1 . I learned how to accept life as it is from my father.________, he didn’t teach me acceptance when he was strong and healthy, but rather when he was________and ill.

My father was________a strong man who loved being active, but a terrible illness________all that away. Now he can no longer walk, and he must sit quietly in a chair all day, Even talking is________One night, I went to visit him with my sisters. We started________about life, and I told them about one of my________. I said that we must very often give things up________we grow — our health, our beauty, our friends — but it always________that after we give something up, we gain something new in its place. Then suddenly my father________up. He said, ”But, Peter, I gave up________! What did I gain?“ I thought and thought, but I couldn’t think of anything to say.________he answered his own question, “I________the love of my family.” I looked at my sisters and saw tears in their eyes, along with hope and thankfulness.

I was also________by his words. After that, when I began to feel angry at someone, I________remember his words and become________. If he could replace his great pain with a feeling of love for others, then I should be________to give up my small anger. In this________, I learned the power of acceptance from my father.

Sometimes I________what other things I could have learned from him if I had listened more carefully when I was a boy. For now, though, I am grateful for this________.

2 . It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80s came to the hospital. I heard him saying to the nurse that he was in a hurry for all appointment(约会)at 9:30. The nurse had him take a _______ in the waiting area,_______ him it would be at least 40 minutes_________someone would be able to see him. I saw him_______his watch and decided, since I was_______busy—my patient didn’t_______ at the appointed hour, I would examine his wound. While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor’s appointment. The gentleman said no and told me that he_______to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his_________. He told me that she had been_________for a while and that she had a special disease. I asked if she would be____________if he was a bit late. He replied that she __________ knew who he was, that she had not been able to __________ him for five years now. I was____________, and asked him, “And you__________go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?” He smiled and said. “She doesn’t know me but I know who she is”. I had to hold back __________ as he left.            

Now I __________ that in marriages, true love is____________of all that is. The happiest people don’t__________have the best of everything, they just__________the best of everything they have. ____________isn’t about how to live through the storm, but how to dance in the rain.

3 . My mother left the field of education formally after I was born. However, she did not leave it _________. She made learning a _________ part of my life. I never watched television, not because I was not _________ to, but because it was more fun writing stories with my mom.

On my first day of kindergarten, I was excited, but _________. During snack time that day, I sat quietly and opened my _________. Inside, I found a note from my mother written on a napkin(餐巾纸). The note said that she _________ me, that she was proud of me and that I was the best kindergartener in the world! Because of that napkin note I _________ my first day of kindergarten successfully and many more school days to follow.

There have been many napkin notes since the _________ one. There were even napkin notes _________ to me in college, far away from my home. __________ I changed majors, changed the way I looked at the world, there was one thing that never __________ — my mother’s encouragement, support and __________ in napkin notes.

This year, my mother __________ to go back to school to earn her degree in teaching. Although I was in __________ of my mother for following her dreams, I wanted her to __________ that she didn’t need a(n) __________ to make her an excellent teacher.

So I gave her a __________ for school: a lunch bag filled with her favorite foods. She laughed as she __________ the lunch bag. Then she pulled out a napkin with __________ on it.

As she opened up her “You can do it!” napkin note from me, tears began to run down her face. When her eyes met mine, I saw she __________ my unspoken message: My mother is, and always has been, a teacher.

6 . Thanks to my child, I believe that Santa sends out gifts every year. And I once played Santa’s _______.

One year, our son Jay _______ a new sound system. “Please bring me a new stereo (立体声唱机), _______ I don’t have to listen to my dad’s old music,” he told the mall Santa. Robin and I took note.

On Christmas Eve, we _______ Santa’s cookies and milk by the fire, put a few carrots on the roof for the deer, and put Jay to sleep _______ at the back of the house, where the sound of Santa’s shoes wouldn’t _______ him. That’s when I went to the workshop and spent the whole night putting together that stereo.

Then we moved Jay from our bed to his—he was afraid that Santa might think he wasn’t home and would _______ to leave presents. At long last, I _______ the stereo and positioned it by the tree. Robin and I fell asleep early that Christmas morning, filled with satisfaction. At 7 a.m., Jay woke us up and led us to the _______ excitedly. He fell in love with the sound system.

A few days passed, and Jay asked me a ________ question. “Dad, how did I get from your bed to mine?” Ever the protected one, I said, “Santa may ________ you! Isn’t that fun?” He said nothing, walking into the hall and looking ________ at the floor. He came ________, “Dad, look at the wheel marks on the carpet (地毯). The stereo was rolled out of that bedroom and down the hallway.” I was ________. Jay was only six, and he showed me the evidence.

After that, the real fun began. Jay got to be Santa when we gave presents to a needy family—he just ________ it. We actually got the most joy from Santa when Jay kept the magic alive with us.

9 . People get angry because they don’t know enough to keep calm. I couldn’t control my emotions and used to feel annoyed (使恼怒) when I was a child. Worse still, I was not good at communicating with my ______. I didn’t have a very good relationship with my family.

One morning, my mother ______ handed me my father’s vest (背心) instead of mine. I was larger in build than my father. So when I ______ the vest, it was tight and I felt uncomfortable. I realized that it was a mistake of hers. I got very ______. The mistake grew out of her carelessness.

I took out my anger on my mother ______ thinking much. I was so upset that she had handed me the ______ vest. I behaved badly and I threw it ______! Later, my mother shared her sad feeling with my father, “See what your son has done.” Instead of punishing me, my father behaved very ______. He asked my mother to ______ the vest clean. He then wore it to work the next day.

After a long time, mother told me about my father’s ______. “How come my child turns out this way?” he said. I immediately had a great sense of shame for my bad behavior. I ______ that he spent the whole day wearing a vest that his son threw away. He must feel terrible. I was ______ with great admiration (钦佩) for my father. His kindness taught me a life lesson.

On that day, I decided never to let anger get the better of me. I learn to ______ myself down and forgive others when I was treated in an unfair or unacceptable way. ______ I found forgiveness is a way to turn anger off. And whenever I have difficulty controlling my strong emotion, I try to ______ my father’s vest.

10 . I decided to ski to the North Pole. It was after I saw a(n) _______ in a newspaper looking for people to join a team that would _______ 350 miles to the magnetic North Pole. Back in 1996, a woman from the UK had never _______ this challenge. I wondered what it would be like to _______ in temperatures that cold, so I sent off for the application form.

When the application form _______, it said “Are You Man Enough for the Ultimate Challenge?” and it was full of pictures of _______ explorers. I was angry and decided that women could do it too, so it made me even more _______ to get on the team.

Over 500 individuals _______ for a place in the team, and the selection process included physical and psychological tests designed to _______ the best group. Our test was to complete the Sandhurst military assault course, where the UK’s best officers are trained, and it’s not   for ________. We had to climb a huge rope ladder, and I stopped at the top because I have a fear of ________. I thought all hope was ________. But two others helped me over, and later I found out that the organizers were not looking for amazing ________, but great team players, and this moment had shown them who would ________ others in the team.

I had also shown my real self, and in a place like the Arctic, you have to be yourself, ________ there is nowhere to hide. These ________ of asking for help and showing your real self are necessary for women to master.       

I realized that by being myself, I could ________. I was chosen for the team, and as a result became the ________ British woman to ski to the Magnetic North Pole. I realized that I could achieve more than I ever ________ was possible—but more importantly, by sharing my story with others, I could ________ them to take a step into the unknown.