1 . At 20 years old, I was a confident and handsome student at the University of California at Berkey.

But that year, I ________ a bump (肿块) in my right nostril (鼻孔), and when it didn’t go away, I made an ________ with a doctor. It turned out to be a tumor (肿瘤). Then I underwent surgery. Fortunately, the procedure was ________, and I returned to classes soon.

But six months later, a new bump appeared. Numerous ________ confirmed it had reproduced a horrible, life—threatening tumor. I was advised to have another operation and ________ that I might lose part of my nose. I was too young to think about death then, but the thought of disfigurement (毁容) made me feel ________.

I awoke from the surgery with a scarred, disfigured face. As I re-entered the real world, I noticed adults ________ and children pointing—and sometimes laughing—at me. The occasional and ________ negative reactions from my friends also hurt me. My self-respect sank increasingly lower, and I constantly asked others, “Do my looks ________ you?”

Five years and 20 reconstructive surgeries later, I ________ a man receiving treatment. After hearing my question, he criticized me. My problem, he ________ me, was not my physical appearance, but my emotional insecurity. His ________ helped me realize my mental scars were far more disfiguring than my physical ones.

I began examining myself from the inside out. Later, I volunteered at a cancer support organization to offer inspiration and hope to those ________ cancer

Now, I am ________ for who I am—a much stronger person than before. To you, I offer this message: Avoid making judgements about people at ________.

2 . I had been a shy and quiet person; whenever I had to do public speaking, I would get _________, tremble (发抖), and turn red. I spent so much time fearing the judgement of others that I _________ opportunities like school plays and performances. Then I _________ a competition called Poetry Out Loud, which is a national high school-level competition where students compete by _________ “poetry out loud”. I had terrible stage _________, but I figured it was time to face my fears.

Little did I know, I'd actually been given a mentor ( 指导老师) to help me prepare for the _________. Honestly, without him I wouldn't be the person I'm today. I remember meeting him for the first time and being so _________ that when I had to practice reciting one of the poems, I was as quiet as a mouse, eyes _________ to the floor. My mentor softly _________ me to be a little louder, look a little higher. Slowly but surely, I got better at making eye contact and __________ my voice.

On the big day, when it was my turn, I took a deep breath and began to recite. With each word, I grew more and more __________. It was such a(n) __________ feeling; it felt like I was freeing myself from the chains of fear and __________.

Since then, I've also written a ton of poetry, and some pieces have been published already! Being __________ poetry has been a(n) __________ journey that has helped me grow as both a poet and a person.