1 . It was a need that he first _____ back in 1906 when young Dale was a junior at State Teachers College in Warrensburg. To get an education, he was struggling against many difficulties. His family was poor. His dad couldn’t afford the _____ at college, so Dale had’ to ride horseback 12 miles to attend classes. Study had to be done between his farm-work routines. He stopped taking part in many school activities because he didn’t have the time or the _____. He had only one good suit. He tried for the football team, but the coach turned him down for being too light. During this period, Dale was slowly _____ an inferiority complex (自卑感) which his mother knew could _____ him from achieving his real potential. She suggested that Dale join the debating team, believing that _____ in speaking could give him the confidence and recognition that he needed.

Dale took his mother’s advice, tried desperately and after several attempts_____ made it. This proved to be a _____ point in his life. Speaking before groups did help him gain the confidence he needed. And his hard work paid off. By the time Dale was a senior, he had won every top _____ in speech. Now other students were coming to him for coaching and later they, in turn, were winning contests.

Out of this early struggle to overcome his feelings of inferiority, Dale came to understand that the ability to ______ an idea to an audience builds a person’s confidence. And, with it, Dale knew he could do anything he wanted to do and so could others.

3 . In high school I had a math teacher, Mrs. Davies, who took her job seriously and expected her students to put forth the same degree of commitment (付出). Strict but fair, she held our attention with her great method. One of her classes was for students who were more advanced academically. I chose to _________ it and soon realized that the course was a bit over my head. I _________ with complex problems that others seemed to learn without much effort.

One Friday we were tested _________ our ability to use a theorem (定理) that no one in the class thoroughly understood. The teacher would grade our papers based on our ability to progress through the problem which easily filled two pages of formulaic notations (公式符号). I was absolutely _________. Finally, I didn’t use the required theorem. Instead, I decided to use more familiar theorems to arrive at an _________. I knew I had failed because I hadn’t done the required assignment. I became resigned (顺从) to my fate.

Our test papers were handed back the following Monday. Everyone received a “C” except for me. To my surprise, I received an “A”. I _________ that there must be a mistake. I watched _________ as the teacher approached my desk, smiled, and asked for my test paper back. She went back to copy my work onto the blackboard, showing the class how I have arrived at the correct answer. “Mathematics is meant to be a creative tool, pushing our minds to a rewarding answer,” she said with confidence. _________ I didn’t use the required theorem, she seemed really proud of how I’d worked through the problem.

My teacher would have been justified (合理的) in giving me a _________ grade. Instead, she used the opportunity to deeply influence a student who often struggled. And after forty years, I still cherish the memory. I opened up to a broad boundary of possibilities which has made my life an adventure. She understood that teaching went beyond strict demands and could be used to __________.

4 . Table Talk

As we got out of the car, our son announced, “Phones stay in the car.”

“Why do you always have to tell us that?” complained our fifteen-year-old grandson.

Our son’s wife winked at us and then explained, “We have a family _______ that no one may bring anything electronic to the table.”

We _______ our phones in the car. Even though the restaurant was filled with families, there was little noise. All I heard were a few quiet conversations and the ding of forks on plates. The _______ unnerved me. I looked around. Everyone, even the young kids, was _______ at some kind of screen.

The silence was broken when the six of us sat down, and started talking. The waitress stood patiently and waited for our orders. When our food came, we continued to chat.

An elderly couple at the next table were finishing their dinners and conversing quietly. I noticed that they shot us a few glances, and wondered if our constant chatter was annoying them.

After the dessert, my son signaled the waitress for the check. She hesitated when she brought the black folder to our table. My son opened the black folder — it was _______ . “You forgot the check,” he told her.

“There isn’t one. Someone else _______ your bill — and the tip too.” she said with a giggle (咯咯笑).

“Why?” asked our son, his wife and myself at once.

“They loved it that no one was connected.” she continued. “They loved watching you guys _______ . The old lady went on and on about how nice it was to see a family eating and talking instead of looking at ‘electric games’.”

