【推荐1】Last week, I was stuck on a crosstown bus during rush hour. The bus was filled with cold, tired people ________ with one. another. Two men barked at each other for an unintentional push. An elderly woman got on, and nobody ________ her a seat. Anger was in the air; no mercy (怜悯) could be found here.

As the bus ________ Seventh Avenue, the driver’s words came from the ________ “Folks,” he said. “I know you’ve had a(n) ________ day and that’ you are depressed, but I will help out. When each of you walks by before getting off, ________ your troubles into my palm (手掌). My ________ goes right by the Hudson River, into which I’ll cast them.”

It seemed as if a spell had lifted. Everyone ________ laughing, their faces shining with ________. The passengers who had been ignoring each other’s existence were suddenly grinning (咧嘴笑) at each other — is this guy ________?

At the next stop, just as ________, the driver held out his hand, palm up, and. waited. All the ________ passengers performed the gesture of putting something into his palm. The driver ________ the same action at every stop that followed.

Occasionally we may sink into a grey world, but someone can ________ it like a ray of light, showing us hope. What if we are the light? Actually, anyone possesses the ________ to shine on others’ dark days.

【推荐2】My history with music was not good. I still remembered when I took my short-lived piano lessons, my grandfather said _______ to my grandmother, “Why didn’t he make any progress with much practice?” I _______ to make my piano performance attractive. However, my efforts were _______.

So I gave up playing any musical instrument until my old friend Leroy _______ me to play the violin with him when I was 57. It made me enjoy the joy of playing music again. One day, Leroy sent a text _______ me that there was a music performance and he wanted me to join him. Thinking of my past, I _______ his invitation. I expected to hear his words that I would become _______ with practice on stage. But he said, “OK, only play if you want to.” I was totally _______ by the unexpected answer and made no reply except to tell him goodbye.

No one was _______ me to participate, but I faced a special ________. Should I play on stage or just watch a movie? I had chosen the “movie route” too many times and this time I was ________ to grasp the opportunity. After a long and careful ________, I played my violin with Leroy. Though I didn’t lose all my ________, it was enough for me to overcome my fear. Finally, I ________ a full performance in front of the audience.

A short time later, my friend Leroy passed away, but his ________ stayed. It helped me not only in music but in all aspects of life. When I focused on what I wanted to do, fear will be replaced with joy.

【推荐3】I was a boy of nine in 1960. I used to mow the lawn for Mrs. Long. She paid me little for the job, but promised to give me a Christmas present.

I spent much time _________ what it would be. Many boys had baseball gloves or ice skates and I was eager to have any of these. “It would _________ be a baseball glove,” I _________ with myself. “She wouldn’t know much about baseball.” So I was convinced that she would give me ice skates. I even imagined myself upon the skates.

As Christmas approached, it was with _________ that I stopped myself from reporting to Mrs. Long and demanding my present. On December 22, I presented myself at the door of the house. Mrs. Long handed me a small box which under no circumstances could _________ a pair of skates. I was disappointed. When lifting it from her, I was curious about the _________ of the present. It weighed almost nothing.

“What is it?” I asked.

“A kind of magic,” she said. Her words were enough to set my mind _________ with new possibilities.

On Christmas morning, I had this box on my knees. With great _________ I opened the box to find inside ten sheets of black paper, each labeled in colorful letters, Carbon Paper Regal Premium. “What is it?” I asked. Mum took two pieces of white paper, placed between them one of the black paper, and wrote my name on the upper sheet. Then she handed me the second sheet, which her pencil had in no way touched. There was my name!

It was a miracle to my _________ mind. In that one moment, I remembered the ideas about the duplication(复制) of words and the printing and the mystery of spreading ideas. Thank Mrs. Long for her wisdom to guess that a boy might profit from a present totally outside the realm of his ordinary experience.

The __________ present merely satisfies a temporary desire; the great one lights up all the years of life that remain.

【推荐2】We came back to the classroom after lunch while our classmates were playing outside．

"Look at ______ I found in Ms． Lee's office．" Karen， a friend of mine， held up a small box filled with pieces of chalk in every color of the rainbow．

"Wow! What fun it would be to write on the ______， " Judy's eyes shone with joy． "But Ms． Lee doesn't let us do so，" I responded． "Don't be ______， Janet． No one will ever know，" said Karen， ______ into the box and drawing out some chalk． At first I______ joined my friends， however， gradually I found it was fun．

Then it struck Judy that we should______ each other to write names with our left hands． Picking up their chalk， they started． I ______ a white piece…

"Better get this board cleaned off now，" said Judy， ______ what I wrote on the board． Everything came off ______ my name! I was sweating in______ and I felt my knees were getting______． It wasn't chalk at all， but a white piece of crayon（蜡笔）． Mom had a______： "Fools' names and faces always______ in public．" I never understood ______ what it meant before． Now I did!

I rushed to the toilet to get a can of cleanser and Judy______ with paper towels． After rubbing hard， my name was ______， but an abrasion（磨损处） remained on the board．

Hearing ______ coming， we remove every trace of wetness as ______ as possible． We were just slipping into our desks ______ the teacher walked in． Perhaps Ms． Lee never ______ the abrasion． But I did． I learned that day： "No one will ever know" is never true．

【推荐3】I was working at a primary school as a therapist (治疗专家) many years ago. One day I was talking with a second-grader. At some point during the conversation, the student appeared ________ and asked me, “Mr. Smith, does what I’ve said really ________ you?”

I learned that this second-grader was living in a big family. His ________ of talking with adults had been mostly limited to ________ his behaviors when he was doing something they didn’t like. Outside of that, he didn’t ________ any extended conversations with them,

After hearing the student’s question, I responded that I was absolutely lost in what he had ________. Gradually, the student became ________ and willing to express his thoughts and feelings. Our six—month treatment ________ transformed this student: he turned from a shy, barely speaking child into someone who felt his voice ________.

I also had first-hand experience of ________ teenagers at adolescent treatment centers. One of the most common ________ these teens had was that their parents didn’t listen to them and they felt ________. The feeling of disempowerment(剥夺权力) hurt them emotionally, which could also ________ their destructive behaviors.

Listening to our kids can help ________ emotional connections and boost their self-confidence. Therefore, let’s give up this ________: As long as you live under my roof, you must do as I say. Instead, try to listen to kids.