1 . The Happy Hitchhiker (徒步者)

Several years ago, I decided to visit my best friend, who lived in Napier. _________ I was short of money, hitchhiking was the only way to go. Carrying a small bag on my back, I set off on a sunny morning, and soon I got lifts. I enjoyed the conversation with the drivers, and was _________ enough to have made some distance before it got dark.

As I walked along a tree-lined country road, I _________ where I would spend the night. It was summer and the weather was warm so I thought I could sleep under a tree. An elderly gentleman came up and asked me where I was _________. I told him that I was hoping to get to the next town, “Op-o-tiki”.

He laughed and asked if I _________ “Opotiki”. Being English, I was not familiar with the correct pronunciation and replied that I did. “It’s still a long way. You won’t get there before dark,” he said. “So come with me and we will put you up for the _________ .”

Opotiki was a further 25 km away, so I _________ him to a comfortable, warm house nearby. He introduced me to his wife who was preparing dinner. They invited me to have a nice cup of tea, and even a hearty beef casserole (砂锅).

After dinner we all _________ for a while about where I was from and how I was finding the town, and then I was shown to my room. My host was a retired sea captain, and he told me that he was used to being up early and would wake me up. I had a very comfortable night’s sleep.

The next morning I woke to a cup of tea and a nice hot breakfast. I thanked them for their care, when the lady handed me a sandwich saying that it should _________ me going until I reached Opotiki. We had a laugh and said goodbye with each other. I have never forgotten their amazing __________ .

2 . As an ordinary senior school student, I’ve discovered a wonderful way to _________ life with a positive attitude — my daily bicycle rides. Riding my bike has become more than just a fun activity. It’s like a little _________ that has taught me important lessons about staying positive, facing challenges and being _________.

When I get on my bike and ride around familiar streets, it feels like I’m on a small quest. It’s not just about reaching a(n)_________; it’s about enjoying the ride itself. Cycling has turned into a kind of teacher, helping me understand the _________ of practice and having a can-do spirit. One of the coolest things I’ve learned is about not giving up when things get hard. You know, when I’m trying to pedal up a steep hill, it’s hard! But guess what? Even when my legs feel super tired, I keep going and do not give up, till I reach the _________. Life is kind of like that too. When I have a challenging task or any problems in my studies, I remember those steep hills. I know if I keep trying, I can _________ anything.

Another thing that cycling has taught me is to be ready for surprises. The road isn’t always _________. Sometimes there are bumps, and you have to ride around them. When something is wrong with my bike, I do not _________. I try to find a solution. Life’s a bit like that too. It’s not always easy, but being flexible and staying positive helps me rise to the challenge and handle __________ problems.

The most important part, though, is how cycling makes me feel happy and __________. The wind in my hair and the rhythm of pedaling makes everything seem OK. It’s like a secret power — no matter what’s going on, it keeps me happy, lets me __________ my batteries, and lets me come back feeling __________.

In the end, my daily bike rides have become more than just a way to get around. They’ve become a(n) __________ for how I want to live my life. Cycling has shown me that being positive, facing challenges with __________, and keeping an optimistic attitude can turn the life journey into a fantastic adventure. So, here’s to more bike rides and more fun!

3 . While I was in hospital for a heart surgery, something affected me and made me do something meaningful. Before my surgery, my doctor showed me a video, in which there were patients like me and they each had a heart pillow, so I decided I would get one.

Right after my _______, I asked about the heart pillow. Unluckily, I was told they didn’t offer it but it could be _______ at the hospital gift shop. So my daughter bought one for me. It was comfortable and became my “security blanket”. However I was _______ that many patients couldn’t get that comfort. So I took this whole mission upon myself. I called various hospitals to find out what they used for patients after heart surgeries. I also found a site _______ that the cloth pillows were considered dangerous because it might spread bacteria to patients. I _______ understood, but that didn’t stop my mission. I continued to call the manufacturers. Finally, a lady called back and told me about the heart pillow that they had produced, which could be _______ and disinfected (消毒).

I did all my _______ so that no one could think of a reason why this wouldn’t work. It took me over a month to be able to meet with the hospital authorities to _______ my finding. I’m glad that they agreed and are _____ getting these pillows for patients. I cannot be ________— I actually did something that will help many patients.

4 . The story of Jennifer Bricker is one of the most amazing story, which is full of both great surprises and life lessons.

Jennifer was born in Romania without any legs. She was later _________ by a loving American family, the Brickers, and raised in the small town of Hardinville, Illinois.

