1 . Enjoying a swim at their local beach was once a daily pleasure for Melati and her sister, Isabel. But in 2013 when Melati was 12 and Isabel just ten, the sisters started to lose ________ for swimming in the waters near their home on the island of Bali. More often than not, plastic bags would circle around them as they ________. Then as they walked back to shore, red and white plastic shopping bags would ________ their legs and body.

Melati didn’t think much about it until later in 2013 when her teacher gave a lesson on world ________ like South Africa’s Nelson Mandela and England’s Princess Diana, whose efforts had inspired movements of ________ change. That day Melati walked home in ________, thinking something needed to be done to preserve the beautiful island from becoming ________ by waste.

Melati and Isabel started by sharing the idea with others. Soon they’d ________ a team of 15, made up of schoolfriends. They ________ their group ByeBye Plastic Bags(BBPB). Its mission was ________ stop people in Bali using plastic bags.

The following year the BBPB team spent their lunchtimes ________ meetings and organizing an online petition (请愿) to collect signatures to ban plastic bags. Within 24 hours of ________ more than 6000 people both local Balinese and people from around the world had ________. “This was the first moment when we knew, we were onto something,”Melati says.

Years later, the girls’ enthusiasm has resulted in big changes. In 2017, they organized Bali’s first beach clean up. Around 12,000 people collected 36 tonnes of rubbish. In 2018 BBPB ________ the government to ban single-use plastic bags and straws. The ban took effect in July 2019.

Today BBPB is a global youth movement and has over 50 teams in 29 countries. “We didn’t start with any clear ________,”Melati admits. “We didn’t know how we were going to complete a seemingly easy task but we knew that we wanted to and had the desire to figure it out.”

2 . Man’s best friend is being credited with saving his owner’s life during a scare.

81-year-old Harry Smith of Port St. Lucie, Florida is a man of _______. He takes his 9-year-old dog Sarah Jane for a walk around the lake across the street from his house twice a day, every day. Smith, who uses an electric wheelchair to _______, was on one of his regular walks when something _______ happened. The left wheel of his wheelchair got _______in a pit (坑), and as he tried to reverse out of the dirt, his wheelchair lost traction. He ended up rolling down the _______ and flipping off his wheelchair into the lake.

Sensing her owner was in _______, Sarah Jane began barking loudly as Smith _______to keep his head above water. Her persistent barking_______ the attention of two neighbors working in their driveway across the street, who rushed over to see what the _______ was about. One of those men was Edward Shuling, who said he ________ thought the dog may have gotten into a fight with an alligator, before he saw Smith’s head sticking out of the water. Shuling instantly________ in.

A second neighbor, Aby “Jacob” Chacko, was ________ closely and happened to spot Officer Adam on his way down to the water. Together, the three men________Smith out of the water and back to safety, much to his and Sarah Jane’s________.

“We are thankful for Mr. Smith’s dog and the two bystanders that helped save his life!” the post reads. “And as the saying remains ________...A man’s best friend is his dog.”

3 . Anthony Madu, a boy from Nigeria, is getting the opportunity of a lifetime.

After a video of Madu_________ barefoot in the rain became hugely popular online, he has now_________ a scholarship in America. The video — which_________ Madu showing his outstanding ballet skills — caught many people’s eyes, including Cynthia Harvey, the famous artistic director in New York. “I was so_________ by his talent that I was desperate to find him,” Harvey said. Harvey_________ managed to track down Madu and helped gain an offer of a full scholarship so that Madu could get_________ in the ABT virtual Young Dancer Summer Workshop, a three-week dancing program.

Madu developed his_________ in ballet after watching Barbi in the 12 Dancing Princesses and faced many_________ afterwards. For example, the culture he grows up in_________ boys in ballet due to popular belief that ballet is not an African dance and it’s meant for girls. ____________, those didn’t discourage Madu; he worked hard and stuck to his ballet dream.

Learning his video became a real hit made Madu very____________. “I didn’t plan to be popular. The best part of being____________ is when I got a grand prize to go to the US____________ so many people don’t have that opportunity,” he said. “I hope my performance will challenge the prejudice (偏见) that male ballet dancers still face.” Madu said he was____________ to be a professional ballet dancer and that he also wanted people to know that ballet can____________ here in Nigeria.

