2 . I have had no interest in football for as long as I can remember. While my classmates played, I _________ to stay in the library. I never _________ the passion for the game and would throw away the sports section of the newspaper, as if it _________ the rest of it. As I grew up, I proudly wore my _________

But occasionally, whether in a taxi or when meeting a friend’s father, I found myself faced with a _________ opener likes “Terrible season we’re having, eh?” or simply, “Who do, you support?” My heart sank, knowing my response would unavoidably _________ them, despite their good intentions.

I realized that my _________ had closed off many conversations, outings, and even potential friendships I might have _________ enjoyed. Although I couldn’t change the fact that I found football boring, I began to regret, being a(n) _________.

Then I became a father. I didn’t want my boy to __________ this valuable social experience, so I took him to watch the Lions play. During those matches, we sat close to the field, surrounded by families who had a genuine __________ with the players. My kid’s questions kept me somewhat __________ in the game. Slowly, I started to __________ for the Lions.

During one victorious match, we even met David, the Captain, who happily __________ for a photo with my son.__________, I had an answer to the question, “Who do you support?”

3 . The greatest sports moments often have a wonderful flow state behind the victories or performances. Being in flow refers to the moments where distraction reduces, and concentration ________.

It was a ________ summer camp ping pong tournament where I was not only down 1 set, but 7 points behind my opponent, who had only 3 points left to ________ the set, and the tournament. For a comeback, I had to win at least 10 points, without making ________!

Facing the ________ situation, I could call it a day and let my opponent win. Perhaps my opponent had already focused on the ________, but failure wasn’t an option! ________, I stuck it out, hoping for the best. I told myself, “Let’s just try and win the next point, nothing else.” ________ deep, I stared at the ball with a clear mindset and keen ________. I took it, hit it back and scored!

5 points to go, 4 points to go... My opponent started getting visibly ________ and made mistakes. Point by point I was getting closer to being even 7-8. I was one point away from doing the ________. My mouth was shut and my eyes stayed sharp the entire set. He made another ________ 8-8. The comeback was complete. The crowd went ________! Winning the next 3 points, I managed to win that set. In the last set, my opponent turned restless again. ________ the flow, I ended up winning the final set, and the tournament.

Despite a small game, it inspired me a lot. Not being able to control how our opponent plays, we can ________ how to react. Don’t be there, where you are not. Instead, be here and now! Stay in flow! Be concentrated!

4 . I’ve been a college professor teaching people how to think more creatively and use more of their brainpower. _________, this lifetime passion was awakened by a casual contest in my childhood.

At a picnic of my father’s company, they held contests for kids — who threw a cloth handkerchief the farthest this time. I, 13 years old, was full of the spirit of _________, so I threw myself into the contest, which, I realize now, was not meant to _________ real skills, but simply for laughs. But it stirred my _________ of thinking outside the box.

It disturbed me to see the kids throwing _________ when the handkerchief always opened and stopped. The _________ was not to throw harder but to prevent the cloth from _________. Suppose I hid a rock in the cloth without tying it. The rock would drive the cloth at least _________ than the others, and when they separated, people might not notice a small rock _________ nearby. I had a good chance of __________ it, but I didn’t want to win by cheating. So I had to make the handkerchief fly like a rock. Like a rock! That was it! I __________ tied knot (结) after knot until it was the size of a large walnut (核桃), like a strong __________. I threw hard, and the balled handkerchief rocketed off 60 feet away. All stared at me in __________ and the judge ran to check. “It’s just the __________,” he declared, holding it up and untying the knots.

What I learned from this contest was __________ thinking. To live creatively, you have to tap into the less-used parts of your brain.

5 . On Oct. 11, hundreds of runners competed in a cross-country race in Minnesota. Melanie Bailey should have _________ the course earlier’ than she did. Her _________ came because she was carrying a _________ across the finish line.

