1 . When I was 24, I moved to America, 11,000 kilometers away from my homeland. This was _______, especially fitting into an unfamiliar environment. Working from home increased my _______, as I was cut off from social interactions. However, serving as a volunteer at a local animal shelter _______ everything.

Upon arriving at the shelter, I was _______ to a small, grey and white cat named Luna immediately. Found abandoned and terrified of humans, Luna _______ in the corner, shaking. Her lonely green eyes seemed to _______ my own sense of displacement in this foreign land. My task was to slowly gain Luna’s _______ and help her adjust, which felt similar to my efforts to _______ this new place.

As days turned into weeks, Luna and I developed a _______. The process of feeding her, speaking softly, and the ________ required to look after her made this little creature gradually open her heart to me. Her ________ encouraged me to step outside, make new friends, and become part of the community.

My time at the shelter provided a valuable ________ into settling down in a new country. It is an inspiring experience of ________ gaps of language and culture and a journey of personal growth. From it, I realized the value of time, love, and a(n) ________ heart in forming meaningful relationships. This journey aided me in finding a sense of ________ in an unfamiliar land.

2 . In 1985, Vanessa Foster and her husband hopped on a flight to Alaska without any plan. When they _________, they used the last of their money to buy an old _________ and started wandering across the state. A little while into their drive, they saw a hitchhiker (搭便车的人) on the side of the road, and her husband decided to give him a _________. A few hours later, they _________ at a rest stop.

“I hopped out and _________ to the ladies’ room. When I came out a few minutes later, my husband was exiting the men’s room,” Foster remembered. “We _________ around the parking lot, and the hitchhiker and our car were gone. So we _________ the hitchhikers,” Foster said.

As they walked down the _________, none of the cars slowed down to _________ them up. __________, an El Camino stopped. Sitting in the driver’s seat was a middle-aged man with bright __________ eyes. He told them to hop in.

“When he heard we were __________ and lost everything, he offered us summer jobs and a place to stay on his farm near Homer, Alaska,” Foster said.

The __________ impacted them to such a degree that Vanesa Foster wrote about it in a book titled More Than Everything. Looking back on that time in her life, all these years later, she says she’ll never __________ that man with the bright blue eyes.

“I really appreciate his kindness toward a couple of __________ on that Alaskan highway,” she says.

3 . In a small village, a special knitting (编织) club has become a symbol of community and warmth. _________ by Abby, the club has turned the simple craft of knitting into the powerful force for _________.

Back to 2018, Abby, a knitting enthusiast, _________ brought together like-minded villagers. And later, their shared _________ blossomed into the club with a mission. The club welcomed all, with the belief that anyone could _________ to knit, and soon it became a place where a sense of community was woven into every stitch (一针).

Attracting a steady stream of people, the club members weekly gather to work on knitting _________, like casting on and off, under Abby’s guidance. Their hands are hurt by needles, but their hearts are full of _________, because every little scar is a mark of care for others. The club’s true essence lies in its devotion to _________. Each hand-knit hat and glove is a symbol of love, donated to local _________ institutions that help the homeless.

__________ on their purpose, Abby says, “Our knitting is more than a small craft. It’s a way to __________ out and support those in need. The club’s creations are not just items. They are the result of hours spent choosing the right materials and patterns, and the love __________ into every stitch.”

The knitting club is a living narrative of a(n) __________ story of neighbors assisting neighbors and strangers becoming friends. Through knitting, they’ve created a __________ that warms not only the body, but also the heart. The club stands as a reminder of the impact that __________ acts, like giving a hat or a pair of gloves, can have on the human spirit.

4 . During the first meeting with my future mentor (导师) when I was an undergraduate student, he asked why I wanted to join his lab. I _________ responded with the first thing that came to mind: “Because you're_________” He let out the loudest laugh have ever heard and told me students usually say “gain research experience to apply to graduate school” or they _________ his research fascinating. I was so _________ I hadn't thought of a wise answer like the other students. I didn't even know what graduate school was, but it sounded fancy.

I am the youngest of 14 children from a Vietnamese family. I knew college would be an important step and was thrilled when I got the offer. But I knew _________ nothing about college and had no one to turn to for _________. Everything was novel and challenging, and I was always several steps behind, which _________ my confidence. I spent more time trying to work out how to pay for college and wondering whether I should _________ than I did studying.

No wonder I blew that interview with Dr.D. I reached for my backpack to leave, thinking this meeting was over. To my _________, Dr.D told me he appreciated my honesty, and welcomed me to his lab where I worked for two years afterwards. He laid a(n) __________ for my faith and self-worth and taught me __________ it means to be a good mentor.

From the start, Dr.D consistently asked me for help and ideas. At first I was surprised. What could I possibly have to offer? __________ my blank stares as he tried to extract ideas from me, he __________ with incredible patience. He never doubted I had something worthwhile to ____________Over time, I began to believe it, too.

When I was __________ what to do after graduation, he told me to go where people needed me and happily helped me. Beyond that, his consistent encouragement __________ me that I had the value to offer and was worthy of support, which had been particularly __________ for me as a first-generation college student from an immigrant family.

When I became a professor and mentored my own students, many of whom __________ me of my younger self. I strive to be __________ with my time, compassion and expertise; respect mentees’ unique backgrounds and contributions. As I say to my students, how can we expect others to see that we're __________ if we can't see it ourselves?

5 . There are countless stories of man’s best friend stepping in to ________ humans. And that’s exactly what happened between a dog named Macho and a teenage boy, Griffin.

