1 . The most important life lesson I’ve learned from running is to run at my own pace. This lesson has guided me in many ways. _________, it made me challenge the fixed expectations of retirement and aging.

Running is a metaphor for life. I realized this while _________ for a marathon to celebrate my 60th birthday. All the other runners being faster than me made me _________. But my coach shared some valuable advice: run at your own best pace. Setting a goal or target time could be a _________. He was right. _________, I ran more easily and faster. I also enjoyed the experience much more.

I have _________ this principle to other areas of my life. Finding a rhythm is not about _________ or how many things I can get done in a day. It has more to do with what I decide to do at this stage in my life.

Running carries its own set of expectations, including what it meant to be a strong runner. But expectations also _________ to other areas of life, including what people at certain life stages should be doing or not doing. Expectations at my age can _________ how leisure time is spent, decisions about employment and even the role of a ____________.

I used to think it was young people who bore the brunt (冲击) of ____________, but older adults can experience it too. This is ____________, because often later in life is a time when we are less inclined to care about the opinions of others.

That is the message my running coach was trying to convey. ____________ what others are doing.

Their pace is not ____________ the pace you should run at. Run in your own way. It’s not better or worse -only ____________.

2 . “The silence is killing me,” I thought as I locked my phone, hoping a new message would light up the screen. After 27 messages, two phone calls and a voicemail, I’d just sent my final text to the person who _________ to be my best friend at college.

The two of us met freshman year and, since we _________ almost all the same core classes, rapidly became inseparable throughout college. We _________ stayed up together for studying, and were each other’s partner for late-night pizza runs. Then one day after graduation, she suddenly _________ responding, apart from claiming she “didn’t have enough time for herself”. That breakup was the most _________ I’d experienced. After four years of building such a _________ relationship, I thought I’d at least receive a(an) _________ for why she wanted to end things. _________, I received only a brief, indirect message about self-care and-what hurt me most-a(an) _________.

Over the past few years, the concept of “drawing boundaries” has __________ in the pop psychology. Discussions of cutting people off and protecting your energy__________ dominate social media. And after nearly three years in __________, the ways the Covid-19 pandemic has __________ many of us to reevaluate our relationships with others show up everywhere in pop culture.

The __________ of self-care are fairly obvious: by prioritizing our own well-being, we’re able to engage in emotional healing, build confidence, __________ anxiety and simply rest. However, an extreme focus on self-care can lead to a(an) __________ perspective of the world in which we always put ourselves first, even when we’re in the wrong. This doesn’t just __________ us-it can have real, painful consequences for the people around us.

Sometimes it can feel __________ for us to remove ourselves from conflict or discomfort under the mask of __________. However, walking away from these relationships without a real conversation actually__________ us and our loved ones of an opportunity for growth.

3 . A passion for sewing has been in my family for several generations, and with a few lessons from my grandma and brother, I became pretty _________ about it. So I decided to give scrunchies (布发箍) a try! My first _________ was a disaster, but I kept on trying until I eventually _________ the art of scrunchie-making.

When I was first _________, I would sit at the machine for hours on end, just managing to _________ an item I was eager to sell. I didn’t get bored or _________; I was just so determined to complete and _________ get it on the market.

I began selling my items to my friends, and now I’m selling dresses as well! My _________ have won me a reputation, for each item was _________ with great love and care.

My family and friends have offered me their constant __________ and feedback (反馈). They helped me learn how to run, __________ and plan a whole business. Most of the time, their feedback is __________, but they’re not afraid to tell me if I could have done something better. I’ve also had to __________ negative feedback, which cables me to be more __________ when something doesn’t work out the way as I planned.

My advice for anyone looking to start up their very own __________, would be to start small and build yourself up. Enjoy, and trust in the journey!

4 . American author Gary Hopkins tells us, “A suitable apology can be a wonderful thing, so long as it is from the heart.” However, an apology is ______ to make.

A few years ago, I was a guest ______ at a conference for professional trainers. I was well ______, knowledgeable about the topic, and I felt confident as I ______ my speech. But afterwards, an experienced female delegate ______ me. We exchanged a few greetings, and then she dropped something unexpected on me. She said, “Do you know how many times you ______, from the moment you ______ to the microphone until the moment you left the stage?” “Sorry, I don’t know,” I replied. “Nine times,” she said. “And all of them were unnecessary.” I was ______. It was the first time someone had ever made me ______ my “sorry habit.” So what was the first word out of my mouth ______? “Sorry!” We both burst out laughing.

