1 . Veteran (老兵) Willenbring has always been a fighter. She grew up with her parents on the West Coast during an adolescence she describes as sometimes _______. But the military struck Willenbring as a way to _______ the aggression she says built up during an unstable upbringing. In 1998, she joined the army and was _______ to a foreign country.

“We were actually part of the initial _______to go into the country,” she says. “And I can’t even describe the _______.” In the scenes of destruction, Willenbring recalled some ordinary sights that briefly woke her from the stress of the war every night. As her mission came to an end, her luck ran out. She ended up severely _______ and had to be taken away in an air ambulance.

She _______ returned to her home country, and spent three years living in her hometown, a city called Salem. She _______ to adjust to civilian life. Fireworks would _______ particularly difficult episodes. “I had PTSD (创伤后应激障碍) so badly that I could not ________ living in a city anymore,” she says.

Instead, in 2010 Willenbring ________ on a plot with sheep in rural Oregon. The sheep, she says, have helped her manage her trauma symptoms. She’s surrounded by animals that ________ her emotions and can tell her own mood.

The ________ rural life is an apparent contrast to the chaos of battle. Willenbring hasn’t had a major ________related to her PTSD for eight years. Farming has its dramas, she says, “but it is also something that is about creation, about ________ over death rather than death over life.”

2 . My parents and I never really saw eye to eye on anything. When I was young it was just the ______ stuff — the length of my skirt or the movies I wanted to watch. _______, as I got older, I found that there was a lot more that we didn’t ______ — my choice of friends or what I wanted to study at university.

I went to university in another city at 17. ______ home has totally broadened my outlook (看法) on the world and has changed my opinions on lots of ______. I’ve encountered many amazing people with different experiences. My circle of friends includes people with ______ beliefs, values, cultures and different ways of approaching life. But the great thing is that we respect each other’s ______. I’ve learnt to question what I’ve been taught and not always agree just because that is what “everybody else” ______ .

When I went home to visit my parents the first couple of times, I found it really hard to ______. I found it hard to deal with not being able to _______my opinions as freely as I did when I was away from home. It was really upsetting. I used to get angry that my parents weren’t in ______ of my opinions. Now, I gradually realize that ______ I want my parents to respect what I say, I have to ______ their views. While it is ______, once I make an effort to respect their values, it is not a ______ to get along with my parents.

3 . “Never give up! Never give up!” chanted (反复唱) my two young kids, Max and Charley, as they _________     barefoot behind their grandmother Mimi. Mimi was leading them on yet another _________, straight off the beach where they had played before. This time, they were _________ the ice-cream truck.

Over the years, Mom taught me just how much one could achieve with a _________ attitude. She has taken the same _________ in her relationship with her grandchildren. Max and Charley were disappointed at missing the ice-cream man that day. That was until Mimi’s eyes _________ and she said, “Never give up!”. She explained that the truck might be gone, but they could hurry to find it at its next _________.

They walked block after block. Not knowing which direction the truck had taken, they had to make a(an)_________ guess about where to search. My kids’ tiny legs were tired, but they moved on, continuing to chant, “Never give up!”.

After about twenty minutes of walking, Max began to _________ his faith in the mission. He wondered out loud, “Maybe we should give up. We have been walking pretty far and haven’t seen the truck yet.” Charley yelled, “No __________ ! Never give up!” and continued her chant with Mimi. Somewhat doubtful Max __________ without protest.

Just two blocks later, they found it. Mimi threw a triumphant(展示胜利的) fist in the air, and Max and Chariey screamed with __________, “Never give up!” At that moment, my mom had done for my children what she had done for me countless times. __________ though it was, that phrase has become our battle cry for the challenges we face. Whatever setbacks they __________, I know I can always look at Max and Charley and say, ^“Never give up!” Upon hearing those words, they are instantly __________ to a positive state of mind—where the next ice-cream truck is just around the corner.

4 . Colorado traffic police department has come up with a unique effort to ensure the driving safety of motorbike riders in Denver. Through a(n) _________ partnership with “Advance Auto Parts”, Denver police is _________ the motorists, who might not be _________ to spend money in repairing their damaged vehicle parts.