Single mom Nicole Evans was out of town when a fire ________ inside the home. Her teenage son, Griffin, was in his room sleeping at 5: 30 am, not ________ what was happening. That’s when Macho started behaving very ________. He nipped (咬) at Griffin repeatedly, ________ to leave alone. Fortunately, Macho’s immediate ________ enabled him and Griffin to ________ from the burning house just in time.

The fire completely ________ Nicole Evans’ home. And hearing about the ________ while out of town was a nightmare for the single mom. “It was probably the worst ________ of my life to not be with my son while something’s happening to him,” Nicole explained.

________, while she lost nearly everything she owns, it’s what ________ the fire that was most important to Nicole. “All those things are just things, and they’re all ________,” she said. “It’s a(n) ________ to know both Griffin and Macho are safe, and I can’t thank Macho enough for his incredible ________.”

Meanwhile, Nicole won’t face this ________ time alone. From the moment the news of the fire spread, donations began ________. Neighbors are helping the family ________ from the great loss and a charity account is ensuring friends and strangers alike can provide ________ as well.

Our pets not only provide us with companionship and unconditional love, but can even act as our furry ________.

6 . During Thanksgiving dinner, my grandmother would ask us to share a story of a person we were grateful to during the past year. And then she would ask, “Did you ________ that person?” She encouraged us to show our gratitude by our ________.

I will always remember the warm and happy ________ I had as a child, the miracle of being at my grandmother’s Thanksgiving table, eating her food, and listening to those I ________ tell what they were thankful for. I believe it made a big ________ in my life. It helped all of us shift from being ________ focused to being externally focused.

When I got married and Jesselie and I started our own Thanksgiving ________, a few memories ________. We used to live in Piedmont, California when our children were still young. To give Jesselie time to ________ the dinner without ________, I took the children over to San Francisco to look at the beautiful holiday windows. Our children have always remembered that ________, and Jesselie has never ________ that Thanksgiving dinner because as we sat down to a cornucopia (丰富) of ________, including Williamsburg sweet potato pudding and sausage stuffing, our children said, “Can we just go to get a hamburger instead?”

I hope all of us can start a new tradition — a tradition of assessing our lives and actions, ________ our unconscious biases (偏见), and committing to be more ________ and better appreciate our differences.

7 . 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 like, “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?”

8 . When Shelby Lattimore, a math and science teacher, saw her third graders weren’t attending class, she found a fun way to change that. The 25-year-old teacher started her class ______ to encourage them not only to ______ but to get excited about learning.

In the class, students can choose from a variety of “______”, from being a door holder to being a cleanup crew. They get “paid” every two weeks and the ______ they get depends on which job they take on. The money is not real but play money spent on a homework pass, a seat change, and so on.

Each month, Lattimore’s students also have to pay “rent” for their class desk and chair. To keep things interesting, Lattimore also introduced a new ______ to her current class. At the beginning of the school year, she ______ students $5 and then once the new year hit, the ______ increased to $7. “So that was kind of an ______ that they had to make,” she said.

Students can buy rewards once a month. The reward ______ low, medium and high price ranges, with $2 candy being the cheapest option to a more ______ $5 “lunch with Ms. L” reward. Students can also ______ until they have enough money for the most expensive reward, for example, being the teacher for $ 30.

Today, Lattimore has seen how much they’ve learned about various ______ from budgeting and saving to reading a receipt and ______ change. She has also heard from students’ families, who are ______ of this idea because their kids are learning something they never learned at this age. “That’s really the goal here, to not just ______ them this year, but to keep it going,” she added.

9 . In a heartwarming incident that highlights the power of human connection, a woman’s act of kindness saved the life of a struggling homeless man.

During a _________ between classes, Casey Fischer made a stop at Dunkin Donuts for a coffee. It was there that she _________ a homeless man collecting change by the roadside. _________, she watched him walk into Dunkin, counting his change to see what he could _________.

Casey went over to engage him in _________ and learned that he had only about $1 in change. _________ by his difficult situation, she bought him a _________ and bagel, inviting him to sit with her. He told her that he lost his family in an accident and how people are usually _________ to him because he’s homeless. They _________ for about an hour, drinking their coffees.

After __________ that Casey needed to return to class, the man, named Chris, asked her to __________ so he could write something down for her. Handing Casey a crumpled-up receipt with a(an)__________ for his shaky handwriting, he smiled and left.

Upon opening the __________, Casey read his heartfelt message: “I wanted to end my life today, but because of you, I now have __________. Thank you, beautiful person.”

Casey posted on social media later that day that “this lovely man’s name was Chris, and Chris was one of the most __________ people I’ve ever met”.

10 . I often felt there was a lack of ceremony in my life. The ceremony of passage to mark transitions was ________. Therefore, I was especially ________ when a friend invited me to go with him for a hike that would mark his ________ entry into elderhood. We would be ________ by three other companions. One of them was a wise and gentle elder who would serve as our ________. But whether it involved a ________ or not, an opportunity to walk in the backcountry with people who knew where they were going sounded ________ to me, and yes was what I said.

It was a long drive and we started out early,________ along mountain roads to a campground at the edge of a ________ area where we met our guide. We then walked along a gently rising trail. Along the way there was green grass and bursts of colorful ________, and we soon got down into a sandy creek bed, which we followed for some time. The wonders of the wilderness ________ before us, and every now and then our guide stopped to call our ________ to the shift of the environment, instructing us to ________ the spirit of attentiveness and gratitude.

________, he paused to adjust the leg brace（支架） he was wearing to support his knee, but these too were ________ moments. "Getting ________ slows us down," he said, "but when we slow down, we become aware of things. That's one of the ________ of being an elder. We are allowed to slow down and ________. Life may not have so many ceremonies, so we need to ________ changes. We should move forward with the right ________: being humble, appreciative and positive."