1 . My four-year-old son, Will, suffered from autism spectrum disorder (自闭症). And he went through many hours in _________ , helping him to overcome many challenges he faced.

One summer afternoon, with a bucket (桶), Will and I were walking along the _________ to search for shells. After a while, I _________ the bucket and discovered nearly all the shells were broken in it. “Will, these shells are broken and _________. You need to find shells like this.” I said gently as I held up a _________ shaped shell. Will gave me a(n) _________ look, as if he failed to understand me. He continued to   _________ imperfect shells he liked and drop them into the bucket.

“Will, why do you keep on _________ our bucket with broken shells?” This time I asked in a serious voice. He looked up at me and said, “Mom, though these shells are broken, they are still beautiful.” Then he _________ his little hand into the bucket and pulled out different shells, commenting on their __________.

“Mom, this one looks like a smile when you hold it this way. ” He showed a broken shell and explained. “It __________ me of a clown. That one is round like the sun, and these are stuck together like butterflies.” He took great pride in his __________.

My eyes were full of tears as I __________ my son was teaching me a valuable lesson. Silently, I __________ the few perfect shells I had collected and returned them to the beach. We are all broken in some way, but we can find __________ in our imperfection.

2 . On Sept. 17, 2022, a father and son set out to begin the first of three legs of the Ironman competition in Cambridge, Maryland. Jeff Agar, 59, and his son, Johnny Agar, 28, weren’t the ______ participants. Johnny has cerebral palsy (脑瘫), resulting in his difficulty walking and muscle weakness. Jeff would act as his arms and legs, ______ carrying the weight of his son throughout the race. To ______ as completion, competitors must complete a(n) ______ 140 miles of swimming, bicycling and running in under 17 hours.

From the day Johnny was born, Jeff and his wife refused to let their son be ______ by disability. ______ to show Johnny that he could pursue his dream of being an athlete, when he was 15 years old, they ______ him up with my Team Triumph, an organization that helps kids with ______ engage in endurance (耐力) sports.

Johnny became ______ to racing, and Jeff wanted to be a part of it. Jeff began waking up at 4 am to run while ______ Johnny in a racing chair. Every morning, he ______ himself to run increasingly longer distances.

After 16 hours, 55 minutes and 35 seconds, the father and son ______ the finish line together. As the crowd ______ and congratulated Johnny, Jeff kept a low ______ . “He didn’t want attention to his finish line moment,” says Johnny. “He wanted it to be ______ .”

3 . Critical thinkers start by asking questions about whatever is in front of them. They consider ______. If this, then what? If that, then how is the outcome different? They understand that every action has a ______, and they think about all possible outcomes of decisions before they make them. Asking questions helps this process.

Once you have asked every question you can come up with about a matter, ______ information that will help you answer those questions.____! Do some research. You can learn almost anything on the Internet, but it’s not the only place to do your research. _____ people. I’m a big fan of polling (民意调查). Ask the experts around you. Gather ____ and various opinions you can use to make your own determination. The wider the variety, the better.

You’ve got _____ information, and now it’s time to analyze it all with an open mind. This is the most _____ part, in my opinion. It can be pretty difficult to recognize the filters that were instilled (灌输) in us from our first families. We are products of our environments, of the ways in which we were treated as a child, of the role models we've had throughout our lives, of the opportunities we have said yes or no to, of the sum of all of our experiences.

Try to be as aware as possible of those ______ and biases (偏见), and turn them off. Question everything during this step. Are you being _______? Are you speculating? Assuming anything? This is the time to look at every thought as _____ as possible. Do you know it to be absolutely true? What are the facts? Have you considered the situation from every different point of view?

Critical thinkers are more interested in solutions than in placing ____ complaining, or gossiping. Once you’ve reached a conclusion through critical thinking, it’s time to communicate and ______ a solution if one is called for. This is the time for compassion (同情), empathy (同理心), diplomacy. Not everyone involved will have thought the situation through as ______ as you have. It’s your job to understand that, and to _____ solutions in a way that everyone can understand.

4 . 23-year-old Ganesh Baraiya is living proof that nothing is impossible. Despite facing _________ because of his short stature, he managed to become the world’s shortest doctor.