For a moment, everyone at our table was at a loss for _______ . Then we all started talking at once. My son's voice rose above the others. “Where are they? We want to thank them.”

“They left after you ordered dessert,” the waitress replied.

We spent the next fifteen minutes discussing this goodness and camp up with a _______ . Next time we see a family eating at a restaurant ________ looking at anything electronic, we'll pay it forward, just like what happened to us.

6 . I glanced to my left and right as I got ready at the starting line. The sight of other competitors who had confident and fierce-looking faces got me goose bumps and I was even more _______ than before.

“On your mark, get set... Go!” shouted the race official. I pushed myself forward with all my might and started running as though a pride of man-eating lions were coming after me. As I ran, I could see the other competitors catching up with me. All of a sudden, I fell down on my knees. A hundred pairs of eyes bored into me, watching me _______ to get up. _______ no matter how hard I tried, I just could not do it.

“No, it cannot end like this. I have to _______ this race.” I thought to myself. However, the pain from my injury was so unbearable that I felt totally _______. I really wanted to give up.

Out of despair, I gazed up at the finishing line. Just then, a kind competitor _______ her hand to me.

“Thank you...” I whispered _______ as I grabbed her hand and she pulled me up.

She lent me her shoulder for support, and I _______ forward. The crowd cheered at this brilliant display of _______. Together, both of us crossed the finishing line.

Even though I never got the chance to learn her name, I will always remember her as the one who stepped forward to help me when I was in ________.

7 . 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.

9 . A Welcome Gift

Dario and his mother loved their new apartment. That night, the two of them _______ side by side at their piano in the spacious living room. They played jazz music to celebrate their new home. The loud music filled the room and made them feel very happy.

The next morning, however, their happiness disappeared. One of their neighbors had left a _______ under their door complaining(抱怨)about the sound of the piano. Later that morning, Dario suggested that they write a letter to their _______ apologize for their playing.

“Maybe we could invite them to come here for a _______ ?” Dario asked.

They both loved the _______ . Over the next few days, they sent out invitations and prepared desserts for their guests.

Finally, the day of the party _______ . Some guests brought presents. Others brought flowers. One woman, Mrs. Gilbert, _______ Dario’s mother with a book of piano music by Chopin.

She explained that the loud jazz music woke her out of bed that night and she worried they might play like this every night. So she wrote a short note. Hearing Mrs. Gilbert’s words, Dario’s mother smiled and said, ”I think maybe we _______ you an apology. I didn’t _______ how late it was when we were playing. Maybe we should play some quieter music at night.“

Mrs. Gilbert pointed to the book she had given them. “These songs are not such ________ music.”

“And we won’t play so loud or late!” Dario said. They all laughed. Seeing the big smile on his mother’s face, he sensed a feeling of warmth and that they were home at last.

I am thankful to this day that I signed up volunteering in this Special Olympics event. If I had missed the event, I would have missed one of the most unforgettable moments that I have ever _________.

Standing at the finish line, I was able to witness many amazing efforts and close races. I was most impressed by the effort each athlete put into his or her event. What also impressed me was the sincere _________ each athlete expressed while participating though sometimes the joy of participating in a sporting event can get _________ in the fierce competition of winning and losing.

Then an amazing moment happened right before my eyes. A group of athletes were _________ up to run a short race. One of them was in a wheelchair, a little girl with a _________ smile. The gun sounded. They were off. Runners sped up in the track with all their might. There she was, pumping her arms with all the _________ she had. Her efforts were getting little result, but that did not stop her. I noticed as she got closer that she also had an injured arm. But that did not stop this bright star. The race was long over _________ the young athlete kept pumping her arms. As she finally _________ the finish line, the noise of the crowd was thunderous. There I stood cheering, with tears falling down my cheeks.

After all these years, I can still hear those cheers. I grew up a lot that day because of the _________ of that little girl in the wheelchair. I was __________ that day of a poem from a book that states, “Whatever you do, do it with all your might.”