3 . In the corner of my desk is a note, slowly yellowing from time. It is a _________ from my mother, containing only four sentences, but with enough impact to _________ my life forever.

In it, she praises my abilities as a writer. Each sentence is full of_________ . The word “but” never appears on the card; _________ , the word “and” is there many times.

Every time I read it, I am _________ to ask myself how many times I’ve “but-ted” my own daughters.

Although our eldest daughter _________ got all As on her report card, teachers would always suggest that she _________ too much in class. I always forgot to ask them if she was making improvements. _________, I would greet her with, “Congratulations! Your Dad and I are very _________ , but could you try to talk less in class?”

The same was __________ of our younger daughter. Like her sister, she is a lovely and bright child. She also treats the floor of her room as a closet ( 壁 橱 ), which has often caused me to say, “Yes, that project is great, but __________ your room!”

I’ve noticed that other __________ do the same thing. “The hockey ( 曲 棍 球 ) team won, but Mike should have made that last goal. ” “Amy’s the homecoming queen, but now she wants $200 to buy a new dress and shoes. ” But, but, but.

What I __________ from my mother is to start thinking “and, and, and” instead. __________: “The hockey team won, and Mike did his best the whole game. ” “Amy’s the homecoming queen, and she’s going to look perfect!”

The __________ is that “but” feels bad, “and” feels good. When our children feel __________ about what they are doing, they do more of it.

This is not to say that children don’t need or won’t respond to their parents’ __________ . They do and they will.

When those expectations are __________, amazing things happen.

It’s not __________just to say we love our children. We’re also going to have to start guiding and taking part in what is right with our children.

“No more buts!” is a call for __________. It’s an opportunity every day to put our attention on what is promising about our children.

And if I ever forget, I have my mother’s note to remind me.

4 . Just Being There

Mark and Ivan ran from the school bus to Mark's house. They had both tried out for the school soccer team, and the _________ were supposed to be online by now. Dropping their backpacks in the front hall， the boys raced to the _________.Mark logged(登录) into the school website. The list was up! Finding his _________， Mark was overjoyed. “Our suffering is over.”he said.

Ivan didn't_________, though. Mark turned to look at him. Ivan had a(n)_________ expression on his face. Mark turned back to the computer and read every name on the list,_________ for Ivan's name.

Mark felt as if he had been hit in the stomach. “This isn't _________，”he shouted. Ivan just sighed(叹气) .

“Let's talk to the coaches. Maybe they'll give you another _________,”Mark insisted.

Ivan just _________ his head. “If I didn’t make it,I didn’t make it” Then he was silent,staring at the computer screen.

“Oh,no,” Mark thought. “Was Ivan about to__________?”

“At least you can sleep in on Saturdays,” he __________ Ivan. “Right?”

No answer. Mark sighed. He wished he could __________people up the way Ivan could.

Even back in kindergarten（幼儿园）,Ivan had known how to do it. On the first day of kindergarten, Mark had been homesick and began to cry during the break. The other kids __________ around him. “Want to hear a funny joke?” “Try to __________!” After a while, they walked away. Only Ivan __________. He said, “I’ll just keep you company while you’re sad.” Minutes later, the two boys were playing happily.

__________ it now, Mark felt calmer. For a few minutes, he kept quiet. Then he said, “This must be really hard.”

Ivan finally __________his eyes from the screen. He looked at Mark and nodded. “Yeah. It is.” The friends sat in __________ for a while. Then Ivan took a deep breath, wiped his eyes and stood up. “Maybe we could shoot some hoops（投篮）,” he suggested. “I’ll probably feel __________ when I beat you.” He smile a little.

Mark stood up, too. “You mean when I beat you,” he said. Ivan laughed, and they headed outside. “Thanks,” said Ivan, nodding at mark. “__________. Thanks, Mark.”

5 . Ever since I was 13 years old, I wanted to be a photographer. I had a (n) _________ of working for some magazines, which would allow me to travel around the world to _________ the right picture.

After leaving high school, I _________ in photography in the University of the Arts. However, I kept reflecting on (思考) my _________ though I learned a lot in my freshman year. There was nothing _________ with the school, but it was not _________ for me.

I _________ teachers and they helped me analyse the situation _________. Such a feeling made me know teaching students how to _________ their full potential (潜能) in their artwork was what I wanted. And __________ , I wanted to be involved in a __________ that made me feel like I was actually making some __________ in the community.