Ganesh Baraiya was born in the Talaia Thaluka area of Gujarat, India, and faced adversity (逆境) from a very young age. He was born normal. _________, at the age of four, his parents noticed that his head was _________ his body, so they took him to a doctor. They learned that the boy suffered from an _________ condition and there was nothing anyone could do. Wanting to help her son, Ganesh’s mother put a tub-like helmet on his head to prevent it from growing and give his body a chance to _________. In school, he was often _________ because of his large head and short stature, but he also had friends who _________ him and he was able to focus on his studies.

Despite his physical limitations, Ganesh Baraya was always very _________. He knew he wanted to be a doctor from a very young age, and put all his energy into his studies, working hard to get high grades. When the time came, he applied for a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree (MBBS), only to be _________ because of his dwarfism (侏儒症). Despite his good test results, the Medical Council of India rejected his application because of his height (only three feet), __________ that he wouldn’t be able to perform his duties in emergency cases.

Ganesh was shocked by the rejection, but he wasn’t about to give up on his dream. With the help of his school principal, he __________ the District Collector, then the state Education Minister, and __________ knocked on the doors of the Gujarat High Court. __________ of his efforts were successful, but he refused to give up. His case reached India’s Supreme Court, and justice was __________ done. In 2018, India’s top court of law awarded Ganesh the right to enroll in an MBBS, and he did just that the following year.

“I was very disappointed three years ago, but I refused to accept their refusal. Now I am very happy that I got justice from the Supreme Court,” Ganesh said. “Now I am on the way to fulfill the dream I’ve __________ since childhood. I know I’m different, but I want to live a good life like other people and make my parents proud.”

5 . In 2001, Nathan Ogden raced down an Oregon ski slope, launching himself off a jump over 30 feet into the air. While he had done this many times, something was ______ on this day. He jumped further than planned, causing his body to fall hard against the ski slope. He tried to stand, but his legs wouldn't move. It was soon ______ that his neck was badly injured.

Over the next few months, he remained _______ that he would walk again, despite what the doctors said. Gradually, as he ______ sense to his legs and a little independence, his doctors called his progress“miraculous.”

But he wanted to progress faster. He worked ______ to regain use of his upper body, and while he could hardly move his legs, he was ______ that one day he would walk again. He eventually regained 50% of his body movement, but more _______ was yet to come. In 2003, Ogden caught pneumonia (肺炎) and fell unconscious in his sleep.

When his wife couldn't wake him, he was ______ to the Emergency Room, where technicians ______ dropped him to the floor while x-raying his lungs. For the second time, Ogden had ______ his neck. But this time, the break was higher up,______ his permanent loss of bodily movement below the chest.

Sometimes Ogden felt ______. He noted being physically disabled was extremely difficult and that he lost his job, friends and almost his marriage. But Ogden tried to be ______ throughout the coming years.

He continues to fight a daily battle against ______. With his wife and children supporting him,he has been skydiving, snow skiing and water skiing. He is even writing a book to inspire as many as possible to believe in hope and _____. While he might never leave the wheelchair in this life, his spirit is rising higher than his legs could ever take him.

8 . I am a Russian girl, and it has always been my small dream to climb to the top of a mountain to enjoy the sunrise since my childhood. However, there are no big ________ in my hometown, which makes me very ________.

After coming to China, I heard that there was Mount Huashan. I ________ to climb it to meet the beautiful dawn (黎明) at the top of the peak. On arriving at the foot of the mountain, I began climbing immediately with great ________ and determination.

During the process, a sudden ________ made the stone floor wet and slippery. I had the idea of ________, but the crowd encouraged me to continue the ________. As the steps became ________, everyone lined up, caught the chains and ________ moved forward. When I got close to the top of the mountain, I had nearly run out of ________, so I found a place to rest for a while. Then I heard a voice saying, “Relax, and don’t be afraid. As long as you climb up, you are the best!” Hearing that, I realized if I was frightened by the ________ just now, I could not be the best. So I gathered all the ________ and finally made it!

At the moment of ________, the rolling sea of clouds and the amazing scenery on the mountain changed obviously. I truly ________ that life is like climbing up a mountain. Only with all the way of sweat and the confidence can you reach the top to enjoy a ________ life.