1 . When Casey was growing up, he loved watching his elder brother perform as a member of their school’s marching band. Casey always _________ the performances of the band, and as a trumpet player, he _________ following in his brother’s footsteps when he got to Southmoore High School.

Unfortunately, Casey was born with spina bifida (脊柱裂) and uses a wheelchair. When he _________ his dream with the school’s director of bands, Adam, he was surprised by Adam’s _________. He hadn’t expected that Adam was _________ to go to great lengths to make his idea happen!

“I’ve seen students in wheelchairs in band programs but they usually just _________ their instruments set by them. I feel like I could probably do a little more than that,” Adam said.

Even with his director’s _________, Casey wasn’t sure he’d ever get off the sidelines. However, he underestimated how _________ his teacher was. Adam was determined to help every student get the full marching band _________. By their next rehearsal (排练), Adam had already __________ away to get Casey on the field!

Since Adams pen this own school years in marching band and already knew the __________ well, he volunteered to __________Casey’s wheelchair during performances. They started off small, but every year they’ve increased Casey’s __________.This year, Casey was able to fulfill his dream of playing for the entire show, right next to his bandmates.

Adam hopes other teachers will __________ Casey and find ways to __________all students in other school activities, too! As for Casey, he’s having the time of his life, all thanks to one excellent educator.

2 . It was a regular school day, and the air was filled with the usual sounds of chatter and laughter as students prepared for their lessons. Little did I know that this day would soon take a ________ turn, making it an unforgettable day.

As the bell rang, signaling the beginning of our English class, we entered the classroom, completely ________ of the coming danger. The teacher began the lesson, and we were really ________ our literature lesson when, out of nowhere, a loud fire alarm ________ everything.

Panic spread as we understood how ________ it was. Smoke filled the hallway, and a sharp burning smell hung in the air. The neat classroom turned into a mess as everyone ________ to the door, trying to get away from the coming danger.

In all the chaos, I noticed my ________ Sarah looking obviously scared by her desk. I quickly ________ she needed help. Without hesitation, I rushed over, took her shaky hand, and told everyone to stay calm. We went through the thickening smoke together, and each ________ felt like a really long time.

As we reached the door, it felt hotter, and we knew we had to hurry. With hearts ________, we hurried into the playground where teachers and students were making sure everyone stayed sate.

Outside, we took a moment to catch our breath, ________ by the loud sounds of approaching fire trucks. Seeing parts of the building on fire, a sense of ________ washed over us, knowing that we had made it out unharmed.

After everything happened, I couldn’t help but reflect on the events of that day. ________ it taught me it’s important to stay calm when things get ________ and how helping others during hard times matters. It was a day when ordinary students became unlikely heroes, bound together by the shared ________ to overcome the unexpected challenges.

3 . David hoped to be a teacher when he was young. “The minute I walked into my university, I knew _________ what I wanted to be,” he says. “The teachers were so _________ and welcome.”

As an education major, he was excited to learn his classroom _________ would begin during his second year of his university. “That was very important to me because I didn’t want to _________ until I was a student teacher to get into a classroom,” he says. David was also _________ by his university’s short-term study abroad program and the opportunities it offers to students to be adaptable to the university.

David quickly adapted himself to the university. He was _________ freshman class president and joined many organizations, all about children education. He also held several campus_________, took on several leadership positions and was accepted into a leadership development program. “These _________ allowed me to learn things outside the classroom. I built my _________ in leadership and teamwork,” says David. “These are real life experiences that I can ________ to the classroom.”

By the end of the second year of his university, David had __________ two practicums (实习课) at elementary schools, including a special education internship (实习) focused on students with reading __________. He went on to finish two __________ practicums and a student teaching task over the next two years.

Two months before graduation, David was __________ a full-time position as a special education teacher at Millstone River Elementary School in the West Windsor—the same school where he completed his junior practicum in spring 2017. “It is such a relief to be hired so early. I feel all my hard work __________,” he says.

4 . Gerald had a habit of waving his arms around wildly when he spoke as if trying to emphasize every single word he said.

Once Gerald was walking down the street when he ______ a group of children playing nearby. He decided to go over and say hello. But as he ______ the group, he started waving his arms ______ in the air. The children stared at him in ______ , wondering what on earth he was doing. Another time, when Gerald ______ a meal, waving his arms, the waitress said, “I’m sorry, sir, but could you stop waving your ______ ? It makes me dizzy (头晕).” “Oh, sorry about that. It is a bad habit,” he said, feeling ______ . But despite his best efforts, Gerald couldn’t break his habit of wild gesture. He _______to wave his arms around everywhere he went, ______ him strange looks.

One day, Gerald passed by a group of street ______ . He noticed how elegantly they moved their bodies, their movements smooth and controlled. Suddenly, Gerald ______ that he could learn to master his body language. So, he started ______ . And slowly but surely, Gerald started to improve. ______ , he could communicate with elegance, using his movements to convey emotions without losing ______ . And people finally started to pay attention to what he was saying, instead of simply being ______ by his wild moving arms.

So, as Gerald learned, mastering our body language can help us connect with others and convey our messages more effectively.

5 . Chris Raven, a former IT professional, found a new career after retirement. As a child, he had a(n) ________ for woodwork and music, but his career took a different ________. After retirement, he ________ his two loves and became a flute (长笛) maker.

Raven ________ this unique journey at the age of 70, after decades in IT. He was ________ in a musical family, with both his parents ________ in music. He played the flute in his teenage years. And his love for the ________ was reawakened in his 40s.

Due to a long lack of practice, his woodworking skills has ________. One day, when Raven found his old school reports ________, which showed his best subjects were music and woodwork. That led him to ________ his passion for the two again.