Advanced Auto Parts store has _________ the Denver Police Department with 100 cards each worth $25 for handing out to the pulled-over motor drivers. Driving with a broken or damaged vehicle part is _________ a traffic rule violation and motorists are often pulled over by cops due to this very _________. Then they are either given a warning or a _________ to pay a fine. But from now on, the Denver police will have the option to give a $25 gift card _________, if they pull over any motorist for a defective headlight, bad taillight, or any other broken _________. This money will help them in fixing the damaged part and back on the road with further __________.

According to Paul Pazen, the Denver Police Chief, this Advanced Auto Parts’ __________ has helped the police department in getting __________ submission with the motorists and also __________ social relationships with the community. The officers have already __________ a few cards and have enjoyed the sigh of __________ and smiles on the pulled-over drivers’ faces.

5 . Driving on the mountain road where I live can be both a delight and an adventure. Yet, you should also watch for deer and squirrels _______ the road as well as fallen trees and rocks that may break loose from and _______down the side of the hill.

I _______ upon one big rock just the other day. I saw a car just ahead of me narrowly turn around it. But the stone was _______ there, which might cause traffic accidents. I turned round and then _______ over to a wide spot. I knew a rock of this _______ would break parts of a low riding car like mine if the driver didn’t see it _______. So I walked over and moved the huge stone. It must have weighed 50 pounds, but with all my strength, I removed it. I felt relieved and walked back to my car.

The happening reminded me too of an old _______ I had read once: In a faraway land, a king had placed a huge rock on the way to his palace. Many nobles walked by and surrounded it, complaining that the king didn’t keep the road up better. Finally, a _______ farmer pulling a cart (马车) of vegetables arrived. He ________ and pushed the rock off the road. Then he saw under it was a bag of gold coins that the king had left for the one who ________the path for those who came after. Later, he was not as badly off as before.

Now while there wasn’t any ________ under the rock I moved, my heart did feel more ________as I was driving back home. Maybe the real ________ is the joy we spread, and the ________ we share.

6 . January 23, 2007 became a nightmare for Jessica Bachus. Her second daughter Kenzi _________ at just 24 weeks. “When Kenzi passed away, all my hopes went away, too,” Jessica says. The Colorado-based mother was overcome with emotion, _________ she eventually decided to channel her grief into the _________ of Kenzi.

Jessica knew that even if she couldn’t give dolls to both of her daughters that year, she could still make the holidays _________ for another girl. With the help of her husband, Kyle, and their daughter, Bailey, she _________ 150 dolls to gift underprivileged girls in the community.

“When I saw a family _________ a doll we donated, I cried tears of joy for the first time in almost a year,” Jessica says. So, she _________ to collect dolls and founded the Dolls for Daughters, a nonprofit organization dedicated to _________ financially-strapped families in Colorado with toys, food, school supplies, and more.

Now going into its ninth annual _________, the Dolls for Daughters operates five toy shops in Colorado on the first Saturday in December. Parents are able to choose at least one new gift for each of their children free of charge.

“Most families in our __________ make less than $15,000 a year,” Jessica says. “Many children are used to getting hand-me-downs — this is one time we guarantee that what they get is __________.” Since the establishment of the Dolls for Daughters, more than 48,000 children have been __________ and more than 323,400 items have been gifted to the families.

Jessica and her husband now have four children — Bailey, Kam, Karson, and Kenzi. “We talk about Kenzi all the time. Last year our goal was to serve 10,000 kids since she would have been ten. It was a big __________ and we surpassed it,” Jessica says. “For our living children, volunteering is a great way for them to __________ back, honor their sister, and learn that even from the greatest tragedy can come something __________.”

7 . Have you ever been near an animal you were afraid of? How close have you been to a dangerous snake? Well, Tony Kepler raises killer snakes for a living and he loves his ________. He has been working with them since he was a little boy and he’s not ________ at all.

