1 . My father and I always had a bit of trouble in our relationship. It’s not that we didn’t love each other. It’s just that we used to have ________ opinions. My dad is one of the most hard-working men I know, but I was a(n) ________. I played sports as a kid, but________ when I was making progress. Then I showed an ________ in music. My father got excited and ________ me a guitar when I was about eight. But I didn’t like it until I was a teenager. During those teen years, I took up my guitar and ________ playing along.

Then I went to college. My father thought I should focus more on my ________ when I had more fun playing music. I dreamed to be a musician. When I grew into a young man, I suddenly fell ________ ill one day and it was discovered that I had a terrible kidney (肾) disease. I had to accept treatments all my life, or get a transplant (移植).

I felt like there was a heavy ________ on my shoulders. Life became hard for me. But I was lucky enough because of my loving parents who ________ me and took care of me. While trying to ________ just what to do with my life, my father got tested to see ________ he was the right man to give me his kidney. I tried to refuse, but he’d hear ________ of it. He saved my life at last.

Two years ago, I ________ a band. He had always wanted to play in a band, but ________ got the chance when he was young. It was one of the greatest gifts I could give to him.

2 . In times of stress and depression, a friend would always suggest going for a walk. But I regarded it as nothing but the best ________. I didn't understand how these things could ________.

Three years ago, I hit a low point. Once I saw a pair of ________ eyes looking at me through the mirror. I realized I had to take the ________ I fought so hard to ignore. I went for a walk —with the hope that it would ________ change my life.

I walked several miles a day for the first 2 weeks, but it did nothing. Then I ________ to it every single day for more than a month. There were days when I could ________ make it outside, but I managed to ________. Every time I went out to walk, I took a ________. I think I wanted to document myself trying to make an ________.

As time passed by, one day the ________ happened. I found myself smiling. I found myself ________ to be outside from time to time. What I once ________ had become the best part of my day. I never had a ________ in mind, nothing in particular. I just ________ along the paths, stopped to look at the blue skies and listened to music.

I'm glad I took photos because there was a ________ difference in my face. I slowly started to look less ________ and tired. Till now, I don't know why I ________ to do so for so long. I guess I didn't want to believe that something ________ at the surface could actually have a(n) ________ on my physical and mental well-being. Next time if you feel troubled, take a walk and keep on with it. Sometimes, all we need to do is try.

6 . It was my mother’s funeral(葬礼). My mother was kind. She was always there when I needed her.

When she got seriously ill, my elder sister just had a new _______-and my younger brother was newly married. Only I could _______my mother.

When she was gone , I found myself completely________. “What can I do now, Lord?” I thought. Then I _______my brother and my sister. My brother sat together with his wife. My sister held her baby in her arms with her husband’s arms around her.

I sat_______, unbearably sad. But nobody ______ that. Suddenly I heard the door open. In a moment I saw a young man. He sat next to me and then said, “ I am____, Mary. But why do they call you Margaret? ” I said , “ Because her name is Margaret.” I_______ why he called my mother Mary.

“ Her name is Mary,” he______. “ No, that isn’t right,” I replied. Then a ________thought hit him and he asked, “Is this Lutheran church?”

“ No, it is across the street.”

The situation made me begin to ______. My brother and my sister looked at me______. I looked at the man sitting next to me. He started laughing too.

I ______ my mother watching us and laughing together.

After the______finished, we went together to the parking lot. He smiled and then said, “ since I have _____my aunt’s funeral, maybe we could drink a cup of coffee.” I_____

A year later, we _____ at a small country church. This time we both _____right place. God gave me laughter and love in my time of ____. Now we have been married for twenty-two years. When somebody asks how we met , my husband says, “ her mother and my aunt ______ me to her.

7 . Steph Clemence always intended to go to college. But life has a(an) _________ throughout her early childhood years to _________ barriers. Growing up, she led a nomadic (漫游的) life because her mother, who remarried several times, was always on the _________. By the time of high school, Steph had lived in 25 places.

When her stepfather died in a car accident, leaving her mother to support three daughters on a(an) _________ income, paying for college became a serious question. But she still tried to figure out what to do with a life so _________ her plan for schooling.

The _________ came one afternoon when she was cleaning her bedroom. She _________ a thick document where she found a handout titled “Mrs. Clark’s Book List” by her high school English teacher Dorothy Clark.

