1 . In a small town called Maplewood there was a girl named Sophie. She was always worried about her ________. She thought her nose was too big and her hair too messy. Each time she saw photos of film stars on social media, her ________ dropped even more. “I’ll never be as beautiful as them,” Sophie often thought. Because of these feelings, Sophie avoided social events and ________ spoke up in class. She was uneasy, thinking everyone was judging her for her looks. She even stopped ________ with her friends, feeling too ________.

One day, the school announced a talent show. Sophie’s best friend, Jenna, knew Sophie had a beautiful singing voice and encouraged her to ________. “You should enter the talent show. You have a(n) ________ voice!” Jenna insisted. Sophie hesitated but ________ agreed, partly to please Jenna and partly to push herself out of her comfort ________.

As the day of the talent show ________, Sophie practiced singing in front of her mirror. Despite her ________, she knew she loved singing and wanted to give it a try. When the day arrived, Sophie was trembling with fear. She almost ________ but remembered Jenna’s support and decided to go on stage.

When Sophie started singing, her voice was ________ at first, but as she continued, she forgot about her worries and just enjoyed the music. Her voice grew ________ and more confident with each note. By the time she finished, the audience burst into ________. After the show, many people came up to her, praising her performance. Sophie’s heart filled with ________ and joy.

This experience ________ how Sophie saw herself. She realized her worth was based on her ________, and inner qualities, not her looks. She began participating more in school activities and ________ with her friends. Sophie learned to appreciate her unique self and became more confident. She understood that true ________ comes from within and that believing in herself was the most important thing.

2 . Elona Washington, a mother of two adult children, believed they would have bright future. But on her son Jackie’s 20th birthday, Jackie said something contrary to her ______,“Mum, I don’t want to grow up. Neither do I want to leave home to work after graduation.” At first,   Elona ______ his words as a joke, assuming Jackie was simply ______ the loving family. However, her daughter Emily revealed the _____ — Jackie planned to rely on parents in the future since it was ______ to make his fortune. Knowing that, Elona blamed herself for doing too much for Jackie and ______ him. Today’s Jackie completely lacked ______ and just sought for the ______ of the family. Elona couldn’t bear to see Jackie was _______ the reality, so she decided to help him.

Elona recognized Jackie’s interest in sports marketing and ______ him to land a part-time job that involved managing clients’ Instagram accounts. She hoped this experience might change Jackie’s ______ about work and self-reliance.

After a few months, when Elona went to see how Jackie ______ to adulthood, she found Jackie’s newfound confidence. Working in the business and being paid by clients had ____his anxiety about the process of growing up. ______ Jackie’s journey towards becoming a real adult remained ongoing, his job made him realize that he could be ______, and that his family wouldn’t be there forever.

Elona felt ______ that everything about Jackie was changing for the better. She realized that during children’s transition into adulthood, it is crucial for parents to establish____. While parents want to stay involved and ______ about their children’s lives, they must also require their children to handle things _____. It enables young adults to grow and develop the skills necessary to ______ the challenges of independent life.

3 . I don’t remember her name and would not recognize her if I were to pass her on the street. But I do remember the kindness given by a stranger and the difference it has made in my life.

One Sunday, I was told to dress in my best clothes for I was going to church. She smiled brightly as I got into her car, the car of a ________. I did not even know her name, but here I, was, along with four others I ________ from our low-income neighborhood, on our way to church.

As we ________ into the parking lot, I remember how beautiful the old stone building was with its tall steeple (尖塔) and stained glass windows (彩色玻璃窗). The service seemed long, and not accustomed to the rituals (仪式) of the Catholic Church, I felt out of place. Once the service had ended, I ________ to be taken home, but ________ we headed in the opposite direction. We were taken to a small ________ with the furnishings that portrayed a simple lifestyle. Two tables were set up with large boxes ________ puzzles. As she made us hot chocolate, we were ________ to begin working the puzzles. It was a quiet and happy time.

I came to ________ to Sundays, to hot chocolate, to puzzles that ________ where we had left off the week before, and to the love I felt whenever she smiled at me.

Once our 1,000-piece puzzles had been completed, she no longer came to ________ us up on Sundays. I was told she was ill and no longer able to travel. However, I ________ if perhaps it was time for her to “rescue” the next group of children. To give them hope that kindness still________ and can be found within those we call strangers.

I am forty-four years old now and often show ________ to strangers when given the chance. I know she may not move among us now, but I hope she smiles when she sees that her efforts to reach out to those less fortunate ________.

4 . With the development of science and technology, our life is changing rapidly. Have you ever thought about our future life? Do you wonder ________ our world will look like in the coming decades? For example, what the ________ will hold for the transactions (交易) we make, the food we eat and the transportation we use?

If yes, you may want to know what experts across many fields had to say about ________ upcoming innovations in science and technology.

