1 . My first job was at a fast-food restaurant called Carroll’s in my hometown. One spring day my next-door neighbor _________ me to apply for work with her there, and I agreed to have a try.

One little _________ was that I wasn’t 16 yet, so I just changed my birth date on the application from July to _________. Luckily, they didn’t ask for any ID to prove my _________, because there were few applicants for the job. Both of us were _________.

The pay was _________, only $1.60/hour with no tips. I worked at the _________ and only boys were allowed to work in the kitchen. I got a chance to make milkshakes, though, which I considered kind of fun. I also _________ the relationships with all the other workers, who were mostly easy-going teenagers.

It was great to _________ different diners. The restaurant was located on a __________ entryway into town, so all kinds of people came in. One day a man in plain clothes __________ but ordered many signature dishes. When he came to my counter to check out, I was __________ to find he was my idol.

Besides __________ about my age, I also failed to inform the manager that I was leaving in June to attend summer camp, so my first job only lasted a few __________. It has been long gone, but the __________ in the restaurant remains a sweet memory of my life.

2 . My beloved grandma, had never left Australia and now never would due to cancer.

Planted _______ in the armchair, she had no alternative but to “travel” via the travel program on TV. I _______ the sadness and thought hard. It finally _______ me that I could ask strangers on the internet for help. I _______ the post:

My Nanny has cancer and she will never see the world. Please send her postcards so she can see the world from her armchair. I can offer nothing but gratitude.

I _______ not to breathe a word of this; should nothing come, I couldn’t bear to carry her _______ along with my own. Days _______ weeks and Nanny’s health declined rapidly, my suffering growing unbearable.

Finally, about six weeks after my post, a dog-eared, _______ postcard from UK wandered into our humble little letterbox. It was to me a ray of light and from that day, our letterbox became the _______ for postcards from all over the world and a hotel, ________ travel-weary cards. My dream of armchair travels became a reality.

In the months that followed, thanks to those cards, my Nanny had a private “flight” to board, travelling far and wide, satisfied and ________ . Cancer could not stop us. Our very last flight ________ on a warm morning. My dearest travel ________ bought a different ticket for this trip and began to explore another world.

I have ________ from great loss, knowing that her journey ahead would be a brilliant one with so many ________ from the strangers.

3 . At 17, I quit school, left home and moved from place to place. Years later, I was________for possessing drugs. I’d never touched drugs, but nobody believed me because my wandering lifestyle failed to defend my________I was sent to prison.

My cellmate was Herbert. We both worked in the electric shop. I wouldn’t let the fact that I was________imprisoned defeat me; so to keep myself________I volunteered for extra work, My attitude and effort earned me Herbert’s confidence and friendship.

Before Herbert was________, he offered me a job at his big company. Never had I expected________would smile on me! Deeply touched by Herbert’s________I was determined that someday I’d help other ex-prisoners this way.

Once out of prison, I went to Herbert’s company, where I was________rapidly through hard work. When I had a________in employment, I began to perform the________I had made to myself. Through the years, we have offered over 300 ex-prisoners________jobs. We believe in them, regardless of their past.

As we know, prison________a man. When his tern ends, society rarely gives him a paid-in-full receipt. He carries the________of “prisoner” wherever he goes. Nobody trusts or wants him. The only________open for him might lead back to crime. I’m glad I’ve________some of them and inspired their passion for a new life.

4 . My mother turned ninety. I knew I needed to find a senior _______ center. Not for her — for me. If I were at her age, I would want to stay in shape to _______ life, getting a lot of pleasure. Yes, walking in local parks was my _______, but I wasn’t so active as before.

I called a nearby center, “Do you have aerobics (有氧运动) classes _______ for seniors?” “Sure. Come and check us out! We start at 10 am,” the receptionist (接待员) replied and _______. The next morning, I went there. One part of me was _______ that the class was too easy, not doing me any good. The other part feared it was too hard for me to _______.