As reported by a local newspaper, Bailey was more than two-thirds of the way through her _________ when a runner in front of her began crying in pain. She _________ to help her fellow runner, Danielle Lenoue. Bailey took her arm to see if he could walk forward with _________. She couldn’t. Bailey then _________ to let Lenoue climb onto her back and carried her all the way to the finish line, then another 300 feet to where Lenoue could get _________ attention.

Once there, Lenoue was _________ and later taken to a hospital, where she learned that she had serious injuries in one of her knees. She would have struggled with extreme ____________ to make it to that aid checkpoint without Bailey’s help. As for Bailey, she is more ____________ about why her act is considered a big ____________. “She was just crying. I couldn’t ____________ her,” Bailey told the reporter. “I feel like I was just doing the right thing.” Although the two young women were strangers before the ____________, they’ve since become friends. Neither won the race, but the ____________ of human kindness won the day.

8 . It was the final part of the 2016 World Triathlon (三项全能运动) Series in Mexico. With just 700 metres to go, Alistair Brownlee was in third place and his younger brother, Jonny, was in the lead. When pushing himself towards the ________ line, Alistair saw his brother about to ________ the track. He had to choose - brotherly love, or a ________ to win the race?

For Alistair, the choice was ________. His brother was in ________. He had to help. Alistair ran towards Jonny, caught him and started pulling him towards the destination. Alistair then pushed his brother over the line. The move put Jonny in second place and Alistair himself in third. It was an ________ end to the race, but Alistair did not want to discuss it with the media. He just wanted to see his younger brother, who had been ________ to the medical area immediately.

The Brownlee brothers have been doing triathlons since they were children. “Obviously, when your older brother is doing it, you think it’s a ________ thing to do.” says Jonny. Alistair says that they ________ each other when they train. Despite ________over “stupid things” now and then, Alistair agrees that having a brother is an ________. “I’ve had my brother trying to beat me at everything I do. It has been an positive force.”

The ending to the race has ________ opinions: should the brothers have been disqualified (取消资格) or ________ for their actions? But for Alistair, his ________was easy to explain: “Mum wouldn’t have been happy if I’d left Jonny behind.” At that moment, he was no longer an athlete aiming for a medal — he was just a ________.

9 . When I suggested my 13-year-old try tennis, she quickly shot me down. “I’m not _________, so stop trying to get me to do sports,” Julianna said. I suggested it because some of my recent happiest memories were of playing ping-pong with her. Tennis seemed like a natural _________ from ping-pong and a great way to _________ some of her growing teen worries on a larger playing field. But my suggestion was always met with _________.

Still, I was undiscouraged. I was convinced that _________ some physical energy would help Julianna. I’ve seen how sports help deal with stress. It _________ for me when I was a teenage girl.

Midway through summer, we stayed at home one afternoon, really bored. “Do you want to play tennis?” I asked. “Sure,” she said. Arriving at the _________, we set down our bags, picked up our rackets (球拍), and _________ towards our sides of the court. The net felt like the visual representation of a growing _________ between us —I desiring a connection and my teenage daughter longing for independence.

I started by hitting a ball over the net, and Julianna took a big swing and __________. We repeated this several more times. I resisted the __________ to tell her she was __________ the racket too close to the neck or to step more into her forehand. We just repeated the __________ of me hitting the ball and her missing it a few times before she finally got it back over the net. “This is fun,” she said with a mixture of surprise and joy and then she smiled __________.

Now we always find time to play tennis. We’re both eager for an activity that can __________ tensions between us in daily life. It’s nice to have a place where both of us can release our __________ feelings and let them go.

Playing tennis together has not only improved our __________ but also brought new dimensions to our relationship. It has become a way for us to connect on a deeper level, __________ just the surface conversations. As we continue to practice and play together, I see Julianna growing in confidence and skill. This __________ activity has become a source of joy for both of us, a time when we can __________ our differences and simply enjoy each other’s company.