1 . In 2013, my husband Robin took a new job in Ghana. We relocated from London, where I worked as a photographer, to the capital, Accra.Robin worked,but my visa didn’t permit me to, and I was left homesick and lacking_______.With few people around, I turned to_______.I photographed horses and considered the outdoors the place where I felt most_______.

In September 2018,after one bad thunderstorm,I found a bird,barely a month old,on the ground. He was_______by his flock(群).His eyes were shut, too young to_______alone. I placed him in a cardboard box and stayed up all night, researching how to_______him.I spoke to an expert who said it would take 12 weeks to prepare him for the_______.

For the next 84 days, the_______bird lived on me. He would fly alongside me. As he learned to fly, he’d make short_______from my hand, to my shoulder, and then settled on my hair.I________ named him because I had to________myself that he needed to return to the wild. In return for putting his life back on course, he________me by giving me purpose. Three months later, he was ________ enough and flying farther from me. It was time for him to go. Then on a clear day when his flock returned,Robin and I took him out and the little bird flew away with them.

________him taught me how to live in the present. Last year,I joined local conservation efforts. That, along with the________that any little creature can make a difference, is what he left me.

3 . My son Darcy, 10, begged “No more needles”, tears rolling down his cheeks. Seeing him so _______ broke my heart. Darcy had a surgery and the needle would provide a blood transfusion (输血). It looked like the _______ was successful, but Darcy only got sicker.

Darcy often asked, “Mom, when can I see my _______?” “Soon, sweetie,” I’d reply. But with a weak immune (免疫的) system, it was _______ for him to return to school. At first, my words seemed _______ but as the months passed, I watched as Darcy became _______. While he was in hospital, his friends were enjoying their lives without him. I could _______ he was giving up.

I consulted the school about _______ Darcy’s education in the hope of creating more _______ for him and I got the reply “If he’s well enough”. At that point, I wondered if this had happened to thousands of kids around the country. __________, a year later, Darcy got better enough to go back to school!

One day, I talked with some friends, who had __________ kids too. We all agreed that there should be a way to keep them in the classroom __________ with their mates, even if they can’t __________ be there. Later, we got to know some sort of robot, which could just __________ the need. I then became a fundraiser and finally launched a national pilot program. A mother’s pure love now __________ to all children.

4 . Growing up, I was fortunate to have dinner with my family almost every day. Sometimes, the family dinner circle_________to include relatives stopping by. Yet, I knew some friends whose parents got home after dinner or even_________the entire evening. So I_________the quality time around our kitchen table, which witnessed countless valuable_________in my life.

_________,my kids cannot relate to my childhood memories. They have been left to_________with babysitters more times than I would like to admit. My husband and I have_________careers. And we often end up staying at the office way past dinnertime. When this happens too often, it_________the balance of our family.

Apart from suffering from_________,what else can a hardworking family do? I think we can all try to__________our own ways to spend time together. Surely there are days when I’m too busy to share a meal with my family. But I would make efforts to__________and chat later that day,__________       setting aside cellphones every time. And I even find a bedtime reading with my kids much__________.I am also proud to have our “big breakfast” routine every Saturday. My husband serves as the head chef, and my younger son__________       him to make the breakfast.

I am aware that my sons are growing up quickly and will be out of the__________someday. But now, I am happy to have so many wonderful things on my plate.

5 . With over 125,000 followers, 34-year-old Oliver James is a star in the Book Tok community. And it all started with a simple_________: Learn to read.

For most of the kids, school is a place where they can develop a relationship with learning in a_________ environment. For James, the opposite. _________ with learning and behavior. Disabilities made him in_________ education. “The special education system at the time was a lot more_________ on behavioral than educating,” he said.

Reading_________ carried over into James’ adulthood and it significantly _________ his employment opportunities and affected his self-esteem (自信). However, when he and his wife decided_________ to their family of three, James became determined to change things.

Starting his journey with a book of inspirational quotes gifted by his wife, James began reading bits out loud and _________ to TikTok. Being a motivational speaker, he would often combine his interests with his heartfelt honesty and personality. __________ will often send James more books to read in hopes for his book reviews.

