3 . When my son came home with a backpack filled with certificates(证书) acknowledging his genius in math, English, history, science, and the rest of his eighth grade classes, I was _________, until another parent, whose son attended the same school, told me, “All the kids _________ them.”

My son is bright. However, I knew he wasn’t good enough to _________ certificates from every class because he didn’t work very hard. I shared that _________ with the school, and they _________ of my comments. The principal believed it was _________ to praise every student. He said kids fear failure—if they get poor grades, they’ll _________ learning.

I do not agree with _________ students who have not worked hard or done something to succeed. Students generally know when they have not earned an award; _________, the reward becomes meaningless.

If we do not believe a child can ____________ something, which is the message that is sent when a reward not truly ____________ is given, then they will believe the same. ____________, no pride or self- respect is gained from it. Meanwhile, when ____________ are low, or even nonexistent, students are not given the opportunity to learn and grow.

Giving children opportunities to succeed, with ____________ if necessary, is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children. For when they do succeed by working hard, we give them a ____________ sense of self and they’ll realize they’re more capable than they thought.

5 . So many of us are terrible at being terrible. As our children venture off to school, sports, dances and music lessons, we urge them: Just try something, keep practicing, you’re only a beginner. And yet, faced with our own failure, we become less confident, and quit altogether.

Images of perfection fill our social-media feeds, along with advertisements assuring us we wouldn’t be so _______ if we just bought this thing or tried that product. Parents often add to the pressure, _______ their kids will end up sliding down the socioeconomic ladder.

What if we’re _______?

“It’s such a _______ not to have to be good,” says Karen Rinaldi, who refers to herself as a horrible surfer. After 20 years on the board, she is still bad, and she loves it. There is the excitement of being out on the water, but there is also the _______ of not having to be the expert, the freedom to _______ help and rely on others in a way she never would at work. Back on land, she says she is more understanding and _______others’ mistakes. “The benefit of not _______ myself every day,” she says, “is that I get to surf every time I want.”

Ms. Rinaldi, whose experience led to a book about what you can learn from failure, recommends asking yourself: “What is it that you’ve always wanted to do or try but were too _______?” Whatever it is, she says, start doing it. Should you struggle, ________ the fact that you’re a beginner. “Go in there with the ________ to say, ‘I’m new,’” she says. “People want to help you learn. It makes them feel good.”

Take myself as another example. I started yoga lessons this summer. When I ________ Syd Schulz, a professional mountain biker, that I was terrible at the poses, her response was “what did you expect?” “It’s a little ________ to people who have spent years and years of their lives acquiring skills to think that you should have those overnight,” says Ms. Schulz. Years spent working on her cycling have taught her that improvement often comes in ________ steps, following long stretches of inactivity or even getting ________.

6 . Making a family

For years, Dad had avoided getting a dog. Whenever the _________ came up, Dad complained, “Dogs are a pain. I don’t want to be _________.”   Despite his strong opposition, Mom brought home a puppy named Chip, a cute ball that _________ us all.

For me, at age thirteen, Chip brought out my _________ side. I fed, brushed and walked him every day. I also learned that when we take care of what is important to us, we _________ the benefits. And this _________ stayed with me as I grew. At that time, Chip meant a loyal (忠诚的) companion, someone to _________ me at the door when I returned, and someone to kiss my face when I was sad.

Chip even _________ Dad. It was nearly a month before Chip’s _________ personality won him over. Dad was the first to __________ him to sit on the sofa. He even made chew toys for Chip to play with.

Most __________, Chip brought us together as a family. After dinner, instead of escaping to our bedrooms as before, we all __________ Chip into the family room. We’d teach him new __________ or perfect his old ones. We’d recall stories of the cute things he’d done that day. The key is that we’d do this together.

People sometimes complain that dog lovers are __________ humanity; rather, their pets stimulate the __________ of their humanity.

8 . When my kids were young, we bought them two pet parrots. These beautiful, white birds would whistle all through the day. We had a big cage for them with toys, and a mirror, plus food and water dishes. We couldn’t let them fly in the house because of our cats, but they didn’t seem to be content in their cage or so, I thought.

One day when the air had turned warm, I opened the window to let the wind in. The songs of lots of different birds filled the air and our two parrots sang with excitement. I went over to their cage to replace their water, but as soon as I opened the door, one of them flew out and headed for the window. He crashed into the glass, fell over onto the sofa, fell back up and then started to fly around the living room. The cats ran after him, hoping for a quick meal. The kids screamed (尖叫) and I rushed to save him. It took several minutes to stop the cats from catching the bird, and get him safely back in his cage. After that day, however, I always felt a bit sorry for my parrots. I knew that no matter how comfortable their cage was, they still wanted to fly.

Many of us live in cages of our own making. We close our minds, lock away our hearts, and limit our lives. We refuse to see the love that lies within us. We sit in our cages day after day and never dare to once open the door.

I don’t want to waste my days sitting bored in a cage. I want to go fast through the sky on wings of kindness and joy. I want to ride on the winds of love and help everyone to do the same. Don’t stay stuck in your own cage then. Let yourself fly!

9 . My career as a chef started at the age of 25, but my ______ for cooking started at an early age, when I was about 5 years old — by watching my grandmother and my mom in the kitchen ______ daily meals for the family. I was also ______by going with my grandfather to markets to ______ the freshest ingredients. My grandfather taught me the art of picking and recognizing “the ______.”

From my youth, I have had this passion for food. Growing up in Morocco, I witnessed the most amazing hospitality and ______ through my grandparents. They opened their ______ to everybody, and fed and sheltered the poor, travelers, family and friends.

I remember as a young kid coming home from school to the ______ of fragrant (芳香的) fresh bread coming out of the oven. Those smells stimulated (刺激) my senses at a young age. The ______were fresh and seasonal — they were very simple dishes but delightfully ______.

Food is almost as ______ as it is necessary. Food makes people feel things. I really think that food tastes its best when there is a ______ behind it. It shapes cultures, religion, politics and health. Food brings people together, and goes straight to the ______.

In my kitchen, I try to duplicate (复制) smells and flavors that make me think about more than what I’m actually smelling or ______ — it makes me think of life, my family, and my history. I love to cook food that ______ people’s emotions and memories; my philosophy is to “keep food real and simple.”

10 . In Connecticut, &teacher made a big decision that would change the course of her life and her new student’s.

Jenna Riccio, a busy elementary school teacher, encountered a _________ that would test her pity and kindness. In 2019, Jenna _________ her new student, Nate, fell ill and needed emergency surgery. Unfortunately, the blood infection _________ the amputation (截肢) of his loge and left arm. When Jenna _________ everything and went to see Nate at the hospital, she found him alone. She decided to bring him _________ by being there for him. However, her _________ was not just an act of kindness. Jenna learned Nate had been _________.

Concerned for his well-being, Jenna _________ his social worker to apply to adopt Nate. Feeling _________ the worker agreed to help. __________, when she told her decision to her then-boyfriend, Tim who’s __________, too, he readily agreed.

Two years later, things __________ for Jenna in her love life. She and Tim got married, and disabled Nate was the ring bearer. However, their family didn’t become __________ until 2022 when Nate became their legally adopted son __________. Today, he’s in the 5th grade, growing healthy.

“Every night I go to sleep, thinking, ‘I’m very __________. I’ll repay them for their love,’”Nate says. __________, Jenna and Tim are overjoyed to have Nate in their lives. They can never __________ life without him.

Jenna’s decision to adopt Nate shows the __________ of sympathy and the __________ impact it has on someone’s life. The love and care she showed Nate __________ his life, and their journey as a family is the proof of their love and care.