2 . My teacher Mr. Bush is the most positive person I’ve ever met. He has the ability to ________ positiveness to young students.

He always smiles and never gets ________ at students. Once I met some ________ because I felt overshadowed by my brother, who seemed to be doing great in every way. Hopelessness ________ me whenever I was in a classroom. But that all ________ when I met my teacher for life, Mr. Bush. Having found out about my problems, he just kept ________ to help me out. Because of Mr. Bush, my world was filled with ________ and power.

A few weeks ago, everyone in my class was feeling a bit ________ because of a bad day at school. But things got ________ after a close of Mr. Bush’s class. He drew a picture on the whiteboard that ________ a half-full glass of water. He then said, “Class, the point of view in which you look at things will ________ your feelings. Like this glass of water: some people see it and think ‘What! Only half a glass of water. How ________ I am.’ Whereas other people think ‘Wow, I’m so thirsty. Great! Half a glass of water for me!’ It all is in the ________ you think.”

Mr. Bush’s ________ way of thinking always makes me feel glad and ________. I will always remember him.

3 . When I was eighteen, I couldn’t wait to get my first job, which meant I made the first step toward adulthood.

But it was difficult to get a work permit. One day I was dropped off by my parents at the______, where applicants took their physical tests for work permits. Although I had night blindness, my vision was clearer during the day, which helped me walk easily by myself. Then the doctor began the______. He looked into my eyes with a bright light. “I suggest your parents take you to an eye specialist,” he said, “I______you have arefinal(视网膜) disease. If you do, you'll never work a day in your life...”

My parents did take me to specialists. After much time and money spent seeking an______result, it was determined that I had an eye disease that slowly______a person of sight. But still, during daylight, I could walk without______. I could read, but not for hours. My eyes began to______and words slipped off the page when I read more than a few pages. However, no matter how tired my eyes became, I never gave up reading. I knew the names of great writers as well as the most popular music stars. Their words were powerful, which______me to try writing. Soon writing brought me a lot of______each time I completed a paper.

Then an important phone call from an editor changed my life. An article I______appeared in a local newspaper. The newspaper, to my delight, continued to print my work. Next, a book series published several of my essays. I got interested in writing and______up with each acceptance. On the pages, readers never knew of ray blindness______I chose to present it. For me, finding my voice through writing gave me the pride and satisfaction I______so many years ago. Now, I have numerous essays and articles in print.

Should I be thanking that misguided doctor? By falsely predicting that I could never work a day, he fueled my______into success. He set the bar too______and focused on what I wouldn't be able to do. Yet I proved what I could do.

4 . When my best friend, Jane, and I were 16, we were in the same class. About a week before Thanksgiving Day, we found out our teacher Mr. Edward was having some financial (经济的) ___________. We wanted to do something to help him, so we decided to ___________ food, clothing and gifts to ___________ his family had a good Thanksgiving Day.

When Jane told her family about our plan, her mother was ___________. Together they ___________ their house for things they could ___________. Her mother went to the kitchen, pulling out a big turkey and saying.

“Thanksgiving Day won’t be ___________ without a turkey dinner.” To this day, Jane ___________ how moved she was by her mother’s generosity (慷慨).

Before ___________ gifts, we said some words of appreciation for the wonderful chance to ________ others. I will never forget the ____________ look of our teacher and his wife when they ____________ the door; their four children stood around them as we handed out the gifts. It was a cold night. ____________, we all felt warm inside.

Last month ____________ I was in a meeting, my secretary informed me, “Your high school teacher Mr. Edward is wondering if you could ____________ him a few minutes. He’s sitting in your office right now!”

We hugged and began to speak of the last 42 years. He told me that what warmed his heart that night was to see a group of teenagers who understood the spirit of Thanksgiving Day.

5 . About six years ago I was going through a tough time，trying to work two jobs to afford my rent．On a cold Sunday morning, I went to GameStop-a video game retailer（零售商）to______the game I'd reserved．A woman in a car parked outside called me when I________the store．Though it was in broad daylight，I was______about it and kept some distance when I walked over．She said she couldn't walk and ______me to purchase a Kinect，a popular game，for her as her_______Christmas gift．Due to her leg disease it was______for her to move around. She called ahead but the employee wasn't willing to______．She gave me about ＄100 in cash AND her credit card．

I walked back in and bought the Kinect．Then it occurred to me that this woman，a complete stranger，_______me．What was it that stopped me from lying about the payment method and just______her cash？She couldn't know I wasn't a________；and how could she possibly have so much______someone？

I handed her the cash back，______had to pay with her card-it was above ＄100 at the time，and handed over the_______and her credit card． "This is what my son's been longing for．Thank you!   By the way，just from_____at you，I know you are the one who’ll be a friend to someone______．You have a face of an angel!" She said．

She gave me ＄10 and_______to take it back．Then she_______，saying "Merry Christmas!" She had no idea how much of a_______even ＄10 made．I was able to buy a few cheap groceries for the week and it really made a_______time in my life a little better．She may think I helped her；_______，I truly feel like the one who was being gifted something amazing．

6 . Last year, I received a special present. My children ________ me a stainless steel coffee machine for my birthday. I love drinking coffee every morning and couldn’t ________ to use it. But ________ I poured my first cup, the coffee spilled (洒出) all over the table. Thankfully, no one was around to see my ________ face! I kept trying, but each morning I ________ be seen wiping up the coffee. Then I realized if I poured very ________, there could be no spilling. My normal ________ was to rush through breakfast to get on with my day. But eventually I learned not only to pour but to ________ the experience: the taste and the stillness of a new day.

