1 . When I was fifteen, I wrote an essay about how excited all my friends were to be getting driver’s licenses. I was full of _______. I knew I’d always be walking everywhere I went or else relying on others to _______ me.

I have a condition called dry-eye syndrome (综合症). _______ I do have some sight, I never know when I _______ in the morning exactly how much vision I will have that day. The _______ for this is that my eyes do not produce enough tears.

There are many things I cannot do. I can’t drive or read a book. But there are far more things I can _______ do. In high school, I played basketball. My teammates gave me oral (口头的) _______ and I learned to judge where the ball was by their voices. I learned to focus extremely well and _______ the sportsmanship award.

Do I wish I could _______ like other people? Of course. But being blind hasn’t ________ me in any of the important ways. If I’ve had to depend on my friends, ________ I’ve learned who my friends really are. I don’t know why God chose to give me only a little ________. Maybe he did it so that I would ________ what I do have. Maybe he did it so that I would have to ________ my other talents to compensate (弥补). It ________.

There are many different ways to look at life. This is how I see it.

2 . A winner of the highest honor in the field of translation, Xu Yuanchong was best known for his translations of ancient Chinese poems into English and French. Xu _________ himself to translation for more than 60 years. For him, translated literature is “a beautiful _________ for the whole world.”

His academic _________ began during his college years in Kunming. In the late 1940s, he spent a few years in France studying French literature. Then he _________ China after graduation and devoted himself to translation ever since. Xu was the first Chinese to _________ Chinese poetry into English and French in rhyme. He was _________ the “Lifetime achievements in translation” in 2010. He was also the first Asian translator to _________ the Aurora Borealis Prize (北极光奖) — one of the highest _________ among international translators — and gained _________ recognition.

Throughout his academic research, Xu __________ the beauty of language and was __________ in creating literary ties between Chinese, English and French speakers. His works have served __________ a cultural bridge linking the East to the West, which __________ English and French-speaking people to better understand the beauty of Chinese literature and the Chinese __________ within. Chinese readers, __________, can appreciate foreign works in the same way they would read novels and poems written in their mother tongue.

3 . I knocked lightly on Mrs. B’s door. “I’m Barbara, a hospice (临终安养院) volunteer.” I said nervously. It was my first week on the job, and my biggest ________ was figuring out how to begin with a patient.

“Please, sit down,” Mrs. B said, indicating the chair beside her bed. We chatted ________ about the ________ on her windowsill — her two daughters, many grandchildren, even great-grandchildren. Then she grew ________.

“What were you thinking about when I walked in?” I asked, sensing she might be waiting to see if I would ________ her to the truest place where this conversation could go.

“I know I’m not going to be around much ________. I’m at peace with that. But my grandson called yesterday. He’s ________ that he can’t make it to see me before I pass.”

“Have you thought about writing him a(n)________?”

Mrs. B seemed to ________ a little. “I can dictate (口述) if you’d write for me,” she said.

I walked down the hall and ________ pens and paper materials. Mrs. B ________ her grandson’s letter and decided to dictate others — for her daughters, the other grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Then she ________ her church community and her bridge club too.

She asked me to put away the letters before I left. “I asked God to send me a(n)________ this morning,” she said. “Now I know it was you.”

At the very moment I came to realize that we all ________ a loving spark. Kissing Mrs. B on her forehead, I knew simply showing up might be a precious ________.

4 . “I’ve met an old lady,” I eagerly told my parents on one of our daily phone. I volunteered to start a knitting club at a care home for the ________ in north London. I didn’t realize it would be the start of a close ________, where our ages ________ sharply.

From the beginning, I never felt that Edith and I lacked ________. I was amazed that Edith, at 110, could talk with me about anything, and that her ________ stretched back so easily, ________ even small things that took place 100 years ago.

