1 . Years ago, if a teenager had some problems in his life, he might go home and write in his diary; now, a teenager with _______  problems might go onto the Internet and write about them in a blog (博客). In many ways, a diary and a blog are very _______. But what makes blogging different from writing in a(n) _______ diary?

The biggest difference is that a blog is much more   _______ than a diary. Usually, a teenager treats his diary like a book full of _______ that he does not want to _______ with others.

It’s interesting that someone who writes in a blog _______ a diary will probably write nearly the same information.

I have a little sister, and sometimes I go online to read her _______. She writes about things like waking up early for swimming practice and not studying enough for her chemistry test. _______ I was her age, I wrote about the same thing, but ________ in my dairy. Then, after I had finished writing, I would hide my diary in a secret place because I was ________ that my sister might read it.

The biggest ________ with blogging is that anyone can read what you write. If I was angry with a friend during high school and wrote something ________ about him in my diary, he would never know. ________, if my sister ever wrote something bad about a friend, that friend might ________ her blog and get angry.

There are also ________ to blogging, of course. If I was feeling sad one day and wrote in my diary, “Nobody cares about me…” Because no one would ________ about it. However, if my sister wrote the same sentence in her blog, her best friend would quickly ________ and tell her how much they ________ her. Blog help people ________ in contact with their friend and know what the people around them are doing.

3 . I was visiting Costa Rica when I found myself in a bad situation: all my bank cards weren’t _______ abroad, and I only had $5 and a return ticket in two weeks. Back then, there were no cellphones or Internet. It was _______ who came to my rescue to get me home.

I thought the city dangerous and decided to find kind people in the _______. With my remaining coins, I _______ to the bus station and found a countryside that I could _______. Five hours later, I arrived at Santa Rosa. I went knocking door to door, _______ my situation with my very poor Spanish, but everyone pointed me to another _______.

Finally, I _______ a Chinese restaurant. The owner was extremely _______. She heard my story and felt ________ for me. She said her son had a similar ________. At that time, some other people were very kind to him, and she remembered how ________ that made her feel. She invited me in, gave me food, and called the Red Cross to ________ me. I spent my remaining days in Costa Rica with the head of Red Cross.

I realized that being able to receive kindness is a ________ for other people as well. And kindness ________ more kindness in small ripples(波纹).

4 . During the holiday season in 2022, Felicia Hall was battling depression. “I was unhappy, overeating fast food at night and not really caring for myself. I wasn’t physically ___________, but always felt tired,” she says.

It wasn’t until New Year that Hall wanted to make a ___________. A friend recommended Daily Burn, a workout program, and she ___________ to sign up. “I registered, though not believing I can keep on. I even set a ___________ on the phone to cancel it before the free trial ended,” says Hall. “Within two weeks, I did not ___________. So I deleted the note.”

The ___________ gained from Daily Burn also got her running. “I love the sound of ___________ my feet on the ground, knowing my body is ___________ of doing that,” she says. Hall also ___________ her late-night fast-food sessions and started cooking healthy meals.

After five months, Hall lost 20 pounds — and gained a new ______________ to exercise, and to life. She consistently ______________ the Daily Burn community group for support. And she ______________ started teaching group fitness classes in her hometown. ______________, she learned the power of positive thought and self-belief. “To be physically able to exercise and continue to ______________ with it — it’s an amazing gift,” she says. “People not experiencing it aren’t ______________ what something like this can do for a person. It’s not just physical — it’s mental. It’s everything.”

5 . I was an angry adolescent in my first year of college. One day I had a serious fight with my father.

I saw him as_________. I exploded in shouts and_________out. Running towards the classroom, I suddenly realized I didn’t have the assignment that was_________: a thought card. Professor Simon had explained every Tuesday we must_________ an index card, on which we wrote a thought or a question, and every Wednesday he’d return it with his_________ or answer on it. The card was our_________to class on Tuesdays.

So, outside the classroom, I took an index card and wrote “I’m the son of an idiot!”, as I could only think about the _________ I’d just had with my dad. I handed in the card, but soon_________ telling him about my dad, because I didn’t want to _________myself to him.

Wednesday, I got to class early and__________in the back. Dr. Simon began returning thought cards. On my card was written, “What does the ‘son of an idiot’ do with the rest of his life?” His question got right to the__________of the issue: Whose responsibility was it?

