1 . There is a big difference between offering to help and helping. Almost all of us are guilty (内疚的) about the following _________: Someone talks about a problem, and we answer with _________ words, “Be sure to give me a call if I can help.” But we often do nothing to help.

Once I was in the situation where I _________ these kinds of offers of help—my son just started studying abroad. During those particular days, all I could _________ was the trouble my son would possibly face. It was a very _________ experience. However, there were very few who offered something really helpful.

_________. I had one close friend who took action rather than just saying to offer help. She called, “I know you must be going crazy. I think you need to get away from your _________.” She had already called a few of our friends and _________ a big dinner out. It was a wonderful night. I hadn’t even known how much I needed that break _________ I was there.

After that ____________, I decided I’d ____________ her example and reach out to others. I’ve been ____________ and even guessed wrong at times. But I was amazed when I cheered people up. So ____________ asking someone if they need help, and offer something ____________ then and there. It is a way to show the power of ____________ in an uncertain world.

2 . The Grammy’s Music Educator Award recognizes those who have made a significant contribution to music education.

This year, the award ________ Annie Ray, the orchestra (管弦乐队) director at Annandale High School in Fairfax County, Virginia. With the creation of the Crescendo Orchestra, she works to make ________ accessible to all students, particularly those with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities. Ray says the focus of the program is on teaching students how to play a(n) ________, through one-on-one instruction tailored to their special ________. She also works with a local charity to give damaged instruments a second ________ in her classroom.

Ray took home both a $10,000 ________ and a matching grant for her school’s music program. In an interview, Ray ________ her pupils for this recognition. “This is the students’ ________. I am just ________ enough to have been a part of their journey and to have been ________ by them,” she said. “They completely changed my educational philosophy and ________ of what it truly means to meet a student where they’re at and ________ that elsewhere.”

Now, Ray will use the prize money to buy instruments—something the school had ________ to do. “We’ve been trying to ________ money all year for new cellos. And now the problem is solved.” She also plans to create an ongoing scholarship for students who want to ________ music when they graduate, in any capacity.

3 . The friends of Juliana Palm, a fashion designer, in Rio de Janeiro were opposed to her becoming a Games volunteer. By the time the Games ended, her friends had become supporters.

Juliana came to the Games to ______ creative inspiration for her design work. ______ her experiences after the Rio 2016 Closing Ceremony, Juliana teared up as she recalled her interactions with volunteers and visitors. Working with other volunteers ______ her life. She met a girl from Mexico and ______ some inspiration from her culture.

Juliana was also inspired by Olympic ______, and enjoyed learning about fencing, rugby sevens and other sports less widely practised in Brazil. She was particularly ______ by Brazilian judoka Rafaela Silva who won the gold medal. “It was ______ — first, because she is a woman, and we don’t have as many sports for women as for men. She showed the world that it is ______ to do anything if you believe in something,” Juliana said.

Juliana was always ______ that Brazil would deliver successful Games, despite the country’s ______. “We have difficulties with education and public transportation. But it is not a problem for us because we can ______ them,” Juliana said.

Juliana also expressed confidence that Rio de Janeiro would continue to ______ from the Games in the years ahead, mentioning ______ the new bus rapid transit links and the new Metro Line 4. Without the Olympic Games, Line 4 would never have happened. It would ______ many people to travel to or from work. Besides, Porto Maravilha was transformed from just a dangerous place into a ______ and beautiful community.

4 . I vividly remember the day when my husband and I set off on a new journey to Tanzania. He had been ______ a position there as a Civil Engineer. Accompanying him, my aim was to find a job shortly after. As you can imagine, I was very excited, even rather ______, as I’d never been abroad before. So, my first ______ was to get settled in this small town called Dodoma in the middle of Tanzania.

As we got off the train, however, at six in the morning, a lady came rushing along the ______ towards us. Completely out of breath, she said, “We’ve heard you’re from England and our school ______ needs an English teacher — please say you’ll help us.” I felt tired and ______ a shower after the journey. Though shocked by her ______, for some reason or other, I agreed to ______ it!