It wasn’t homework, but it could be a(an) _________ for those not able to receive higher education due to _________ problems like her. The teacher had spent months creating a list of 153 books whose contents would be as __________ as a two-year study at an arts college.

Steph studied the list. Each of those books __________ her to learn more. The reading list was also a(an) __________ in her everyday life, even __________ with her on vacations to find out the next book. She never did get to college, but has now only four books left before __________ the list. She wishes she could thank Mrs. Clark for how reading the __________ on the list has changed her life.

8 . I stood in my office, surrounded by hundreds of books! I hadn’t expected my book drive (捐书活动) to be of so much ______. Surely, with my kind and helpful coworkers, I shouldn’t have been so ______.

One morning a year ago, I suddenly lost consciousness (意识) and ______ myself in hospital after coming to myself. Cancer ran into my life. Considering I must be very ______, my friends offered support, especially Kathy. She would take meals to me. We grew ______. During one chat, I learned Kathy’s mom died of cancer when she was young and Kathy still ______ her every day. I wished to do something to ______ Kathy’s kindness. But I didn’t have the ______ to do so.

After 13 rounds of ______, my health returned. Before getting sick, I loved organizing activities for some free libraries, where people could ______ books to those in need. Now that I ______, I would do it again. That was how the book drive ______. I encouraged my coworkers to bring me children’s books. They responded so ______. My office was crowded with books soon.

I knew Kathy’s son was a(n) ______ of the Harry Potter series. ______, after finding a copy, I gave it to Kathy’s son. When he open it, his eyes were full of excitement. He told me, “You won’t ______ it! This is exactly the book my mother bought me! There are the words written by her: ‘From Kathy, Happy Birthday!’ ” He added that he ______ it. But it had been lost ______ several times of moving house, which was really a(n) ______. But somehow, here it was. Out of hundreds of books from countless families, this long-lost treasure had made it back into the ______ hands.

9 . Last year, being eager to escape the cold and dreary weather for spring break, Sophie and I decided to head south. It was a last minute decision; we did not make ______ anywhere.

Arriving in Florida, we tried to book a room in a good but affordable hotel. After going to six hotels and finding no room ______ at all, we stopped at an information center. A kind and helpful woman delivered the ______ news that if we didn’t have reservations anywhere, it would be very difficult for us to find a safe place to stay. She ______ that we check a couple of places, but they all seemed too ______ for us. Then she said that the Starfish Inn was ______priced, but that she would not want her daughters to stay there!

So that was how we got into our ______ situation. After paying the owner of the motel (汽车旅馆), we ______our luggage to the room, where we opened the door with great ______. Everything in the room was in shades of blue and green, with real and ______ starfish on nearly every surface; the place looked like it hadn’t been ______ since 1975!

The sofa was not exactly ______. The old television reminded me of the one my grandpa ______ in his basement. On the plus side, the room did have a ______, so we could ______ money by cooking meals. On the downside, the small table was so ______ that I was afraid to use it.

______ all of these problems, Sophie and I decided we had one choice—to make the best of the situation and ______ ourselves! We thought that it was time to ______ the false undersea atmosphere of the room and enjoy some real ocean views. As the old saying ______, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

10 . While I was in hospital for back surgery (手术) recently I was looked after by a nurse called Deitrich. She worked the _______ shifts (轮班) and took very good care of me.

One night things were _______ and when Deitrich came in to take my blood pressure we started to talk about our family situation. Then she asked what I enjoyed doing most. I _______ that I liked helping people and doing _______ work. Deitrich said she thought she would _______ doing that kind of thing too, perhaps with her church.

The day I was discharged (出院) we _______ and she gave me a kiss on the cheek. In _______ I gave her a smile card and ten dollars. She didn’t want the _______ but I told her to read the card and _______ her the money was from my heart.“Now you have the ________ to do something for yourself or make a(n) ________ for someone else,” I said. She paused and ________ the offer in the end. We hugged and she told me she ________ give the money to a woman she knew from ________ who was having medical problems.

Deitrich gladly thanked me for my ________ and with that ten dollars bought five lottery tickets in her church’s name. As ________ would have it one of the tickets won a hundred and fifty dollars which she ________ to the church’s food pantry. She ________ me a week later and told me what had happened. She ________ asked if I had my more smile cards! The people in her church all ________ one!

God bless Deitrich and her church and all the people who want to make a difference for the better in this world!