In the years to ________, making payments with mobile devices will sweep the world. Many people in China, from small towns to big cities, have already experienced the ________ of paying without cash or cards, thanks to the apps.

In the US, however, mobile ________ haven’t gained the same popularity—not yet, anyway.

“In five years, people will not really be using cash in major metropolitan (大城市的) centers in the US,” a (n) ________ columnist (专栏作家) said. “QR code (二维码) technology is the future of mobile payments, as it’s ________ and efficient,” he added.

A convenient way to make payments is only one of the ________ that are coming to the world. Bringing sustainable, healthy and affordable food to ________ is also what science has to offer.

A US chef Dan Barber is working on a farm-to-table dining plan. By embracing new technology in ________, Barber has already created seven new breeds of vegetables that could mean better ________ and productivity (生产率).

The South African-born US restaurant owner Kimbal Musk also works with local farms and uses automation (自动化) to keep ________ down and improve efficiency. For example, he invented an oven that ________ cooks without much training to make dishes that only more ________ cooks would normally make.

New means of transportation could ________ to cost reduction, too. From electric or self-driving cars to personal flying machines and 3D printed spacecraft, technology is ________ the way we travel.

“Everything that flies will become 3D ________ or become automated, because this way you can use the strongest materials and the lightest weight structures,” Tim Ellis, CEO of US automation company Relativity Space, predicted.

There’s no way that any of us can know where our ________ will go. But one thing is certain: revolutionary (创新的) science and ________ will bring convenience and quality to everyone’s life, no matter where they lead us.

5 . About 15 years ago, Oliver Muenster er packed his suitcase and traveled from his home in Leipzig, Germany, to a town a few hours away for a job _________. He arrived the evening before, ready for the big day ahead.

The next morning, after taking a shower and starting to_________, to his horror, he’d forgotten to_________ a white dress shirt. _________ set in.

“I thought I had prepared _________ for everything. I had a tie, I had my suit, but somehow I had forgotten the shirt,” Muensterer recalled, still _________ at his mistake.

With just an hour to _________ before the interview was to start, Muensterer rushed to the hotel lobby(大厅) and approached the front desk. _________, he asked if the man behind the counter could _________ a nearby store where he could buy a new__________.

“I went to the guy and said, ‘I am really in a lot of   __________. I have this really important job interview in an hour, and somehow I forgot my dress shirt at home,’” Muensterer remembered. “He listened to my story. As soon as I finished explaining, the guy said, I have a(n) __________.’”

Without hesitation, the guy did something completely unexpected. He took off his own white dress shirt and __________ it to Muensterer.

“So I put it on and went to the interview. It wasn’t my dream job, so it didn’t __________ in the end, but after the interview, I came back and returned the shirt. He just __________ at me, Muensterer recounted(叙述) , that single gesture of   __________ from a stranger has stuck with him over the years, becoming a guiding principle in his life.

“Experiencing such kindness has __________ my gratitude for being part of this compassionate community. Ever since, my willingness to __________ with those in need has become a natural response. I always think back to that day when a complete stranger helped me out of trouble,” he reflected.

This experience has made Muensterer a more caring and giving person. The kindness of a stranger in a moment of need   __________   him to pay it forward,__________ a chain reaction of generosity that continues to influence his actions to this day.

6 . Only positive thinking is not enough to attain our goals. Our _________ act as beacons (灯塔) that tell us where we want to go, but we need some “negative” thinking to light up that _________ and to expose the obstacles we will face along the way.

In the 2008 summer Olympics, Michael Phelps was ready to _________ his own record for the 200-meter butterfly swimming race. After Phelps’s first turn, his goggles (游泳镜) _______ water and he couldn’t see. To stop and _________ his goggles would mean disqualification. _________ without his sight, how was he supposed to know exactly when to turn? This misfortune could cost Phelps _________ seconds each lap (圈). So, what did he do? Had he done anything to _________ him for this moment? Yes. Phelps had been practicing something he _________ for himself: negative visioning. During his training. Phelps had already imagined in __________ how he would respond in this moment of crisis. He already knew __________ how many strokes (划水) he would take before he reached the next wall. So, though unable to see, he __________ his strokes and made quick turns. And at last he won the gold medal.

In psychology, the __________ of balancing learned optimism with practical realism — or acting against the __________ thought with the “negative” one —is called “mental contrasting”. It __________ us to lower our strong expectations about a (n) __________ outcome. So we can make wiser __________ and maintain motivation while working toward our goals.

Mental contrasting can make sure we consider realistic obstacles when __________ our plan for the future. In this way, the obstacles in our way __________ us to think more critically and __________ become the means by which we achieve our goals in the first place.

7 . Nature was Chen Rui’s “childhood home”. The 37-year-old researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Zoology (中国科学院动物研究所) was not able to talk until he was 4 years old because of the way his brain processes sensory information.

