1 . Last year, Doctor Steve Lome came to truly understand what it means to be at the right place at the right time. During a half-marathon, he found himself in the position to ________ not one, but two runners. Things had been going ________ up to that 3-mile mark, but that’s when Steve noticed a (n) ________ runner named Gregory.

Gregory had just reached the peak and was ________ to see that he would run downhill for a bit. This was the last thing he ________ before he became senseless. Meanwhile, Steve saw this happen, and he could ________ it wasn’t a simple fall. Steve stopped immediately to perform CPR (心肺复苏术). Once it was ________ that Gregory was doing well and the medical team took him away, Steve continued the race.

The rest of the race itself was ________ but when Steve crossed the finish line, his life-saving ________ was needed once more. A man named Michael began to feel dizzy moments after crossing the finish line. Then, just like Gregory, he ________.

“I never expected something like that would happen to my life, let alone in the same ________,” Steve said. The ________ of this entire situation is truly remarkable. If Steve had not ________ to help Gregory, he would have crossed the finish line much sooner than Michael, ________ he wouldn’t have been around to save him, too. Thankfully, the events had a happy ________. Now the three remain good friends.

6 . Nixon, 59 years old, was born and grew up in St. Petersburg. Each morning, he sits on a bench, watches the sunrise, and connects with _________ from all walks of life.

Eight years ago, he decided to begin each day from a bench (a kind of chair) with an impressive view of the St. Petersburg waterfront (圣彼得堡海滨), because it made him feel calm and _________ before starting his day.

About a year later, a woman stopped to say hello, and she said something that _________ Nixon’s view on his daily visit. She said, “Every morning when I see you sitting here, I know everything is going to be OK.” That’s when Nixon _________ he needed to pay attention to the people walking past.

Instead of staring straight ahead at the waterfront, Nixon started _________ at people and talking to them. And pretty soon, some early risers began _________ him on the bench, sometimes sharing their pressure and asking him for advice about personal problems.

No matter what problem a person wants to _________, Nixon lends an ear. One day, a couple came by to talk about their problems. The husband was always working. It was destroying their _________. Nixon told him, “You have to know what’s really important.” The man admitted he’d put everything he had into his _________ for many years instead of focusing on his family. “He started to cry and agreed that he needed to __________,” Nixon says. “We hugged each other and became friends after that.”

Nixon was always happy to listen, and he listens without __________ and without any kind of return expected. “You have to listen with an open heart, because you never know who’s going to walk up,” Nixon says. He is a loving and loyal __________ to many. For those who walked past the bench, they were always __________ with a smile and asked how they were doing. No topic is off limits, but some people don’t want to talk. They simply want to sit next to someone and share the __________. Once a woman stopped and just sat with Nixon for an hour; then she said thanks and walked away. She just wanted a moment of peace and to know she wasn’t __________.

And at that moment, she truly wasn’t.

7 . Alice is a student who came to my class last year. Though she has already turned 60, Alice looks so fit and _______, with a bright smile and an enthusiastic attitude. I am Alice’s teacher in class, but I feel she is my teacher in life.

For my 2-hour class every Saturday morning, Alice has to take a 3-hour round-trip on the road. But she is never _______ for class. Alice is very passionate about learning English. She often says, “Don’t _______ me as a 60-year-old. I am just a new beginner who wants to learn anything _______. You know, I am very excited to come to the class!” So I feel a strong sense of _______ to make sure what I teach makes sense to her.

Alice came to me with very _______ English skills, but she turns out to be a very fast learner because she always puts English _______ on a daily basis. I _______ her homework before every class. Her homework is usually not what I _______ for the class, rather it is something that she ________ to put together. She makes various sentences using the important words and phrases she learned from our ________ class. I am always ________ by the quality of her work.

I feel fortunate to have a student like Alice. She has ________ me so much. Our ________ is a great learning experience for both of us. Though I have no idea why she learns English, I hope I can help her ________ her dream, whatever it is.

8 . Once a year, I give my two children money. The only _______ is, they have to give it away. I give them each $100. They know it is a lot of money, so they are _______ how they use it. It is their job to find out who in our _______ is doing things that they feel good about, and then _______ who will get the money, and why.

Giving away money, even if it is only ten or twenty dollars, is a wonderful way to learn about the _______ work people are doing right in your own neighborhood. It makes us get out of our _______ zone, ask around, talk to people we wouldn’t _______ talk to, and ask questions about what the problems are and what people are doing to make them better. Everyone _______. My kids learn about the community and the power of giving. And people in the community, who are often volunteering their own time and money, feel that their efforts are seen and _______ in some way.

Last year, they both chose to give their money to a shelter for runaway ________. They visited a few places that ________ suggestions or instructions to young people, and felt this place was especially welcoming. When they handed the ________ to the director, who had no idea these children were “philanthropists (慈善家)”, everyone was in ________ how good the day turned out to be.

This exercise may be ________ as often as possible. It cannot possibly fail. You do not need to ________ holidays, and you don’t need children. You can do it yourself, on any day you like.

9 . When Marco was a boy, he tried everything to get his father’s love and attention. He studied hard to get good _______ and tried to behave well. He was shy and shorter than the other boys. Besides, his father was _______ and had little time for him. Except for his _______ for housework after school, there was no communication. Marco felt very _______.

One day, his maths teacher called him that some young teenagers were _______ a public speaking contest. She thought he should give it a _______. She firmly believed he could perform on stage (舞台) like other kids. Feeling her strong trust, Marco agreed to _______ the contest.

All winter, he took a bus to _______ twice a week in another city, where the competition would take place. Marco was taken by a strong _______ he never felt before. Finally, the big day arrived. His father, and yes, his maths teacher, were present. When he stepped onto the stage and began to speak, he felt ________ at home. He was funny, and acted very natural. He won! He noticed his father’s eyes were ________— he was so proud. It was then that his father ________ he should pay more attention to the child.

As the winner, his name was ________ in the local papers. He knew this was the ________ of his new life. It all happened because of a phone call, from one who ________ him.

10 . In July, in Moss Point, Mississippi, a heroic act unfolded. Three teenage girls found themselves in a(n) _________situation when they drove their car off a boat ramp (舷梯) and into the Pascagoula River. The driver had blindly _________ incorrect GPS directions, leading them into the _________ .

Corion Evans, a 16-year-old who was hanging out with friends nearby, saw what happened and realized he _________ to help. In the dark, Evans and two brothers made their way to the river’s edge and saw the _________ catching the roof of the sinking car. Evans_________ jumped into the water, even though he _________ there were alligators (鳄鱼) in the area. He _________ brought the first girl to safety on the shore.

A police officer named Garry Mercer _________ and also jumped into the river to assist. However, one of the girls got__________ and pulled Mercer underwater. Evans didn’t hesitate to jump back in and help both of them until they could stand. __________, another girl, Cora Watson, who couldn’t swim, was struggling to stay afloat. Evans heard her cries for __________ and managed to save her as well.

All three girls and Officer Mercer were taken to the __________ but were eventually released. Evans’ mother, Marquita Evans, wasn’t __________ with him for breaking curfew (宵禁) because he had a good reason — __________ lives.