2 . It was just a typical morning of an ordinary workday. I was at the _______, on my way to the lab where I was a postdoctoral fellow (博士后研究员). But something began to _______ inside me as I watched the people around me-headphones hanging from their ears, eyes cast down, _______ faces. They looked unhappy. And I realized that I was one of them. Suddenly, I could no longer _______ my work life and booked a one-way ticket to fly home.

Over the years. I had grown more competitive due to the _______ of finishing my Ph.D. Those who could have been partners became competitors I disliked and the effect of this competition was exactly the _______ of what I had hoped for. I began to feel lonely and lost. I became less and less _______ in my scientific work. I hit my _______ point that day at the bus station. I had to end this before it is too late. I emailed my professors, explaining that l had put the _______ first and myself second for too long.

Shortly after I got back home, I started to receive some emails from my workmates — I guessed they expected me to join them again soon. After a few ________ asking how I was, in the emails many expressed their stress of academic life. Vulnerable (脆弱的) researchers were sticking their heads out of their shells (壳), seeking ________. It occurred to me that we all ________ sometimes, and our vulnerability seemed so much alike that I ________ myself from all that had bothered me for days. ________ it can be win-win game, instead of one where one side gains while the other side loses. Working with others and asking for help doesn’t make my contributions ________; it means we can all succeed.

3 . “If that little girl is causing that much trouble within your group of friends, I would simply stop her,” I said as Abby was about to set off to school. Abby listened carefully, as I continued. “If she causes any more _________ to you, I will go to your teacher to _________ her to never let her sit next to you.”

By this time, Allyson, my then eight-year-old daughter, had joined us, listening to every word too. Neither of my daughters cut in as I finished my _________. Then, as I was telling each of them what I thought _________, Allyson’s real words of wisdom (智慧) came about. “Mom,” she said. “I was just thinking maybe Abby is supposed to be that girl’s _________. Maybe Abby is supposed to let that girl see forgiving (原谅) and goodness through her.”

Hmmm, I had become a _________. And at that moment, I _________ that wearing the “Mother Hat” didn’t mean I was always right. In fact, I wanted to pull that hat over my face and _________ so that they couldn’t see my awkward (尴尬的) look.

“Yes, that’s a good point,” I said, forcing a _________ at my girls. “Abby, __________ this situation the way you think is right.” “OK,” she said before walking out of the door and off to __________. “Bye, Mom!” Allyson called, __________ her big sister out the door. I was left __________. In those following quiet moments I was lost in thought and felt __________ that my two daughters were little in height but big in heart. Sometimes our children have great lessons to teach us — if we’ll only __________.

4 . Molai grew up in a tiny village in India. The village lay near some wetlands which became his second _______. He learned the value and beauty of _______ there from a very young age. 

When he was 16, Molai began to notice something _______ happening around his home. A flood had hit the area earlier that year and the _______ it caused had driven away a number of birds._______, the number of snakes had declined as well. He _______ that it was because there weren’t enough trees to protect them from the _______. The solution, of course, was to plant trees so the animals could seek _______ during the daytime. He turned to the _______ department for help but was told that nothing would grow there. However, Molai went looking on his own and ________ a nearby island where he began to plant trees.

________ young plants in the dry season was ________ for a lone boy. Molai built at the ________ of each sapling (幼树) a bamboo platform, where he placed earthen pots with small holes to ________ rainwater. The water would then drip (滴落) on the plants below.

Molai ________ to plant trees for the next 37 years. His efforts have resulted in 1,360 acres of naturally-grown land that has become home to many plants and animals.

5 . There was an old couple who had been married for 40 years. They loved each other deeply and went on dates together. Every time they went out for supper, the husband would order pie for dessert, which became their_________. Although the wife always_________ to order any, she would _________ the first bite of his pie every time.

But then the husband began to _________ a type of disease. He started to slowly _________ who his wife was. It _________ progressed to the point where he didn’t recognize his wife at all and became troubled by living with a stranger.

He moved out of the house and into a nursing home. She was _________. However, she thought of good _________to help him recover. She would visit him with items (物品) that he loved before, but he never knew who she was. Even seeing pictures of them together from their past _________ him.

