1 . For weeks, I carried out a campaign for traveling alone to New York. My father was _______ and felt I would give up sooner or later. He was _______. I was seventeen, a college freshman. I felt quite old enough to make the _______. I'd take a plane to New York City and then get on a bus for the rest of the trip. People did it every day. It would be easy, but I did need his _______.

With my grandparents' _______, my father finally _______. My father wasn't happy and secretly hoped that I would _______ the plan.

The December evening finally came, and I was too _______ to sleep on board. When I landed, I got my heavy suitcase and _______ to pull it to the bus station which was crowded with all kinds of people. I was dragging my heavier - by - the - minute luggage when a tall, young man __________. I thought he was coming to help, but before I could __________, he grabbed (抓住) the handle and began to move __________ away from me.

“DROP IT!” came a __________ voice from behind me. The young man let my suitcase __________ as he began to run away. Then a gentleman came, lifting my suitcase and took me to get on the __________. I thanked the man but he only said to me, “Take care of yourself, Jeanie Girl.” As I sat down, I was __________ that he knew my name. I didn't __________ telling him. I looked around, but he was __________ to be seen.

Who was he? And how did he get my name? I have no way to __________, but I can tell how I felt about him - very __________, because the only other person to ever call me “Jeanie Girl” was my own sweet father.

2 . People kept coming into St. Stephen’s asking for help with car repairs. Oh, this is obviously an urgent _________. What if I opened a non-profit auto garage that offered _________repairs?

So I _________ myself at Dunwoody College of Technology in the spring of 2008. I knew I had to try to make my idea a _________. However, I was a middle-aged woman and knew _________ about mechanics. _________, none of the guys rushed to be my lab partner. The only thing I could do was watch my classmates and _________ what they did.

One day we were _________ to flare (扩口) brake lines. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t do it. “Hey, what’s taking so long?” Mr. Du Vai _________ from across the room. My hands were __________ so badly that I couldn’t hold the tube __________. And tears streamed down my cheeks. At the end of the __________, the other students trooped out. I went to Mr. Du Vai.

“My __________ doesn’t work this way,” I said. “I’m giving up.”

He glared at me. “I’m not going to let you __________!” he said, his voice rising. “I believe in you. You can do this. I’m going to watch you walk across that stage as a __________ in two years. Now get over there and flare those brake lines.”

Tried again. And again. On the fourth try, I __________.

Today I __________ a non-profit called The Lift Garage. Our __________ are about 75 percent less than what a for-profit shop would charge. We’ve __________ low-income families more than two million dollars in car repairs.

Some people want to follow in our __________. I could never have pictured any of this happening. Good thing has a much better imagination!

3 . I live in a town near Prague(布拉格), the capital of the Czech Republic. Besides cars, bikes are the most important _________ of transportation(运输). As it _________ you to go almost anywhere you want, cycling is a big _________ for Czech people. On weekends, you can see cyclists _________ through the towns wearing helmets (头盔) and cycling clothes.

Some people _________ that living in a town is inconvenient (不便利的), including me. _________, I find life in towns much more _________ than that in big cities after living here for a while. I was _________ given a bicycle by my host family. _________ it is only an ordinary bike, I was still __________ and couldn’t wait to take a cycling trip alone.

One sunny Sunday afternoon, I took my first cycling trip to a village nearby. I cycled for a while, alongside a river. But then, something happened: One of my tires __________. There was no choice but to __________ my bike back home, which took an hour.

I didn’t give up though: One week later, I __________ again. This time, however, there was__________ wrong with my tires. It was a very beautiful town, with a typical Czech castle and a park full of peacocks. People were taking part in a marathon that day. There were also stands selling __________ Czech foods and drinks, such as potato pancakes and beer.

It was already sunset when I __________ to head home, and I saw almost no one on the way back. As the warm breeze softly stroked (轻抚) my face. I felt very __________ and happy.

I believe many of us need a(n) __________ like this to take a break from our __________ life sometimes. So, I really do encourage all of you to take a cycling trip alone, even just to a nearby village. Just look around you, and you’re sure to __________ some hidden beauty.

4 . I didn’t expect parenting a teenager to be this hard. Lately, my son and I disagree at every corner. About schoolwork. His attitude. Screen time. On and on. _________ I say is met with an eye roll. My fuse (导火线) is admittedly shorter than normal right now, due to some unrelated _________ and illness.