The Brickers never let this _________ stop her from achieving her dreams. Her new parents gave her a simple rule, “Never say can’t”! They did whatever they could to make her life a success.

The girl was _________ just like the Brickers’ own children. She was encouraged to play with the other normal boys and girls and became good at many _________, including volleyball, softball and basketball.

But it was tumbling (翻腾运动) that was her true love. When she was a little girl, she was a big _________ of the Olympic gold medalist--- Dominque Moceanu. She would copy her on TV whenever Dominque Moceanu _________in the tumbling programs and continue practicing afterwards.

As she grew older Jennifer began _________ against professional tumbling athletes around Illinois. Not only did she compete, but she even went on to become a State Champion! Jennifer and her family always believed she could do whatever she wanted to and that her positive attitude and hard work would make it another _________.

If her story was not amazing enough already, when Jennifer turned 16, she got the most _________ news in her life. She learned that her beloved Dominque Moceanu was actually her biological sister! Now Jennifer is touring the country as a(n)__________ speaker to encourage more disabled youngsters.

5 . It was an ordinary summer afternoon when I first found out about my grandpa’s _________ garden.

That day, after school, instead of walking straight home, I decided to visit my grandpa, who lived just a few blocks away.

When I got there, I saw the front door was slightly open. I pushed it open but found nobody. Curiosity and _________ mixed within me as I ventured inside and noticed the backdoor wide open, leading to a path I’d never _________ before. There it was—a breathtaking garden, filled with flowers of all shapes and colors, greenery stretching out as far as my eyes could see. I walked _________, marveling at the beautiful spectacle. Suddenly, I heard a rustling sound from a nearby bush, followed by a soft and familiar voice.

“I didn’t _________ you to find this place, my dear,” my grandpa said, emerging from behind the green leaves with a broad smile, holding a watering can.

_________ by the beauty of the garden, I just stood there, taking in the view. After what felt like forever, I asked, “Grandpa, why didn’t you tell me about this place?”

He shrugged and replied, “I wanted it to be a _________, something you could discover on your own. It’s more special that way, don’t you think?”

Since that day, we would spend hours in the garden, tending to the flowers, sharing stories, and enjoying each other’s _________. That garden, which I discovered _________, became our playground, a haven of peace in the midst of our bustling city lives.

Looking back now, I realize that the greatest thing I found in that garden was not the beautiful scenery, but the precious memories and __________ I built with my grandpa.

6 .

My wife and I usually don’t keep houseplants. Anything in pots gets either overwatered or underwatered. But after my diagnosis with a brain cancer, I loved the idea of having something green and ________ around us.

Last year, my friend Mitch gave me a lucky bamboo plant. Tending to the plant gave me a sense of ________ at a time when I sometimes felt useless because my ability to move was limited. As a physician, I was used to being the one who ________ care. Watering the plant ________ me to a core part of my old identity and taught me I could still be a caregiver.

However, after several weeks growing in perfect condition, the plant ________ began to show signs of stress. No matter what I did, the leaves kept ________ and dropping to the floor.

“I can’t even care for a simple plant!” I yelled. “If my lucky bamboo dies, I might die too!”

Identifying with the green and growing plant had offered me comfort. But when the tree was struggling, I felt increasingly uneasy and ________.

It was several months later when I recovered from surgery that I realized I had wrongly linked my careful nurturing of the plant—something over which I had at least some control—with my own ________—something over which I had no control.

As my ________ lessened, I began to study online tutorials to figure out how to care for the tree. I transplanted it to a larger pot, and when it was back in the sunny window, we both began to thrive (旺盛) again.

Now whenever I look at the tree in its new pot, I make a point to relax and think of the things I can ________.

7 . Dave King is in his second winter of snowplowing (铲雪) people’s driveways for free.

April Frazier is one person who has benefited from King’s kindness. She is a single mother. After one storm last year, she was busy looking after her kids and just knew she was not going to be able to get out there and_______the snow.

Frazier saw a post online in which King invited people to contact him if they needed help with that day’s storm. She_______to him and offered to pay him, but he refused.

Frazier was grateful — and has been_______to see, with every storm since, King has reported to her house and plowed her driveway, never_______a penny (一分钱). Now he also plows her parents’ driveway for free. And one time, he_______plowed her parents’ neighbors’ driveways without anyone asking him. “He is loyal and_______,” said Frazier.

King got the idea when he overheard a neighbor complaining she was having difficulty with the snow in her driveway. It occurred to King that he could plow the driveways of people in need for free.