4 . I used to be the most determined resolution-maker. Every January 1st, I would dutifully sit down and write out my resolutions for the upcoming year. I always ________ big goals, like: In the new year, I will lose 50 pounds! And run a marathon! Oh, and be the best parent ever who never ________ my children!

The problem? I never accomplished those resolutions. I’d start out strong, but by February or March, I’d be out of willpower and I’d ________ quietly back into my old habits. Every winter, I’d feel ________ and ashamed, looking back at all of the amazing things…I didn’t do.

Two years ago, I started experiencing severe stomach pain. The doctors ________ a surgery to go in and ________ it out. But ________ I could have the surgery, I found a lump(肿块) and was diagnosed with breast cancer. I started treatment for the breast cancer only to ________ that the stomach pain was from appendix(阑尾) cancer. That’s ________: two different cancers, with two different treatment plans, at the same time, in the same body. It was a lot to ________, and I won’t lie – the next year was incredibly difficult.

The experience completely changed my perspective on my life— especially about what I consider “success” and “failure.” Before, I always felt like I was ________ somewhere, but now ________ being alive and with my family felt like a huge success.

I understand the ________ of having a new beginning, but I learned that you can take the opportunity to start over at any time. January 1st is just a day, and it’s not ________. You can make the day you decide to be a better person a special day, regardless of what the ________ says.

5 . Do extroverts (外向者) make better leaders?

There is a general impression that you're better off in the workplace and in life — if you're an extrovert. Understandably, this idea is most likely to be spread by extroverts themselves, who are "_______ and proud".

In what could be _______ news for introverts, a new study has found that extroverts do have the _______ that increases their chances of success. They _______ a distinct advantage in four aspects: emotional; interpersonal; motivational and performance related. Michael Wilmot, the scholar who led the study, _______ that extroversion is closely associated with experiencing positive emotions more regularly. As happy employees are usually more satisfied, they _______ to work harder and are thought to be a better leader as a result. The way the extroverts behave also helps to protect them from stress or negative experiences at work. _______, extroverts enjoy the _______ of others, so they seem to adapt better to different social situations, which is a strong leadership skill.

_______ the research suggests that extroverts have plenty to be positive about, Wilmot says introverts should not be ________. They are not at an unavoidable disadvantage. Why is that? First, few people can be defined ________ as an introvert or extrovert since everyone displays a mixture of behaviors. Secondly, numerous other characteristics ________ workplace success, including cognitive ability, and the ability to ________ negative emotions. There are many jobs, such as computer programming, where having introverted characteristics such as ________ skills or the ability to focus, would be more beneficial than extroverted characteristics such as sociability. If you ________ his view, remember that some of the world's most successful people are introverts. Among them are legendary investor Warren Buffett and Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep. They all prove the point that you don't have to be extroverts to succeed in life.

6 . In December, an adult day center nurse in New York came to the rescue of her patient after deciding to adopt the dog he could no longer look after.

John Burley, 60, was a daily _________ at the Adult Day Healthcare program at The Grand Rehabilitation (康复) and Nursing at Rome, where Jennifer Smith _________. Just before Thanksgiving, he was _________, leaving him unable to look after his 13-year-old dog Boomer.

Jennifer Smith knew _________ what to do — she visited the humane shelter and adopted him herself. “She went right to the Rome Humane Society that day and _______ the adoption fee, took him to the vet, and went _______ for food, toys, and doggy clothes. He is really _________,” Kimberly Hare from The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Rome said.

Now John Burley is a rehabilitation patient at the center. He is able to _________ daily visits from Boomer who has _________ the “mascot (吉祥物) of the adult day program.”

“Once John was ______________ in his room, Jennifer and Boomer made their way over to his nursing unit, but I told her to stay out of ______________. I asked John if he was feeling ______________ a surprise visit and he said yes,” said Hare.

“When he saw Jennifer and Boomer come around the corner, he just burst into tears and ______________ for his pal. John would get off bed and get around with Boomer happily. There was not a ______________ eye in the room between residents and staff. He was so happy to see the dog and so ______________ to Jennifer for saving him.”

7 . When I first heard from my doctor that I was allergic to hay (干草), it weighed pretty heavily on my mind.

I grew up _________ around big open fields and playing with the animals on my friend’s farm. There were no limits set on me as a child.

After I _________ about my allergy, I felt that a kind of _________ had been placed on me. I could never get a rabbit or a pig, since hay is the main component of their diets. I remember that _________ feeling in my stomach when I realized I was so seriously allergic to something that I’d always need to keep the pill within _________.

