1 . No Guts, No Glory? The Fear and Attraction of Risky Winter Sports

Once I went flying off the side of a mountain on skis. Certainly, I didn’t mean to. Before I _________ the ground, there was a surprising amount of time for reflection—and more on the long painful journey down to the ambulance.

The Winter Olympics are here, and I’ll be astonished with my heart in my mouth, watching ski-jumping and people hurtling downhill at _________ speed one way and another. But why are we so attracted to doing, watching and glamorizing dangerous activity? Is it really the thrill (兴奋) of the adrenaline (肾上腺素) rush? I hate that part when I take a big risk of any kind.

It _________ out I’m not the only one. The popular “thrill-seeker” explanation put forward by Marvin Zuckerman and others that sensation seeking is a basic personality trait has been strongly _________. Thrill-seeking is common in the young, especially young males. Many pay a high _________ for it. But our relationship with fear, courage and risk-taking is _________.

Eric Brymer and Robert Schweitzer asked people who had been doing an extreme sport for many years, to reflect   _________ on the experience. For these people, it wasn’t that they didn’t feel fear, or that they were attracted to the feeling of fear. They saw fear as an important tool to _________ danger—and working through it was a transformative experience. Part of the reward was the sense of one-ness with nature that lay beyond the _________.

For me, reading what the research participants said was __________ and there was a lot that was easy to relate to. __________, it seemed as though they believed they were only taking on risks over which they could prevail (战胜). Presumably, many of the people who are severely injured thought so too. I wonder if many who draw the short __________ regret it?

I have an almost total lack of mastery of winter sports. The contrast between my enthusiasm and lack of skill   __________ the somewhat spectacular accident at the start of this post. But just what kind of risks are we talking about with winter sports more commonly? For example, Brian Chaze and Patrick McDonald gathered published data on head injuries in winter sports. They advocated __________ use for sledding and skating as well. Children who hurt their heads sledding need hospitalization twice as much as for head injuries in other sports. Helmets aren’t used much, though.

Perhaps the best __________ from watching the winter Olympians is not the glamour of their risk-taking, but the way they rock those helmets.

2 . Linda Munson, 56, has worked a desk job from home since the initial COVID shutdown. At the height of the pandemic, when going to the gym wasn’t an option, millions of people began exploring ________ workouts from home. Munson’s never been much of a ________ person. “I am very socially awkward. I probably would sign up for a ________ and then not go,” she says.

In 2021, she was ________ with diabetes (糖尿病) and her doctor told her she needed to ________ more on her health. She started walking and ________ out junk food. One day, her son brought home a VR headset called an Oculus Quest.

While messing around with it, Munson ________ the popular fitness app Supernatural, and she was hooked. Supernatural lets you box, swing your arms at ________, meditate (冥想) or stretch with a ________ in front of you and in your ear while you’re moving to popular music.

Currently, Supernatural membership ________ hundreds of workouts and costs $179 per year, after a two-week free ________. The Oculus Quest headset needed to ________ it is $299. It’s worth it, Munson says. “When you finish one workout, you’re tired, but you think, “I can do one more.” Moving to the beat is ________, she says, and “so much fun.” Also, “there’s nobody ________ you. I’m home and I can be weird,” she says.

Munson has lost nearly 50 pounds in a year, has not had to take diabetes ________, and can now play with her seven active grandchildren.

3 . The Underdog

Paul was my friend. We both loved basketball and were ______ our school basketball team. He was only 1.6 meters tall and he used Bogues, who was ever the shortest player in the NBA, as his inspiration. Our coach was not so sure about his performance in the game. He had to try out many times for ______ the team. ______ Paul worked really hard, practised more and had a strong desire to play for the team, he was still usually on the bench, being just a replacement.

During this week’s basketball match against the Bears, I got hurt and couldn’t play any more, so Paul got the chance to play on the ______. He made shot after shot, and the Bears couldn’t keep up with his energy and speed. In the end, our team won by two point. From Paul all of us knew that every effort in doing anything would ______ one day.

4 . My mother turned ninety. I knew I needed to find a senior _______ center. Not for her — for me. If I were at her age, I would want to stay in shape to _______ life, getting a lot of pleasure. Yes, walking in local parks was my _______, but I wasn’t so active as before.