King went online and invited anyone who needed their driveways plowed to get in touch with him. People were_______at first, as though he had some kind of dishonest plan going. But they were quick to find out he was_______and started taking him up on his offer.

King hopes to_______this kindness and generosity and set up a whole network of volunteers to help people in need.

“King is making a positive difference in the community,” Frazier said. “He is an unsung hero for this town. He inspires hope in________.”

8 . In 1482, the year he turned thirty, Leonardo da Vinci left Florence for Milan, where he would end up spending the next seventeen years. Because he was an aspiring polymath (博学家), he enjoyed that Milan was_______with scholars and intellectuals in a wide variety of fields.

Da Vinci regarded himself as the equal of any other in architecture and the composition of buildings. But for his first few years in Milan, he didn’t get any task. He could only pursue his architectural interest mainly on_______.

The best example was his set of plans for a utopian city, which was a favorite topic for Italian Renaissance artists and architects. Milan was_______plague at that time. Leonardo realized that the disease was spread by dirty conditions. He didn’t focus on small_______in engineering and design._______, on multiple pages composed in 1487, he proposed a great concept, one that combined his_______sensibilities with his visions as an urban engineer: an ideal city planned for health and beauty.

Da Vinci regarded cities as living_______that breathe and have fluids that circulate (循环) and waste that needs to move. He then_______a circulation system for urban needs, ranging from commerce to waste removal.

Da Vinci’s vision of the city was pitifully_______. If he had the opportunity of carrying out part of his plan, the nature of cities might have been transformed, with the damage of plagues greatly________.

9 . They’re tough breeds and they have complicated names to match. But free-spirited Aussie dogs Tank the Rottweiler-cross and Muck the Staffie-cross instinctively (本能地) knew when a small child was in danger, and their protective _______ prevented a tragedy.

One December afternoon, Georgie Hillier thought her two-year-old son Max was playing in the back garden of their home. But when she went to check, there was no _______ of Max or their dog Tank. When she couldn’t find them, she jumped in her car and started to _______ the neighboring property. She was frightened that her son could have fallen into one of the dams.

Then she found Tank with the neighbor’s dog Muck. They were both running around the dams, barking furiously and _______ in mud.

“I just panicked. I was running around, checking the sides of the dams,“ Georgie told Sara Hicks. _______ she kept searching, a neighbor called the police. Eventually, a woman who had found Max heard Georgie’s calls and brought the _______ kid out to her.

There was no one there to _______ what exactly happened, but Michael Beattie from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took up the story. “When the police arrived on the _______, they saw quite distinct drag marks. It was _______ that young Max had actually been pulled out of the dam by one of the dogs - most likely Tank. Max was making moves to go back into the dam and Muck was virtually heading him off at the pass. It was the police’s opinion that the only way that Max was ____________ from drowning was by the two dogs. ”

For saving the toddler’s life, the daring two dogs received the RSPCA’s Purple Cross award for bravery- plus two very large bones.

10 . I lost my job right before Christmas. I was the only parent of a daughter, Kristil, 12. My paycheck was _______.

While we were searching for Christmas tree, I struggled to be _______ as I eyed each price tag.

Monday morning, I set off to _______ money. I sold some Precious Moments figurines in an antiques store. And I furiously _______ jobs as my bank account grew smaller. I felt as if the world was closing in on me.

One afternoon, I dropped Kristil in a wealthy gated community for a birthday party. I watched as she went in, surrounded by all the nice things we couldn’t afford. I drove home _______.

Back at home, I glanced out of the window. I noticed a petite woman with short white hair struggling to open her car door _______ the wind. It was my old professor, Sister Esther Heffernan.

I first met Sister Esther 10 years earlier when I was her student at Edgewood College. Kristil was 3 at the time, and I sometimes took her to class. Sister Esther was understanding and would bring coloring books to _______ Kristil.

I rushed out. “What are you doing out in this weather?” I asked as we hugged.

“Well, I called your job and they said you weren’t working there anymore, so I thought I would come by,” she said. “I have gifts for you and Kristil.”

Sister Esther’s _______ gave me hope that things would be all right.

After a short talk, she got up and left a Christmas card. When I opened it, hundred-dollar bills fell onto the table. Tears of _______ welled in my eyes as I counted. Sister Esther had given me $1,000.

It’s been 14 years since that Christmas, but I’ve never forgotten what Sister Esther did for us. In 2020, at age 91, she died, but the love she gave lives on in the hearts of many. __________, I am one.