When I first met Edith, I was ________ by her intelligence and vitality. Her doctor’s degree from the University of Vienna told me about this. As a child, she loved to skate on the lake in winters, but in her later years she adored the summer, ________ her physical conditions. Although from her nineties, she was ________ to a wheelchair, she participated in the exercise classes.

Over the years of visiting Edith, I understood how Edith valued the ________ of people above everything else and material possessions, which was a reminder of how we should ________ our lives.

Death at 111 is not unexpected, but I still feel that something is ________ from my life. I feel very fortunate to have formed such a ________ bond with a remarkable lady, from whom I learn to take the words of ________. I appreciate nothing more than the opportunity to regain new ________ into life.

5 . I stared out the window,_______ the snow. Damn holidays. . . I thought as I saw the people outside caroling(唱颂歌)outside. Can’t I just be left alone!I got up from my bed and, in _______, made for the kitchen.

I made myself dinner, which wasn’t anything_______. I wasn’t the best cook so I just made myself a stir fry and_______ it a day... That was until I heard the noise. Did someone throw ice at my window? Maybe a thief? I _______ the katana(武士刀)and walked down stairs. I searched the entire house until I found a puppy, so cute and_______. I couldn’t help but _______ at this creature. I decided to keep it and named it Arthur. His eyes were blue like a husky dog. Maybe a mixed breed? I thought as I washed Arthur up and dried him with a_______. Then I spent all night_________with my new friend. It was the first ________of joy I felt during the holidays in years. For the next week, Arthur and I spent the holidays watching romance movies on Netflix, sleeping, or ________ our mouths with the food in the house. It was probably the happiest I’ve been in months. Arthur really made an impact on my life that I never thought was ________.

Arthur stayed by my side a majority of the time. My friend called him ‘mama’s boy’ or something silly like that. I didn’t________ it, though. Every year on Christmas day, I thanked God for giving me the ________. And I ________ felt blessed with My Arthur. My little boy.

6 . On New Year’s Day, my 13-year-old son Mike broke his leg while skiing. Honestly speaking, it was no more than another ________ in the past five years. My family had suffered a lot and we had ________ that spending time outside together in winter would bring great fun and lead us through the pandemic. Thus, I wouldn’t let this accident leave my kids in low ________ — I wanted to ________ the very best of better plans.

At dinner on a Tuesday, it came to me. In the coming springtime, I announced, we would have a family roller disco party in the house. My children looked up, their ________ hanging open like caught fish — they were ________. I knew I was supposed to provide more ________. I said, “When Mike recovers, we will order roller skates and rainbow strobe lights to decorate our doorways, push the furniture to the side and have a roller disco party.”

Later that day, my youngest son wore his roller skates and ________ the news when he joined a Zoom call with his third-grade class. Unfortunately, ________ he could finish announcing the news, he slipped and fell, breaking our computer. He was all right but we ________ bought a new computer.

________, the accident didn’t affect us much, for the party gave us something to look forward to and kept us entertained. It may not have happened yet, but the ________ and joy that we experienced while ________ for it have been worth it. That was the _________. Over the course of all the planning and excitement, the broken leg and computer, I knew that even in the ________ of times, there is always something to look forward to.

7 . After a decade of climbing, I gradually started free soloing (单人徒手攀岩). I _________my comfort over time and slowly took on bigger and more_________walls.

The first choice was Half Dome, a 2,000-foot wall overlooking the east end of the valley. I didn't really know how to prepare, so I decided to___________the preparations and just go up there and directly start climbing.

I figured it would be easy, which,   _________,was not. Thankfully, it was pretty much the right way. I was slightly nervous, but I tried not to let it___________me.

I needed to be___________ It was a beautiful September morning, and as I climbed higher, I could hear ___________the of tourists chatting and laughing on the summit (山顶). But between me and the___________was a blank slab of granite (花岗岩平板) .There were no edges to hold on to, just a vertical (垂直的) wall. I had to trust the friction (摩擦力) between my climbing shoes and the wall, carefully climbing my way_______________.

