【推荐1】The taxi driver was a man in his late thirties. He picked me up and ________ me to my place. I usually like to have brief ________ with people no matter where I come upon them and this situation was no different.

I started by asking him how ________ was. He told me briefly that his business was just________ but the cost of gas was really hurting his ________ line. We then got around to discussing the job environment. He told me that he had difficulty getting another type of work because of his________. “I used to be a con (罪犯),” he said ________. “People look at my record and then I’m ________, but you know I’ve turned my life around and have been ________ for several years. You don’t seem to be at all worried that you are riding with a con?” As we parked at my place, I thought about my ________ for a few seconds. “It is never easy to start a new life,” I said, “but I’m glad you are starting. If you don’t want to drive taxi for the ________of your life, then you can move down to some other job you may be ________.”

The driver seemed to be quite ________ as he took my money. “What you said to me makes a lot of ________,” he said. “I will remember your ________ and that you were real easy to talk with―I hope to see you again.”

【推荐2】“WELCOME TO HELL, LADIES!” says Mr. Smith, the ________ of the adult ballet class. I force a smile as he presses down on my stiff back, attempting to be a little more ________.

When I was a little girl, I ________ elegantly dancing across the stage like the Swan Princess. With several reasons, my hopes of taking ballet lessons were killed. But every so often, usually while watching a brilliant performance of Swan Lake, those little ________ of unfulfilled desire would speak up and say that I should take lessons before it’s too late.

And here I am—more than 50 years—finally ________ for it.

I’m an absolute ________, but 30 years older than the rest of the participants in the adult class. We are practising “port de bras”, a ballet term for the ________ of the arms. I flutter (挥动) my arms, awakening my inner ________, “Your hands, they look like claws of a chicken,” Mr. Smith ________, “No one wants to look at that. It’s ugly.” He points his finger at various body parts while ________ giving feedback, “Head up, neck long, chest proud, stomach in, back straight, bottom tight.” Every time he looks at me, I instantly know that I’ve missed something. So I take note of every previous adjustment to gain his approval.

After a few sessions, I find myself looking forward to taking ballet classes with a mix of anxiety and excitement. Between classes, I ________ my posture in every window I pass. I’m ________. My hands are less claw-like and my posture a little more straight. And I constantly imagine I’m on stage, holding the audience entirely in my ________.

Learning ballet as an adult has been a much bigger ________ than I expected, but I’m glad that I took action and that ballet still ________ me as it did when I was a little girl.

【推荐3】Last year, cardiologist (心脏病专家) Steve Lome came to truly understand what it means to be at the right place at the right time. During a half-marathon (半程马拉松), he found himself in the position to _________ not one, but two runners. It all began around the 3-mile _________. Things had been going smoothly up to that _________, but that’s when Steve noticed an unwell _________ named Gregory.

Gregory had just reached the peak and was _________ to see that he would run downhill for a bit. This is the last thing he remembers before _________. Meanwhile, Steve saw this happen, and he could _________ it wasn’t a simple fall. Steve stopped _________ to perform CPR (心脏复苏) for Gregory as an ambulance made its way there. Steve _________ to ensure the ambulance took him, and then he continued the race.

But, as soon as Steve __________ the finish line, his life-saving help was needed once more. A man named Michael began to feel __________ after crossing the finish line. Then, just like Gregory, he fell down. The __________ of this entire situation is truly remarkable. Had Steve not __________ to help Gregory, he would have crossed the finish line much sooner than Michael, __________ he wouldn’t have been around to save him, too.

This happened last year, but all three men have stayed in __________. They even ran together in the very same half-marathon this year!

【推荐2】

Ariel Cordova-Rojas rode her bike to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, New York, planning to go hiking and bird-watching. A mile into her walk, she ________ a female mute swan near the water’s edge. Cordova-Rojas, who had been ________ at the Wild Bird Fund rehabilitation (康复) center in Manhattan, knew that mute swans can be ________. But as she________ this one, it didn’t move.

She was certain that the bird needed ________ attention. Cordova-Rojas covered her jacket over the bird’s head to keep it calm, ________ picked it up, and held it in her arms. And then a thought ________ her: What do I do now?

Her best ________ was the rehab center. ________, that was across the East River on the other side of town. How was she going to ________ a 17-pound swan on her bike all that way? Luckily, some bewildered strangers driving by ________ her, her bike, and the swan a lift to a nearby subway station.

On the subway, no one seemed particularly ________ by the feathered passenger. They were busy with their own things. Cordova-Rojas called the rehab center on the way, and Tristan Higginbotham, an animal-care manager, picked her up at the subway station and drove bird, bike, and ________ to the facility. There, staff members ________ that the swan might have lead poisoning (铅中毒), caused by ________ weights used on fishing lines.

The staff got the swan back up on her webbed feet. She even made a boyfriend at the center—another injured swan. Sadly, even with all that care, the swan ________ a bacterial infection. Two months after Cordova-Rojas came to her rescue, she ________.

It’s a ________ ending, but the real story is just ________ some people are willing to go to save a swan in the big city—literally. “In all, Cordova-Rojas traveled two hours by foot, car, and subway,” says Higginbotham, “That’s the perfect ________ of who she is.”

【推荐3】Recently my wife and I were faced with a _______ situation while traveling by car with our hired (雇用的) driver. It was going to be a long ride, and we were _______ . However, our car broke down suddenly. We tried communicating with the driver, but with little _______ . He made some signs, suggesting he was going to _______   help, and then left.

It was getting colder and darker. We started to hear the cries of wild animals. What’s worse, we didn’t have much food. Would our driver ever return? Could we _______ him? We were very _______ .

Two hours passed. Suddenly, the headlights from another car appeared in the dark. A man offered to _______ us. He had such a kind face, and we knew we could _______ him. We got into his car.

_______ we left, he put a note on the windscreen of our car with his phone number on it. The moment we arrived at his home, his cousin spoke basic French and offered us tea and local foods. Everyone asked us questions and was   ________ to have unexpected guests.

Later that evening, the phone rang. It was our ________ . He had kept his ________ and repaired the car. We prepared to leave and ________ our new friends. I couldn’t believe the ________ from the cousin: “No, we thank you for coming into our home.”

I will never forget the ________ we received on that day.