2 . When I tried out for the football team during the summer before 9th grade, I never imagined how important this sport would become in my life. Football is a _____ sport, at times almost painful, and practices really _____ a team’s physical and mental limits. Without trust in my own ability and a strong sense of commitment, I would never have managed to continue after years of hard work as a player, and with countless _____.

In the first year, I played on the defensive line. This was an amazing _____ that gave me a great sense of achievement. But in the last game of the season, I was seriously injured. I was prohibited from any physical activities for six months. After going _____ a series of physical treatments, I returned to the field as a team captain. I practiced harder than ever to make up for my _____ time.

In September, during my junior year, my name was mentioned in the local newspaper as the key defensive lineman on the team. After playing a fantastic season, I was given the _____ of the Most Valuable Player.

_____, my skills in football do not magically extend to other sports. During the winter break, I went on a snowboarding trip and seriously injured my right shoulder. I had to have four _____. Since I could not use my right arm for two months, I had to learn how to write and eat using my left hand.

______ life must go on. I knew that my own present efforts would decide my future, so I ______ the strict training program to build up strength and improve flexibility in my ______. After an eight-month recovery, I was back to the field playing football, the sport I ______.

In this sense, the world of football has taught me an important life lesson: ______ and commitment make what seems impossible ______. This lesson from football is the one that can be applied to every part of life.

3 . Misty didn’t always feel so confident in herself. The challenges she has faced over almost 20 years of dancing have made her strong.

At the young age, Misty was a shy child and_________the spotlight(聚光灯).But she loved music and movement. When she was 13, her coach suggested that she attend a free ballet class at the Boys &Girls club. At first, Misty was afraid to join in and felt out of place in the class._________, she discovered that her body--especially her long legs and flexible muscles--was just right for ballet, which_________her up. However, at the age of 19, she suddenly gain_________ “My body changed completely over the course of several months,” she says. Misty had always been long and slim, which was considered “perfect” for a ballet dancer’s body. But now, she says, “I was being told that my proportions(比例) just weren’t right any more.” Additionally, Misty was the_________African American in a company of 80 dancers. So she sometimes felt as if she didn’t fit in. Misty says this time was “one of the_________moments of my life.”   Even though Misty felt discouraged, she didn’t break_________. She talked with others who had struggled with similar problems. With the support of these friends, things slowly_________.

Today, Misty says, “I’ve learned to embrace my appearance, skin color, and figure.” She wants to help other dancers_________themselves, too. In her own book, Firebird, Misty tells readers to go after their dreams: “No matter what that dream is,” she writes, “ you have the power to make it come true with hard work and__________.”

4 . It was a cold evening, and my daughter and I were walking up Broadway. I didn’t notice a guy sitting inside a cardboard box, but Nora did. She wasn’t even four, but she_______at my coat and said, “That man’s cold. Daddy, can we take him home?”

I don’t remember my reply. But I do remember a sudden heavy feeling inside me. I had always been delighted at how much my daughter noticed in her_______, whether it was birds in flight or children playing. But now she was noticing_______and beggary.

A few days later, I saw an article in the newspaper about volunteers who picked up a food package from a nearby school on a Sunday morning and_______it to an elderly person. It was quick and easy, so I signed us up. Nora was excited about it. She could understand the importance of food, so she could easily see how_______our job was. When Sunday came, she was ready, but I had to_______myself to leave the house. On the way to the school, I fought an urge to turn_______. The Sunday paper and coffee were waiting at home. Why do this? Still, we phoned the elderly person we’d been appointed. She invited us right over.

The building was in a bad state. Facing us was a silver-haired woman in an old dress. She took the package and asked us to come in. Nora ran inside. I unwillingly followed. Once inside, I saw that the department belonged to someone poor. Our hostess showed us some photos. Nora played and when the time came to say goodbye, we three hugged, I walked home in tears.

Professionals call such a(n)_______“a volunteer opportunity”. They are opportunities, I’ve come to see. Where else but as volunteers do you have the opportunity to do something_______that’s good for others as well as for yourself? Nora and I regularly serve meals to needy people and collect clothes for the homeless. Yet, as I’ve watched her grow over these past four years, I still wonder which of us has __________more?

6 . The French Punishment

One day, Jim played basketball in the living room after school. When he was playing in high spirits, his basketball _________ a vase off the shelf by accident and the mouth of it knocked off a large piece. What made him more _________ was that the vase was rare and valuable. To cover the great _________ he caused, he glued the pieces together and put the vase back to its place.

While cleaning the vase after work, his mother _________ the change on it. At dinnertime, she asked Jim if he _________ the vase. Being afraid of punishment, Jim said a wild cat jumped in from the window and knocked the vase off the shelf. His mother was quite clear that he was _________, for all the windows were closed before she went to work. However, before the frightened boy and the other family members, his mother just remained _________ and said it was her carelessness not to have the window closed.

Before going to bed, Jim’s mother asked him to go to the study. He felt he couldn’t _________ the punishment.

When he entered the study in fear, his mother’s face appeared no sense of _________ Instead, she took a chocolate box out of the drawer and ______________ one piece to him. “Jim, this chocolate is a reward for you, for you ______________ a cat that could open the window, with your imagination.” Then, she put another chocolate in his hand. “This chocolate is a reward for your topping ______________ to restore(修复). You restored with glue, the cracks were fitted almost perfectly. ______________ remember, to restore a vase needs more powerful glue and higher ______________ skill. Tomorrow, let’s bring the vase to the artists to see ______________ they’ll make it as it was.” With that, his mother took the third chocolate, “The ______________ chocolate stands for my deep apology(歉意) to you. ______________ your mother, I shouldn’t have put a vase in a place where it could so ______________ fall down, especially when there is a boy fond of sports.”