On a recent _________ home, after picking up. my teen from school, we made a quick detour (绕行) for a grocery _________. As soon as the food was _________, my child snatched from the trunk a box of individually wrapped and processed snack cakes I’d unwillingly allowed.

As he oohed and aahed through mouthfuls of yellow cake and frosted coating, I silently questioned my decision to _________ him to do so.

But before we’d even _________ the parking lot (停车场), he asked me to _________. I just wanted this errand (差事) to be done. But then my son _________ me: He asked if he could share a few of his treasured treats with a homeless man, who stood coatless outside the store.

Of course, I stopped the car.

Actually, I hadn’t even considered the homeless in my rush to get home, __________ my car was packed with food. Without hesitation, my teenage son __________ the stranger a few little cakes. The man __________ us, and we continued on our way. Actually, my kid seemed __________: “What if he doesn’t like them?” he said. And a few seconds later, my son __________, “Mom! He’s already eating one!”

Throughout our journey home, we frankly discussed how difficult it must be for people experiencing __________. It was a __________ conversation with no quarrel or negotiations. __________ a time to reflect and count how much we have to be thankful for.

When we eventually turned into our garage, that same teenager expressing __________ for my recent illness—announced “You’re not unloading any of these bags. I got this, Mom.”

Yes, parenting a teen is harder than I __________. But it’s also __________: And, in that moment, you realize you’ve actually raised a pretty awesome human being.

5 . Last week I wrote about how giving to others can and does lift your life and brings more happiness, contentment, and even better health and a longer life. It must have _________ me to practice what I was preaching (宣扬) because later I _________ myself in my car driving to the high school that all my kids attended and going _________ to the office where I made a pretty sizable donation.

As I walked out of the building, I felt so good and happy in the _________ of my heart and brain that I _________ another school. I made a couple more _________ that day and felt like I was on top of the _________. It’s very _________ that when I make donations, including all those $2 bills that I _________ give to kids, I always feel that I __________ much more out of it than the recipient (接受者). What a great __________ it gives me! As science has proved, there is a great __________ between the brain and the __________. This allows us humans to help and __________ our entire physical being by what we run through our heads. __________ is one of those things that can set off a lot of good __________ feelings in our bodies.

Most of us, when we talk about giving, tend to think __________ in terms of giving money. But there are so many other ways and things to give. With very little __________, I came up with this list of things we can give to others that can be a __________ help to those people and, at the same time, can give a __________ to our brains, souls, and bodies.

6 . When I was a teenager I took part in a six-week summer learning program-Upward Bound at a college. It helped disadvantaged kids get a ________ of what college is like. We stayed in the dorms. In the mornings we ________ college classes and in the evenings we had fun ________ . We did have a(n) ________ in the afternoons, however. On one of these afternoons, my friend, Claude and I ________ an old basketball and headed to an outdoor basketball court for a game of one on one.

I was gangly (身材瘦长的), ________ only 140 pounds at the time but Claude was ________ and even skinnier than me. He had the ________ in the game then and I fell behind fast. I was ________ , though, so I drove hard to the basket but missed a lay up. Then, just as I was about to ________ the ball, I saw an elbow above my face. As Claude grabbed the ball, his elbow came down hard, right into my eye. The skin below it was split(划破)and it really ________ Claude kept ________ over and over while I found myself ________ through the pain. I spent the next few days walking around with a mark on my left ________ and a black eye, but it was worth it.

In this life we all ________ get an elbow in the eye. Things may not happen in the way that is ________ or may even work against us. The twists and turns of life take us where they may. When this happens, it is best to ________ the matter using laughter, love, acceptance and ________ In this way you can turn your ________ into joy and you can learn and grow. Fill your days with laughter and love then. And keep a(n) ________ on your face even when there’s an elbow in your eye.

7 . When I left a company and started my own business, I thought I had it all figured out. When I made the decision to change my________and get fit, I thought I was on the right track. And when I purchased a second business, I assumed I was doing the right thing.________never occurred to me. I was all about making things happen.

During the next three years, I was________with work. But the busier I got, the less I________to accomplish. I even felt emotionally and physically________. When I visited the doctor, I was diagnosed(诊断)with Graves' disease, a disorder with________like physical anxiety, tiredness, etc. Dr. Joy advised me to do some________on Graves' disease and slow down a little.

Following the doctor's advice, I surfed the Internet and learned Graves' disease is often caused and________by stress. "How is your stress level?" I asked myself. The following day, the________resurfaced (重新露面)when I came across an old friend. After exchanging________, Cindy said, "You've taken on a lot. You'd better slow down and relax yourself."

