1 . I was in my home office on a cold Sunday when I heard a quick knock on the door. I _____ downstairs, threw open the door and saw my dad _____ something wrapped up in paper in his arms. Strangely, he had given no hint (暗示) of it when we spoke on the phone last night.

“Open it.” he said.

I opened it to find a yellow begonia (秋海棠). It occurred to me that it was Mother’s Day.

“But···but I’m not a mother.” I said, _____.

My dad smiled, “Well, some special people aren’t mothers. but I think they _____ to get flowers, too.” With that, he hugged me and drove off.

Later, I called to thank him and we got to talking a lot. That’s when he let me in on his little _____. He had decided that he would challenge himself to do one act of _____ per day. It had started several weeks before when he accidentally knew a friend of his was having a rough day. He knew she loved ice cream, so he drove straight to her house with a huge tub of ice cream.

“She laughed _____ when she saw it,” he said, “It really delighted me to know that I had _____ her day.”

When asked why, he added, “I already know about the importance of being _____ in the moment. So, I try to be there with each person I am spending time with. I want them to feel important and believe in the goodness in people in that moment.”

I realized my dad was making a difference in people’s lives. ______, I also want to be more like my dad, who goes out of his way to make people feel loved and cared for.

2 . Breakdown and Start-up

Just over two years ago, I was driving home fairly late one night on a quiet, remote road when another car suddenly moved towards me with great _______. I had to make a sudden and quick sideways movement to _______ hitting it and I almost hit a tree. Luckily I wasn’t hurt, but I couldn’t get my car to start. It had broken down. I felt quite _______ as it was late and there were hardly any other cars around. I _______ my roadside assistance company for help and they told me someone would be there in around one and half an hour. After about fifteen minutes, a passing car _______ and a strong man with a serious face stepped out of the car. He asked if I needed _______ and I told him what had happened. He _______ offered to stay with me until roadside assistance arrived. I was uncertain about what to do because I was nervous and uneasy. There was something very calm and comfortable in his voice, so I took him up on his offer. While waiting, we started talking and really _______ it off. By the time the roadside assistance man turned up, we’d arranged to _______ again. Two years on, we have shared the joys and sorrows of life together. I wish I could thank the careless driver who forced me off the road. If he was a better driver, I’d never have met a lifelong ________.

3 . Nathalia, from Liberty High School, was so nervous for her final scholarship interview Friday morning that she couldn’t sleep.

The 17-year-old _______ at 4 am and began preparing for whatever questions her principal, Harrison Bailey, might throw at her during the _______ for East Stroudsburg University. Nathalia left home confidently and _______ herself of the coming success. When arriving at school, she was _______ to find her family, teachers and representatives from East Stroudsburg all waiting for her. Actually, it was a surprising trick for: Nathalia. She’d already won the scholarship. “I was not expecting this at all,” Nathalia said, fighting back tears.

The scholarship — valued at about $34,000 over four years-is to pay for university and remove students’ financial _______ to higher education. Nathalia plans to major in nursing at East Stroudsburg, and she agrees that the scholarship is _______ for the first-generation college students like her. “I feel like that an unbelievable dream comes true,” her mother Diana said with tears of joy.

The epidemic has made gaining scholarship extra challenging. Nathalia _______ found a way to earn college credits by taking three online courses and in this way she has _______ herself a lot. “Nathalia is always self-motivated and I don’t have to _______ her,” Diana said.

“I want to help patients with better hospital experience. It is my __________ that pushes me on toward success.”

4 . The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games (残奥会) provided plenty of drama. One of the most _____ performances was that of Ibrahim Hamadtou, the armless Egyptian table tennis star. While playing, he puts a paddle (球拍) in his mouth and uses his right foot to serve the ball. This inspiring player _____ at the world stage with his unique skills.

Hamadtou _____ his arms in a train accident at the age of ten. He was drawn to table tennis after being challenged by a friend. Once Hamadtou was counting points of his friends’ match, the one who disagreed on a point told Hamadtou, “_____ your own business as you will never be able to play.” It was that statement that _____ him up to decide to play table tennis.

Hamadtou says the biggest _____ was figuring out the best way to control his body. “I was trying first to use the paddle under the arm, and I also tried using other things, which weren’t working so well. _____, I tried using my mouth. It took me three years to master the sport.”

In 2016, this _____ player won the silver medal at African Championships, which allowed him to fight for his Paralympics in 2016 and 2020.

The extraordinary athlete says, “The _____ is not in arms or legs but to give up in whatever you would like to do.” If you have got the strong willpower as Hamadtou, you can overcome any struggles and ______ anything in life.