1 . My daughter Rachel had severe ADHD (多动症) as a child. The most _________ moments often came when we were out _________. All parents have been there trying to remain calm while their child is having an tantrum (耍性子) and shoppers are _________ their heads.

Rachel is now twenty-four and has grown into an amazing young woman. _________, those old terrible memories feel not-so-distant when I _________ a child’s similar behavior. The screams caused flashbacks that I would rather _________.

Last week, Rachel and I were shopping in the supermarket when we heard a child’s _________ that lasted more than fifteen minutes. My daughter asked, “Mom! Is that what I used to sound like?” “Yes, you sounded just like that,” I _________.

As we approached, I could see people whispering to each other and shaking their heads. Then I saw the embarrassment and _________ in the young mother’s face. I then did something I’d never done before. I walked over to the mom and put my arms around her shoulders. “I know exactly what you are ____________ right now, and I know how you feel. It does get better. Believe me.” I said. I then introduced Rachel to the mother. I ____________ that my daughter had been just like her son when she was little.

She hugged me back, so tightly that I knew she was ____________ to me. Her son stopped screaming for a minute and looked at us with a(n) ____________ expression. At that moment, I could see ____________ wash over her.

Sometimes, a stranger’s kind words during a ____________ moment can mean the world to someone.

2 . I’m an online columnist. A few weeks ago, I wrote a column about my life, ending up receiving some _________ reviews on a regular basis. I have become _________ used to being criticized like that. In the following days, I was also surprised when more lovely words _________ in. They told me that my running adventures had _________ them to go out to work out. Yet more _________ me for giving tips on the mental health issues they had also experienced. I have been so touched by all these people.

As an online columnist for ages, I have constantly encountered _________ readers. A lady was _________ about my daughter when she was hospitalized and a gentleman offered to _________ me for my training when I was badly off. There was also a couple who sent me a jar of home-made marmalade when they read about my _________, in the hope of cheering me up. As I thought about __________ of these kind people, I wondered why our brains are programmed to focus on the bad things __________ all the lovely ones.

At that moment, I’ve realized we don’t have the luxury of negativity. Our life is too short to be __________ by it. To stop engaging in it, the key is our __________ to be dragged down by it. In that spirit, I’ve __________ that from now on, I’m only going to focus on the positive. I’ll keep a file on my cellphone containing all __________ for me, and look at them when times get tough.

5 . “You don’t want that one,” the shelter volunteer said. “He’s broken.”

Had I heard her correctly? I looked down at the _________ cat sitting on my foot. The volunteer said the cat had been moving around since birth and that he didn’t like anyone. “He seems _________, but I still want to adopt (领养) him,” I said. “Because he needs a home, and because I’m _________ too.”

It was in 2021. I’d been in a _________ for a while. I had what the professionals called development trauma (精神创伤), which caused me to have serious attachment issues. But recently my doctor _________ I get an animal companion. He said it would be good for me and could help me form _________ with people.

It took me a week to _________ a name for him. I finally settled on Mr Bo, after the song about a homeless man who, even after great _________ , remained happy. At home I watched as the dark little thing smelled every corner of the house. _________, his curiosity satisfied, he settled in my lap. By the time a year passed, we’d developed a __________. When I woke up in the morning, Bo would demand that I hold him, so he could __________ my face. Then it was breakfast for us both before I __________ to work. When I got home in the evenings, Bo would make a crying sound until I __________ him up.

Bo was great __________. He’d made my life better. __________ having been abandoned (遗弃), he wasn’t afraid to love and be loved.

8 . Some started to run. A woman sobbed beside me, her husband dragging her along by the arm. Families begged for a _______ in vehicles(车辆) with no space, and cried when they were _______ .

Finally _______ it to the slightly higher ground of the evacuation(撤离、疏散) zone, it took me a few minutes to find Lauren among the crowds. Holding me and crying, she told me of her own walk twenty minutes _______ . Somehow, she had _______ to get back inside the airport before it was locked down, throwing our bags onto a trolley(手推车) and pushing it all the way to where we stood.

She was extremely tired, physically and emotionally, _______ finally calmed down enough to ask a simple question: “what happens now?”

I had no idea. Rumors(谣言) were flying around the crowd; _______ being spread far and wide. A six-meter tsunami was _______ our way. We were safe? No, we weren’t. People would be trapped in their hotels for days.

In short, nobody had a clue. The authorities(官方) were doing their best, _______ water-and later, food —to everyone, but they couldn’t provide the one thing people were most ________ for: information.

Finally, an announcement was made that the ________ had passed, and if there were no further quakes, we would be free to go in two hours. The airport would not reopen that ________ and buses would turn up at some point to take us to Phuket Town.

Suddenly, another announcement was made. Four hours after it closed, the airport was going to reopen in half an hour and our flights would ________ at some point after that. Some of the airport staff got into minivans(小型货车) and headed away.

Happy to be alive, we almost ________ back through security and into the terminal(航站楼). We found a slightly comfortable piece of floor, and prepared to wait it out.

Afterword: After I started queuing at 4 am, we were ________ enough to get on the first flight to Chiang Mai the next morning.

9 . My mom enjoyed inviting people for Thanksgiving. After my family moved far away from all our _________, Mom started filling the house with _________ guests—whoever had nowhere else to go for Thanksgiving.

I missed our big family gatherings before moving here, but Mom had a(n) _________ heart. This year, when Mom showed me her guest list, almost half the size of our small town’s _________, I was annoyed.

Our first guests arrived: three foreign exchange students. Mom’s original plan was to _________ one. But she was told those unable to go home sometimes _________ in tears, so here came three. The next guests _________ through the door, a single mom and her six kids. With more guests, the volume and the temperature in the house instantly _________. Luckily, dinner was ready before the house or I _________. However, seeing my name card placed among the six kids, I murmured angrily, “How would I get such an __________ seat?”

After dinner, Mom suggested sharing something we were thankful for—another annual __________ at our house. “I’m so __________ to your family for opening up home to us.” The single mom spoke with watery eyes. Then one student expressed how much it __________ to be with a family on Thanksgiving.

Suddenly something __________ me: the essence of generosity and inclusion. Thanksgiving is about more than family—it’s about a shared __________ full of kindness.

10 . Many years ago, because I didn’t have a car, my daughter, Sarah, had been driving me everywhere. At 60, I couldn’t get used to ________ on anyone else. I desired for ________.

One day, Sarah drove me to a local senior citizen center, where I encountered a flyer, advertising the taxi service. As a nurse, I had spent much time looking after my patients, and I had ________ to my daughter, too. When I retired, I felt my life was ________. I’d hoped working as a ________ in this center would help me find my value. However, not having a car, I felt it would be a ________. If the taxi could serve me, I would get rid of the worry.

Then I dialed the number. But the ________ was received by an answering machine. So I left a message. That was really a ________. Disappointed, I went back home. Suddenly, the phone rang. “This is Jenny. You have the wrong number. I’m not the head of the taxi service center”. My heart ________ as I was still stuck. “I’m sorry to have bothered you,” I said, trying to ________. “I was just trying to find a ride.” She said ________, “I can do it”. I could feel her firm tone. But I ________. Could I take ________ from strangers? But eventually, I persuaded myself to accept her kindness.

The next day, I saw Jenny ________ at the door. Taking Jenny’s car was like driving with an old friend, and we cherished our ________. Later, I no longer depended on Sarah’s car Jenny and I had our own life, and we often did good without getting paid together.