2 . Standing on the shore of a lake, I can’t help but feel surprised at the thousands of small rocks that surround my boots. They were all created from _________ surfaces, their edges softening over time. I wonder, “Can we learn from a pile of rocks?”

Even the tallest mountains have _________; none are as tall as they were 1,000 years ago. And much like a rock, I’ve found my _________ has softened and my desire to better understand others has expanded with each trip around the sun.

_________, I was also a sharp rock covered in pointy edges. Today, after decades of the waters of life coursing over me, my edges are softer and I’m more _________. I’m less likely to judge and more interested in learning how we can _________ together.

But I’m not a _________. I’m a human filled with all the drama built into my DNA.

Two years ago, while traveling in the Pacific Northwest, I watched a restaurant owner ask several young men to _________ for not wearing masks. Not _________ and not rude. On the door read a sign, “Please wear a mask before entering our restaurant. We don’t like it either, but let’s all do what we can to __________ this together.”

The group of young men wanted to __________ about the note. I sat at the restaurant watching, understanding both sides. I’ve been one of them before, using my youthful edges to chip away at (削弱) the world. What I lost, __________, was the ability to grow from __________ by looking through the eyes of others. In learning to be more __________, I’ve also found more happiness and success.

You can fit more rounded rocks in a jar than those with sharp edges. The former look for ways to __________ and make room for others, while the latter never give an __________ to accommodate others.

__________, like the waters rolling against once sharp stones, changes us by washing away our resistance to __________ the world from someone else’s point of view.

I placed a __________ stone into my jacket pocket. Mother Nature is holding a __________ again.

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar     1     (divide) the year into 24 solar terms. Grain Rain, as the last term in spring, starts on April 20 and ends on May 4. Grain Rain originates from the old saying, “Rain brings up the     2     (grow) of hundreds of grains,” which shows this period of rainfall is     3     (extreme) important for crops. It signals the end of cold weather and a rapid rise in temperature. It also brings much rainfall and grains grow faster and     4     (strong).

There is an old custom in southern China     5     people drink tea on the day of Grain Rain. Spring tea during this time is rich in vitamins and amino acids,     6     (help) to remove heat from the body. People in     7     (north) China have the tradition to eat toona sinensis,     8     vegetable, which can strengthen the immune system. It is good for the stomach and skin too. In fishing     9     (village) in the north, Grain Rain means the start of the fishermen’s first voyage of the year. The custom dates back more than 2,000 years ago,     10     people believed they owed a good harvest to the gods, who protected them from the stormy seas.