【推荐1】“Can’t stop loving you ...” My 3-year-old son was singing. But I was not in the ________ to sing along. My manager had just told me that, in spite of my excellent performance, he couldn’t give me more ________ in the future. The message ________ me hard. But it brought about a sudden________ that, in the end, taught me the power of embracing opportunities, no matter where they came from.

My manager’s decision planted a seed of ________. But I reminded myself that I had already proved I could be an ________ scientist on a part-time schedule. During my 7 years as a university researcher, my career had ________.

When I left my university post for the biotech company, ________ by the desire for my work to reach patients, I expected that I would be capable of growing professionally and ________ my career there. But now I was being told that I should be ________ as a trouble-shooter (困难解决者), rather than the project leader I desired to be.

A friend suggested that I reach senior managers about ________ in other departments. With little________, I approached the three senior managers. Only the third ________ listened to my story, and told me that I was ________ to join him in building a vaccine (疫苗) research unit. I hesitated and replied that I knew ________ about vaccines. He said, “You are smart and willing to work hard. You’ll make it.”

The ________ was exactly what I had been seeking for, but I was still shaken by my manager’s lack of confidence in me. A few sleepless nights later, I decided that taking a chance on the ________ was better.

I soon discovered a new ________. My career path within the company opened up. And I took on more responsibilities and led fantastic projects — all because of the ________ change on me. It taught me that when I step out of my ________, I find my most creative, productive self.

【推荐2】One day a student in one of our universities was taking a walk with a professor, who was commonly _________the students' friend. As they went _________, they saw lying in the path a pair of old _________, which were supposed to belong to a poor man who was working in a _________close by. The student turned to the professor, saying, “Let's play the man a _________: We will hide his shoes, and _________ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his anxiety(焦虑) when he cannot find them.”

“My young friend,” answered the _________, “we should never _________ourselves at the _________of the poor. But you are __________, and you may give yourself a much greater __________by means of the rich man. Put a coin into each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and __________how the discovery affects him.”

The student did so, and they both placed themselves behind the bushes. The poor man soon finished his work, and came __________the field to the path __________he had left his coat and shoes. While __________his coat he put his foot in one of his shoes; but feeling something __________, he bent down to feel __________it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his face. He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket, and continued to put on the other shoe; but his __________was doubled on finding the other coin. He fell upon his knees, looked up to heaven and said aloud a genuine thanksgiving, in which he __________his wife, sick and helpless, and his children without bread.

The student stood there deeply __________, and his eyes were filled with tears. It is much happier to give than to receive.

【推荐3】In January 2023, I was commuting (通勤) from Brooklyn to New Jersey. With two little kids and a busy business, a quiet train ride felt like a mini______ . Yet I found myself spending that ______ time scrolling (浏览) through social media feeds.

One day, I ______my phone and started writing thank-you notes to people who had ______to a money-raiser I had organized. Getting off the train, I was in a noticeably ______ mood. The next day, I wrote more ______ and felt the same. A sudden thought ______ me. What if I kept it up?

I decided to write one thank-you note for every day. I had no shortage of people I was ______ to. I picked out a different ______ for each month. January was charity. February would be neighbors, and I thought of a dozen names immediately. I remembered when the owners of our ______ bookstore let me and my son, Henry, ______before the store opened and ______to play his favorite soundtrack. I ______when our babysitter dropped off some board games for our ______.

Writing the notes wasn’t that ______: Each was two or three sentences long, taking just a few minutes. I ______ on the person I was writing to and what I wanted to say, and the words came fairly ______. That focus felt refreshing.

I eventually ______ why this task was the perfect cure to my social feeds. Scrolling through Instagram, I was admiring others’ ______ . However, writing thank-you notes was an act of ______and honoring my own life.

【推荐1】With five naughty children in our family, my husband Neal had many pet peeves (烦恼的事), but having to _______ his hairbrush each morning ranked among the ________. Sometimes, he’d find it in the boys’ bathroom. Other times, ________, it would be in the girls’ toy box. On rare occasions, he might find it where it ________ in his bathroom drawer (抽屉).

While _______ our local home improvement store, he suddenly got an idea to ________ this hide-and-seek routine with his hairbrush and came back with a bag. While cooking supper, I heard banging and drilling noises in our bathroom. ________, he called me to see his creative ________. He had chained his hairbrush to the wall. To my ________, he drilled a hole damaging my new wallpaper. It looked terrible, but Neal’s motto is: ________ is better than pretty.

His idea was working out just as he ________. Every morning, the hairbrush was right there beside the sink.

At that time using gel (发胶) was popular ________ boys. A few days after Neal ________ his hairbrush to the wall, I noticed my youngest son William’s hair looked   ________. It didn’t much look like gel, so I asked him. He ________ that he used the Vaseline(凡士林) gel he found in our bathroom. His blue eyes danced. ________, he was so proud of himself. I took great ________   to get that greasy (油腻的) stuff out of my baby’s hair.

The next morning, Neal ________ for me. Running into the bathroom, I found him, hairbrush in hand, looking a lot like William did the day before. I burst into _______. Chaining his hairbrush to the wall seemed right to Neal, but it led to ________!

【推荐2】On Tuesday, September 16^th, I’m proud to join fathers across New York State for “Dads Take Your Child To School Day.”

_______ giving my son Felix a _______ at the door before he heads off to school with his mom, I’ll take his hand and walk him there myself. Then I’ll _______ for a bit in the classroom to participate in the morning activities. I’m more than _______ to do this, because it’s the _______ thing to do.

The U.S Department of Education has collected the results of numerous studies pointing to how _______ it is for dads to be involved in their children’s _______. Here are just a few:

Dads model how grown men behave in life. When talking to my son about his _______, I often point to how I and my male friends conduct ourselves illustrating how we use our words instead of our hands to _______, and treat other people with respect and kindness. This has come to make a big impression on him. It’s important for kids to see grown men behaving __________ and carrying themselves with dignity, because they __________ our every move.

Also, dads encourage kids to take __________ and explore. Kids with active fathers tend to be highly __________ about the world. A dad’s involvement seems to give kids more confidence in exploring the world around them.

Besides, kids learn about how men and __________ interact with one another by watching their dads. It makes a great impact on kids when dads __________ help around the house and treat the child’s mother with love and __________. This helps break down rigid, __________ gender stereotypes (性别刻板印象).

Whether you’re a __________ in New York State or not, any day is a good day to take your child to __________. Beyond that, ask your child about what they’re learning in school. Get involved! Your child will __________ it, and really, so will you.

【推荐3】When I was about ten years old, I spotted a mouse running across our living room floor. My four younger sisters heard me screaming _____and joined me on the couch, _______my father found us standing, yelling and pointing.

Dad grabbed     ______and chased that mouse all over the place. We followed him in hot pursuit, ____ him on, “Get it, dad. Get it!”

Finally, the mouse was   ______, but when Dad pushed the broom into it, the mouse   ____a little squeal. All     _____of us jumped on our father. We ____ his arms and legs, “Don’t hurt him. Let him go!”

Dad dropped his head ____ . He pulled the broom away and the mouse scampered off. “Run.” we yelled. My father ___ us as we’d turned into numskulls. He bought a trap the next day.