I decided to transfer (转学) to Buffalo State College, where I would __________ the next year with Bachelor’s degree in Art Education. Studying in Buffalo totally __________ my life. When I was in class, I always __________ myself in what I was learning. Then, during my first on-site teaching lesson at a middle school, it __________ me that this was what I would want to do for the rest of my life, and I __________ loved it.

Now, as I’m finishing my senior year, I’m happy I made such a __________ in my life. I believe this is __________ the one for my entire life, __________ the one I had once been dreaming, but turned out not for me.

8 . Andy rode slowly on his way to school, day-dreaming about the fishing trip that his father had promised him. He was so busy dreaming about all the fish he would catch that he was _________of everything else around him.

He rode along until a strange sound around _________him to the present. He came to a stop and looked _________ up to the heavens. What he saw shocked him. A huge swarm of bees _________ the sky like cloud and the buzzing mass was moving towards him.

With no time to waste, Andy sped off _________ the opposite direction, riding furiously without knowing how to _________ the swarm. With a rapidly beating heart and his legs pumping furiously, he sped down the rough road. As the bees came closer, his panic increased. Andy knew that he was sensitive to bee stings(蜇) . The last sting had _________ him in hospital - and that was only one bee sting! He had been forced to stay in bed for two whole days. Suddenly, his father's words came to him. "When you are in a tight situation, don't panic. Use your brain and think your ways out of it. "

On a nearby hill, he could see smoke waving slowly skywards from the chimney of the Nelson family home. "Bees don't like _________, " he thought. "They couldn't get into the house. " Andy _________ towards the Nelson house, but the bees were gaining ground. Andy knew he could not reach the house __________. He estimated that the bees would catch up with him soon.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, he__________ a small dam used by Mr. Nelson to irrigate(灌溉) his vegetable garden. Off his bike and into the cool water he dived, disappearing below the __________and away from the savage insects. After __________ his breath for as long as he could, Andy came up for air and noticed the bees have gone. Dragging himself out of the dam, he __________ up the hilly slope and rang the doorbell. Mr. Nelson took his inside and rang his mother.

"You'll really need that fishing break to help you recover, " laughed his mother with __________. "Thank goodness you didn't panic! But Andy did not hear her. He was dreaming once again of the fish he would catch tomorrow. "

9 . When I look back at the first half of the year. I am amazed by how many challenges I have been through. The biggest one was definitely my high school graduation   _________.

When I first arrived in this Czech Republic four years ago，I was just a normal exchange _________who spoke only English，then at the end of the year-Long exchange program，I came up with the idea of _________my high school studies there.

At that time, I was only sixteen and delighted by my new future. What I underestimated was the _________of completing school in the Czech language, which is considered to be one of the most _________languages in the world. As I _________ knowledge of certain subjects I receive the worst marks and people around the world doubted whether I could graduate. However, I practiced all the time. Gradually, I could communicate with others fluently and my _________ grew.

The final exam day came. Thinking about everyone who had helped and supported me along my journey, I felt_________and confident.

In May,I received notice that I had _________the exam. At my graduation ceremony, my Czech teacher said very proudly in front of everyone, “One student, she is from China with merely three years of learning Czech, she __________. She deserves a golden folder for the certification. ”

My journey through high school was finally finished，though the journey of University is just about to begin，I think I am ready。

10 . An Unexpected Gift

Twelve-year-old Mathew Flores is different from other kids. He loves junk (垃圾) mail, and these advertisements were the only reading materials _______ to him. Once he asked his mailman if he could offer him some.

The question _______ the mailman. He asked the boy the reason, and then recorded his _______ in his Facebook. “Today while delivering mail, I saw a boy reading ads, and he asked me for extra mail. Actually he wants to go to the library, but his family is very poor and can’t _______ the bus.”

The mailman then asked his Facebook friends if they could _______ some books for the boy. He wrote, “Most kids want electronic products! But what he wants is books. It’s great to see his rare _______, and you may have seen him smile when I said I could help him!” “He is counting on me,” he concluded. “So I am counting on you!”

The mailman thought the Facebook post might _______ 50 to 60 books. But his _______ was passed on quickly. People from around the world, including the UK, Australia and India, have sent books. Hundreds of books have been delivered to the boy’s door, with hundreds more _______ on their way.

When books first started arriving, Flores was shocked by what happened. “I thought they were ________, but they indeed were for me.” He says that he can’t wait to share the books with other kids, and has promised to read every one.