1 . 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!

2 . “I never will be a runner.” I spoke those words at any mention of this ________. I didn’t discriminate (歧视) against running, though. I ________ all physical activity.

When my co-workers invited me to join them in a 5K run and I ________ the event was The Color Run, I ________. Once, after seeing a picture of a runner covered in colored powder (粉末), I’d said, “If I ever ________ a run, it would be a Color Run.”

I signed up and trained for eight weeks. I felt intimidated (胆怯) by my co-workers, who were ________ runners. I worried I would shame myself in front of them.

However, the day of the race, I not only kept up but I ________ the group. I had become a runner.

Two months after the race, a friend invited me to run a half marathon. Could I ________ run for more than 13 miles? Run for more than two hours? It seemed ________, but I signed up and started training.

As the event date came closer, I got ________. Thoughts troubled me. I can’t do it. I’m not ready. Two days before the race, I came close to ________. But I’d paid the fee for this race and thought that if I had to walk I would.

The first few miles passed easily. At mile 5, I felt ________. At mile 11, my friend needed to ________. I walked with her but didn’t need to. I’d ________ more than I thought possible.

Now having run three half marathons and a full marathon, I know I can do things that seem ________.

4 . In an international spelling contest (竞赛) in America, an 11-year-old girl was asked to spell a certain word. But with her _________ voice the judges were not sure if she spelled the word with the letter A or E. They talked it over and _________ decided to simply ask her what she had said. By now, the girl knew she had _________ the word, but instead of lying, she told the truth that she had said the _________ letter — so she lost the contest.

As the girl walked off the _________, the entire audience stood to their feet, clapping (鼓掌) to applaud her _________. Later, dozens of newspaper reporters wrote about this 11-year-old girl’s good quality, even when it _________ her the contest. But the fact is that she _________ the biggest contest that day: the contest of her _________.

Probably the biggest test of our character and honesty is what we should do if we knew we would never get __________. This young girl could easily have __________ and nobody would have known it but herself. But that’s just it: She would know she did wrong. It’s been said, “If you __________, you make yourself cheap.” This young girl was strong and smart enough to __________ her own conscience (良知) and character more than the prize from a spelling __________. Her pride was more important than any __________ others might give her for winning a contest. She knew she would have to __________ herself and the choice she made in that moment will have long-lasting influence.

It’s so true that the choices you make today __________ you what you are tomorrow. Our children will __________ our behavior much more than our advice. So if we want them to __________ to be honest, we must show them the way by being honest ourselves. Remember, our kids are __________ what we do and how we live even when we don’t think they see or know.

5 . I have grown up in a football-loving family. My dad played until injury _________ him out. My elder sister Stevie _________ with Crewe Alexandra Girls for a year or two as a left back (后卫), just like our hero Jamie Carragher.

I remember the exact moment when I told my dad I was _________ in doing what my big sister did. I was watching the game with him in the living room and it just came out: “It makes me _________ that I can’t be a footballer.” He asked why not, and I answered, “Because I’m not a boy.”

He _________ responded by telling me that women’s football was “great” and that I could play if I wanted to. “Yeah, I suppose so,” I responded, “but no one _________ women’s football.” Looking back, I can see exactly why I felt like that.

At school, there was an unwritten _________ that sports like rugby and football were for the boys. I’d never seen a women’s football match on TV and the only _________ athletes I’d heard of were in the Olympics.

Today, the England Lionesses (母狮队) will _________ Scotland in the World Cup, and people across the world will watch it. __________ women’s football has turned out to be one of FIFA’s investments, the majority of female players in top tiers are earning under what anyone would consider a fair __________, and only £24 million prize money was awarded to the women’s World Cup victors in __________ with £315 million to the men’s. That’s a vast __________.

Maybe, the truth is: Investment is needed for female football to become more visible and become a(n) __________ respected game. It’ll mean talented, skillful female footballers being __________ by millions of homes and maybe, just maybe, a little girl believing that she can also be a Lioness one day.

9 . From 2003 to 2007, I gained all the weight back, plus an additional 25 pounds-I hit 180 pounds. I _______ with depression and anxiety, and I was very _______. I knew a change needed to be made, but wasn’t sure how.

So, in July of 2017, a month away from my 32nd birthday, I _______ up to do a mud run with friends. After this run, I remembered how happy I was when I ran. I decided to _______ going, and began running in the mornings. I had to constantly _______ myself not to make excuses and signed up for a half marathon for motivation.

By November 2017, I had finished the half marathon. My motivation now was to take up that marathon I had _______ years ago. Finally, I was able to complete my _______ full marathon in May 2019.

In 2020, _______ races were canceled, my running was not. I kept training, and in April 2020, I completed my second marathon. Next, I took on the 4×4×48 _______, where you run four miles every four hours for 48 hours. Now. I get up at 4 a.m. most mornings, six days a week, and run average about 30 miles a week. I create my own plans suited to my current __________, which is to complete my third 26.2 miles at the 2021 Chicago Marathon. And __________ I will run my first 50 km the week after. I now try to run one __________ each month to always have something fun to __________.

Overall, I have lost 40 pounds. Running helps clear my __________. For me, running is more focused on keeping my mental health than physical health. But you have to have balance between __________. Besides, accomplishment at the end of each goal is wonderful.

10 . It was my first year teaching in a special needs classroom. I wasn’t sure what to________at our annual Special Olympics. My students had a range of________, from mild learning disabilities to severe brain diseases.

Mark was one with the latter,________to a wheelchair. However, he always greeted everyone with________smiles. His classmates loved him and often took their time to________ his participation in group activities, especially Mike, Andy and Lucas, all________at sports.

Mark imagined being like them. Watching and cheering for their elegant________on the playground seemed to fill him with________.

The big day came at last and the final________was the 400-meter race. Everyone was invited to________according to their own ability. Mike, Andy and Lucas________to prove who the best athlete was. But when the exhausted three reached the finish line they ________and turned to look behind them. At the back of the crowd, determined not to be left behind, was Mark, alone on the________in his wheelchair with half the distance left to ________— all his classmates were________him. Looking at each other, a________thought passed between them. Slowly, they jogged back towards their friend, surrounded Mark and kept pace,________him on as he had done for them before.

The progress was________, but eventually they crossed the finish line together to the ________cries of their teachers and classmates. I came to understand what makes the Special Olympics so________. Years later, I’m still cheering them on.