5 . We were living in Kentucky. My two sons kept asking me to adopt a dog. Honestly, I _________ to do so. However, with my sons’ endless requests, I finally _________ a trip to an animal center.

Actually, I was not in the mood for a pet, for I was struggling with _________. We’d just moved to Kentucky. I was having trouble _________. I missed my parents and friends.

While wandering around the center, I noticed a little dog curled up (蜷缩) in the corner, shaking. Obviously, she was having a(n)_________ time. The dog called Princess just came the day before. The voices of people and barks of other dogs clearly _________ her. I wanted to take the poor thing in. However, my husband suggested having a look at all the dogs before our _________. Surprisingly, my two sons agreed to _________ Princess. So finally, we took her home.

Princess was quiet in the first few days, but _________ she settled into her new home. In a strange way, knowing I had a “friend”with a(n) __________ experience made me feel better.

One day, I was ill, missing my previous home more. Princess stayed with me quietly. Her __________ helped keep my mind off my problems. Soon, I recovered. Since then, Princess and I have fully __________ each other.

A few months after Princess came, I __________ a lot. I stopped losing myself in the __________. I made friends and enjoyed visiting places in a(n) __________ way.

6 . As an immigrant from China, my mother loves Chinese culture deeply. She _________ Chinese food every night. She prefers to do it herself at home because she thinks the local restaurants aren’t authentic. _________, strangely enough, she likes to take my son to Panda Express to have _________ with her friends who are also from China. She is even _________ to point it out whenever they are at a food court.

Why is American Chinese food not _________ among some Chinese Americans? How is American Chinese food not better than _________ Chinese food? I can’t _________ that it’s not as good as authentic Chinese food. In fact, authentic Chinese food really tastes better while American Chinese food _________ to have food with its own taste — they are right for different persons. It’s important to _________ American Chinese food from authentic Chinese food. They are not the same __________ and have their own characteristics. So they should be treated __________. That’s why my mother thinks that Panda Express is not very authentic, but can still __________ it. Actually, American Chinese food is often created by Chinese immigrants according to their own preferences. As people from various countries have differences in their __________, it is changing.

My mother has a deep feeling for authentic Chinese food and restaurants, so I decide to open a restaurant where she and other immigrants can feel the __________ of Chinese family dinner. My son says he’ll learn Chinese cooking skills from me, which, I think, should be __________ from age to age. Likewise, I’ll also pass on the Chinese food culture to the world.

7 . Usually, my friend, eighty-four-year-old Mollie, is full of confidence and energy. Three years ago, Mollie decided to do something she had always ________ to do but never had the time or the ________ to be a ballet dancer.

In the beginning of her eighty-first year, she ________ her classes with my encouragement. Every Tuesday night for two years, she was to learn to dance. “There is no one ________ than me in the class,” she told us after her first session. “It’s too ________. Sometimes I think I will never learn ballet.

Though Mollie ________ and worried that she wasn’t good enough, we could see her excitement and ________ in learning about her religion. And we knew that once Mollie decided to do something, she would get ________.

Finally on one recent Saturday, we ________ at a local theater to enjoy Mollie’s ballet performance. When Mollie finished her dance ________ she looked at all of us, smiling, and the audience stood and applauded. As I stood, crying and clapping, I ________ all the things that Mollie had taught me during her time of ________ and study. She showed that to truly live your faith, you have to stumble (跌跌撞撞地走), to ________, to try again, to win. You have to let go of some of your deepest ________ and see what is beyond them.

Mollie taught me that it is never too late to ________ your heart.

8 . I was born in a poor village in Uganda. I spent the ________ days of my childhood there. My mother died when I was born. My father never cared about me, which ________ me to leave when I was ten. For the next three years, I helped people do something and they provided me with shelter and food ________. Luckily, a ________ family paid for me to go to school. For the first time after leaving home, I felt ________. Then, I attended school and got a job. I always ________ to help children in need. Yet I ________ felt I could do something more.

In 2016, I got passed to be a foster (收养) parent. By the end of 2019, ten kids had filled my house. In 2020, I got a call from a center for ________ children. When asked if I could take Anthony, I ________ it because ten kids were all I could do with. ________, I was talked into taking Anthony just for the weekend. I didn’t ask about his situation ________.

Anthony arrived that night, “Can I call you Dad?” he asked.

“No.” I needed to keep my ________.

Monday morning a worker in the center came to ________ Anthony. From their talk, I learned he had been ________ three times, but nobody would take him in.

Looking at Anthony, I saw something that made me think of the ________ boy I had once been. “I’ll take him in,” I said.

10 . We are all flooded with the thought of having satisfying relationships, which will bring some meaning to our lives and make us happy. ______ , we often forget that true happiness lies within us. In fact, self-love and healthy relationships cannot be ______ .

First and foremost, self-love is the ______ of any healthy relationship. When you know your worth, you know what you are ______ to accept in a relationship and what not. You will know where to draw boundaries (边界) because you value your own opinions. You will have a clear understanding of what are your advantages and what are your ______ .

Besides, self-love plays a very important role in finding the ______ to trouble in relationship. When people truly love themselves, they have a healthier knowledge of everything.

They have more ______ and self-respect to be able to voice their opinions. Self-love also ______ choosing an emotionally healthy partner. When you have higher self-respect, you will probably ______ any unpleasant relationship. You do not settle for less (勉强接受) because you know your strengths and your ______ .

So now you know that self-love and healthy relationships are _____ inseparable. One cannot ______ without the other because they depend on each other for content and growth. They are concerned with your happiness ______ self-love will inspire you to have better boundaries, a healthier understanding of your own self, and higher ability to ______ emotion. Above all, self-love is the foundation of all your healthy relationships. The ______ the foundation is, the easier it is for you to build up healthy relationships.