1 . 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.

2 . 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.

3 . 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.”

4 . 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.

5 . “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.

6 . 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.

7 . I remember a time when I needed a phone number or an address, I naturally dialed “0” and an operator with a pleasant __________ would ask what she could do for me. But now I have the __________ of acquiring knowledge from my laptop in the comfort of my home. Automation certainly has its advantages, but I still miss the __________ with people that the devices have replaced.

Recently I decided to dedicate a day to accomplishing all of my goals in a __________ manner. I began by having lunch at McDonald’s, where I __________ the computer terminal in favor of ordering from a smiling __________, who remembered me from a long-ago visit. It seemed that her glow of __________ made the meal more delicious. In the afternoon I went to the public library and asked the librarian to help me find a title I could have easily ______ by myself with a computer search. During our stay in the stack (藏书架) we had the most wonderful _______ about Annie Proulx’s new book. Finally on my way home I had a stop at the supermarket. __________, I walked past the self-checkout and was __________ by a cashier, who suggested that for only one more penny I could get a(n) __________ cabbage.

That evening I had dinner with a friend and excitedly reported my day to her. However, she wasn’t buying. She remarked that I could have ordered everything with my cellphone and they would be __________ to my home, which would have taken less than an hour. Exactly, but I would have sacrificed one precious cabbage and even __________   all those kind words and friendly smiles. I enjoyed my day, maybe just because someone took the time to __________ the encounters.

8 . April Florie, a 57-year-old mother of two, became the first female football coach in the history of New Jersey’s 42-team Shore Conference. This ______ story of determination unfolded in Toms River, where Florie entered the world of coaching—she considered ______ the coaching staff of the Toms River East football team.

She shared, “I ______ thought everyone would say no. Who knew the first person I asked would say yes?” The person who said yes was none other than head coach, Kyle Sandberg, known for his ______ attitude to the game. Sandberg had previously welcomed two female players onto the team.

Florie’s journey to football wasn’t a calculated career move but was born out of a desire to ______ her community and school on a deeper level. She ______ to be part of the town and the school where her children attended classes and played sports. She realized football could help her reach that ______.

Florie described her first ______ in August as “frightening”. She had to ask a thousand questions and felt like she was in another world with coaches speaking a ______ language. The sensory overload was real, but her ______ to personal growth was evident to her players and colleagues. The football players and coaching staff ______ her presence and recognized her wisdom and motivation.

Florie sees her journey as an inspiration for other women who may want to step into the male-dominated world of football. She says, “I hope a nice young lady, who’s more knowledgeable in football than I am, takes a ______. I hope my own children ______ that. I hope they will be fearless and try things that they’re ______ with. If you fail, you fail. But ______ you tried.”

9 . Everyone is hiding something — but unhiding that secret part can ________ everything. My birth was a little ________. At birth, I was carried into another room and doctors gave my parents the ________ news: I was born missing my left hand, which might have been a(n) ________. However, a nurse took me back into the room, placed me in my mother’s arms and ________, “You should take her home. You should love her. You should ________ her. You should treat her as normal.”

Luckily, my parents took her words ________, and for the most part, it was great. I played sports, did well in school, and even joined student union. ________, the fact that I was different ________ me hard on my first day of high school. I remembered being laughed at about my left arm when getting on the school bus, and I felt a moment of ________, so I quickly put it into my pocket. I then told myself that I’d just hide it only one day. But one day of hiding turned into a week, and then a month, which became years — 25 years exactly.

________ this special experience, I gradually learned to accept myself. When looking around and noticing other people with arm differences, I started to be not so ________ on hiding myself. And then, I discovered the Lucky Fin Project, an organization to help people with all types of “________”.

Years after I joined the organization to make people ________ of helping the disabled, I figured out that unhiding is the key to connection. When we do this, we create a beautiful and ________ space where everyone can find a sense of belonging and feel loved for who they are. Hiding holds all of us back — unhiding sets all of us free.

10 . It’s every parent’s nightmare: You return home from a long trip and discover your child has ________ his favorite stuffed (填充的) toy animal somewhere on the journey.

I recently ________ this very scenario (剧情). My young daughter Luna and I just arrived home after a trip to Dallas, Texas, when she ________ “Doggy” was lost. With not many options, I ________ Southwest Airlines. ________ , the perfect person, Christina, answered my call. The kind girl learned that we probably left Doggy behind in our rental car and immediately ________ to go the extra mile to help us.

She drove to the rental agency where she was able to locate the _________ Doggy. Then Christina made preparations before ________ him. She took him on a series of “________ ” at the airport. They took a ride on a Southwest flight, enjoyed some snacks, ________ the knowledge of the plane’s emergency exists from the safety guideline, and even helped with the ground control flag work. In the meanwhile some good ________ of his airport tour were posted online so that my daughter could see what her old friend was up to while they were ________.

Doggy finally _________ us two weeks later. The Southwest Airline _________ their social media pages and shared   “Not only did Christina return Doggy safe and sound, but she included a photo album as a gift to Luna.”

Isn’t this just the sweetest? This goes ________ mere “customer service.”