1 . Some parents think that kids prefer their friends to their parents. It’s not true. When I have a(n) ________ with my mom or dad, I am in a bad mood(情绪) for the ________ of the day. Maybe I can have an argument with my ________ and then go to school and just ________ about it. But I can’t. It’s very upsetting(令人不快的). If my parents and I have had an argument, I can be sitting in class, but I’m not really ________ what my teacher is saying, because my mind ________, still thinking about the argument.

And then I try to________ on a good time and a good way to reopen a ________ with them so that I can go where I want or get what I want.

So I sit in class, ________ a new strategy and working out every possible response. It means, of course, that I’m still not paying attention to what’s going on in my ________. This upsets me too, so then I get worked up all over again.

I’m sure I’m not the only one this happens to. My friends feel ________ upset when it happens to them. So, even though it’s really ________ to me to feel close to my friends, it means even more to me to feel ________ to my parents. Like me, most of my friends ________ their parents, and want to have a good relationship with them. When my parents and I are ________ eye to eye, a lot of things in my life look okay to me.

2 . In 2016, I started working for the local company here in the community. I had to admit that the first day I walked into the office, I didn’t know what to expect, I was really_________. The waiting area was dark and dusty. I remembered sitting in the chair and feeling breathless with the_________of files and paperwork all over. I was worried about my_________.

One day, my boss asked me what I thought could be done with the scenery outside next to the office window. I paused for a while,_________what I could do with it. Then I had the perfect idea. I’d plant_________there if that was okay. He told me it was up to me. So, I got to work.

It took me a good week to_________the field, getting rid of the weeds. And I had to choose which type of sunflower to grow, as there were many different varieties. That was when I learned about all the different_________of sunflowers! I planted different ones.

It only took about a week for the sunflowers to sprout (发芽). I made sure to_________them every day and give them all the love I could. Before I_________it, the sunflowers had grown big, some even bigger than me. Watching them grow big and follow the sun throughout the day filled me with__________. I think part of my happiness is that I’ve grown them and help get them to be such beauties.

Every year, my sunflowers grow bigger, and so do my__________. Eventually, I have fields of sunflowers and an excellent__________in work. And it all__________with just a seed. Well, a packet of seeds. Dreams are like seeds; we could plant them, nourish them, and then watch them__________. Dreams has the potential to become something__________.

3 . It was a Sunday. “Jane, I’ll go _______. Do you want to come?” Dad asked. I nodded, I filled with _______, and soon I was in the car.

Surprisingly, on the way, Dad _______, got out, and walked to one of the _______ houses on the street. Before long, he _______ with Connor behind, an eight-year-old kid from my school. I was unhappy. The _______ was that I wanted Dad to only share his valuable time with me. _______ I welcomed Connor when he got in our car.

After finally _______ a store, Dad led us to the corner where clothing of _______ was put. I was in shock. My dad should buy Connor clothes. “Connor will have a performance (表演) tomorrow," Dad said “He’ll ________ this.” Connor looked with wonder at the row of clothes.

________ that I wasn’t happy, Dad drew me aside and said, “Didn’t you see how terrible Connor’s tiny house was? Don’t you want to ________ someone in need?” Right away, I felt ashamed because I hadn’t shown ________. Connor came from a family where his single mom worked to provide for her four children. Clearly, she led a ________ life.

With Dad’s help,finally Connor chose a beautiful, dark suit (套装). Then, I encouraged Connor to ________ a shirt. “Thank you,” he said when we returned him home.

4 . As a kid, I spent my summers with my grandfathers on their farm in Texas. I loved and ________ my grandparents and I really looked forward to adventures in my grandfather’s car. On one particular trip, I was about 10 years old. I was ________ around in the big bench seat in the back of the car. My grandfather was driving. And my grandmother had the passenger seat. She smoked throughout these trips, and I ________ the smell.

At that age, I’d take any excuse to make estimates and do minor calculation (计算). I’d been hearing an ad campaign about smoking. I can’t remember the ________, but basically the ad said, every puff of a cigarette takes some number of minutes off your life: I think it might have been two minutes per puff. At any rate, I decided to do the ________ for my grandmother. When I was satisfied that I’d come up with a ________ number, I poked my head into the ________ of the car, tapped my grandmother on the shoulder, and proudly proclaimed, “At two minutes per puff, you’ve taken nine years off your life!”