I called a nearby center, “Do you have aerobics (有氧运动) classes _______ for seniors?” “Sure. Come and check us out! We start at 10 am,” the receptionist (接待员) replied and _______. The next morning, I went there. One part of me was _______ that the class was too easy, not doing me any good. The other part feared it was too hard for me to _______.

When I came into the room, a woman _______ me, “Oh, you’re new. Welcome.” Then the music started. The hour-long workout woke up the muscles I didn’t often _______ in daily walks, suiting me fine. I became a member there. My classmates ranged in age from fifty to ninety. Most gave the exercises their own ________, doing as much or little as they could. ________ no one kept score. Soon I learned physical well-being wasn’t the only ________ there. During breaks, people chatted happily. Whenever some people were ________ we asked around. Were they busy? Were they in hospital? Moreover, we signed cards for those who were ill.

I ________ to be in good shape now as I’ve hoped. Still, I’m grateful for things more valuable from the class — close friendships and new social ________.

5 . I could see the penalty shoot-out (点球大战). Five balls in the back of the net and you win a prize! My _______ was standing in line, waiting, looking forward to it. But he _______ . Not a single shot in. Later we walked away from the field slowly, close, which somehow made getting to the heart of the matter _______ . “I’m rubbish at football!” he said, between sobs, a declaration but maybe in some small way a _______ . Could his mother, by the sheer power of her answer, her love, make him _______ at something than he really was?

“It was _______ ,” I admitted.

“Yeah, but Gabe _______ twice.”

I wanted to add, “The goalkeeper was big,” which he was, _______ that wasn’t the point. So instead I _______ him, “Keep practicing!” Yet the kid practices all the time. He’s out in the back garden after school kicking the ball around for hours and some nights I have to ________ him inside. ________ is not the missing ingredient. Talent very well might be. I don’t know how good he is at football, but I can make an educated ________ . I’d say he’s ________ . “You’re not going to be good at everything,” I said.

I hope my son can be ________ with himself about his ________ as well as his gifts. I can’t watch my kid ________ five out of five penalty shots and think he did a “Great job!”. I won’t ________ him he did, either. I don’t want him to expect ________ around every corner just because he turns it. What I want to tell him is to learn how to find enjoyment in the things they love but don’t necessarily ________ , and to grow as people by struggling for what doesn’t come ________ .

And most of all, what I want for him is self-awareness—and the true confidence that comes with it.

6 . At 21, Chris Nikic became the first-ever person with Down syndrome (唐氏综合征) to complete the Ironman triathlon (铁人三项 ). The very thought would be enough to_________ people in good physical condition. But by finishing it, Nikic set a Guinness World Record.

This remarkable achievement was made possible_________the loving guidance of Nikic’s dad, Nik. Nik was_________about his son’s sedentary (久坐不动的) lifestyle, so he gave him the_________of becoming 1% fitter every day. And the first step was_________with a single push-up. Now, three years later, Nikic has_________up the strength to really push his body to the_________. Considering those with Down syndrome already have to_________with varying physical and learning disabilities, Nikic’s achievement is a typical_________of how people with this condition continue to cross barriers.

In fact, during the competition Nikic had a slight_________. While it resulted in cuts on his legs, this didn’t_________Nikic from continuing the race. As Nik_________, the achievement symbolized something more_________than an impressive medal. “The triathlon has served as a _________for Nikic to become one step closer to his_________of living a normal life. It’s also about being a role model for other kids and families that face similar barriers, _________no dream or goal is too high.”

Nikic isn’t_________there. “Goal set and achieved. Time to set a new and bigger goal for 2023!” the_________public speaker shared with his followers on social media. _________, with his family and friends, Nikic will continue to create_________.

7 . A Virginia third-grader has won two national awards for her exceptional skill in handwriting. That’s pretty remarkable on its own. But what makes the girl’s _________ extra special is that she accomplished it _________ having no hands.

On April 26, 9-year-old Anaya Ellick was named the _________ of the 2018 Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest. The award _________ students with special needs who develop a great skill in handwriting. All participants have a mental or physical _________.

Anaya was born without hands on either arm. _________ she was fitted with prosthetics (假肢) for a time, she decided she was better off with her _________ ones and removed them. Instead, she has learned to _________ a pencil between her arms to draw and write. Two years ago, she made _________ across the world when she was named a winner in the contest’s print category. For 2018, she __________ again for her cursive writing.