Around the age of 70, he signed up to an Irish flute making workshop. ________, Raven spends at least four days a week in the workshop, carefully ________ each flute. He has ________ his skills in wood turning, silverwork, leatherwork, and French polishing. He even cleared out his garage to settle a lathe (车床), bandsaws, milling machine and other ________.

Raven loves the feel of the wood and the smell of it when he is working. He feels ________ with his work, stating, “You could call it a job, but I never think of it as that.”

6 . “Hi! Ms Brooks!” It was Sunday morning, my daughter and I were visiting a model home when I heard a(n)_________ voice. Standing in the yard was a boy. “Evans! What are you doing here?” I cried, feeling surprised and a little annoyed. “I’m helping my father grow flowers,” he answered _________. Looking at his happy appearance, I stood there, _________.

Then my daughter pulled me away, but Evans stayed on my mind for the rest of the weekend. Evans was a _________. He was very fond of plants and animals. _________ he struggled with his reading, he never once complained.

Evans’s grades showed no sign of _________ despite his determination. So I sometimes _________ whether he would be able to pass the exams. It was not until we studied the life cycle of plants together that I changed my _________. Evans behaved attentively. I had never seen him so _________ in the classroom.

In a class project, I __________ a task to each student. That was planting a sunflower seed in one container. Sowing the seeds was __________ for many of the students, but the growing part was much less so. Except Evans, they all lost interest and forgot to __________ their sunflowers-to-be. Every afternoon, he __________ the plants in his container. Some time later, few seeds successfully fully sprouted (发芽) because of too dry soil, but the __________ in his container were about four inches tall. At that moment, I saw that special seed planted inside him. And one day, he would __________ just as his sunflower.

7 . In the last months of Dad’s life, my brothers and I moved him to a local nursing home nearby. I spent as much time as I could ______ him there. Cancer had damaged his body badly and was now ______ his mind.

During one visit, I entered his room, only to find him in a ______ sleep. I sat by his side for a while ______, wishing for more time with him and also ______ I hadn’t made the most of all the years we had together. Then I got up and walked out.

A light rain was starting to fall and it matched my ______. As I walked to my car, I saw a woman in a wheelchair ______ to move herself out of the rain. I ______ walked over and helped push her inside. She thanked me and gave me a ______ smile. At that moment, I felt a light shine into my soul and a sense of ______ return to my heart. I walked back out, letting the rain wash over me, and thanked all the years I had with Dad. I also knew even if Dad died, the love we shared would ______ continue.

I now still think of that ______ of loving kindness. It reminds me that while we might not be able to live every moment to the fullest, we can still ______ the moments we do have. Life is

______ for love and kindness, which go beyond even death and are ever-lasting ______. May you fill your days with them.

8 . Last summer, my family and I went on a road trip to the Grand Canyon. It was our first family vacation in years, and we were all ______ to spend some quality time together. We ______ our car with snacks, water, and a lot of sunscreen, and then ______ the road.

The trip was long, but we kept ourselves ______ with card games and singing along to our favourite songs. When we finally arrived at the Grand Canyon, we were ______ by the breathtaking views. We spent the next few days hiking, taking pictures, and ______ the area.

One of the highlights of the trip was when we went on a helicopter ______ of the Grand Canyon. It was a great ______, and we all felt like we were on top of the world. We took a lot of pictures and videos, and we still ______ them to this day.

As the trip came to an end, we all felt a sense of ______. We didn’t want to go back to our busy ______. We wanted to stay together and keep exploring. ______, we knew that we had to go back home.

Looking back on the trip, I realized how important it is to spend time with ______. In our busy life, we often forget to slow down and enjoy the little moments. The trip ______ me of the importance of ______ memories and cherishing (珍惜) the time we have with our loved ones.

9 . One day last summer, my 9-year-old son Ben and I were riding the waves at a popular ocean beach on outer Cape Cod. As we were playing happily with our surfboard, I suddenly noticed an astonishing _________—some whales were spouting (喷水) well within view of where we _________.

We stared and pointed in _________. “Ben, can you believe it?” I cried. “We’re swimming with the whales!” “Mom,” Ben said in reply, “we’re _________ swimming with the whales. This is their habitat, not ours!”

Ben’s words took my breath away, more than the dramatic waves and the amazing sight of the _________.

He was absolutely _________, of course. These whales live in the waters off Cape Cod. This is their _________—one that we visit, love and protect. So when we set foot into a _________ space, it’s meaningful and important to _________ that we are visiting something that is beautiful and enjoyable to us, but is not __________ for us.

We each have a part to play in __________ space. When we acknowledge our coexistence, as Ben __________, we set ourselves up for success in how we interact with each other. This is as __________ in the vastness of the ocean as it is in our __________ where we live, work, play and serve.

How we __________ and support each other in this vast ocean of life—that’s up to us.

10 . When I was growing up, every evening before bedtime my father would tell me stories of his childhood. He’d tell his stories with morals, or sometimes just tales without a particular _________but for pure entertainment ___________.

He’d tell me___________of his adventures growing up in New England with his two brothers and their___________Dickey Ellis, who was the butt (笑柄) of all the jokes. Despite always being underestimated (低估) and_________, Ellis managed to be victorious alongside the Vankevich brothers in their achievements—They defended the___________groups against Butch, who often bullied (欺负) the weak, and ___________authority figures when they were being unjust.

It was only when I was creating a televisual series on storytelling that my father___________me a secret. The majority of the stories he told about his_________didn’t actually happen. I was astonished but then __________. I realized it didn’t matter that they were____________. What has mattered to people most is that stories offer____________to their questions about where they come from, why the world is as it is, and how they should lead their life.

My father’s stories taught and ____________the moral map through which I ____________the world. Now, I’m ____________the tradition—I tell my son, aged 3, a story every evening before bed.