Dr. Simon’s comment kept emerging in my mind. Slowly, my thinking began to__________. People began to notice I was taking__________for my doings. My grades gradually improved. My relationship with my father also improved__________. Now I saw him as caring, instead of controlling. And it all__________with an innocent-seeming question.

8 . I had suddenly run out of oil paints just when I needed them. So I made the long _________ to the only store around here that sells them. It was the _________ time to shop. The store was full of people and the checkout line was long. I could see the _________ on the faces of the people around me. It was no better in the _________ and I found myself in the middle of a long line of cars waiting to pull out of it.

As my car was moving _________, I saw a middle-aged, thin woman in an old coat. She was holding up a piece of paper that said, “Lost my job. Kids to feed!” I _________ as car after car drove past her while other drivers turned their eyes away._________ I came closer, I took out my wallet and pulled out the little cash I had left. I _________ next to her, rolled down (摇下) my window, and quickly put it in her hand. She _________ and said “Thank you” before the car behind me __________ me to drive on.

I drove away and __________ that I had helped her even a little. Was my small act of kindness meaningful to her? I don’t know. Did it change the __________ of the driver behind me? Probably not. But it has been a wonderful experience for me. We all want to make great changes and __________ great things, but sometimes a small kindness is all we can do. Just let your heart __________ you then. Fill your days with __________ kindnesses and fill your life with love.

9 . Among 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam, the Bouyei occupies the smallest with about 3, 000 people living in a few small villages._______the fact that the Bouyei has the smallest population, Bouyei people still________their typical customs and culture. Boayei people live mainly on________farms. Up to now, the husband has been the only one who can_______everything in family. In each family, three or four________are living under the same roof.

On_______day the younger sister of the groom (新郎) will ride a beautiful________to fetch the bride (新娘) as the groom is not allowed to go to bring the bride home. Sons don’t cut the hair of their father and daughters don’t comb the hair of their mother. Only when their parents pass away are they allowed to comb their parents’ hair. During 3 years of mourning (哀悼) their parent, sons don’t________wine, daughters don’t wear jewellery and neither of them are________to get married.

Annually, Bouyei people celebrate four main festivals including Lunar New Year, the 1st lunar month of the year, the 5th day of the 5th lunar month’s festival of killing insects and New Rice Festival. During each festival, they________ steamed glutinous rice (糯米) and cakes made of glutinous rice for worshiping their ancestors (祖先) and________for health, good weather, and a good harvest. At family events and festivals Bouyei people sing their folk songs which are said to be divided into some styles of welcome, congratulations, and weddings.

Bouyei people generally wear navy blue shirts, the button (扣子) of which is on the right side. Women’s costumes are more eye-catching with colorful________. Women wear shirts,________dresses, and headscarves.

Currently, Ha Giang Province’s government has supported Bouyei people in________their culture and customs by creating a project to protect the folk songs of Bouyei people: documenting songs and________old people to teach the songs to young people.

10 . Jason, our son, was born one month early and so he was weaker than most children. My wife Margaret and I often comforted(安慰) him as he faced many ______ in his childhood.

In his seventh grade, Jason ______up for the school running team, which made me both proud and worried. One afternoon, Jason returned home in tears, covered all over with food. He threw his bag on the floor and shouted: “I’m never going to______ again!” As we later learned, a few older students made fun of his performance on the playground and then threw ______ at him on the school bus on the way home.

I called the school leader about what happened on the bus, and Jason never experienced that again. He stayed on the team, even though the trouble ______.

One day in October, we had a heavy______. As the other kids exercised in the gym they noticed one runner—Jason—______ around the snow-covered playground.

A few weeks later, Jason had something to tell us. “Mom, Dad, sit down,” he said. I was ready for the______. He told us that each month, students chose an “athlete of the month”. The coach would list the top athletes, and the other students ______ for the winner. Jason’s name had never been listed. ______ that day, one of the students said: “Sir, I would like to choose Jason for athlete of the month.” The coach looked surprised.

“He works______ than any of us, Sir,” the student continued.

“Does everyone ______ with this?” the coach asked.

Tears formed in Jason’s eyes as he told us what happened next. “Mom ... Dad ... ______ in the team put their hands up.’’ His mother and I, also in tears, looked on as he______showed his certificate (证书).

Whenever I am sad, I think of this story. I remind myself that challenges are not overcome (克服) by force, but by patience, ______, and faith.