But perhaps the biggest __________ has been the way reading has __________ James’ relationship with his son. In an interview, he shared that they’ve not only__________ over books but reading has proven to be a great __________ for mental health, which has helped James become a better parent. James’ new goal is to read 100 new titles by 2024 —__________ for any bookworm in this day and age.

6 . So many of us are terrible at being terrible. As our children venture off to school, sports, dances and music lessons, we urge them: Just try something, keep practicing, you’re only a beginner. And yet, faced with our own failure, we become less confident, and quit altogether.

Images of perfection fill our social-media feeds, along with advertisements assuring us we wouldn’t be so _______ if we just bought this thing or tried that product. Parents often add to the pressure, _______ their kids will end up sliding down the socioeconomic ladder.

What if we’re _______?

“It’s such a _______ not to have to be good,” says Karen Rinaldi, who refers to herself as a horrible surfer. After 20 years on the board, she is still bad, and she loves it. There is the excitement of being out on the water, but there is also the _______ of not having to be the expert, the freedom to _______ help and rely on others in a way she never would at work. Back on land, she says she is more understanding and _______others’ mistakes. “The benefit of not _______ myself every day,” she says, “is that I get to surf every time I want.”

Ms. Rinaldi, whose experience led to a book about what you can learn from failure, recommends asking yourself: “What is it that you’ve always wanted to do or try but were too _______?” Whatever it is, she says, start doing it. Should you struggle, ________ the fact that you’re a beginner. “Go in there with the ________ to say, ‘I’m new,’” she says. “People want to help you learn. It makes them feel good.”

Take myself as another example. I started yoga lessons this summer. When I ________ Syd Schulz, a professional mountain biker, that I was terrible at the poses, her response was “what did you expect?” “It’s a little ________ to people who have spent years and years of their lives acquiring skills to think that you should have those overnight,” says Ms. Schulz. Years spent working on her cycling have taught her that improvement often comes in ________ steps, following long stretches of inactivity or even getting ________.

8 . Making a family

For years, Dad had avoided getting a dog. Whenever the _________ came up, Dad complained, “Dogs are a pain. I don’t want to be _________.”   Despite his strong opposition, Mom brought home a puppy named Chip, a cute ball that _________ us all.

For me, at age thirteen, Chip brought out my _________ side. I fed, brushed and walked him every day. I also learned that when we take care of what is important to us, we _________ the benefits. And this _________ stayed with me as I grew. At that time, Chip meant a loyal (忠诚的) companion, someone to _________ me at the door when I returned, and someone to kiss my face when I was sad.

Chip even _________ Dad. It was nearly a month before Chip’s _________ personality won him over. Dad was the first to __________ him to sit on the sofa. He even made chew toys for Chip to play with.

Most __________, Chip brought us together as a family. After dinner, instead of escaping to our bedrooms as before, we all __________ Chip into the family room. We’d teach him new __________ or perfect his old ones. We’d recall stories of the cute things he’d done that day. The key is that we’d do this together.

People sometimes complain that dog lovers are __________ humanity; rather, their pets stimulate the __________ of their humanity.

10 . Joao Carlos Martins is a famous pianist and conductor. However, his career has been ________ and his life has taken him in many different ________.

As a teenager Martins began to perform in concerts. But in his late twenties, he had to ________ after badly breaking his arm. It was really a terrible time. He couldn’t look at a piano or ________ listen to music. ________, he decided to become the manager of a boxer, who won the world championship later. This ________ Martins to take up the piano and practise much harder. Six years later, he gave his first concert at the Carnegie Hall, which was the most ________ moment of his life. He performed in concerts for years before he had to quit because of the unbearable ________ in his hands caused by too much ________.

Martins, in his forties, became a politician. However, he couldn’t stand this ________, so once again, he went back to the piano. All was going well until something unexpected ________ while leaving a concert. He ________ a serious brain injury and lost all the movement in his right hand. Again, with great ________ he played just with his left hand. Years later he lost the use of the left hand and ________ himself a conductor. Now, in his late seventies, Martins is still taking ________ to work and has conducted over a thousand concerts.