1 . I come from a long line of farmers. When my parents moved to Wisconsin, farming allowed them to _________ back to Laos, to the culture, and the land. Wisconsin’s cornfields _________ the rice fields of Laos. But for me as a child, farming was just a _________. I would be assigned (分配) a row of green beans. My mom _________ me a big basket and it was my _________ to fill it. That was how I spent my summer vacation _________ my friends were either at camp or doing other fun activities.

I didn’t _________ how farming brought hope to my parents until I was an adult. I am a _________ removed from Laos and I have found that farming allows me to _________ my parents’ story. It allows me to see a little bit into their story. What I’ve __________ from my mom is that you can grow just about anything. My mom wants to start growing __________ like she did back in Laos. With a snowy climate, it is something I never thought __________ here. To me, this shows resilience (适应力). Maybe it __________ and maybe it doesn’t. But there is __________ in that.

As a kid, I hated doing farm work and I never thought that someday I would say that I kind of __________ putting my feet in the mud and weeding (除草) the corn.

5 . In the dining room of my grandfather’s house stood a large clock. When I was a child, the old clock_________me very much. I was surprised at how the clock would chime (敲) three times, six times or more, with a wonderful clear_________. I often paid attention to it instead of the foods when I had_________. And always the clock stood like an old family friend,_________the family. I found the clock comforting and familiar. Year after year, the clock became a part of my memories.

It was even more_________to me when my grandfather carefully wound up (上发条) that clock with a special_________each day. The key was_________to me. It kept the clock_________. It kept the clock chiming. How did it do that? I watched as my grandfather took the key from his pocket and_________the door in the old clock and used the key to wind it up. He never let that clock wind down and__________. When I got a little older, he taught me how to open the door, __________let me wind up the clock myself. I remember the__________time I did, I felt so excited…

After my grandfather__________, every time I saw the clock, I couldn’t help crying. Never could I see him again. The__________ on the clock were frozen. It stopped. I took the key with my__________hand and opened the door. All of a __________, I was a child again, watching my grandfather. He was there, smiling at me. I stood there,__________in the memories. Then slowly and__________, I wound up the clock. Tick-tock, tick-tock…The dining room and the house seemed to be filled with__________. In the image of the clock, my grandfather also__________again.

7 . I got addicted to cigarettes about 11 years ago. As a smoker, I certainly realizes the _________ the cigarettes are causing to my body. I used to be good at running and other sports, but smoking made my physical activity a great _________. It was not that I never thought of quitting but just the _________ of a cigarette would make me go weak at once. Then I _________ another cigarette and started my day.

For so many years I always felt unrested after a night’s _________. The cough was making my life _________. Over and over again, I was _________ asking myself about my own condition: the nicotine in cigarettes not only made my teeth brown, but also _________ my fingers and nails as well. I _________ myself, “Is all this worth it?” I didn’t get an answer.

It was my birthday’s eve and I was back home by 10 pm. Usual birthday calls from friends made me __________ till 1 am. Throughout the day I was thinking of giving myself something as a __________, but I couldn’t think of anything. Suddenly an idea __________ me. I came up with the plan of quitting smoking. This time the __________ was much stronger. I wanted to quit smoking so I can run and __________ my son during soccer practice and have more energy. Habitually I turned to the cigarette pack and it was __________, which was probably a hint(暗示). Quitting smoking is a long and painful process, but I worked hard to fight the __________ to smoke again.

Today it’s exactly 526 days__________ I gave up smoking. I feel much more energetic and I am regaining my __________ which I lost in the past 11 years. All I want to say is that strong willpower and determination really __________ a great difference. Quitting smoking is the best birthday gift I __________ for myself and it makes me feel happy and proud.

8 . When Vance Hinds learned of comedian Bert Kreischer’s no-wine October challenge last year, he felt inspired. Hinds decided to prove to himself that he could also achieve something _________ he tried his best. In early 2019, he _________ it.

The Georgia native began his weight loss journey weighing in at 475 pounds. To make sure he stayed on_________, he recorded the weekly weigh-ins and _________ his progress on Youtube. While his aim was admirable, one of the most special aspects came from his friends’ consistent _________.

From the very beginning of his decision to change his life, Hinds’ friends willingly _________ him for a walk around the park. As the weeks went by, not only did he _________ strength, his walking group grew as well. After a while, he was _________ to walk around the park once without stopping. It’s a milestone, and he _________ recorded it on video with his supporters __________ behind him.

Day after day, Hinds made his __________ a priority (优先考虑的事), completing some form of exercise six times a week. Not long after __________ to lose pounds, he received a tweet from a fitness instructor and motivational speaker, Diamond Dallas Page. He __________ to help him take his progress to the next level.

With Page’s help, Hinds __________ to lose weight every single week. The pounds __________ and as 2019 began approaching, he became closer and closer to __________ his goal.

When he weighed himself one year after beginning his challenge, he felt really __________. The number on the scale (秤) read 277 pounds. He had lost __________ 200 pounds in one year, gained significantly more __________, and kept his spirits high.

Hinds’ excitement and __________ attitude are obviously a heartwarming reminder that all you need to realize a goal is a healthy mentality and continuous efforts.

9 . A single tremble shook beneath my feet. The trees above me began to sway(摇摆) hard. Then came the deadly_________that could only mean one thing, destruction. Every house and object was now_________. My vision blurred (模糊) even more when I saw the remains of my house. The house that used to_________all the happiness in the world was now_________a pile of ruined pieces. I_________all the times I played with my little brother and sister. Images of them were_________in my mind, so I let the darkness sweep over me completely so I could see them vividly one last time. I regained a bit of my_________after lying on the ground for some time. My eyes viewed different things, but I walked on mindlessly, with no_________to anything around me at all.

Years have passed since the disaster that_________me years ago. I never thought I would be okay again after this__________event.

Today I am going on a trip to California to help__________of a recent earthquake. Then, I see her. A young girl is weeping into her arm. I walk toward her. Losing family was__________, but because of my life changing experience, I am strong, and I can__________the lives of those who are suffering as I was. When I reach the girl, she stares at me with sad eyes, and I gently stick out my hand for her to hold to. One day, she may__________others the way I did for her. She holds my hand tightly, and together, we look for a brighter future where we can help those around us and__________the world starting with one disaster at a time.