“But, Mum, I ...” His mother ______________ him and said. “My chocolate box has been empty, so our talk is over, too. Now, go to bed!” Then she left for her own bedroom.

The following days were the same as before. The only ______________ was that Jim never told a lie since then.

7 . On a freezing January morning, Jonny Benjamin, then a 20-year-old college student, climbed on the edge of Waterloo Bridge in London. That morning, Jonny _________ from a mental health hospital, where he’d been diagnosed (诊断) with a severe disease. He headed straight to the _________, convinced that his disease was a life sentence.

Hundreds of people passed by. Only one man called Neil Laybourn, then 25,_________ and quietly walked to Jonny’s side.

“You’re alright, man? Why are you sitting on a bridge?”

At first Jonny wanted Neil to leave him _________, but something in Neil’s calm, down-to-earth manner touched him. Jonny felt _________, like he could talk to him.

“It’s cold here. Why not have some coffee in a warm cafe? Everything will be OK. ” For the first time after the diagnosis Jonny felt perhaps it really might. He _________ back.

The police, having received calls from passers-by, were waiting there. They quickly put him into a police car,_________ he was to panic and jump. He lost sight of Neil, the person who’d brought him hope.

Jonny ended up back in hospital. Eventually, he was_________ enough to return to university and finish his degree. Over the next six years, Jonny often thought about the _________ who had talked him round.__________ to thank him in person, he posted a Facebook message nicknaming the good man Mike. His Find-Mike post was __________ millions of times around the world, as far as Canada.

Jonny was overexcited when Neil called him two weeks after his post. They had a reunion, finally having that coffee they had first planned all those years ago.

“Many people walked past, but because of Neil’s __________ and sympathy, I’ve lived a good life.” Jonny said.

8 . Back to School

I had always longed to get a degree, but raising a family had come first. Now with my last child in middle school, I thought, why not try to ________ something while I still had the opportunity. When I told my husband Bob my idea, a broad smile lit up his face. “If that’s what you ________, we’ll make it work.”

When we asked the kids for advice, they had mixed ________. Our daughter, already in college, thought it a great idea while John, in high school, was ________ that we might be in college at the same time. James, our youngest, wanted to know who would take him to football practice. I ________ that things would be a little different, but if everyone contributed, it wouldn’t be difficult.

The next day we drove to the community college and after a careful research, I chose to ________ in occupational therapy (康复理疗).

Days passed in excitement, enrolling (注册) in classes, shopping for ________ and attending orientation (入学指导). I felt like a kid again, but as the first day of classes drew near, I became ________. I was simply too old. People would laugh at me. Finally, with encouragement from my family and friends, I stuck with my ________.

As I entered my classroom that first morning, I chose a seat in the back, hoping to ________ attention. For the rest of that day, I did what I saw the other students do, and gradually, my embarrassment disappeared. I found the classes and assignments interesting, and I left that day feeling I might survive. By the end of the first week, I had made a few friends.

Studying and keeping up with my duties at home was ________. No sooner would I begin to study than it was time to drive the kids to their activities. Math and science were never my strong subjects, so I devoted more time to those. When the first semester ________, I had a 4.0 GPA and was placed on the Honor Roll.

By the second year, Bob and the kids were all doing their ________, and I had learned how to comfortably ________ my school and home life. My hard work paid off and I got the bachelor’s degree.

As I drove away on the last day of school, I thought about what a difference returning to school had made in my life. I looked much younger and I had more ________ and enthusiasm for life. I even became a therapist. It’s never too late to try again.

9 . Several years ago, a well-known writer and editor Norman Cousins became very ill. His body ached and he felt constantly ________ . It was difficult for him to even ________ around. His doctor told him that he would lose the ability to move and eventually die from the disease. He was told he had only a 1 in 500 chance of ________ .

Despite the diagnosis (诊断), Cousins was ________ to overcome the disease and survive. He had always been interested in medicine and had read a book, which discussed the idea of how body chemistry and health can be ________ by emotional stress and negative attitudes. The book made Cousins think about the possible ________ of positive attitudes and emotions. He thought, “Is it possible that love, hope, faith, laughter, confidence, and the will to live have positive treatment value?”

He decided to concentrate on positive emotions as a way to treat some of the symptoms of his disease. In addition to his traditional medical treatment, he tried to put himself in situations that would bring about positive emotions. “Laugh therapy” became part of his treatment. He ________ time each day for watching comedy films, reading humorous books, and doing other activities that would draw out positive emotions. Within eight days of starting his “laugh therapy” program, his pain began to ________ and he was able to sleep more easily. ________ , he was able to return to work in a few months’ time and actually reached his ________ after a few years.

10 . About a decade ago, my grandpa who was suffering from Alzheimer’s(阿尔茨海默病)got into my car and drove off. Angel and I _________ the police, but before they could find him, two _________ kids pulled into our driveway with my grandpa.

They said they overheard him crying about being _________ at an empty gas station 10 miles away. My grandpa couldn’t remember our address, but gave the kids his first and last name. They looked him up online, found our address, and _________ him home.

I was _________ on that incident today while sitting near the edge of a beautiful ocean-side cliff. I was suddenly   _________ of footsteps behind me. I _________ around to see a young lady who was almost in _________ slowly walking to where I was sitting. I walked up to her and _________ , “What’s wrong?” She told me she was __________ afraid of heights, but was worried about my safety and wanted to get over her fear. Her braveness and kindness truly warmed my heart.

I’ve spent the rest of the day thinking about what an extraordinary person she is, and about those amazing college kids who helped my __________ , and about what it means to be a kind and __________ person. Sometimes you have to go the extra mile, or face your biggest __________ , or stand up against your own negative tendencies to make a(n) __________   difference in someone else’s life. It’s __________ to start doing the hard things-the right things-for others.