Tracy Cox, Anaya’s teacher, said Anaya is a role __________ to other students. “Anaya does not let anything stand in her __________ of reaching her goals,” said Cox. “She is determined and independent. She has the best __________ in her class. Her classmates see her doing the __________ tasks and they are often __________ that she can do just as well, sometimes even better.” Anaya’s dad Gary Ellick said Anaya had always been __________. “It was always like ‘I can do it.’ I’m proud to see that hard work does __________,” he said.

Anaya was __________ at school on Wednesday, and the school shared photos of her with her new award and examples of her writing. But another __________ doesn’t mean she’s slowing down. When asked what’s __________ on her plate, she said, “Sports.”

8 . I have been in love with Yoga for many years. The practice of Yoga can lead to a ________ between mind and body. In the training, there is a ________ motion that has been one of my favorite poses. Each time I participate in this practice, I feel a deep sense of ________ with all those in the group.

Instead of standing alone, the class stands in a ________ close enough for us to hold hands. Each of us gives and ________ trust and support from one to another. As a unit we shift our ________ to one foot, resting the other foot against our ankle or our leg muscle. Slowly we ________ the hand position so that we are palm to palm. We ________ our arms and create a crown (王冠) of hands above our heads.

A slight ________ may start and soon we realize we have the ________ of each person in the circle, trusting them to protect us from ________. We feel a sense of security, closing our eyes knowing we are ________. In time we return to standing on two feet before shifting to ________ on the other foot.

As we finish, there is a moment of silence for us to ________ absorb the love and support we have received. Balance with support makes standing together ________ in community. So much better than standing alone.

9 . Kyle Messier, a 31-year-old bike rider, won a 100-kilometer bike race that took place in Harrington, Quebec. While this is a(n) ________ achievement on its own, what makes Kyle extraordinary is that he had already ________ more than 650 kilometers to the race site.

His ________ from Waterloo to Harrington took him 3.5 days to complete. After his win, he ________ with some pizza, slept for a few hours in his ________, and then rode another 3.5-day back home. What becomes greater is that Kyle ________ to win the race while suffering from a toothache.

So what is the ________ behind Kyle’s success? He apparently ________ a technique known as active meditation to help him. This form of thinking can be done while ________ a physical action, which makes it perfect for cycling. When done ________, the mind will only concentrate on completing that physical action and nothing else.

Kyle has also trained himself to ________ the journey into smaller sections. He tried to ________ the positives he was looking forward to rather than the negatives. ________ the race, he just thought about the pizza he was getting at the finish line. Despite his great achievement, Kyle remains ________. He claims not to know how long the course ________ him to complete, as he didn’t even bother checking his finish time. ________, he simply stayed at the finish line to cheer on other riders.

Kyle’s incredible victory shows the ________ of having the right mind. The next time you face a seemingly impossible ________, try breaking it up into smaller sections, only focusing on the ________ things you have to look forward to. You may not get results that are quite as outstanding as Kyle’s, but it will certainly ________ you!

10 . For most, cross-country is an individual sport. But for Susan and Jeffrey, teamwork makes the dream ________.

Jeffrey, now 15, ________ cerebral palsy (脑瘫)at 22 months old due to heart rhythm disorder. Because of lack of oxygen, it also ________ damage to his brain. For his younger sister Susan, 14, Jeffrey is the one she loves. The two are very ________. When both of them registered at high school, she wanted to ________ a sport after school. She ________ cross-country would be a great sport not just for her, but also for her brother. “We like spending time together, and this is a(n) ________ we can spend time together after school.” Susan said, “It’s something he couldn’t do on his own, so in this way we can be ________ and do a sport together.”

Susan ________ Jeffrey in a wheelchair at every single practice. She said her brother’s ________ attitude helped her ________ the difficult training. Jeffrey’s positive attitude not only helped his sister, but all of his cross-country ________. Susan said at first, people were ________ around her brother and didn’t know what to do or how to act. But after getting to ________ Jeffrey, they accepted him and even took turns pushing him at practice.

But according to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association’s ________ the siblings (兄妹)are only ________ to compete as exhibition runners, and their results do not ________. With the coaches, athletic directors and other runners’ support, the rules are changed. ________ their dream comes true.

“We felt glad to have ________ the way for runners that want to run with someone who can’t take part by themselves and make them have ________ access to sporting events,” Susan said.