It promoted me to ________ upon whether I was rushing through in other areas of my life. So I started to appreciate even the most ________ moments. When shop owners apologized for keeping me waiting, I’d say, “Not a problem. I’m not ________.” I even enjoyed sitting in front of my house talking with ________ and sharing our own stories, ________ we had known each other for a long time. It seemed that the world around us slowed to a ________ we could handle.

Stillness not only slows the pace of life, but also ________ the soul, helping us to enjoy the world’s small pleasures and realize the truth of life.

7 . I’d planned to spend my weekend in the sun, enjoying flowers outdoors. But that was ____ the pair of disgusting crows (乌鸦) arrived. Out of nowhere, they had set up their base ____ in our backyard.

We first ______ our feathered enemies on Friday morning. It was early, and the sound the birds made ______ through our neighborhood. I figured they’d ______ soon. But, no. They were getting louder and probably ______ my neighbors nearly as much as us with the noise. I admit I got a little ______.

Then, on Sunday afternoon, I saw our dog Quatchi staring at something on the ground. I went to ______ and found a small coal-black bird in the grass. Its eyes were milky, and it stayed perfectly ______ as my dog walked towards it. Only when Quatchi ______ his nose to its head did it walk away. I ______ the dog inside and came back with my camera.

It never occurred to me that the young would be hanging out on the ground, growing and gaining ______ as its parents guarded it from above. The second I saw this little creature I ____ the crows.

To be honest, I’ve never been much of a bird person. And I wish they’d chosen another backyard. But I’m also ______ that I got to see this little bit of nature unfold up close. It’s pretty amazing.

The experience has also ______ my desire to create a beautiful backyard garden that attracts lots of bees, butterflies, and yes, birds. They are welcome here.

8 . A little girl lived in a simple and poor house on a hill. Usually she _______ play in the small garden. She could see over the garden fence and across the valley a wonderful house with shining golden windows high on another hill._______ she loved her parents and her family, she desired to live in such a house and _______all day about how wonderful and exciting   _______must feel to live there.

At the age when she gained some _______ skill and sensibility (识别力), she _______ her mother for a bike ride _______ the garden. Her mother finally allowed her to go，_______ her keeping close to the house and not   _______ too far. The day was beautiful. The little girl knew________ where she was heading! ________ the hill and across the valley, she rode to the ________ of the golden house.

________ she got off her bike and put it against the gate post, she focused on the path________to the house and then on the house itself. She was very disappointed when she ________ that all the windows were ________ and rather dirty.

So ________and heart­broken, she didn't go any further. She ________， and all of a sudden she saw an amazing ________. There on the other side of the valley was a little house and its windows were golden. Looking at her little home, she________ that she had been living in her golden house filled with love and care. Everything she dreamed was right there in front of her house.

9 . It was a cool October evening. Excitement and family members_______the hall. I was only a 7-year-old girl, but I was the center of_______. Finally, after weeks of preparation, I would_______all my hard work in a dance of performance. Everything would be_______—so I thought. I waited backstage all_______ in my black tights with a golden belt. In a loud and clear voice, the master of ceremonies_______that my class was next.

My dance class was doing a routine on wooden boxes two feet by two feet, facing the_______. All I had to do in the next move was to put one foot on the box next to mine and keep my other foot on my box. It really was an _______move. I was concentrating so much _______the huge smile on my face and holding my head up that I did not look ________I was going. I missed my partner’s box altogether and ________.There I was standing on the stage floor when my classmates were on top of their boxes. I could hear giggles(咯咯笑) coming from the audience, and I felt the________rush to my face. I remembered my dance teacher had told us, “If you make a mistake, keep smiling so the audience will not________.I did my best to follow her________as I continued with the routine.

When the curtain dropped, so did my________for the evening. I________bitterly, tasting the salt from the tears that streamed down my face. I ran backstage, but no one could________me down.

Recently I realized I had been a________that night. I was ________but I fought the urge to run off the stage.________I finished the routine with a smile on my face. Now when friends and family laugh about the time I slipped during a dance performance, I can laugh too.

10 . “Mama，when I grow up，I’m going to be one of those！” I said this after seeing the Capital Dancing Company perform when I was three.It was the first time that my______took on a vivid form and acted as something important to start my training.As I grew older and was______to more，my interests in the world of dance______varied but that little girl’s dream of someday becoming a______in the company never left me.In the summer of 2005 when I was 18，I received the phone call which made that dream a______； I became a member of the company______back to 1925.

As I look back on that day now，it surely______any sense of reality.I believe I stayed in a state of pleasant disbelief______I was halfway through rehearsals(排练) on my first day.I never actually______to get the job.After being offered the position，I was completely______.I remember shaking with excitement.

Though I was absolutely thrilled with the change，it did not come without its fair share of______.Through the strict rehearsal period of dancing six days a week，I found it vital to______up the material fast with every last bit of concentration.It is that extreme______to detail(细节) and stress on practice that set us______.To then follow those high­energy rehearsals______a busy show schedule of up to five performances a day，I discovered a new______of the words “hard work”．What I thought were my physical______were pushed much further than I thought______.I learned to make each performance better than the last.

Today，when I look at the unbelievable company that I have the great______of being a part of，not only as a member，but as a dance captain，I see a______that has inspired not only generations of little girls but a splendid company that continues to develop and grow—and inspires people every day to follow their dreams.