Then I reached, a foothold that I didn't quite trust. I changed my__________and tried a foot further out. It seemed even__________.I started to panic (恐惧). My mind was__________in every direction. I knew what I had to do, but I was too____________. I just had to stand up on my right foot. And after what felt like a century, I accepted what I had to do and I stood up on the right foot, and it didn’t slip (滑). I didn’t die. And that move______________the end of the hardest climbing.

Eventually, I could enjoy the sound of the birds singing around. It all felt like a(n)   ____________

8 . My parents have a boxer dog called Boris which is as badly behaved as his name might suggest. He is known to ________ on a chair at the kitchen table expecting full ________. Whenever the dishwasher is being stacked, he likes to add a personal prewash to the ________.

Even my mother might ________ that Boris is the worst-behaved dog she has ever had, but on the plus side, he is very ________.

The sofas and chairs in their sitting room are covered in books-not because my parents love to read, but in an attempt to ________ the dog climbing on the furniture. ________, any human who wants to sit on a sofa has to ________ a library of books. I’ve suggested a removable cover would be more attractive, or training, but it’s too late for that.

The story between my parents and Boris is repeated across our community. Usually, our gang of dogs gathered almost daily, ________ did we. A group of folks of different ages, backgrounds and interests—all ________ by our dogs. Friends are therefore made through dogs, creating a ________ that lasts far beyond the lifespan of our canine(犬的)family. Sunny, Jess and Archie have all ________ now, but the friendship between us humans remains.

I have met so many people whose daily ________ with their group of dog have been their mainstay and helped them deal with ________. They are medicine for the_________. Dogs are actually man’s best friends.

9 . It was a familiar sight that the family gathered around the table telling stories during and after the meal. As part of our daily ___________, these conversations would become the most precious moments for my family.

The love of storytelling ___________ from our dad, whose life was exciting and unforgettable. He told us about his childhood, travels and reflections, all of which had become part of our ___________. Even though few of dad’s stories actually ___________ me, I felt as much part of them as I did. They brought me closer to my family in a way I couldn’t be more ___________ for. Even when I had to live away, sharing tales with my dad on the phone kept me ___________ during the breakdown in my life. He showed us the ___________ of quality time and of family which never ___________ to benefit us.

Telling stories has been irreplaceable. When ___________ a risk about potential failure, I just remember even a moment of ____________ could also be transformed into a funny story. When travelling with friends, I can turn my days into a fascinating ____________. I realize each moment in life can be a story worth ____________. It’s about experiences, memories and cultures that keep ____________ strong and life alive.

____________, the best stories never stop being told. As years pass, we’ll ____________ our families to the greatest hits.

10 . In Nairobi, Kenya, Richard Turere, a twelve-year-old Maasai boy, had come up with a surprising invention. His family raised cattle, and one of the biggest __ was protecting them at night from lion attacks. Richard had noticed that a still campfire didn’t fear the lions, __ walking around waving a torch did seem to work. The lions were apparently afraid of __ lights! Richard had somehow taught himself __ by messing around with parts taken from his parents’ radio. He used that knowledge to __ a system of lights that would turn on and off in order, __ a sense of movement. It was built from scrapyard (废弃场) __ —solar panels, a car battery, and a motorcycle indicator box. He installed (安装)the lights and the lion attacks __.

News of his invention spread and other villages wanted in. Instead of seeking to __ the lions as they had done before, they installed Richard’s “lion lights”. Both villagers and pro-lion(亲狮的)environmentalists were __ .

Because of his invention, Richard won a(n)__ to one of Kenya’s best schools, and was __ to give a TED Talk. He got on an airplane for the first time in his life and __ to Long Beach, California. As he walked onto the TED stage, you could tell he was nervous, but that only made him more__ . As Richard spoke, people were focusing on every word he said, and every time he smiled, the audience __ . When he finished, people just stood and cheered.