This _______ him “strange” in some people’s minds. So, he didn’t have friends who were around his age. This led him to turn his _______ to nonhuman things around him. He became fascinated (着迷) by the world of _______ .

“The _______ time of my childhood was in the farm fields,” says Chen. “I squatted (蹲下) there, _______ the activities of insects, including ants building their homes, grasshoppers nibbling grass and dragonflies flying low. I had so many questions about their activities and was full of _______ about this world.”

These experiences _______ a seed in his heart. Decades later, he’s a scholar who has _______ life-science investigations in nearly 100 countries and regions on five continents. He has found around 100 new _______ , living and extinct, many of which are named ________ him.

“I was a child who was ‘cured’ by ________ ,” he says. “I wanted to grow up to ________ the power of nature with more young people and to popularize understanding of animals, including insects. I wanted to start classes to bring children to learn in the open air and ________ the gifts nature endows (赋予).” These aspirations (愿望) led him to recently ________ the popular-science book, Du Chong Ji (Reading About Insects).

It’s a continuation of a mission he began to act upon ________ a freshman in 2006, when he started a(n) ________ for people interested in insects at Nanjing Agricultural University. He often ________ for members to visit the Zijin Mountain in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, to ________ insects. His organization ________ had nearly 600 members.

After graduating in 2010, Chen was ________ to the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences to complete his doctorate in zoology. In 2016, he was recruited (录用) by the Institute of Zoology of the CAS.

8 . I stopped my grocery cart and took out the phone buzzing in my purse. It was Julia, my 19-year daughter, calling from the ___________. She told me she was very

She said she had worked very hard but still had zero ___________. She thought she should ___________ major. “You don’t have to ___________ that right away,” I said. “This isn’t the best place for a serious ___________ and I needed to ___________ what to say. I’ll call you back after I load the car.”

I remembered what had ___________ in the past. Julia was a toddler then and her brother was in preschool. Their father and I had gone to a friend’s house to watch a ____________. When there were only five minutes ____________, the Colts were 21 points down. I ____________ we head home immediately. “It is clearly over,” I said.

On my way to work the next morning, I learned that the competition had been ____________ over. After we   ____________, the Colts scored 21 points in only four minutes, tying the score and sending the game into overtime. They won by a field goal. We’d ____________ one of the best comebacks of all time.

The ____________ reminded me what I could say to Julia. I pressed the redial button as soon as I ____________ the car. “Don’t give up,” I said. “____________ doing your best, and you just might be ____________.”   ____________Julia got a B and passed her test later.

9 . As I grew up, I always had my mom by my side. We lived a very ________ life. I never looked at the other kids and ________ why I didn’t have a dad, or why I lived in an apartment instead of a big house. Most of what I ________ was our little Christmas tree in the living room and going to the park very often.

________, when I hit my teenage years, things started to change. I didn’t want to ________ with her as much. I ________ on friends and school. I ________ her out because I didn’t want her to tell me what to do.

At about 16, I ________ an eating disorder. And I felt sad and lost. Soon, I found the reason why I was ________ — I needed my mother. And she was there ________ my mean words, my silence, and my anger. She told me she was ________ there for me, reminding me to relax for a moment and think. I did. And I ________ when the world is sometimes cruel, she will be there for me all the time.

After that day, everything changed. I looked at how she ________ me on her own as a single mom. I looked at the sacrifices and ________ of sleep she endured for me. She got herself through college without ________ by making money by herself, and is now ________ with her own apartment and ________. I honestly could not be more grateful for such a(n) ________ mom. Now, as a 17-year-old ready to leave for college, it’s my turn to ________ her. I thought the least I could do was to get her to go on some dates. I ________ her in every way, and she does the same.

10 . My daughter went in to a big public school from a small homely pre-school last year. I acted happy for her but inside I was _________. My daughter did not _________ anyone at her new school and I wondered how she would get on with making friends.

The first few weeks were _________ for her. She would often come home and tell me that she _________ walked around by herself during recess (课间休息) and most of the kids didn’t _________ to play with her.

I wanted to _________ this problem. I’d been the one helping her through so many moments, _________ this one was more difficult. I couldn’t be there holding her hand and _________ her to other little kids. _________, after a few weeks, she slowly started to make friends.

This year my daughter went to school as a confident Year Two. She was __________ no matter how her class changed, she would be OK. What __________ me was her experience in Year One would influence her in a positive way.

“I __________ some Year One kids today,” she told me recently. “It was their first day and some of them looked __________ so I thought I should go play with them. I __________ what it was like walking around not knowing any one.” “And maybe,” she continued.“ If I do this for them, they will do this for the __________ Year One kids next year and no one will feel they are not __________.”

My heart was full of __________. I realized it was probably a __________ thing that I wasn’t there to hold my daughter’s hand anymore.

Starting a new school is a time of great __________ — not only for children but for us parents too. One __________ for parents is learning to let go, little by little.