1 . “Nice guys finish last!” I have _______ that phrase literally hundreds of times over the years. There were even a few times when I believed it myself. But if I ever need a reminder of just how _______ that line is, I only need to recall what happened to me recently.

It was a cold and drizzling morning. I had just finished taking my son to school. Road work, however, had _______ me and I was running late 20 minutes. I still had a full day’s worth of work to do and felt a little _______. I had to pick up some things at the local _______ before heading home.

When I was checking out, an old couple asked me for a _______ going back the way I’d already came. My busy brain wanted to say: “no”, but_______ the better angels of my heart said, “yes”. They climbed in my car and I _______ down the road. During the trip we talked and laughed and after I_______them off, they thanked me for what I had done.

As I turned around the car and headed back home I felt a warmth in my heart and a ________ in my soul. I glanced in the rear view mirror and saw I was smiling without knowing it. Then the sun broke through the clouds and the sky seemed to________down on me as well. I may have been more behind the ________than ever but in that moment I felt I was right where I was________ to be.

When it comes to money, ________ and fame in this world then it might be true that sometimes nice guys do finish last. But when it comes to the heart, soul and mind, nice guys finish________

2 . My father was my hero and my inspiration. People in our town called him a _________ man — martial artist, worker in wood and skilled fly fisherman. The big laughing man was _________ in everything he put his mind to. There was nothing he couldn’t _________ or win. And he taught me to do the same.

But his _________ to life was severely tested when, in his late fifties, Dad’s fishing-buddy doctor sadly shook his head and turned away. The news of sudden _________ scared Dad. It scared me, too. He closed himself at home, _________ the pleasure of his hobbies. To _________ his growing frustration, Dad took up painting. But as his hands became weak, his fingers _________ and twisted, his images on the paper were like wild weeds. There were no dreams on his canvas (画布), no miracles, no hope. However, determined and _________, Dad painted hour after hour.

As the days and years passed, he could __________ paint his images in exact composition. His modesty and perseverance kept him concentrated, enabling him to __________ the beauty of life. He’d found his way to a place __________ pain, where he found himself back. He’d learned to embrace life the way it was, __________ it was not the way he wished it to be. I looked at his smile and realised that he was a real magician of life.

One day, he paused during his work. “I have so little to leave you with, Janet,” he said __________ shaking his head. “Dad, that’s not true. You’ve taught me the right attitude toward life — the art of living. And it’s the most valuable __________.” He looked surprised with the biggest smile I’d ever seen.

3 . I, Amy, am always proud of my frankness and honesty. However, I found myself tangled in a web of _______ emotions recently. My friend, Lucy, eager to establish herself as a (n) _______ was preparing to present her work of art to the public. I knew her passion, but in my eyes, she was still _______ her artistic skills. As the day of exhibition drew near, Lucy, obviously _______ asked me, “Amy…what do you truly…think of my painting?” I looked into her _______ eyes, _______ between honesty and not upsetting my friend, managed a smile and said, “Lucy, this is definitely your _______ work yet. The color combinations are the most creative!”

During the following days, I was uneasy, but I _______ myself with the idea that it was a “white lie”, with the _______ to protect and encourage her. Unexpectedly, I also saw a great ________ . Lucy indeed threw herself into her craft! Her paintings progressed obviously and her skills ________ like a tree branching out. I realized that my little white lie had unlocked ________ within her. Lucy’s artwork ________ shone like a star at the exhibition.

Lucy put her arms around me. The most beautiful words reached my ears, “Your warm words ________ me.” I freed myself from the guilt at that moment. While honesty is important, it is the warmth behind the words that ________ more.

4 . My father once told me some advice. “The advice,” he said, “was that if after the first 50 pages of a book you don’t get _________, you’re allowed to cease reading and _________ again later when you feel ready for it.”

