1 . My palms were sweating. I was sure that I could hear my heart beating fast. This was the worst. I _________ feeling this way, but I had to do what I was about to do. I drew on a small bit of my inner strength and opened my _________.

“Excuse me. I was just _________. Would it be possible to maybe get that table over there by the window _________?” I asked. My voice sounded strange to me, as if a stranger from a _________ had asked the question instead of me. I _________.

“No, I’m sorry, but that table is reserved,” the hostess replied kindly as she _________ me into the dining area. _________ I followed her to my table, I realized that the earth had not opened up and swallowed me. I had not passed out or died of _________. The entire population of the restaurant was not laughing at my bravery for asking for a table by the window. I had asked and been told “no.” That was all. Nothing more.

For someone like me, who is always __________ and unconfident, asking for a different table was a huge __________. But I’ve started doing it on a regular basis because of a simple piece of advice my mother told me: “The worst they can say is ‘no.’ ”

And so, I’ve learned to actually __________ for what I want. I’ve learned to reach for my dreams and pursue my goals. I got a job that I wanted. I’ve even gotten prices __________ on a huge variety of items. Because I asked. Because my mom was right.

Sure, I have been turned down. I can’t say I have never been __________. I have been, but I keep__________. I will continue to ask for what I want out of life and from other people. What could happen? The worst they can say is “no.”

5 . “This year,” my dad said, “we’re going camping!” His excitement was met with a disappointing sigh. _______, he wasn’t upset.

The views during the trip were amazing, but none of those mattered to me. My mind was on my phone. I remembered the first time I looked up was for something _______—my phone had no _______. My dad said that it would be _______ until we returned home. I would be _______ in the forest for four days with no way to contact the outside world. I went to bed angry that night. But something _______ when I awoke in the morning. _______ immediately burying my head in my phone, I _______ something else: my surroundings. As my dad and I walked the trails, I felt the weight of a thousand stressors disappear from my shoulders. I realized being _______ to nature made me focus more on myself.

That was fifteen years ago, and I carry that ________ to this day. When I received my first work e-mail, I ________ the reason why my dad ________ a campsite with no access to technology. In a world that asks for more connectivity, the need to ________ your cellphone becomes stronger. Having my own time is nearly ________ when I can be ________ at any time of day or night. So, I need to work harder at it.

6 . At the mid-May in 2018, the 69 year-old amputee(被截肢者) Xia Boyu finally stood proud on two artificial legs on the peak of Mount Qomolangma, a symbol showcasing to the world the power of ________.

More than 40 years ago, Xia ________ both of his feet to frostbite after lending his sleeping bag to a team member during the trip to climb Mount Qomolangma.

Even though artificial legs were not ________ in China at the time, Xia strongly believed that he would one day fulfill his ________ dream and so, before that day came, the best thing to do was to prepare himself by training constantly. Three years later he finally got his new legs, which enabled him to ________ his sports career.

However, fate once again took a ________ turn when he was in his 40s. In 1993, illness ________ on the stumps(残肢) on his legs, which required another third of his lower legs be amputated.Three years after that, he was diagnosed with lymph cancer.

Over the years, Xia never gave up his dream of climbing Mount Qomolangma. ________ to his final successful climb in 2018, he had tried four other times to climb to the summit, but each time Lady Luck gave him the ________.

The last time he got close to his dream was in 2015. The then 57-year-old was only 94 meters from the summit, but a snow storm ________ his way. Taking his team members’ ________ into consideration, Xia made the ________ decision to go back.

On May14, Xia felt ________ and a strong sense of fulfillment welled up in him, standing on the peak of the highest mountain in the world.

“The key is to focus on your dreams, instead of the hardship you encounter along the way. I didn’t regret anything that I had done and accepted everything that life had ________ me, but I never stopped fighting against ________.” Xia said, stressing that fulfilling one’s dream has nothing to do with age, disability or the thoughts or expectations of others, but a firm belief in yourself.

7 . I work for a non-profit organization that serves children with disabilities. A particular ________ made me appreciate it even more.

Last Friday we took them to an amusement park. I was ________ with three girls who all had Down’s syndrome (唐氏综合征). They were having a great time, regardless of the ________ and looks from people around us.

The girls were ________ and screaming in excitement on a roller coaster ride, when a young woman patted me on the shoulder. She politely told me that she ________ the girls had Down’s syndrome. I told her yes.

I couldn’t ________ what she next said to me. She ________ me that she had just had a baby who was diagnosed (诊断) with Down’s syndrome, and that she had been most worried if her baby would be able to experience joy and live a life full of ________. She then went on to say that watching these girls made her relieved, because she saw how happy they were. Then, she ________ me for talking to her and giving her the best gift she could have asked for: ________.

I am so ________ that these three amazing girls were able to make this mother feel a sense of ________—that they gave her the hope and ________ that her baby will experience a happy life. Every time I think about his, I can’t help but ________. These kids that I am so ________ to work with and their smiling faces are major reasons why I smile.

9 . Big trees are ecologically important. They provide food for countless other species and _________ for many animals. With tall branches in the sun, they absorb vast amounts of energy, which allows them to produce massive crops of fruit and flowers.

Actually, only a small number of tree species have the genetic ability to grow really big. The biggest are _________ to North America, _________ big trees grow all globally. To _________ a giant size, a tree needs the right place to establish its seedlings, good growing _________ and lots of time with low adult death rate.

However, in some parts of the world, populations of big trees are declining because their seedlings cannot _________. In southern India, for instance, a(n) _________ non-native bush, Lantana, is invading the floor of many forests. Lantana grows so thickly that young trees often _________to take root. With no young trees to _________ them, most of the big trees will finally disappear.

Similarly, without the right growing conditions. Trees cannot get really big and there is some evidence to suggest tree growth could slow in warm environments. Tree growth there ____________ obviously in warmer years. During the day, their growth shuts down when it gets too warm, and at night they ____________ more energy because their metabolic(新陈代谢的) rate increases. With less energy produced in warmer years and more being consumed just to survive, there is even less energy ____________ for growth.

The theory means tropical forests would ____________ over time. As older trees die, forests would ____________ some of their stored carbon into the atmosphere, causing a cycle of further warming, forest shrinkage and carbon ____________.

Besides, big trees are faced with threats from elsewhere, surviving the storms, meeting challenges and growing healthily.