Of course, apologies shouldn’t be ______ that way. This incident raised my awareness of how we routinely use apologies. I know ______ to apologize is a big mistake as we’ve made a mistake or wronged someone else. How to do it? First and foremost, we need to understand real apologies or wholeheartedly saying “sorry” is ______. It’s like a big ______ into a relationship account and there’s no alternative for it. Actually, there are ______ apologies, which are tools of dodges (搪塞). They are awful and we should stop them. ______, habitual apologies are an unnecessary automatic response, as I ever made at the conference.

Generally, over apologizing ______ to happen when there’s a lack of ______ in your position, which will make others ______ you or even get unhappy. So we need to use apologies ______ and our attitude must be sincere. Refusing to apologize is a big mistake, and so is over apologizing.

5 . It was a good day to fly a kite with the warm sun and the right wind. However, one lonely kite looking worried and _________ preferred to stay in the back of a closet. He didn’t like flying. You see, the higher the flight, the _________ the fall. It was that which _________ the kite most of all.

At 2:00 pm, his boy opened the closet door. “Come on,” said the boy, “It’s the _________ kite day.” As they came to the park there were happy kids everywhere flying kites that sailed _________ high in the air.

The boy started _________ to get the kite going. He ran all through the _________ while other kids stared at his kite that dragged and _________.He heard a boy _________, “That kite must either be stupid or __________.” Kneeling, the boy thoughtfully asked the kite, “Why don’t you fly? Are you afraid?” With all of his pride, the kite tried to __________ it, but the look in his eyes told the boy he had guessed it.

Then with a kind smile, the boy said, “Everyone gets __________, but Dad says that’s okay. And by facing __________ boldly we can scare some away. That’s how it was with me and my bike. Maybe biking and flying are a little __________.” The light of hope that shone in the boy’s eye made the kite decide to give flying a try.

The boy started running to give the kite __________. Instead of fighting the wind the kite gave himself to it. At first he was careful not to __________ down. Then he __________ and saw the whole town! Gathering courage, he made a great loop-the-loop in the __________. Every child was squinting to watch that kite sail.

In the sky, the kite learned facing fears boldly can scare some away. To __________ at new things, you must be willing to grow. That means not holding back but __________.

6 . While working as a graduate student in New York City, Vanessa Bohns was given the much ________ job of collecting survey data in Penn Station as part of an academic research project. Each time she________ a passer-by, she thought she would hear them tell her how________they were. Yet the bad responses rarely came; many more people were________to answer the questionnaires than she had ________.

Was it possible, she wondered, that most of us are________about whether people want to respond to our requests? Over the following decade, she________ multiple studies that confirmed this was indeed the________: in many different situations, people are often far more likely to ________than we assume.

________, it seemed that the results provided a refreshingly________view of human nature. “It started as a positive thing, like, isn’t it ________that people are more likely to do things for you than you think?” However, with time going by and more reflection on the results, Bohns has come to________ that her results reflect a broader tendency that we usually ________ how much influence our words can have over others, whether we’re asking them to________actions that are good or bad. People often________to do what they are asked because they find it too awkward to say no, even when they feel________with our requests.

Knowing this can help us understand how our requests might________other people — particularly in the workplace — and help us adjust our requests________ , in ways that respect people’s ________ and without taking what they have done for us for granted.

7 . More than anything, this is a book about unconditional love—a bond between a caring woman and a loyal dog. Harley’s Harlequin Heart written by Christy Jaeger and_________through the narration(叙述)of the dog Harley, shows why the power of love can overcome the_________that is part of every life journey. It also teaches us how we can make the world a(n)_________place together with dogs.

Harley takes us along on all his_________with his owner Jaeger—from growing up, being trained, to going to dog shows. Then one day, Harley is_________with bone cancer. Fortunately, it appears that there’s enough time to explore_________“Jaeger told me that everyone has a sixth sense, which_________ them when something’s not right. Looking back, I’m glad she paid attention to her_________alarm.” Harley thought.

Through surgery, this smart dog_________. It isn’t easy and he tells us about his pain and fears. But chances of__________look promising. After this experience, Harley__________realizes that when someone has cancer, the entire family will__________. However, all the people playing a part in the__________form a connection that is unbreakable .

Harley’s__________with cancer might concern adults considering reading this book with their children. But Jaeger through Harley’s__________ provides such a friendly, positive perspective(观点) that there is so much more reason to__________this book. Besides, it helps greatly that the book has a(n)__________ ending.

