2 . Every year I read over 2,000 college applications from students all over the world. It is quite _________ to choose whom to admit. _________. in the chaos of SAT scores and recommendations, one _________ is always irresistible (无法抗拒的) in a candidate: kindness.

The most surprising indication of kindness I’ve ever _________ came from a student who had excellent scores and a supportive _________ from his college consultant. Even with these qualifications, he might not have _________. But one letter of recommendation caught my eye. It was from a school security _________. Letters of recommendation are typically written by people like former presidents, celebrities, and Olympic athletes.

The security guard wrote that he supported this student’s admission because of his _________. This young man was the only person in the school who knew the names of every member of the guard staff. He turned off lights in empty rooms, consistently _________ the hallway monitor (监测员) each morning and tidied up the classroom after his peers left school __________ nobody was watching. This student, the security guard wrote, had a(n) __________ respect for every person at the school, regardless of position, popularity or power.

It gave us a __________ onto a student’s life in the moments when nothing “counted”. That student was admitted by unanimous (一致的) vote of the admissions committee.

Next year there might be a flood of security guard recommendations __________ this essay. But if it means students will start paying as much __________ to the people who clean their classrooms as they do to their headmasters and teachers, I’m happy to help start that __________.

3 . Since the modern Olympics began in 1896, it has been held in more than 40 different cities. That gives Olympic fans quite a few possible travel destinations to choose!

Olympic fans should consider visiting the Beijing Olympic Park to check out the special buildings of the so-called “Bird’s Nest” and “Water Cube”—the national stadium and aquatics center built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Popular historic places in Beijing include the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and Tian`anmen Square.

Located in the heart of the Alps, Innsbruck is known as a great winter destination—which explains why it has hosted not one but two Winter Olympics. Known for its mountainous views, Innsbruck is the perfect stop for outdoor adventurers.

This wonderful travel destination offers a wide number of popular museums, historic buildings, and public parks. People will love shopping for fresh meat and produce at the markets, taking a cooking class, and generally eating their way through Mexico City, which is especially known for its culinary (烹饪的) experiences that include both globally well-known restaurants and locally favored street carts.

Nearly half a century before Sydney hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics, Melbourne became the first Australian host city in 1956. Head to the “cultural capital of Australia”, located in Victoria on the southeastern coast, for an energetic cafe culture and art scene, Melbourne offers something for every type of traveler and everyone can enjoy an evening at one of the city’s many rooftop bars or a day of wine tasting.

4 . Last year I ruined my summer vacation by bringing along a modern convenience: the iPad.

Instead of looking at nature, I _______ my e-mail. Instead of reading great novels, I stuck to reading _______newspapers each morning. And that was the problem: I was acting as if I were still in the office. My body was on vacation but my _______ wasn’t.

So this year I made up my mind to try something _______: getting away from the Internet. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, _______ I’m not good at self-control. But I was _______. I started by handing the iPad to my wife. Then, a stroke of luck: The mobile phone _______ at our cabin was worse than in the past. I was _______, forced to carry out my plan. Largely cut off from e-mail and my favourite newspaper websites, I had little way to _______ the world. I had no ________ but to do what I had planned to do all along: read books.

With determination and the strong support of my wife, I succeeded in my vacation struggle against the Internet. I finally ________ that it was me, of course, not the iPad, that was the ________.

I knew I had ________ when we passed a Starbucks and my wife asked if I wanted to stop to use the Wi-Fi. “Don’t need it,” I said. ________, as we return to work, a test begins: Can I survive when I’m back at work? I don’t plan to ________ my iPad completely. But I hope to resist the temptation (抵抗诱惑) to use it every five minutes.

5 . From rolling hills to mountain ranges, views make any road trip memorable, but for blin d passengers this is part of the experience they miss. Motor company Ford tries to change that. It teamed up with GTB Rom a and AedoProject—to develop a technology that will give those unfortunate passengers a way to feel nature’s beauty through their car windows.

The prototype (原型) of the smart car window has a device with an outside-facing camera. With just a press of a button, the system takes a picture of the current view. The colorful picture is then turned into an image with different shades of grey through, LED lights, which vibrates (震动) differently. As the finger passes over different regions of the image, its shaking movements provide feedback through the sense of touch to the person using it. The smart window also comes with a voice assistant that uses AI to identify the scene and help the passengers get information on what they’re seeing.