I have a very vivid memory of what happened next, and it was not what I had expected. I expected to be ________ for my cleverness and my arithmetic skills. “Jeff, you are so smart. You had to have made some ________ estimates.” That’s not what happened. ________, my grandmother burst into tears.

My grandfather was a highly intelligent, quiet man. He had never said a ________ word to me, and maybe this was to be the first time? Or maybe he would ________ that I get back in the car to apologize. We stopped beside the trailer. My grandfather looked at me, and after a bit of silence, he gently and calmly said, “Jeff, one day you’ll understand that it’s ________ to be kind than clever.”

Cleverness is a gift; kindness is a choice. Gifts are easy – they’re given ________. Choices can be hard. You can seduce (引诱) yourself with your ________ if you’re not careful, and if you do, it’ll probably abuse your choices.

5 . The other day, I watched the documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, which followed Nirmal Purja as he climbed all 14 mountains with a height of more than 8,000 meters. Having no _________ of mountaineering apart from occasional recreational hikes, I _________ Purja’s courage and perseverance (毅力).

Not long into the programme, however, such feelings began to _________. On a journey Purja called “the mission possible”, he _________ extreme weather conditions and almost lost his life in a 100-metre fall. Whatever the _________ , he pursued the completion of his task.

The documentary _________ Purja’s perseverance, suggesting you can achieve anything as long as you persevere. _________ , the more dead mountaineers Purja passed on the way, the more I began to _________ this message.

Why did an able mountaineer insist upon exposing himself to a(n) _________ situation? Human culture values the completion of tasks. This phenomenon is called “completion bias (偏见)”. While it can be a __________ for people to overcome difficulties, it is important to be aware of its __________. For example, with people trying hard to get things done, many have a natural __________ for focusing on particular tasks. Ultimately, it may prevent us from __________ bigger tasks that really matter.

Therefore, it is always __________ to remember that giving up a task does not necessarily mean failure. The choice to __________ a mission can be a wiser one than pushing through a misguided quest.

6 . My father started his own business in the 1980. For a breadwinner with seven children, it was a _________ decision.

To improve himself, my father spent his evening _________ a business school that offered two-year programs for people interested in becoming _________ and administrative assistants. Besides, my father read the town newspaper every morning, and I _________ he would inevitably read the classified section, _________ the “help wanted” advertisements. As a kid, I thought such _________ was only for people seeking a position.

One day, I asked him, “Dad, you have a job. Why do you read the ‘help wanted’ section every day?” “Well,” he replied, “it’s _________ for me to know what the employers want for their jobs and what are the things they’re _________.” A light bulb went off in my mind. Yes, he obviously wasn’t looking through the “help wanted” section for himself. He wanted to stay _________ with a hiring mindset. Meanwhile, he __________ something new to develop his own business.

Recently, as a runner, I was __________ by an article about On, a company manufacturing athletic shoes. It won net sales of $345 million in the first six months of 2022 and it receives about 70,000 __________ per year. One of the key __________ the owners seek in new hiring is “an explorer mindset”, which is just what my father owns.

The explorer mindset sought by On can __________ people outside of the “help wanted” sections of life. As a saying goes, “In so many ways, comfort is the enemy of __________.”

7 . Jim McKenna had been a firefighter for nine years when he took on a part-time job at Iroquois High School in Louisville, Kentucky. He knew________ would take a lot of work, but he never imagined that he’d become a ________ in the process.

The first day McKenna arrived at the school in 2015, he immediately felt________ by then-16-year-old Brandon Reed. The student athlete showed him around and made him________ “He had a strong________ to succeed,”says McKenna. “________, I wanted to help make him the best wrestler (摔跤选手)”.

It quickly became________ that Reed and his fellow students, who lived in a low-income area, had________ resources. Coach McKenna drove Reed to attend sports meeting and practice and got him part-time work. He even spent ________ with Reed during his 75-hour work weeks at the firehouse, where he’d cook healthy meals for the teenager.

