2 . In a national spelling contest in America, an 11-year-old girl was asked to spell a certain word. But with her______voice, the judges were not sure whether she spelled the right word. They talked it over and______decided to simply ask her what she had said. By then, the girl knew she had misspelled the word. 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, clapping to applaud her honesty. Later, dozens of newspaper reporters wrote about this______, even though it cost the girl the contest. But the fact is that she______the biggest contest that day: the contest of her character.

Probably the biggest test of our character is what we would do if we knew we would never get______This young girl could easily have______and nobody would have known it but herself. But it’s been said, “If you______,you make yourself cheap.” This young girl was______enough to prize her own character more than the prize from a spelling contest. She knew the______she made in that moment will have a long-lasting influence in her future.

Should the wallet, found in the street, be put into a pocket or______to the policeman? Should the______change received at the store be forgotten or______? Nobody will know. But we have to live with ourselves, and it is always better to live with someone we ______.

3 . When I was in sixth grade, I joined the band program to learn to play the clarinet (单簧管). The beginning of the year had gone _________. But as most students progressed, I seemed to fall behind. One day, when my teacher told us to play in front of the other students. I was filled with fear. I knew I would _________. When I began to play, my rhythms (节奏) were good, but my tone was another _________. “Did you practice your lesson?” the teacher barked at me. I felt so ashamed and my world came _________ down in an instant.

From then on, I hated playing the clarinet and I kept getting _________. With the day of the new performance approaching, I grew increasingly upset. In a moment of _________, I asked for sick leave. It was so relieving and such a(n) easy way out.

The avoidance of my lessons continued until my mum asked me about it. “I want to quit.” My tears started _________. “If you really want to quit, why are you crying?” asked Mum. She _________ and I realized I wanted to stay in band and, by not facing my fears, I had created a black hole that would be difficult to _________ out of. I made a resolution not to hide from my fears and to stand up to even the worst of them, so a __________ could be achieved.

The next day I met with my band teacher and told her I was having a problem and couldn’t __________ why. She asked me gently to play for her. I tried, but only an unpleasant sound came out. She didn’t shout at me and handed me a new reed (簧片). I put it in place and tried again. To my great __________ I could play well. My problem was solved and my fear was __________ a lot that year.

Looking back, I’m glad that I overcame my fear. Fear can __________ everything in a person’s life. Hiding from those very fears only creates a hole, which makes a person stay __________ inside. After facing up to a fear, one may find life easier and much more enjoyable.

7 . Letting me move into my university dormitory wasn’t an easy decision for my parents. However, they knew if I wanted a good ________, I’d have to live away from home. I’d always dreamed of living alone: the life of no rules and regulations and being independent. So I was ________ about this new stage in my life.

________, during the first few months of living alone, I’d find myself crying every day. I’d call my mum every day. I ________ to fly back home as soon as I got any time off. That was the only thing I was concerned about. Coming from a big family, I was ________ to noises surrounding me. Therefore, the scary silence at night was the worst. I couldn’t even ________ without keeping the lights on.

As time went by, I started enjoying the ________ that came with living alone. I could do things in my own time: eat whenever I want, wake up whenever I want. The space of loneliness was also then ________ by friends who became like family, so I ________ missing my family less.

When it was time to say goodbye and go back home after my________, I was bittersweet. I’d enjoyed my time alone, learning things which wouldn’t have been ________ if I had never moved away from home. But I’d also missed my family too much.

I’d learned a lot from this ________. Living alone made me value ________ time even more. I realized that every second with them ________ though I might not get the freedom I had while living alone.

I guess it’s ________ for everybody, but for me, there is no warmth in a house unless it’s filled with loving members and people you love.

8 . A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her, and she did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.

Her father, a cook, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and in the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

The daughter impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them on a plate. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a glass. Turning to her, he asked, “Darling, what do you see?” “Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to taste the coffee. She smiled, as she tasted it.

“What does it mean, father?” she asked. He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity, boiling water, but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong end hard. But after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they changed the water.

“Which are you?” he asked his daughter. When adversity knocks on your door in your life, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

9 . Playing toss and catch with small children can be a fun experience, as they enjoy it very much. “again, Mommy, again!” Sarah exclaims as I toss her up in the air and catch her safely. She spreads her arms and legs as if she were flying, her eyes gleaming with _________. Her complete trust in me is heartwarming, yet it also carries a great deal of _________.

I hope that Sarah will always have complete _________ in me, but I realize that as she grows older, earning and maintaining her trust will require more effort and good judgment _________. Trust is such an essential part of a parent-child bond that it’s something that can’t _________ to lose or be taken for granted. Every time I _________ Sarah to something new, she’ll do it only because she trusts me and feels _________ in the knowledge that she won’t get hurt. For example, teaching Sarah to swim means she has to _________ that when she’s swimming in the big pool, I’ll come to her rescue if her doggy paddle lets her down.

_________ in the workplace, trust is crucial for strong __________. It is something that every manager should work hard to __________ among their team. Without trust, your team is unlikely to __________ your directions and willingly work together to achieve common goals. A __________ of trust can make people work against you rather than for you. At the very least, it means that people are not going to be __________ you their best. Good __________, like good parenting, is a long-term commitment, which requires effort, understanding, and patience.