“As the prototype started taking shape, we realized we were giving birth to a completely new language that would give blind people a new chance to visualize and experience traveling,”   Federico Russo.-one director of GTBRoma, said. “When the idea was at its first stage, we looked for suppliers all around the world to make it come to life.” He believes the technology can be employed not just in cars. “It could be introduced into schools and in stituations for blind people as a tool that could be used in multiple ways.”

The technology may show up in a Ford autonomous vehicle. It’s known that the company is testing their technology and future business model and struggling to figure out how an autonomous vehicle gives different passengers the details needed to get from one destination to another. It’s unclear when this technology will be made available. However, the idea of building something for the less advanced is indeed a kind and influential action.

6 . Jim Thorpe is one of the greatest athletes of all time. He had amazing athletic abilities and was well-known during his lifetime, yet that did not make Thorpe a stranger to adversity.

Thorpe was an American Indian from Oklahoma who developed his extraordinary athletic skills in his youth through hard labor. It was also in his youth that he learned to endure hardship brought upon by racial prejudice. Many would say his childhood was not easy. He grew up poor and at age 9 his twin brother passed away and a few years later he lost both of his parents.

But that did not stop him from doing what he loved and pursuing his dreams. Nothing seemed to stop him, not even stolen shoes. Just hours before Thorpe was going to compete in the 1912 Olympics, somebody stole his shoes. Thorpe improvised (临时拼凑) by getting shoes out of the garbage. The shoes were two different sizes. He wore an extra pair of socks on one foot to even them out.

He still went on to win two gold medals—winning each event he competed in except for one, the javelin (标枪). The javelin was the only event he didn’t win, probably because he had never competed in that event before. It is interesting to note that Thorpe had tried to throw the javelin once before in the Olympic trials. At the time, he didn’t know that he could throw it with a running start. He threw it standing still and was placed second.

At the Olympics，he also took part in the decathlon (十项全能运动). He finished first in two events, third in four events, and fourth in two more. Thorpe ended up finishing third in the world. He was undoubtedly a dominating force that couldn’t be stopped and just kept on going.

I think Paul Dughi said it best, “It’s hard to imagine now that pro athletes get paid millions of dollars just to wear a particular brand of shoes. For Jim Thorpe, it didn’t matter what kind he wore.”

7 . Soon there will be a Review Blitz! In a month, we are searching for reasonable reviews that reflect your sincere opinions. Just keep in mind that the deadline for your reviews is October 23, 2023.

Rules:

To enter, you must be a teen (aged 13-19) with a Teen Creativity account.

Submissions ought to be relevant to the topic.

Each review must be no more than 250 words.

There is no restriction on the number of pieces you can submit.

Guidelines:

Give a brief summary of the book. Avoid explaining the entire plot or telling your reader how the book ends.

Inform the reader what you like or dislike about the book.

Recommend the book to specific readers. Does the book lend itself well to older teens? Would science fiction enthusiasts show interest in this book? It’s helpful for readers to think about the book in light of other books they’ve read.

Remember that it’s okay to have a strong opinion! Don’t start sentences with “I think”, “I believe” or “In my opinion”.

Prizes:

All participants will be given a certificate.

First prize winners will respectively have one review published in Teen Creativity magazine and obtain a free 6-month magazine subscription.

Second-place winners will each receive a free 3-month magazine subscription.

You’ll receive these prizes before December 28, 2023.

Submit your works to www.teencreativity.com. We hope reviewing books brings you joy.

10 . The parents who adopted (收养) Bruce Hollywood encouraged him to find his Japanese birth mother. But he never became_______until he had a heart attack (心脏病发作), when he realized that he regretted never_______with his birth mother.

No sooner had he recovered than he began_______his birth mother. He called the Japanese Embassy (大使馆) , but there was no_______ information, which made him really unhappy. Luckily, he met an army man on the plane _______. They had a casual _______. When Bruce mentioned his _______search, the man _______Bruce to give him all the information he had _______ and told him he would help him.________Bruce had a low expectation, he followed what the man said. Ten days later, he got an unexpected call.

The spokesperson said, “Bruce, we’re happy to tell you that we have found your mother. Because she doesn’t speak English, you’d better find a ________.” Finally, Bruce got to communicate with his birth mother, who was crying with ________. He learned that it was she who had given him the name Bruce. And he later ________ the restaurant his birth mother had owned for decades in Shizuoka, Japan and found out she had named it “Bruce”．

Bruce couldn’t ________ the moving words he heard when seeing his birth mother for the first time in 45 years. He learned that love could always stand the test of ________and distance.