Tony’s father has been a snake handler (驯蛇师) for twenty years and he has taught his son a lot about them. In order to ________ the venom (毒液), Tony has to find rattlesnakes in the western part of the United States. He sends the venom to a ________, where they make it into something called anti-venin. Anti-venin is what they give people after they have been bitten (咬) by poisonous (有毒的) snake. This anti-venin is really helpful in saving the person who has been bitten. He has been making his living this ________ for five years and feels great.

Tony’s dad has handled nearly 1,000 snakes in his lifetime. And hundreds of people go to him to learn how to ________ snakes. Tony’s dad shares everything about how to hold, how to feed and how to get venom from snakes. But not everyone can get used to the idea of ________ a snake. Many people heard scary stories about snakes when they were children and have been afraid of them ever since. Tony has been trying to educate people about the positive (积极的) things snakes do. For one thing, they help ________ the rat and mouse population. Snakes are also very clean and quiet and they ________ trouble humans.

Tony’s job is very different from any other job I’ve heard of, but it is a really ________ one. Without venom collectors, many people would be in real danger and some would die.

8 . Last spring, when the first lock-down began, the task to check in daily on my elderly mother fell to me. Mum was 88 and lived on her own. At the very beginning, I wasn’t sure how the ______ would go. Mum and I agreed long ago that we have ______ personalities. Even as I crossed my fifties, our differences still present ______.

Initially, I ______ my visits to coincide with the Greek game shows she watches every afternoon on satellite TV. The ice-breaker worked: soon we found ourselves ______ the same contestants or comparing appeal of the various hosts. Mum became ______ with my ability to find out information almost instantly on my smart phone. What I ______ when we turned away from the TV, however, was that my mother knew things Google didn’t. Soon, I set aside my ______ and made mum my search engine. My mother ______ revealed family histories I wasn’t aware of. I was ______ and soon I was visiting twice a day.

When we weren’t addressing the long list of household ______, we planned the day’s menu and went for walks down the street. Sometimes, we continued our open-ended ______ until midnight. One night at bed time, she ______ me and said, “Now, I’ve learned your character.” I found myself struggling to keep from choking up.

With pandemic restrictions still in place, my sessions with mum have become the ______ of my day. Some days I drop by as many as three times. While Physical distancing may keep people away, it may also ______ those afar.

9 . It was nearly dinner time when my 5-year old daughter rushed into the house. Tears rolled down as she _________ her two hurt arms. I tried to persuade her to _________, as that was the fourth time she had crashed that day. I told her that children of her _________ usually rode with training wheels (辅助轮). But she _________ my advice and as soon as the bandages (绷带) were stuck on her _________, she headed back out the door.

I watched from the kitchen window as she _________ time after time. I wanted to run out there and make her stop, _________ I couldn’t. I would have to let go. _________, she had agreed to wear her brother’s helmet and knee pads (护膝).

Later that very evening, as I was washing the remaining dishes, I heard my daughter shout _________ to me. I rushed outside and sighed with __________ to see that she was riding down the driveway with both her __________ held high in the air. “Look, Mom, no hands!” she said, __________ as she rode by.

I suppose there will be many times to __________ when my daughter will need me to simply __________ Although it won’t be __________, I’ll always remember how she taught me sometimes “no hands” is best.

10 . Near my house is a library. As an enthusiastic reader, the idea to be surrounded by books itself is ______. So I volunteered to ______ it, managing books. But never had I realized reading had such ______ until I met an old lady.

One day I was arranging books when I heard a lady ______ something at the information desk, where I went to give ______. She was in her 70s with a beautiful smile.

After communication, I was ______ that she came to take the membership. Without family, she had ______ her house and settled in a nursing home, living off ______ the interest from her savings account. Her love of reading, even at such an age, never ______. Her confidence, whenever she ______ reading, livened her up.

The membership was ______ for her, so I explained the fee. She didn’t hesitate to open her purse and ______ for the amount. Noticing her ______ look, I offered to pay for her but she insisted, “I’ll come and pay tomorrow.” I failed to ______ her. The next day she returned, paid up and got her membership card. When I took her into the world of books, her eyes shone with excitement. She became a regular visitor, one I’d ______ every few days.

Now her cute smile in my mind still reminds me of the magic of reading.