A reader, he suggested, needs a little _________ to adapt to a book’s _________ tone, rhythm and voice. But at the same time, this advice gives a person permission to _________ reading. Nobody needs to _________ themselves to finish reading a book they’re not interested in. I _________ like the gentle suggestion to return to a book “when you feel ready for it”. It’s a(n) _________ that reading is a kind of relationship with yourself and that this relationship is not _________.

I like to think my father’s readerly advice can be __________ in life more generally. Give things a fair __________; don’t judge too hurriedly. It’s helped me when confronted with common landscapes, unanticipated __________ and awkward social situations. Resisting the __________ to escape or to complain, has meant I’ve come to __________ the particular charm of a wide variety of places and personalities. Besides, when something doesn’t feel right, don’t be afraid to quit it, __________ for the time being.

5 . I have had this long-sleeved shirt since college. After many years, there are warning _________ that it is on the way out. Some buttons are getting a bit _________. And even there are those faint _________ of meals that haven’t quite come out in the wash. Though _________, it is still my favorite.

One morning, I was putting on it for the family trip when my wife noticed a hole in the elbow (肘部). She advised me to _________ it or it would get worse. But it was so tiny. I decided to _________ it and went to reach for the backpack at the top of my closet when I heard the rip” sss- “ Was that...? I reached for the closet door and _________ it shut. Riiippp again. The tiny hole became a big tear, leaving my arm _________ ”Now you look like a scarecrow (稻草人),” My wife laughed. “Maybe you should throw it away.”

Should I? I asked myself in such a fast-fashion world which rushes to produce clothes that _________ the latest trend, few material items __________ our loyalty. But this shirt had seen a lot with me, from my __________to my marriage. I knew even a piece of clothing represented a life __________ lived. I intended to stay __________.

“Is it time to let that shirt go?” My wife asked. I paused for a moment and then grabbed a pair of scissors.__________, I soon picked up my “new” __________ shirt and showed it to her. “Not yet,” I replied with a proud smile.

7 . Grace Cogan’s favorite quote comes from American founding father Thomas Jefferson: “I cannot live without books”. The 14-year-old from Weston, Missouri thinks the same thing.

Grace was born with a disease that affected her skin and eyes, and caused kidney (肾) problems. Doctors told her parents she might not live.___________, she made it. However, she was often sick. During these 14 years, she had 22 operations and a lot of doctor’s ___________.It was reading that_________her in doctors’ waiting rooms or during long drives to appointments. “I always make sure to have a___________with me,” she said.

When Grace was little, her mother, Kelly, read Little House on the Prairie to her. Her dad, Brian,___________her more difficult historical novels like The Red Badge of Courage. Then Grace, though she had serious eye problems, started reading on her own, with her nose usually___________in a book. That’s where she sees most___________. “She wanted to know how things worked. She was so curious,” said Joyce Burch, Grace’s aunt. Maybe because of those early books, or maybe because of where she lives—a farmhouse that’s been home to five_________of her father’s family — Grace came to love history.

She asked her parents to take her to different historical places. She read historical novels, from Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to 1776. She even wrote a book, The Historical House, to _________the history of the farmhouse. Because of her disease, Grace can’t go to a public school. But her____________for history meant she came in fifth in the country for the National History Day competition this summer. Grace’s grandmother said that she was not really____________when Grace called to tell her the news. “That girl does not__________.We knew she would do something great,” she said. Apart from reading, Grace also plays the piano and loves musical theater. She would like to work in theater someday. If she can’t, she wants to be an author, ____________writing about history. Grace’s bravery has____________others. “The time with Grace has been an____________journey and adventure,” said Lennie Medcalf, Grace’s private teacher. “I look forward to seeing this world with Grace Cogan in it.”

8 . It was a sunny Sunday afternoon. My husband was taking care of our baby girl so that my six-year-old and I could do some yard work, just the two of us. It was sure to be _______. But soon, the clouds of mosquitos seemed _______ to our bug spray (喷雾). I was sweating, itchy, and arguing with my son about _______to pull weeds. I had told him the “right” way — getting those weeds out from the bottom, by the roots, removing them entirely.