I smiled. "I have to________that some of those projects I'm juggling(兼顾)are starting to get________."

"So, stop juggling and put something________. It's OK to tell people 'no'." With these words, she went away.

I wrote down everything I was juggling. My calendar was so filled with duties that I________had time to relax. I examined the________. It was clear that I didn't want to do it all. So I________to have white space on my schedule. I________using an orange highlighter(高光笔) to block out time for myself to________and focus on what's important.

I've learned to be________to myself. Every day I spend some alone time doing something interesting to________myself, which plays a big part in my well-being.

8 . When I was just a little boy, my mom and I drove to my grandpa' s sister's house in another town. I went outside to _________ in the yard while they all sat around the _________ table to talk. After over an hour's playing by only myself, I got _________ and walked inside to see what they were doing. _________ on the kitchen table was a large, homemade tapestry (挂毯) that was still being _________ together. Pieces of multicolored fabrics (织物) were put everywhere. I sat on a chair and _________ as my great aunt painstakingly sewed a little piece onto it. I looked over at one edge of the tapestry and saw a piece of thread _________ out. Without thinking I reached over to _________ it.

"No! Stop!" It was my grandpa's sister's _________. I jumped back. Seeing the __________ look on my face she smiled and __________ showed me why she had shouted. That single piece of __________ went in and out of the different pieces of fabric. If I had pulled it, I might have torn (扯破) the entire tapestry and __________ her hours of work.

As I __________ that moment today, I can see that our __________ is a lot like that thread. We are all just a single string (细绳) in the world. We can't always see where we are going or what we are __________ to. However, don't feel __________ in the tapestry of life. Accept your __________ in it willingly. You may only be a single piece of thread but your love and your life help to __________ the whole thing together. You are put here for a purpose. __________ it and live for it each day of your life.

9 . I lost most of my hair due to a disease. When my grandchildren visited me, I wore my wig (假发). Since it looked _________ to my natural hair, the kids weren't aware of the _________.

All went well until my four-year-old granddaughter _________walked into my bedroom one morning. She saw a(n)_________ creature and her grandma's wig on the table. She screamed in _________.

My grandson, who was seven, had heard about my disease and tried to _________ his sister, but she was too upset to recognize me. I finally made her believe after much _________ that I was truly her grandmother.

Several weeks after my grandchildren retuned home, a small _________ arrived in the mail. I felt surprised because I hadn't _________ anything. Then I found my grandson's name and address in the upper left-hand comer!

Although ____________ to receive something from him, I couldn't ____________ why he would have sent me a gift. Then, without ____________ to bring it indoors, I tore the parcel (包裹) open. I reached inside and ____________ a handmade hat.

When I placed this ____________on my head, I let out a satisfied sigh. It was so ____________ as if someone were giving me a warm hug. And the ____________ was perfect: tight enough to stay on my head, but loose enough to ____________comfortably.

Later, I learned that my grandson had been troubled during his visit. As soon as he returned home, he ____________ several days of play to create something his grandmother ____________.

My hair has grown back now and I don't need to wear that hat anymore. However, this ____________________ present is one I will always value.

10 . Throughout my high school career I've made a point of doing what many people fail to do on a daily basis：reflect and assess my life and decisions. I'm a（n） _______ and I analyze and contemplate （沉思）,sometimes too much, but always with the intention of _______ something new about myself. You might be _______ to learn that I do my best thinking not in the classroom, not in the bedroom, but in the bathroom.

The bathroom has always been a place where I can sit in _______. The closest thing to a（n） _______ is a polite knock on the door, and quiet is _______ maintained. Bathrooms are always kept clean, and _______are provided for sufficient self-inspection. _______, the bathroom is the ideal place for reflection.

My bathroom, which is situated a brief _______ down the hall from my bedroom, is a wonderful place where I can take comfort. ________a long day of hard work, I ________for my bathroom to reflect on the past day and the days ahead. I think about my friends and family, and what they ________ to me. I even realize the numerous ________ that I have recently made, and ________ to put them right.

The thinking I do in the bathroom — whether it is a ________ about my future as a rock star, or the realization that my mother was in fact correct - is important to me. Taking the time to think and reflect has ________ me to make good decisions. And then I will ________ what is important to me. Instead of living my life ________ , I've made a choice to think deeply and keep things in perspective.

To me, the bathroom is not a place to________ the challenges of reality, but rather a place to________   those challenges through the power of human intelligence.