1 . I used to stutter (口吃) quite badly. I felt very ________ , like I was less of a human being.

I didn’t have any ________ when I left special school. So I got a job as a trainee hotel porter. I enjoyed it because I was meeting new people and earning my own ________ . I felt like a proper adult. But the other men ________ me mentally because of my disability. They’d imitate (模仿) me ________ because of my speech impediment (障碍). I got very down. I was ________ inside.

The stepping stone to self-belief for me was ________ I got help from KeyRing—an organization which helps disabled people to live ________ . I couldn’t write very well, but I could ________ that. Apps on computers meant I could dictate (口授) my emails. I got the government ________ for disabled people in work. It paid for me to help with paperwork two mornings a week.

________ I heard about a job going at the human rights charity CHANGE. I got an ________ that got me the job of international project consultant. I travel all over the world to ________ professionals to work better with people with learning disabilities. This builds my ________ . I lost my stutter in the end.

My learning disability was a bit of me, but it doesn’t ________ me. It’s just a label people put on me. It hasn’t stopped me having a life.

2 . The first time I saw the real Santa, he drove a big, charcoal-colored truck, not a cherry red sleigh, in the August heat. He wasn’t what I _______ at all.

My husband had lost his job early in July, and we’d been _______ expenses everywhere we could. He’d been looking for a job but _______.

One afternoon, we were feeling particularly _______ so we decided to treat ourselves to a meal from McDonald’s. Just a quick drive-through run, no big deal. When we got to the window to pay, the employee said our meal had been taken care of by the car _______ us. We attempted to keep the pay-it-forward chain going by offering to pay for the _______ for the car behind us. “No, that man just paid for everyone in line,” said the employee. She _______ toward the truck that was slowly pulling away to _______ the parking lot. We had no choice but to get _______ with the fact that a stranger had just done something kind for us, and there was no way to repay it, pay it forward, etc.

I looked toward the truck and thought I could see the man’s grin in the driver’s side ________. He ________ his hand out the window and gave a cheerful wave, and it ________ reminded me of the illustration of a Christmas poem where Santa was flying away into the night, gloved hand up in a goodbye wave.

It seemed like a little ________ that we’d be alright. My husband found a wonderful job shortly after that. We’ve gone on to do random acts of ________ for others, remembering the effect this free meal had on us that ________ day when Santa drove a truck and left with a big grin and a little wave.

3 . I was first going into this final day, the Junior Sled Dog Championship. We’d trained two years and wanted to beat Blake. I knelt down to pat Kenai and my hands ______ from nerves and excitement. Kenai tipped up his face to lick my chin. “You are ______, aren’t you?”

Just before the count down started, Blake shot me a _____ grin, hands trembling too. Then I heard, “Go!”______ I could yell   “Hike!”, Kenai leaped forward. The rest of the dogs _____ after. We started last. We flew down the long hill. Then we ______ a corner. I leaned to keep the sled steady. Kenai saw Blake’s team before I did. His tail flew up, and he ______ . Seeing his tongue still flopping forward, I let him go all out. We closed the ______. A bridge later, we inched closer. On the next hill, Kenai drew even with Blake’s sled and then we passed it.

____ our sled hit a branch. The runners caught. I lost my ______ and fell off the sled. Witnessing the sled come to a stop, I struggled through the deep snow to Kenai. I ____. His shoulder was bleeding.

“Kenai! No!” My voice came out a howl. Kenai ______ to stand. He looked at me, his blue eyes______ to keep on. He would do it, too. For one frozen moment I saw myself on the winner’s stand with the trophy (奖杯). But no. I bent and gently ______ Kenai in a blanket.

The race vet examining Kenai, I watched Blake accept the trophy. Kenai squirming in my lap, I leaned over upon him. Just at that moment, I felt a warm tongue on my wet cheek. I smiled and realized that I had the ____ that really counted.

4 . I have struggled with feelings of unworthiness since forever. My most painful moments were at parties. My friends made fun of me because I was rhythmically (有节奏地)__________ and I couldn’t get my__________ body to imitate the latest dance moves. I was never chosen to dance. I felt like I didn’t__________.

Around age 12, I decided that the way to__________ these feelings of unworthiness was perfection. If I was just perfect then I would fit in. But this strategy didn’t__________.My self-esteem (自尊心) was high when I got good grades and felt__________, but crashed when I didn’t do well__________, or was left out.