However, my son went about things in his own way. He pulled the_______ of the weeds off, moving quickly down the line as he left the remaining part still in the soil. Somehow, I found this to be incredibly _______Why couldn’t he do it in my way and save me the time of having to_______ his portion (部分)? Why did he do it at all if he wasn’t going to do it properly?

“If you would do as told, we’d be done earlier and_______ a longer period before we would have to returm and pull weeds next time.” I said, trying to keep my tone _______ He went back to his work, shaking dirt from his handful of growing things and throwing _______stems into our shared basket. “People do things... __________, Mom.” He said innocently.

My fire soon faded, replaced by the__________ realization that I’d just received a valuable__________from the person that I was supposed to be teaching. While trying to__________my baby girl, my kindergartener, and the yard work, __________ was a lifeline for me, a coping mechanism. But my way was, perhaps, not the best way after all. His time shouldn’t be __________. His job was to be a kid and take his time, for as long as he was able.

9 . “I’m gonna play basketball, Daddy.” Lauren flew into my arms when I came in from work. “That’s ______ , honey.” I replied naturally. I thought she meant outside the house — on the driveway. Into the kitchen, my wife Helen’s silence indicated I had ______ something. After a while, she spoke slowly, “Lauren is joining the girls’ high-school basketball team.”

I ______ my girl’s sportsmanlike courage, but ______ was still in my stomach. Lauren was only just five feet one inch tall. ______ legs and a heavy body were surely a(n) ______ for her in playing basketball.

The game day arrived. Lauren and her teammates moved out. Their serious game-faces seemed ______ to win. At first, though not playing, Lauren followed the movement on the court and ______ every play. I could even _____ her shout “No way!” when a referee made an unfair call ______ a teammate. Sitting on the sidelines, Lauren still enjoyed the game very much.

Suddenly, the announcer’s voice boomed, “Number thirty-three, Lauren Wray, in.” My heart ______ wildly. What if she got injured or other girls on the team made fun of her? But what I saw was that Lauren made every effort to keep pace with the others. Just before the end of the game, they passed Lauren the ball. She caught it. She shot. ______ , she scored!

The audience began clapping and ______ . Lauren’s brown eyes shone as she wiped her sweaty forehead. Lauren’s uplifting spirits and impressive performance, wrapped with in a small ______ , struck everyone greatly. I felt enormously ______ to have Lauren as my daughter.

10 . A Saturday morning, we noticed a handful of soft brown curly hairs on Rosie’s pillow. Was she _______ about her new school life? Or unsuitable shampoo? We _______ it with another brand, but Monday morning brought twice as many curls. Sadly, by Thursday, Rosie’s hair was all _______ .

Having undergone a series of examinations, Rosie was diagnosed (诊断) with Alopecia, an immunity _______ causing the hair to fall out. In the following months we had to rely on hats to protect Rosie from _______ stares and in the meantime, we looked for answers from books and searched the Internet for _______ and success stories. After trying countless treatments, and even a stress-reducing lifestyle change, nothing _______ though.

The next few months were filled with ups and downs. When Rosie asked why other children were _______ we’d explain they were simply curious and then quickly took her away. _______ the unwelcome attention began to seem natural. We stopped ________ the stares and decided to embrace them. When asked about her hair, Rosie would ________ give creative, witty answers: “My hair is on vacation.” Other days she would get right to the point, “I’m ________ bald (秃的) and I have Alopecia.”

Instead of focusing on ________ her baldness, we finally came up with some friendly rules — “Operation SPIRIT.” Facing stares from other children, Rosie has learned Smile, Pride, Introducing herself, Raising ________ by sharing her story, Inquiring what makes them unique and Thankfulness.

These days, if you happen to look in our direction, you’ll see a beautiful little bald girl who ________ what she lacks in hair with SPIRIT.