1 . Sports are important in our family. Both of our sons were high-school ______ . So I shouldn’t have been ______ when Lauren announced she was going out for the girls’ basketball team. But I was because she has Down syndrome (唐氏综合征).

My wife and I never told Lauren that she was ______ . We treated her like our other children. We didn’t want her to feel disabled.

I discussed Lauren’s ______ with my wife that evening. She thought Lauren would make the team and she was right. Lauren did make it ______ not all the girls wanted to play.

The season’s first basketball game ______ . It got off to a good start, but soon Verden, Lauren’s team, was behind. Lauren ______ followed the movement on the court and reacted to every ______ . Even though Lauren wasn’t playing, she looked as if she were having the time of her life. I felt ______ for my daughter.

Just less than two minutes were left, and Verden was down by seventeen points when Lauren was called in for the game. Lauren ______ the others fairly well. Then they passed Lauren the ball. She ______ it. She shot. She scored! A few minutes later, Lauren ______   us in the stands. “Did you see? I scored! I made a ______ !”

For sixteen years, I’d tried hard to ______ Lauren from feeling like she was different. But watching Lauren in the game, I saw that she really was different—not physically or emotionally, but ______ .

2 . The worry of losing the money had been at the back of my mind all day. That was why I had not _________ myself for a single moment to let go of the yellow plastic _________ that had the money in it. All morning, I had held it _________, and when I suddenly noticed the bag was gone I was in a state of _________.

At first, I didn’t know what to do. I _________ all the people I had seen on the train that morning._________, the face of a tall young man _________ through my mind. He bumped into me after I got off the train! It was him. “I’m going to find you,” I thought, “if it’s the _________ thing I do today!”

I remembered the _________ I had seen the young man take. I ran towards Oxford Street. However, there was no __________ of the young man. I was about to __________ when I suddenly saw a __________ of the tall young man in a shop window. There he was, on the opposite side of the street,__________ a yellow plastic bag!

Without a moment’s thought, I __________ to him. “Give me my money back!” I yelled. I          __________ the plastic bag but he wouldn’t let go of it.

A few seconds later, a police officer __________. I told him what had happened. “I’m afraid you’ve got it all wrong!” the officer said, “You must have __________ the bag when getting off the train. Your __________ is waiting for you at the police station—thanks to a very ________ young person!” I was speechless. I knew immediately the man had found the plastic bag, and had taken it to the police! It was so __________!

3 . Sitting in the classroom, I felt confused.

Our teacher pointed at the blackboard and gave us instructions. Looking around, I watched as my classmates _______ their heads and started writing. A wave of _______ washed over me-I couldn’t read the board, for I couldn’t see clearly. It didn’t _______ at primary school because my teachers always read aloud what they were writing. But now, I was expected to read by myself.

Mum took me to a(n) _______. I was diagnosed with a terrible sight problem. I was _______ blind.

However, despite all the difficulties, I’d amazingly _______ to reach the age of 13! As a kid living on a farm, I was always falling over objects. I could only _______ the outlines of things and contrasts between different shades. I was given reading _______ but they didn’t help much.

_______ to let my diagnosis hold me back, I continued doing everything I loved, including milking the cows. Over the years, I’ve ________ lovely family holidays, but sometimes felt like my families were being too ________ to me. So I was thrilled when I heard about a travel company that takes those who are blind or have poor ________   Aussie adventures without families’ company. ________, I booked myself onto a trip to the ________. It was amazing to appreciate places, such as the beach and seaside theme parks, with ________ who were just like me. And the incredible guides were great at ________ us through all the way while making sure we had a fun and ________ time. Since then, I’ve travelled with them a lot. While we can’t see the sights like others, our ________ take us to awesome places. I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. I’m so lucky to have a wonderful family and lots of ________.

Life is ________-you don’t need vision to “see” that.