One of the doctors __________ the wife to start taking him on a few dates like before, so that the husband could gain a new kind of familiarity with her. The wife __________ his suggestion. So she took him to a __________ they had been going to their whole lives and had dinner. Afterwards he ordered pie, and without thinking she stole the first bite of it. The husband looked angry, and was ready to leave. But __________he stopped and seemed shocked, and then started crying.

Everything had come back. His wife’s __________ made him get back to who he was. Tears came to his eyes once more. They moved back together and __________ their lives again.

6 . When I was a teenager, I was invited to a formal dance party. I was _________, but also nervous about what to wear. Mom suggested I wear high heels (高跟鞋).

“Mom, I don’t know if I can wear these,” I said, feeling _________. “Don’t worry, sweetie. Just take small _________ and keep your weight centered,” she suggested.

As I arrived at the party, I tried to be _________ and act like everything was fine. But _________ struck when I stepped onto the dance floor. I _________ my own feet, falling to the ground in front of everyone.

I quickly got up and laughed it off, pretending like it was _________. But deep down, I felt like a tomato, wanting to _________.

My friend Lilly helped me _________ that incident and managed me another high heels as a support so that nobody would understand my hesitation. But a little bit __________ continued in my mind.

When I returned home, I told Mom I felt like a complete __________ at the party. “It’s okay. You tried something new, and it didn’t go as __________. But that’s how we learn and grow. Don’t be too __________ on yourself and wear what you feel __________ in,” Mom said, giving me a hug.

From that day forward, I stuck to flat shoes. I learned to __________ my true self and not worry about what others thought.

7 . The Hard Truth

One day, Marissa noticed a spider web, shining in the sunlight. A spider was spinning _________ on it. The spider wasn’t trying to be something else, like a butterfly or a bee, Marissa thought. It was happy to be exactly what it was and to do what it was good at.

What came naturally to Marissa was _________. She could paint or draw all day long and never get bored. However, a few weeks ago Marissa signed up for high jump. Because her mother had been a high jump _______ in school, she thought it would make her mother happy. But now she _______ that however hard she worked, she would never be a high jump star like her mother.

One night, halfway through her homework, Marissa fell _________. When she woke up, the clock read 1:00 A. M. Marissa got into a panic. There was still so much _________ to do, but she really needed her rest for track practice. Marissa had always been a good student, but now track was risking her _________.

Then a dark thought crossed Marissa’s mind. If she _________ some of her classes, she would be off the track team. That was one way to solve her problem.

After a week of _________ her homework, letters had been mailed out to parents listing grades, and Marissa knew the letters would show that her grades had __________ a lot. She walked home with slow heavy steps, knowing her __________ plan had worked.

Just as Marissa had __________, her mother was waiting with the __________ in her hand. “What’s happening to your grades? And more importantly, what’s happening to you?” she asked.

With tears in her eyes, Marissa admitted her __________. “I only joined the track team to make you proud of me. I hated it, __________ I didn’t want to disappoint you. I thought if I were failing in my classes, Coach would kick me off the team. What a __________ I’ve made of everything.”

Marissa watched her mother’s face turn from anger to __________. “Marissa, I was always proud of you. You didn’t need to do the high jump to make me happy. Now you have a lot of hard work in front of you because you made a bad __________.”

Marissa thought again about the spider. She realized she had lost sight of her __________ and twisted her web. Now she had to go back and __________ that web.

8 . Anna was cleaning when she spotted a hidden door leading to part of her attic (阁楼).And in the secret room she _______ two boxes stuffed with hundreds of letters, which were handwritten in the 1950s. The letters were _______ to a Betty McGhee. There were dozens penned by a young man named Vance, _______ the same way: “Hi honey”. Anna read a few and a new romance was blossoming on the old _______.

Once realizing the _______ nature of the notes, she was hesitant to pry (窥探). However, she _______ that the letters would likely be meaningful to someone else. So she turned to social media to try and find the _______ to pass them on to. Within days, she found a(n) _______ clue with the aid of strangers who saw the post.

Finally she _______ to Dalton, who lived 3,000 miles away. Dalton confirmed that Vance and Betty got ________ following a string of written correspondence and eventually started a family. He ________ this because they were his grandparents, and were wed for 50 years.

Dalton was close with his grandparents. ________, he knew little about how their ________ started. With his beloved grandparents now gone, to ________ words to that time in their life was going to be incredible. He was grateful that Anna saw the ________ in the written words.