I washed, changed, had a quick bite to eat and was ______ to the two local teachers and my ______ at 8 o’clock. It felt like being thrown into the deep end, as my teaching timetable began ______ at 8:30! Although I’d hardly had time to get my breath, I never ______ my sudden decision.

Though my entry into this ______ was unexpected, I found joy in teaching those youngsters and gradually became part of the local community in the following years. I’ve been fortunate to ______ lifelong friendships, which has left a lasting ______ on both my students and myself.

5 . Dad often says that hope is everywhere. In his fifties, he lost his job. But he managed to get the chance of a newspaper delivery. It became a family _________. Dad drove around delivering the papers most weekday mornings. We all helped.

Delivering papers is one of the most _________ jobs you can imagine. I was young, but I always worked. When I was   _______ enough to drive, Dad bought a car that I was _________ to drive to high school. My brothers and sister were all _________ and living away by this time. So I became the No.2 _________ on Sunday mornings. Not only would I _________ the papers, but I would jump into the car and drive a section of the _________. Mike was a hired worker, a year younger than me. We worked with _________ and my parents really trusted us.

The paper delivery, though very hard work, gave me many things. First, it __________ me with my father in a way that I __________ needed. He trusted my driving __________, and gave me directions on how to drive down icy steep streets in winter. I felt I was a __________ member of my family. Besides, I learned to love the early morning sounds of the city, the awesome quiet of __________ neighborhoods, and the relationship that only two teenagers working together could ever __________.

6 . Urquhart finished running 1,402 kilometers over the course of 28 days in Antarctica, setting the record for the longest-ever run in a polar region.

Australian Urquhart is an _________ marathon runner. But running on Antarctica’s Union Glacier _________ Urquhart to a wholly different challenge. “No female had _________ this before,” she says.

Urquhart spent 10 months preparing for the challenge, turning to some _________ training methods. A container company _________ her to put a treadmill (跑步机) in a refrigerated storage unit and run for hours each weekend, while she also _________ with an automotive parts company to train inside an industrial wind tunnel.

The _________ Urquhart faced in Antarctica were numerous. She had to fight through temperatures as low as -20℃ and winds as _________ as 50 miles per hour — moments in which Antarctica lived up to its _________ as the coldest, windiest and driest place on the Earth. Urquhart would __________ stumbled (绊倒) as she struggled to put one foot in front of the other. She would usually wear four layers but had to __________ her body temperature while running. Happily, Urquhart’s body soon __________ to the physical rigors (严酷) of running 30 miles each day.

A huge __________ has been formed behind her run in Antarctica. “It was actually showing what females are __________ of doing and that we can push our __________ and explore what seems impossible,” says Urquhart.

7 . Imagine suddenly waking up at midnight, ______ for air, heart pounding, feeling tense and experiencing this night after night. The ______ of the lack of sleep was the ______ need to lie down and fall asleep for 2-3 hours. This was my experience throughout the summer of 2021.

I guess it may have been in part the ______ the pandemic had on my mental health as well as other worries. During the daylight hours, I ______ myself in various ways but at night during sleep my fear and ______ would come to the surface. I ______ I needed to find ways to deal with my worries.

After much ______, I began to seek the assistance of medicine, which was a tough decision to make. But it ______ well. I made sure to walk in nature as much as possible and continued my yoga practice. Slowly, I found my way back to myself.

However, life ______ another curve ball into my life. In December 2023, those nighttime feelings that ______ me flowed into my days again. I turned to friends and family, who encouraged me to seek professional help. I ______ to a therapist specialized in this field, and together, we analyzed the problems and applied the related ______ to coping with them. While the process didn’t go ______, my symptoms gradually disappeared with my efforts at last.

In conclusion, this is what I would like to say —when in trouble, reach out for help, talk to family and friends, your doctor or a counsellor. Take time to take care of yourself, you are worth the ______.