When I came into the room, a woman _______ me, “Oh, you’re new. Welcome.” Then the music started. The hour-long workout woke up the muscles I didn’t often _______ in daily walks, suiting me fine. I became a member there. My classmates ranged in age from fifty to ninety. Most gave the exercises their own ________, doing as much or little as they could. ________ no one kept score. Soon I learned physical well-being wasn’t the only ________ there. During breaks, people chatted happily. Whenever some people were ________ we asked around. Were they busy? Were they in hospital? Moreover, we signed cards for those who were ill.

I ________ to be in good shape now as I’ve hoped. Still, I’m grateful for things more valuable from the class — close friendships and new social ________.

5 . Joe and Della were a new couple. They were both interested in art--one in painting, the other in music. They lived in a small flat. They loved each other and they were happy.

But one day they found that they had spent all their money. One afternoon Della told Joe that she had found a _________ and was to give her three music lessons a week. For that she could get fifteen dollars a week. But Joe was not _________ because he didn’t want to stay at home, playing with his art while Della was at work. He wanted to earn some money too.

Every day they parted in the morning and _________ in the evening.

A week _________ , Della brought home fifteen dollars, but she looked a little _________. Joe took eighteen dollars out of his pocket. They were both _________ to have so much money at hand.

The next week, Joe _________ home another eighteen dollars but Della came home with her right hand in a bandage (绷带). Joe asked Della what was the _________. Della said, “It was because of an iron-- I mean a plate of soup spilled on my _________.”

“What do you do every day, Della? Do you __________ give music lessons?” Joe asked. “Tell me the __________!”

Della cried. She told Joe that she was working in a laundry (洗衣店), __________ shirts. A girl accidentally __________ an iron on her hand and she got a __________ burn. But Della asked Joe how he had guessed that she wasn’t giving music lessons.

Joe told Della that he worked in the engine-room of the same laundry where she worked. They both let out their __________ and laughed.

6 . After a rough week, all I wanted was a good rest. I went to the beach nearby for some ________ time with myself. It was a lovely, warm weekend in California, kids joyfully ________ in the water, or building sandcastles.

As I was leaving, I ________ a girl playing by herself. She built a little sandcastle with a moat (护城河) around it and was trying to fill it with water. Unfortunately, there was no ________ around to carry water. She would go to the waves,________ her hands and then walk back to her little castle. ________, not much of the water was making it to the moat. But she kept trying, still smiling and ________. As I was standing there watching her, feeling helpless, I ________ that I had a bottle of water in my bag. I quickly ________, took it out, and walked over to ________ it to her. Confused at first, she smiled but ________ her head shyly, saying no. I told her that it would make getting the water much faster. She ________ and finally took it from my hands after I insisted (坚持), Looking back, I saw her running over to the sea with a big smile, ________ in hand.

For me, it was a tiny ________. But I also know that when she meets someone in need, maybe, she would think of this little act of kindness by a ________. And maybe she would help create a little gentler world around her.

7 . After years of homeless, I was ready to give up. I had lost hope that life could get _________. But what happened next was that instead of me finding hope, it _________ me — and its name was Jay.

Jay was part of a homeless outreach program at Catholic Charities Fort Worth (CCFW). I truly don't know where I'd be if CCFW hadn't _________ me. For the first time in years, I knew that someone had my back. CCFW _________ with me every step of the way. Because of the help, I was able to get on my feet and move into my own _________.

For me, volunteering and giving back to the community that helped me is _________ because I know the _________ these programs can make in the lives of others. One of the most rewarding ways I have been able to _________ is right in my backyard — a soccer field I helped to _________ for my poor neighbors.

In less than two years, I've gone from having __________ to lay my head down at night to being able to __________ and help others. And __________ as I am to have a home, it's not the __________ I give back or even the most valuable thing I've been given. The most life-changing gift I received was hope, and the true __________ of hope is hard to fully grasp until you know what it's like to __________ it.