After several years of spiritual growth, it__________ me that for many of us, self-worth is tied to our__________. We experience low self-worth__________ we fail or lose approval. So I have begun to cultivate an unconditional self-worth. It’s not about doing things perfectly.__________, “Unconditional self-worth” is the______ that you deserve to be alive, to be loved and cared for.

The__________ to unconditional self-worth is not always easy. It takes courage to free yourself from the __________ you’ve placed on your worth. But this journey is beautiful and worth taking. So I challenge you to embrace yourselves and find your metaphorical (隐喻的) __________ floor and move freely.

6 . It was a regular school day, and the air was filled with the usual sounds of chatter and laughter as students prepared for their lessons. Little did I know that this day would soon take a ________ turn, making it an unforgettable day.

As the bell rang, signaling the beginning of our English class, we entered the classroom, completely ________ of the coming danger. The teacher began the lesson, and we were really ________ our literature lesson when, out of nowhere, a loud fire alarm ________ everything.

Panic spread as we understood how ________ it was. Smoke filled the hallway, and a sharp burning smell hung in the air. The neat classroom turned into a mess as everyone ________ to the door, trying to get away from the coming danger.

In all the chaos, I noticed my ________ Sarah looking obviously scared by her desk. I quickly ________ she needed help. Without hesitation, I rushed over, took her shaky hand, and told everyone to stay calm. We went through the thickening smoke together, and each ________ felt like a really long time.

As we reached the door, it felt hotter, and we knew we had to hurry. With hearts ________, we hurried into the playground where teachers and students were making sure everyone stayed sate.

Outside, we took a moment to catch our breath, ________ by the loud sounds of approaching fire trucks. Seeing parts of the building on fire, a sense of ________ washed over us, knowing that we had made it out unharmed.

After everything happened, I couldn’t help but reflect on the events of that day. ________ it taught me it’s important to stay calm when things get ________ and how helping others during hard times matters. It was a day when ordinary students became unlikely heroes, bound together by the shared ________ to overcome the unexpected challenges.

8 . Dogs are more faithful than other animals, so they are considered as man’s best friends. Recently a dog named Capitan has shown us why dogs are a symbol of _______ and friendship.

In 2005, Capitan was _______ by a man named Miguel Guzman in Argentina. Miguel got Capitan as a(n) _______ for his son Damian. In 2006, Miguel passed away, and _______, Capitan disappeared. They thought he was _______ or had been adopted by another family. _______, when Damian and his mother went to visit Miguel’s grave, they were _______ to see Capitan at the cemetery(公墓). They couldn’t believe it because they had _______ brought Capitan to the cemetery before. They didn’t know how he had _______ the grave, but the dog was there barking and ________. Damian’s mother said, “We went back the next Sunday, and he was there again. This time, he ________ us home and spent a few hours with us, but then went back to the cemetery before it got ________. It was probable that he didn’t want to leave Miguel on his own at night.”

Later, they tried to bring the dog home many times, but each time Capitan would ________ and return to the cemetery. For eleven years, he ________ there and was taken care of by the cemetery staff. In 2018, Capitan’s life came to an end. He was ________ buried next to his master he loved so much.

9 . Tidying your desk, watering your plants, folding clothes — these household chores are hardly the height of pleasure. Yet I often find myself _________ these little tasks.

If I’m stuck in writer’s block with a deadline _________, I’ll have to clear up the papers placed around my office — and it’s sometimes the most _________ I feel all day.

I’m not _________ in this. As we faced the stresses of the pandemic, many people reported finding renewed interest in _________ their homes as a way of coping with uncertainty.

Psychologists suggest there are many potential mechanisms (机制) that can explain the pleasure from these tasks and their benefits-these may well encourage you to _________ these odd jobs more often.

Little chores may be useful because they _________ the mind, leading us to devote fewer resources to the things that _________ us. Even if we struggle with activities that are meant to help us relax, we may find household tasks can help us appreciate the here and now. But this depends on where we place our _________.

In one of the few studies to examine the mental health benefits of washing the dishes, researchers at Florida State University divided 51 __________ into two groups. Half read a text that encouraged them to __________ focus their thoughts on the activity. “While washing the dishes, one should be completely __________ of the fact that one is washing the dishes,” they were told. The rest read factual instructions on how to do washing up without being encouraged to focus their awareness on the activity.

Afterwards, the participants were asked to take a questionnaire about their __________. Those who had fully engaged with the experience reported a significantly better mood. This included __________ nervousness and even a sense of “inspiration”, as if the simple activity had __________ their minds.