At the end of the school year, when McKenna decided to________ for Taylorville, Kentucky, with his wife, he invited Reed to come with them. The two didn’t just train together. McKenna taught Reed how to drive, manage money and learn to be________. As was expected, Reed________ during his senior year. With McKenna’s________ and encouragement, he earned a full scholarship to Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia , Kentucky, where he won the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Championship. When Reed________ everything McKenna did for him, he says he’s________ beyond words. “I don’ t know where I would be without him,” says Reed.

8 . If somebody informs you that you have a leaf in your hair, smile politely and say, “Oh. Thanks.” When you turn to find it is the cute guy who asks smart questions, try to look as _______ as possible. Brush the _______ out of your hair as though its presence was accidental, as though you’re not upset.

Remind yourself that you will likely find another among the thousands on the _______. If he continues to walk _______ you and talk to you, then you have a difficult situation. You must decide if the attention is pity or interest. You must decide which kind of attention you’d rather have. You must decide whether you want any _______ at all.

Maybe he will not go _______ as quickly as you expected. Perhaps you will find yourself nearing a bench with him in the park at the corner. Do not tap on the bench before sitting down. Do not think about how good it would feel to be racing through the park right now, with the mud under your sneakers. Pretend to be how you imagine a(n) _______ girl would be; nod and smile in the _______ places.

Do not be too serious. Maybe he will talk about movies or books. Maybe about his school or his work. _______ with him and ask him questions.

If he seems exceptionally ________ and accepting, you may be attracted to say more about the disorders that rule your life. So ________ he asks about you, you must answer very carefully. “I play the piano,” you might say. Your favorite composer? Rachmaninoff, of course. “I like to ________” is starting to get a bit risky, but you could try it if you’re brave. “Too bad,” he may say. “You won’t be running for a while.” “I know” is a good, simple ________. Change the subject.

But even if you do, you will have to ________ home eventually. The light will begin to fade or the ________ will threaten another rain. Let him make the first move toward parting.

9 . Todd was a sadly quiet 11-year-old boy struggling to adjust to the death of his mother. His father had left long ago, and Todd was living with an aunt who made it _______ that she disliked to take responsibility.

On several occasions, his _______ Sheryl heard his aunt tell him, “If it weren’t for my generosity, you’d be a _______ orphan.”

Sheryl took extra pains to make Todd feel _______ in class, and encouraged his interest in making things. Just before Christmas break, Todd shyly _______ her with a small decorated box he’d made.

“It’s beautiful!” Sheryl cried.

Todd replied, “There’s something special _______ that my mom gave me before she died.” She said, “It’s the only thing I can _______you and still have plenty leftover. It helps you feel better when you’re _______ and safe when you’re _______.”

As Sheryl started to open the box,Todd ________ her, “Oh, you can’t see it.”

Sheryl asked ________ , “Well, what is it?”

“It’s ________. You’re the first person since my mom that I love.’

Sheryl hugged Todd tightly and said, “I’ll ________this forever. It’s the best gift I’ve ________ got.”

She kept it on her desk until she ________ , and touched it whenever she was sad or scared. It never ________ to make her heart smile.

Years later, Todd sent her the autograph book (签名簿) he wrote during his graduation from a medical school. It’s been in the ________ ever since.

In truth, love—not diamonds—is the________that keeps on giving. ________ , love generates itself. The more you ________， the more you have left.

10 . I had been saying goodbye to my mom for ten years. That was how ______ she had breast cancer. At first, there was the fear that she would die. But as she ______ series of treatments, life took ______ a new normal. But cancer is an unrelenting (冷酷无情的) foe. It was a journey from ______ to hope again and again, and only painkillers could keep her ______ . At 66, my mom was dying, but we could do nothing. I ______ praying for God to heal her but rather to take her. I learned that dying is the ______ healing. How brokenhearted when a patient or family is ______ a death.

My mother showed me how to fight her foe with knowledge, humor and ______ . And when the time came, she showed me how to die with grace, dignity, humor and wisdom. ______ , while it is hard to escape from the ______ , I want to anticipate the joy of the day when all the pain and hurt of this world will be over. One day, I will die and ______ those I love. One day, those I love will die as well. I don’t want it to envelop me to the point where I cannot enjoy life and make ______ that will last not only in this life, but hopefully into the next.

In those ten years watching my mother die, I learned that we cannot ______ avoid grief in this life. But we can seek out and remind ourselves to anticipate the joy, no matter how ______ things are.

We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.