got into the boat. I rushed to the tiller but it was too late. Another huge wave of water ________ the boat in a minute. We were thrown into the water, and Dad was struggling aimlessly. At that moment, I felt fiercely ________ of him.

I swam to Dad quickly and assisted him in climbing onto the hull (船壳) of the boat. Upon sitting on the hull, Dad was a little awkward about his flash of ________. “It’s all right, Dad. We are safe now,” I comforted him.

That was the first time Dad had counted on me in a moment of emergency. More importantly, I found it was my turn to start ________ my father.

【推荐2】Parents , the most selfless people on Earth are the biggest reason for your existence. However, we often_______ to appreciate(感激) their efforts. And by the time we realize this, it's _______ late. So, don't wait for any _______day to say sweet things to your parents and tell them how _______you're for whatever they've done for you.

First,_______you often forget to call your parents and _______them how much you miss them, they may often feel you're not making any_______to stay in touch with them.

Third, let your emotions out in time, because you________know, there might not be a tomorrow to express your________. We all have been mean to our ________at times, and have said things that ________them deeply. If so, all you can do is apologize（道歉） from the bottom of your ________.

Finally, ________them to know that they're the real superheroes in your life. You can never ________them enough. They've always been your________to move forward. They taught you all the small and big things about life. They always ________ you to work hard and become a successful person in life. Even though you may have________ in a race or failed in an exam, they were and still are your number one________ . So, express yourself before your parents before it’s too late.

【推荐3】At the age of 60, my father was hit by a car when he walked to a nearby supermarket to buy vegetables. After ______ for two months in hospital, he finally woke up. His waking up ______ all our family. ______, he didn’t know any of us. Doctors said his brain was hurt so ______ that he had lost all his memory. And his mental age(心理年龄) was only five. We were sorry to hear about the bad news.

Since I was his only child, it was my ______ to look after him. He forgot______ everything, but he did remember he liked sweets. I used the sweets as a way of _____ bad behaviors. I would gave him one sweet ______ he didn’t sit on the ground, a second for stopping painting on the wall, and another for not trying to put clothes on the dog.

Dad became the ______ child in town. He climbed up the tree to catch a bird and couldn’t get down after it ______ away. He broke my window with a ball and _____ our telephone in water like washing clothes. When I told him he was doing ______ things, he would answer smilingly, “I like that!” My son, then aged five, and two eight-year-old daughters, welcomed their ______ playmate. He would happily make them real cigarettes, ______ his sweets with them, and carry them high in the apple tree to ______ apples.

It is eight years since the ______. Dad has accepted the fact that he is the ______ of his three playmates but not a brother. He has also accepted that they grow taller but his _______ stays the same. Though it is still ______ to take care of him, he brings us a lot of fun. In some way I think it is a(n) ______ thing to look after dad like looking after a child. How many people can have the chance to care for a child-like parent?

【推荐2】I was frustrated at not being entered into the national IT competition I’d applied for. I sat in the car, lost in despair, chewing my lip and staring outside.

I went upstairs, _________ and desperate. Grandpa’s door was open for me as usual. There, he was waiting for my _________ with great excitement. I stood silently, forcing a _________ to cover my sadness. He seemed to _________ me immediately, giving me a _________. I was astonished that such a thin body was full of so much energy.

Only then did my emotions start _________ out. I told him that all my _________ were for nothing, and that I was feeling discouraged. Grandpa smiled at me _________ and said, “Don’t worry. You’re far stronger than you think.” Then he _________ “Life can be full of ups and downs so what we need do is to still have our hopes and desires, ignoring the anxiety that makes it easy to give up.”

He patted me on the shoulder, with a determined look, before saying, “Cheer up. I’m firmly __________ that you have the ability to succeed.” Grandpa’s encouragement soon made my sadness __________.

The next day, I thought about all my problems and __________ a plan. Now, I believe that with a positive attitude towards failure, I’ll __________ reach my goals.

Looking back, I realize that we should share our setbacks and progress in life with our __________ ones. As my grandpa showed, the __________ of our family members will benefit us forever.

Good to hear from you again. And good timing. Your e-mail came in just as I was chatting with another friend, who’s ________ one of those rough periods at work. I wish I had better advice.

You asked, “How do you define success?” What a ________ question!

In 2005, I made only $22,500 a year in Rocky Mount. Another two sportswriters, Travis and Jeff, in their mid-20s too, had come to Rocky Mount to leave Rocky Mount. We went out to ________ our games, and sent the final pages to the printer by our 1:30 a.m. ________. On the best nights, we’d play Wiffle ball in the ________ until 4 a.m., laughing and joking.

We all left there within a year, as ________. Travis eventually ________ a big-time job covering the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Jeff became one of the most well-known NASCAR writers in the country, with almost 200,00 Twitter ________.

Last time Jeff and I met, he said something about Rocky Mount. “I didn’t ________ it then, but honestly, when I ________, it’s probably the best time I’ve ever had in my career.”

What is success? Buddy, I don’t know. On those late nights, it was making good contact on Travis’s curve ball. Now it’s running a tenth of a mile ________ than I did last week. A year ago, I wrote a story and no readers ________ me about it, which these days is a success. But nobody said anything nice ________, so is it a failure? I don’t know.

College students ask me for ________ every now and then Maybe that’s success. But last night an editor at a publication I’ve been dying to write for ________ with the murderous words “This just isn’t the right ________ for us”.

Maybe it’s beyond work. In June 2018, my dad visited and made it the whole weekend without falling while ________ to his wheelchair. To another person, ________ success might be a night sleeping on a bench without getting wet. You get the ________.

Maybe success isn’t ________ in achievements; maybe success is a smaller calculation, something more like what Jeff hinted at.

Thank you for writing, old friend.

Mike