1 . I would often watch the kids from my window as they played basketball. One day, among the children a girl ________ me. She seemed so small as she pushed her way through the crowd of boys. They always tried to stop her but no one could. She ________ to shoot jump shots just over their heads and into the basket. Later I often saw her practise alone until dark.

One day I asked her ________ she practised so much. Without hesitation, she said, “I want to go to college on a scholarship (奖学金). The only way I can do that is to play basketball well enough. My dad always says to me that if the dream is ________ enough, nothing could stop me.”

I ________ her through junior high and into high school. One day in her senior year, I saw her ________ in the grass, head in her arms. ________ I asked her what was wrong. She said softly that she was too short. The coaches told her that she would probably ________ get to play for a top college team — much less be offered a scholarship.

Sensing her ________, I asked her if she had talked to her dad about it yet. She told me that her father said those coaches were ________. They didn’t understand the ________ of a dream. He told her that if she really wanted to ________ for a top college, if she truly wanted a scholarship, nothing could stop her ________ one thing — her own attitude.

The next year, the girl was ________ a full scholarship to a NCAA women’s basketball team. She was going to ________, which she had dreamed of and worked toward for all those years.

3 . Henry was a middle-aged businessman whose repeated failure in career made him a depressed man, often ________ that he had been cheated by others. One day he told his wife he was so ________ with the city that he had to leave.

So his family moved to another city. It was the evening of a weekend. When Henry and his wife were busily tidying up their new home, the light suddenly ________. Henry was regretful to have forgotten to bring along ________ and had to wait in a low mood. Just then he heard light, hesitant knocks on his door that were clearly audible (听到) in the ________ night.

“Who’s it?” he wondered, since Henry was a ________ to this city. And this was the moment he especially hated to be ________, so he went to the door and opened it impatiently. At the door was a little girl, shyly asking, “Sir, do you have candles? I’m your neighbor.” “No,” answered Henry in anger and shut the door ________. “What a nuisance!” He complained over it with his wife. “No sooner had we settled down than the neighbor came to ________ things.”

After a while, the door was knocked again. He opened it and found the same girl outside. ________ this time she was ________ two candles, saying, “My grandma told me the new neighbor downstairs might need candles. She ________ me here to give you these.” At that moment, Henry suddenly realized what caused his ________ in life. It was his ________ and harshness (刻薄) with other people. The person who had cheated him in life was ________ nobody else but himself, for his eyes had been covered by his cold mind.

4 . Have you ever imagined being friends with squirrels? Monica hadn’t until one day in October 2016 when her family ___________ a tiny, injured squirrel. They took care of her and then released (释放) her back into the ___________. They didn’t expect to ever see her again. However, five years has passed and little Bella, that’s what they called the squirrel, ___________ comes to visit them almost every day.

As a baby, the terrible ___________ made by an owl (猫头鹰) left Bella near death. She was ___________ taken in by the family, and raised by them alongside three ___________ squirrels named Larry, Curly, and Moe. Bella stayed with the family until spring 2017, when she had healed (痊愈) successfully. Thanks to a regular ___________ of fruit, nuts, and baby food, Bella was ___________ to jump on the trees in the forest. The sweet squirrel never goes too far from her adopted (收养的) home, and stops by to say hello whenever she can, ___________ such a long time has passed.

“Bella sits right at the front door ____________ someone to notice she has come by for a visit. If no one ____________ her, she will jump over to the dining room window, expecting someone to see her,” Monica said, “whenever she stops by, she asks for ____________ more than a handful of nuts.”

Guess what the most ____________ part is? A few years after Bella’s original stay with the family, she found her way back to them ____________ an injured foot — and a belly full of babies — spending another few months of recovering. “It was truly exciting to watch the baby I raised ____________ her own babies,” Monica said. Bella now even has her own social media page, where her human family documents her adventures, with thousands of followers!

5 . “It’s over! Thank goodness!” school was _______ and I was tired. I _______ at the front of the school bus.

Janie, the driver, tries to _______ the uncomfortable atmosphere by striking the match of talks. I try to listen _______, but usually I am too _______ thinking about my day. On this day, however, her talk was worth _______.

“My father’s ill ,” she said to no one in particular (特别地). I could see worry in her _______. I had never seen her like this before. She always meets students _______ a smile.

With a sudden change of interest, I asked, “what’s wrong with him?”

With her eyes wet and her voice _______, she answered, “Heart trouble.” Her eyes lowered as she continued. “I’ve already ________ my mum, so I don’t think I can stand losing him.” I couldn’t answer. My heart ached for her.

I sat on the ________ thinking of the great pain my own mother was thrown into when her father died. I saw how hard it was, and still is, for her. I wouldn’t want anyone to go through that.

Suddenly I realized Janie wasn’t only a bus ________, that was just her job. She had a whole world of family and cares ________.

I suddenly ________ very selfish. I paid no attention to Janie because she was a bus driver. I had judged her by her job and brushed her off as unimportant.

I shouldn’t have been so selfish and self-centered. ________ people is an art.