8 . As the sweet smell of pears and apples spreads in the air, drawing a stream of visitors to the orchard (果园) in Karamay’s Baijiantan district, an elderly man is seen doing the rounds of it on an electric bike. Sometimes, he stops to water the trees or prune (修剪) the grass, determined to ensure every single tree reaches its full ________.

The ________ of this forest was once a dump (垃圾场). It was the man, Wang Yanming, who planted the trees many years ago, creating the shade visitors can now all enjoy on hot summer afternoons. Wang oversees the greening work, planting trees and flowers, and often helps people to remove ________ from the dump.

“In ________ days, strong wind turn sand particles and tiny rocks into arrows that ________ our hands and faces. I ________ wanted to do something to improve the situation,” Wang tells China Daily. Inspired by his ________, workers from nearby factories ________ the example, turning afforestation (造林) into a trend in the desert and wilderness soon made way for green forests.

Wang’s continuous effort over the decades ________ a wasteland into a green forest in the middle of the Gobi Desert. It is quite ________ that the orchard is called Yanming Park after the 90-year-old. Yanming Park has become an informal ________ centre for youth. Young men and women often come to listen to stories told by Wang and his teammates about the ________ of the olden days.

“I am glad to have made a small contribution to protect the environment ________. I feel delighted when my green mission ________ others to care for nature. I hope our community spirit will be ________ for generations and that Karamay will stay evergreen,” says Wang.

9 . In 2010, Justin Horner was driving down a busy freeway in Portland, US, when his tire blew out. He _______ to the side of the road and made a _______ indicating his need for help.

Three hours later, _______ a van pulled up and out came a Latino family of four. Regardless of the _______ barrier, they worked together to repair Horner’s car, relying on the daughter’s broken English. One hour later, the car was _______ and the mom pulled out a big jug of water for them to drink and wash their hands. Horner thanked them sincerely and _______ to give what he had in his wallet — a $20 bill — but they _______the offer. Despite their resistance, Horner   _______ and placed the money in the mother’s hand before walking away. A few moments later, their small daughter called out and offered Horner a _______ — a tamale (玉米粉蒸肉)   — which he gratefully accepted.

As they slowly drove off, Horner unwrapped the tamale and discovered his ________ inside. He rushed over to the van to give it back, but the father ________ shook his head, saying only four words, “Today you, tomorrow me.” With a ________, he drove off.

Months later, Horner shared his experience online, which ________ thousands of likes and comments. Horner knows that the phrase, “today you, tomorrow me” wasn’t ________ by that stranger in the van. He said it’s a common expression in Mexico, where he believes the family was from. However, the idea behind it is ________.

10 . Lyn Story is a retiree in Fort Worth, Texas. She had a lot of _________ time on her hands until she met Apryl Goodwin, who had been diagnosed with uterine cancer(子宫癌).

Apryl had no transportation and didn't know what to do. So she sought for _________ on the community app Nextdoor. Someone _________ and said, “I’ll take you to your _________.” She ignored it because it was a stranger and didn’t accept it until Lyn _________ her again and said, “I’ll take you. I mean it. I’m _________ and sincere.”

That _________ was Lyn, and over the last year, she has taken Apryl to more than 25 radiation appointments, six chemotherapy treatments and _________ doctor visits. Apryl said Lyn was like her guardian.

Lyn’s _________ doesn’t stop there. Months after meeting Apryl, she was on the Nextdoor app again when she __________ a post from Kevin Horrigan, who is legally blind. “Lyn’s really a kind woman,” said Kevin. “She really is, because I can’t __________.”

Tough times made Kevin come back to work after retiring. Now Lyn __________ his burdens. Lyn drives him to work or she picks him up from work. Kevin says what Lyn has done helps him __________.

Lyn said she started thinking of herself as a bad-weather friend. “You know, fair-weather friends only __________ you when everything’s good for you,” she explained. “But a bad-weather friend is there to help you in times of __________.”

Filled with love, Lyn’s story is life changing for so many.