1 . An extreme sport like BMX (Bicycle Motocross) may not be the first thing that comes to mind to help overcome a mental health condition. However, that is _________ what enabled Nikita Ducarroz to fight her fears.

As a child, Ducarroz spent every _________ moment on the soccer field. But at 13, the talented athlete began to suffer from _________ anxiety attacks that made it hard for her to leave home. When her mother told her she had to continue playing a sport, Ducarroz found BMX as a way to _________ that rule. Little did she know that BMX would soon _________ every aspect of her life, and become the reason she would push through her fears one step at a time.

The tale began when a BMX video on YouTube inspired her to try the extreme sport. She saved up for a bike. Then she began practicing _________ in her driveway. Soon, her excellent skills brought her enough _________ to ride at the local skate park. With that confidence, Ducarroz was _________ to ride in the competition in 2016, and she has not looked back since.

“The bike made me get out of the house, go to the skate park, and _________ get on a plane,” said Ducarroz. “It __________ me to overcome all my fears.”

The 26-year-old is now one of the world’s best female BMX freestylers. Ducarroz now has her __________ set on the 2024 Paris Olympics. She says, “My goal in Paris is another medal. I can get that done with the training.”

Though she still suffers occasional __________ attacks, Ducarroz now knows how to manage them. To help others with mental health conditions, Ducarroz has started an Instagram page called MindTricks. It is where people discuss their fears __________.

“MindTricks started because of my own __________ that I was making on Instagram about mental health,” she explained. “And I thought, ‘Why don’t we create a place where others can do the same, a central spot where everyone can read about these stories and also feel __________ to share their own stories?’”

2 . As a physically fit 89-year-old big band singer, Tony Bennett performed timeless ballads (民歌，情歌) perfectly. He was an exception to the belief of aging and decline.

However, the trouble with his _______ concerned Bennett, especially since it might impact his ability to put on his signature fine-tuned show. Eventually, Bennett was _______ with Alzheimer’s disease in 2017.

After receiving the diagnosis, Bennett insisted on continuing to perform. “Tony has always had a very _______ attitude,” his wife Benedetto says. “He was going to keep going straight ahead _______ he always has.”

As one of only a few artists to produce chart-topping records every decade since the 1950s — _______ more than 60 albums — Bennett is an American icon (偶像). His _______ “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” and “Rags to Riches”, among many others — have earned him 19 Grammy Awards.

_______ the disease, Bennett’s desire to help others connect through music remained strong. He felt it _______ to make people feel good.

In February 2021, Bennett _______ shared that he was living with Alzheimer’s in an interview. Shortly after the news, the ________ from the public was overwhelmingly supportive. In October, Bennett and Lady Gaga released ________ is billed as Bennett’s final studio album, “Love for Sale.” Upon its release, Bennett earned the Guinness World Records ________ for the oldest artist to release an album of new material.

As the disease ________, music has a renewed importance in Bennett’s life. Over seven decades, Bennett’s brave and ________ voice is helping people find joy among life’s hardships. “He gives people courage and hope. And he is ________.”

3 . My neighbor Amy had kids the same age as mine, so I invited them over one day for a play date. She had never been to my house before, so I tried to clean the house like my life _______ on it. I really wanted to make a good first _______ when she came through the door because I was hoping we’d be friends.

When she _______ with her kids for the play date, she looked around. “Wow!” she said. “Your house is so _______!” And then she added, “I’m never inviting you to my house.”

I thought she was _______. But over the next four years when we were neighbors, she never, ever did. Our _______ never went anywhere, either. My too-clean house had _______ her from going further, just as we were starting to get to know each other.

I leaned that same _______ again in a different way when a friend invited me to see her new house. It was very tidy and _______ decorated. I was impressed, considering she had three young children, and wondered how she pulled it off.

At the end of the day she whispered, “I can’t believe I’m showing you this, but ________ out this room.” She opened a door and ________ me in. This was where everything—I mean everything—from her house had been put away before my visit. The piles of laundry (待洗的衣物) ________ covered the furniture. We had a good ________ about it, and I loved her for that. In my mind, that was the day when we went from being friendly ________ to being true friends.   

Don’t misunderstand me—if someone is visiting, I ________ do some cleaning. But now I’m not trying to impress visitors with my cleaning skills. I’m trying to make them feel at home.

7 . The most affectionate memory of my childhood is about a round table. When I was still little, my entire family would ______ on almost every traditional festival to have dinner. While the ______ were discussing something beyond our comprehension, we kids would play hide-and-seek.

The round table is a ______ of a reunion of our families and an ______ to our families. But as a matter of fact, in China, almost everything can be solved over a ______ table. The marriage bells between a loving couple and the ______ between business partners can all happen on the same round table. ______ , I start to wonder what this round table is to us, and its true significance starts to ______ in front of me.

The food on the table may ______ with time. The reasons why we come together may be ______ , but the sensation behind it remains the same. And that is our tolerance of different people or willingness to ______ different cultures.

In less than two months before the Spring Festival, a(n) ______ epic migration: would take place in China. The power that ______ us to do so has been sustaining Chinese civilization for thousands of years, and even the history of our nation has been the stories of ______ or running to the round table to which we ______ . The round table is and will always be a symbol of the Chinese sensation.

8 . Sixteen years ago, while we were driving on vacation, my wife decided to pass the time by singing “The Christmas Song”. She sang it over and over again. Somehow, I decided to ________ with her.

When she got to the ________ “Jack Frost nipping (捏) at your nose,” I said, in my most horrified voice, “Why are you ________ that song?” As she looked confused, I proceeded to ________ her that Jack Frost was the name of a violent patient who ________ an asylum (精神病院) on Christmas in the 1920s and went around devouring (吞噬) faces, ________ noses, which he had acquired a ________ for.

Shocked and terrified, she ________ it completely.

Fast forward to this year. It’s snowing outside and I was in a good mood. I started singing “The Christmas Song” and my wife then ________ me that Jack Frost, the serial ________ biter, had forever ________ that song for her.

I laughed and ________ that I was teasing that day and that I honestly didn’t think she believed me. She got quite ________ since for all these years she had cheerfully shared this dark and shocking story with anyone who would listen and it turned out a ________.

As for me, though I am now the King of Lies who is never to be ________ again, it has become the most cheerful holiday story in our family ever.

10 . Back in the days when I was just a young student, I was always absent from school ______, too shy to step into the public attention. My grades, though not absolutely good, was above the ______. However, an unexpected incident allowed me to______life lessons and gradually accept the challenges thrown at me.

One rainy afternoon, while walking home from school, an accident happened. A speeding car ______me, leaving me with a broken leg. Lying on my hospital bed,pain aching through my body, the reality of my situation ______. This unforeseen incident had set me back academically, and I needed to figure out how to achieve my previous______.

With the help of my parents and teachers, who ______accompanied me through the healing process, I managed to transform my ______ into a stepping stone. I began to acquire the will to push myself beyond my limits. After several months, I returned to school. My teachers had made accommodations for me, which included access to ______classes to catch up on the lessons I missed. Fueled by a newfound ______, I made every effort to engage in all activities and strived to stay active in both the academic and extracurricular fields.

In the end, my actions______fruit. Not only did my academic performance improve, but I also developed an ability to adapt to unexpected situations. I realized the importance of being able to______my fears and overcome them. The incident that I______viewed as a major discouragement was, in fact, a turning point in my life. It was an opportunity to adjust my perspective and learn to admire the strength within myself.

The______did not happen overnight. It was a gradual process, just like adding a new piece to a puzzle every day. But with each piece, I moved one step closer to the bigger ______ .