1 . We were sitting in the doctor’s waiting room when my father said something that _________ me. “Are you my daughter or my sister? ” My heart broke as I stared at him.

The doctor told us my father had Alzheimers (阿尔茨海默病). It was a big _________ for me. I was facing a battle on two fronts, emotional and physical, and I was _________ for it. The disease didn’t snatch him away suddenly. Instead, it slowly _________ him. It made me sad to watch my father hide his _________ to read the clock.

As the disease continued to progress, his behaviors became _________ . We had to face another painful truth — we could no longer provide my father with the level of _________ to keep him safe at home. He _________ to move to a skilled nursing facility.

Babies are born helpless; parents keep on _________ . Children grow up and learn that relationships are reciprocal (相互的). However, the parent-child relationship isn’t __________ . The parents remain the giver, and the children remain the taker. That is the natural order of the world — __________ the child becomes the parents caregiver.

When a(n) __________ appears, we can do something to change the fact. __________ , my father is alive and taken good care of in the nursing home. If he can __________ the illness, then I can make it. I will give him everything he deserves to have as a great father. And we will be awarded a(n) __________ future by doing our best.

5 . March is my mother’s birthday month. This year she would have turned a hundred and ten. She lived through two world wars and the Great Depression, which she spoke of with pain and sorrow.

Like so many, her family lost all their money when the economy collapsed. My mother, then in her first year of college, had to give up the education for she so desperately wanted to help support her mother, an immigrant with few survival skills. As a smart and fearless woman, my mother eventually enrolled in secretarial school and became the private secretary to a bank president. Later, she got a job as a lab technician at a local hospital.

I wonder where she turned for support and comfort, and what belief she had. My mother didn’t have the opportunity to take advantage of modern psychology or mental practices. I want to ask her what her anchors（支柱）were when she was overcome with difficult emotions. I absolutely believe that she would say, “I only focused on my job.” These would have been her anchors. She believed “heaven blesses the hardworking”, which is undoubtedly true and surely a tried-and-true method that many of us use when we feel bad.

It strikes me that this may be a very good time to take a minute to sit down to think about some questions. What is the anchor in your life? Of course, different people have different anchors. When you feel frightened, anxious or frustrated you should work hard, which can help you forget your troubles. Focusing on your job and working hard are much better than doing nothing but mourning your misfortunes in hard times.

Facing the chaos and sufferings in work and life, I get really frustrated and puzzled now and then. My mother’s lessons are my lessons. As her daughter, I’ll take advantage of her methods to overcome the difficulties I meet.

6 . When Stephanie, my best friend, told me she wanted to run a marathon, I ________ to talk her out of it. “You hate running and the training is ________.” I argued.

I couldn't change her mind, so 1 told her she should at least do it ________: choose a right race and I'd run with her. Finally, we chose the Honolulu Marathon, one of the ten ________ marathons in the world with ________ 22,000 finishers each year. But more importantly, 35 percent of them are first timers. The race seemed perfect for ________ runners like Stephanie.

Although I had run many races, I was surprised by the ________ I felt in this one. Being in charge of your own race is one thing. Being the ________ of someone else is another. It was my job to encourage her when she wanted to ________ . I felt strongly that her ________ of running across the finish line was in my hand.

That day ________ to be hot and sunny. After running for hours, Stephanie was showing ________ of heat exhaustion (中暑). I told her to ________ until I was sure it was safe for her to keep running again. Soon, the finish line was ________ and as we crossed the line, we hugged, and tears flowed. I knew why Stephanie was crying. It's amazing when you complete something you never thought ________.

9 . When I was growing up in Dallas, there was only one activity that could get me, my mom and dad, and my three siblings (兄弟姐妹) to stop going in six different directions and all pay attention to the same thing. It wasn’t celebrating holidays. It wasn’t watching Dallas Cowboys games. It was any time one of the kids had to do a science experiment for school.

Both my parents worked for NASA. I remember when my little sister tried to grow jars of mold (霉菌) in her room, my mom liked to check her progress every day. Another time, we were packed into the car in the middle of the night to watch the Apollo launches at a family friend^ house. Sure, my parents had worked on the project, but this was something our family did because we believed in exploration, whether we were exploring the surface of the moon or a jars of mold.

When I became a mom, I realized that I didn't have a carefully thought-out plan for every situation that arose. But I tried to carry on the tradition of science experiments at home. We had a habit of “Science Saturdays” for a long time. And as the kids are growing up, I am so proud of the way they look at the world, as a series of wonders to discover.

I think all children are naturally curious. But I’m not sure they all have the confidence to ask and answer hard questions. Many children worry that they aren’t creative or smart enough. That’s part of what great parents can do: help young people overcome self-doubt, awaken their curiosity, and encourage them to do whatever is in their heart.

10 . My 65-year-old grandpa was diagnosed with liver cancer last year. He was always positive in our_________,but I know a regret_________in his heart.

My grandpa moved from his birthplace of Chicago to Boston when he was a child. 60 years passing by, the _________memories of his childhood still called him back to his hometown, so he and my father prepared to head for Chicago._________,he fainted at home and was sent to hospital just two days before.

The doctor said his_________started to get worse off. Worried and_________, we could do nothing but wait. But one day, an idea_________in my mind: we can make our home a small_________of Chicago. The family all agreed and committed themselves to various_________.

With my grandpa’s birthday__________,we finished our preparations. That morning, I stepped into his ward and came over, whispering in his ear: “Let’s go home for your birthday.”

When we reached home, his eyes__________. Ahead of him, the house looked like Chicago, which was decorated with huge pictures of famous sites in Chicago__________to the walls. My aunt showed my grandpa around, and then my grandpa, deeply amused, pointed out a__________: “I didn’t have this awesome TV at that time!” Everyone burst into laughter.

Two months later, my grandpa passed away__________. Through the meaningful and kind act, I began to understand the__________of helping people achieve their deepest wish.