2 . Brad Ryan had been feeling burnt out from veterinary (兽医的) school when he visited his 85-year-old grandma back in 2020.He hoped that spending some quality (有品质的) family time in his hometown would help to_________his spirits.

As he was telling his grandma some_________of his travels, he was_________to hear her confess (承认) that she had never seen the sea or mountains. Ryan then asked his grandmother if she would like to_________the Smoky Mountains with him. Needless to say, she was more than_________to go with him. Then Ryan made a plan and they set out on their_________.

Over the_________of the last three and a half years, Ryan says that he and his grandma have_________driven 25,000 miles through 38 states, and it has_________his quality of living.

“Seeing it through my grandmother’s eyes who every morning wakes up and is thankful to be alive, has taught me how to__________,” Ryan said. “With her, I’ve had to__________and see my life in a different way which has made it much__________.”

Ryan, who has been sharing all of their adventures online hopes that their social media presence will__________other youngsters to spend more time with their elders. “I want people who are still__________to know, it is cool to hang out with your grandparents,” Ryan said. “There’s so much__________and knowledge we can get from our elders.”

Yours,

Li Hua

Yours,

Li Hua

5 . By any standard, Dr. Seuss’ Oh, The Places You ‘ll Go! is a great book. And Martin is hardly the first parent to buy the book for his graduating high-school. But Martin did something special—he added to the book’s pages 13 years’ worth of hand-written teachers’ comments and impressions about his daughter, Brenna.

When Martin first told Brenna, 18, that he had a present for her, Brenna thought she was getting some graduation card. But then she opened the book and realized that it was filled with personal memories. “Every year, for the past 13 years, since the day you started kindergarten (幼儿园)I’ve gotten every teacher to write something about you inside this book,” he told her. Brenna’s eyes were filled with hot tears.

She described her happiness at her graduation gift online, “He managed to keep this book a secret for 13 years, and surely everyone else in my life knew about it! I was moved to tears. Sitting there reading through this book there are encouraging and sweet words from every teacher I love and remember through my years in this small town. My early teachers mention my ‘laughs’ while my high school teachers mention my ‘smart’. But they all mention my humor and love for life. It is astounding to receive something this touching and thoughtful. I can’t express how much I love my Dad for this labor of love”.

Millions of people have checked out Brenna’s Internet message on her father’s gift, which has been considered “unbelievable” and the “best graduation gift ever”. It sure beats a bunch of roses.

Gratitude to My Parents

7 . Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out of the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went.

He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, a crocodile was swimming toward him. His mother in the house was looking out of the window and saw the two. In great fear, she ran toward the water, shouting to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother．It was too late. Just as he reached her, the crocodile reached him. From the shore, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the crocodile snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The crocodile was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard their screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the crocodile.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother’s finger nails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.

The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, “But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Mom wouldn’t let go.”

Never judge another person’s scars, because you don’t know how they were made.

8 . On Nov. 29, 2011, my little sister Lily was born. The whole family welcomed her arrival with open arms. We were excited to have a new _________ to our family.

As she grew, her _________ became obvious. We _________ she would seem to be distant at times and was unable to _________ with others. The smallest things would keep her entertained for long periods, and she would _________ the same routine happily throughout the day. At the age of three, Lily was taken to the hospital by my parents. We were told that she was a child with autism(自闭症), and she would have _________ in communicating and forming relationships with others.

My family were heartbroken to learn that our loved one would probably be unable to live a _________ life. Unaware of what exactly this would bring, we made a decision to consider autism a _________. The diagnosis(诊断) brought our family closer, and we realized a deeper _________ for one another.

Raising a child with a developmental disability is a(n) __________ experience. Lessons are always drawn from mistakes, which always happens in daily life. However, through it all, our family is always there watching over her, __________ a comfortable and safe environment for her at all times. And Lily knows that she has a loving and supportive family who can be __________ and her biggest cheerleaders when __________ is achieved.

For those normal people, my story might make you more __________ what is really important in life. As for me, autism has actually been a combination of strength, courage and hope. It should not be viewed as a burden, but rather as a present to the families fortunate enough to __________ a different lifestyle.