【推荐1】In 2019 we were staying at our cousin’s house in Triora, Italy. ________ just above a window was a bird’s nest which my cousin said had been there for many years. Each year, different families of starlings (椋鸟) came back to make it their home.

We knew they were ________ because the chattering (鸣叫) of six newly hatched (孵化) chicks woke us early every morning. Standing on a chair, I ________ to look into their nest. The first time I looked, the chicks were ________ and almost featherless. Their parents flew backwards and forwards, bringing food to ________ their hungry and noisy chicks.

Being protective parents, whenever they saw me they ________ and flew at the window. So I could only see the chicks when they weren’t ________.

When the chicks were only a few days old, I realized the parents were teaching their young to fly. One brave chick ________ its wings a few times and then ________ across the street landing on the roof of the house ________. Well done, I thought. The next day, my husband and I left for a tour and I was sad, thinking of how I would miss the rest taking their first ________. Two weeks later, on our ________ , the first thing I did was to look in the nest. It was ________. Then, suddenly, I heard the beating of ________ and all eight of them were flying toward me. They formed a semicircle, singing to me. I felt as though they were saying, “Thank you for not harming us.” Then they flew off ________ into the blue sky.

【推荐2】When I was a child my father taught me five words that I've used all my life- in my acting career,as a mother,in my business activities.If I _______ that I was afraid of the dark,or if I seemed worried about meeting new people,Dad would say, ＂Stand porter to your_______."

A porter is a gatekeeper,who stands at a door _______ people in or out.Dad would get me to _______myself stopping destructive things--such as fear-at the door,_______ saying“Come in"to faith,love and self-assurance.

As an actress,before I went on camera,I'd make sure anxiety_______ and confidence in my ability came in.As a mother,when I was _______about my children, I would try not to let worry in but would _______my mind with trust in them.

Of course,there were always times I'd_______ those words.

In 1972 my husband,Fillmore Crank,and I opened the doors to our own ________in North Hollywood.This was a new business venture for us,and it was a lot more ________and complicated than we had ________.

We were on call 24 hours a day.Something was always going ________. Electricity went on the blink,food wasn't delivered,employees called in sick.Once, a flu epidemic ________ left us with no maids.Fillmore gave me a ________:scrub floors or do the laundry.For 10 days I folded enough king-size sheets to________ the whole state of California.

Then there was the________ crisis.The price of gasoline doubled,and tourism in California ________.How could we fill our beds?What if we kept losing money? What if we failed?Fear and worry were sneaking in.But I caught them just ________.I stood porter.

I stood in the door of my mind and sent fear packing.

These days at the hotel,whenever fear tries to________,I just smile and point to the sign that reads No Vacancy.

【推荐3】A number of customers crowded around Justin’s hot dog stand (货摊) at the local park. He was busy ______to serve them. Someone ordered 3 hot dogs and requested extra sauces (调味汁). While he quickly ______the three hot dogs and added a very ______ amount of sauces on top, he noticed an old woman pushing through the crowd to ______his stand.

“How much would a hot dog be?” she asked.

“From $ 3 to $ 7 ______ what you order, madam,” he replied.

“That’s a touch expensive for me,” she whispered. “I was just ______ about how much they cost,” she added before walking away. Justin noticed she went sitting alone on a bench looking in his ______ across his stand. He ______she wanted a hot dog hungrily but couldn’t ______ one. He quickly got one and brought it to her.

Justin ______ to the old lady saying he was in such a ______ that he forgot to tell her that she was his 50th customer and that she should get a free hot dog!

“Oh, is that so?” the old lady asked. “I really______ it. I’m Emily, by the way. ”

“I’m Justin,” he ______ himself, offering the hot dog. She tasted it ______.

The next day, when Emily ______ to the park, Justin treated her to a hot dog again. Emily______ . She felt bad that Justin was feeding her because she couldn’t afford the hot dog. But Justin explained he was so ______ that there was someone trying out his sauces, and her ______ mattered to him so he could improve his business. ______ , he kept feeding her every day.

Sometimes, we don’t have to be rich to help someone. What we need is a kind heart______ to help others.

【推荐1】I was 68 when I first stepped onstage as a standup comedian. I’ve always been a performer but that came to an end after 9/11. For a year afterwards, nobody wanted to go out or be _______.

It was then that I started to think about comedy. I _______ people needed to laugh again and thought with a little _______ I could do it. I took a few classes, tried to work out a routine, and finally gathered the _______ and walked onstage. That first time was _______, for I had no idea what the audience would make of me.

In New York, comedians are typically young men. It’s hard to _______ as a woman, even harder as someone _______ enough to be their grandmother. As I stepped onstage that first time, they were clearly _______ to see me. I introduced myself, _______ my age and tried my first joke. There was ________. But by the time I got to the third line, people were laughing.

Even today, I’m ________ before I step out. My first line is, “Hello, everybody. I’m 88 years old. I’m telling you that ________ I don’t make it all the way through the show.” Then people laugh and I ________.

After a show, people come up to me, saying what a(n) ________ I am. They say they want to be as active as me when they reach my ________. I’m pleased to show as an older person you don’t need to take a back seat in life.