As Jaeger notes, “The book__________love to all who read it. This small element can be__________in the human and animal worlds.” Love can defeat all. That__________couldn’t be any clearer than in this wonderful book.

8 . Children know the difference between right and wrong before they reach the age of two, according to new research _________ recently.

Scientists have _________ that babies aged between 19 and 21 months understand fairness and can _________ it in different situations. They say it is the first time that having a _________ of fairness has been identified in children at such a young _________.

Researchers say babies will watch a _________ for longer if they think it contains something unfair, so in two experiments the babies were _________ on how long they watched a live scenario (情景) about fairness.

In the first, 19-month-olds _________ two giraffe puppets (玩偶) given either a toy each or both toys to one of the giraffes. Longer looking times _________ that something was unusual or __________ to the baby. In this experiment, three-quarters of the babies looked longer when one giraffe got __________ toys.

In a second experiment, two women __________ each other with a pile of small __________ between them and an empty plastic box in front of each of them. In one scenario, one woman __________ put the toys away, while the other kept playing, but both women were given __________. In another scenario, both women put the toys away and both got a reward. The __________ 21-month-old babies looked reliably __________ when the worker and the slacker (偷懒的人) were rewarded equally.

Psychologist Stephanie Sloane, who led the study at Illinois University, said: “We discovered that 19 and 21-month-old babies have a general __________ of fairness, and they can apply it __________ to different situations.”

The __________ appear in Psychological Science, a journal published by the Association for Psychological Science.

9 . Zach Bonner has literally changed the world one step at a time. He has a _________ for the homeless and he has been giving to those in need since he was only 6.

Several years ago, Hurricane Charley _________ near his home in Tampa, Florida. He wanted to help the _________ where he lived, so he pulled his red wagon around his neighborhood, asking for _________. From food and water to clothes and blankets, he _________ 27 truckloads of household goods that would help those who were displaced by the _________. In the beginning, his generosity may have seemed small, but the people around him were _________.

Afterwards, Zach _________ the Little Red Wagon Foundation to focus on helping homeless kids. “These kids don’t have a _________ over their heads and food on the table. They’re out on the streets not because they want to be, but because it’s out of their __________.” said Zach. Since the Little Red Wagon Foundation was founded, Zach has continued to arouse public __________ about homelessness through walking. In fact, Zach walked across the USA, nearly 2,500 miles, from Tampa to Los Angeles to __________ funds for homeless kids. Zach also lived __________ in a 512 cubic feet box with only a sleeping bag for 7 days. He received over 6,000 cans of donated food that he __________ to local homeless shelters.

As Zach said, “A journey of a thousand miles __________ with a single step. Most people don’t walk a thousand miles, or 2,500, but we all need to take that first step to get something __________ done. If I’ve helped __________ one homeless child, I hope I’ve __________ that.” Each step that Zach takes is one step __________ to the change he wants to see in the world. From his series of epic walks, to spending a week in a box to recreate shelters for the homeless, he makes every step __________.

10 . I’ve had the good fortune of spending a lot of time working in London over the years. I’m a typical American, _________ to making eye contact and smiling when speaking to others. But until I spent time abroad, I was never quite _________ of what my facial expressions could convey.

In the UK, I _________ not everyone made as much eye contact on the street as I did. And it was _________ to hold eye contact during a business meeting. My _________ smile could be considered as flirtatious (轻浮的). But my British colleagues _________: I was American. This forward attitude was not _________, but it was just my culture. _________, being expressively cheerful among those who keep _________ closer to their vest (背心 ) was accepted in the UK.

____________, in other countries a cultural misunderstanding of smiling can have serious results. While it’s unlikely that a mistimed smile will ____________ you a contract (合同),____________ interactions can make it much more difficult to build effective business relationships.

Different cultures ____________ smiling in different ways. In Russia, people do not smile because it ____________ that you are at best foolish or at worst, sneaky (卑劣的). Even in family photos, adults ____________ with stony faces. In Japan, smiling is a way to ____________ your feeling that you don’t want others to know. Australians have smiling cultures. While they might not have the same ____________ for giant white smiles as Americans, they smile more than our peers in Russia, Japan, Switzerland, and the UK.

If Americans have to work abroad, my ____________ is to make sure you do some research. It is ____________ to be yourself, but you should also learn about the culture you are going to visit. This will help you communicate ____________ and effectively with your peers.