Disappointment at this _________ was the first feeling that sunk in. With time, _________, I began to see my allergies as a gift.

I was the kid that tried never to _________. I was okay with enduring a six-hour drive in a(n) _________ car with my knees to my chest. I was okay with eating burnt or under cooked food. But this allergy finally let me feel __________ saying “no”. I finally felt free to refuse to go places or do things where my allergies would act up. I didn’t have to apologize for or explain my __________ at the smell of grass clippings. I didn’t have to __________ myself for not wanting to sit on the grass with my friends on summer days while I got bitten.

Yes, my hay allergy __________ some activities, but it’s also given me a broader appreciation for experiences I actually like and want more of. I’m __________ to be getting a dog instead of a bunny. Let’s be honest, a bunny brings you more trouble.

I ought to thank this allergy for giving me the space to be __________.

8 . There's an old saying to the effect that if something can go _______, it probably will. Recently my wife and I took a trip, by ship, to Hawaii. It was a nice trip and we enjoyed it but the cabin we were in had problems.

One day, I awoke in the small hours of the morning and_______my way across the dark cabin to the washroom. On the way I stepped _______ a puddle （污水坑）on the carpet. Then I found that there was a slow but _______ drip of water coming from the ceiling. So I called the ship's office. Someone came, addressed the problem, pronounced it _______ and went away. That night the ceiling was dripping again. I called and someone came. This time they _______the ceiling apart and spent some time with tools searching inside. They pronounced the problem solved and went away. The ceiling dripped. We put a towel on the floor to catch the _______.

Though the drip had_______ the next day, some black and sticky things came out from the main drain （排水管）in the ceiling. Someone came and _______ the ceiling.

The following day there was a note on our desk expressing _______ for the problems we had been having. The note was _______ down by a bottle of nice wine. We were very _______ to accept the peace offering and just owed the experience to bad _______.

In general, cruising on large ships is a wonderful experience and, in the main, it was a great trip. I suspect, _____,that if all this had happened to someone on their first cruise, they would have sworn never to go to sea again. Although I hope I don't end up like this on our next trip, don't let the_________things beat you down.

9 . Owen Colley, a 6-year-old from Hingham, Massachusetts, was upset to learn about the Australian bushfire. He asked if any animals had been hurt in the _________ and his mom said yes. Quiet, he left the room and drew a picture of a kangaroo, and a koala in the rain with his own pencils. The picture _________ his wish for Australia, a wish for rain.

“It was _________ the first time Owen had made a wish for something else _________ himself,” his mother said. “He asked us if he could help and together we came up with this _________. We could make some clay koalas and sell them and then we can _________ away the money."

Owen started making little koalas out of clay and his parents set up a way for people to _________ to Wildlife Rescue South Coast, a rescue group. The Colley family is sending one of Owen’s koalas to each person who is _________ to donate $50 or more.

So far, Owen has _________ more than $20,000 for the rescue group in just a week. In fact, Owen has a connection to Australia. His father __________ in Sydney and Owen even lived there when he was __________.

Owen hopes that other parents and children can find ways to help with those __________ by the bushfire. “Anyone can make a __________ and even we can bring hope to them when we come __________,” Owen said. “I just love the idea that maybe other kids can take this to their communities and sell small clay koalas locally and collect money for this __________ cause.”

10 . It is indeed true that age is not a barrier (障碍) to learning. Priscilla Sitienei, a 90-year-old woman, has ________ it and is an inspiration to all of us who tend to give up so ________.

Priscilla, as a young girl, did not have the ________ to read and write. What she could not do then did not stop her from dreaming and ________ making those dreams come true. She has ________ Leaders Vision Preparatory School in her village in Kenya for the past five years. What is even more ________ is that she goes to school with her great-grandchildren! She says that she has big________ and that she'd like to be able to ________ the Bible (圣经). She also wants to ________ children to receive schooling and to follow their ________.

Her day at school is the same as any other student's. She wears her ________ to school and attends English, Maths, Drama, Singing, Physical Education, and Dance classes. Above that, she lives in one of the school dormitories, where she________ the room with her great-great-grandchild. All pupils ________ her and want to play with her. She sets an example to those who have ________ and think they are too old to get ________. She says, "Well, I am at school, and so should you!"