2 . Tyra Muhammad, a 46-year-old mother of five, ________ from Grambling State University nearly 30 years after she started her undergraduate studies.

“I originally thought I was too old to be back on ________, but my kids encouraged me and were there for me,” Muhammad said.

Muhammad first ________ Grambling State University in 1994. She ________ her husband there and the two married before long. The couple soon started their family and Muhammad ________ her college career later.

Then in 2018, with her youngest child now a teenager, she was ________ to go back to college. She was ________ into Grambling State University again, where three of her children were already admitted. “I always dreamed of my degree and also wanted to set a (n) ________ to my children in terms of the importance of   ________,” Muhammad said.

Muhammad’s son Elijah, 22, said he and his brothers enjoyed the rare opportunity to ________ college with their mom. “It was fun for me,” said Elijah. “Every parent is ________ about what their child is doing on campus and she got to see what I was doing.”

Muhammad said she hopes her story shows other people that any ________ is possible, even though it takes ________ 30 years to achieve. “Perseverance （毅力） is so important, _______ it’s not going back to school,”she said.“If you have a ________ to achieve, just do it.”

3 . Recently, as I watched my son Nathan play basketball for his school team, I was feeling sorry for myself and for him. His team was facing adversity on the court, falling behind for three quarters of the game. As for me, I had just lost my job.

As I watched what my son was experiencing, I recalled the events earlier in the day—packing up everything in a box and saying goodbye to my colleagues. During the drive home, I kept telling myself that I would find work again—I was confident in my experience and abilities, but self-doubt was still sticking its foot in the door.

The game entered the fourth quarter with Nathan’s team still trailing (落后的). I saw the determination on his back to not only tie the game, but then go ahead by three points. Then, a player from the other team made an unbelievable shot to tie the game up again. With a tie game and seconds on the clock, Nathan found himself with the ball, and with skill and confidence, he made the basket with a defender hanging all over him. The other player was called for a foul (犯规).

As Nathan stood preparing for a shot that would put his team up by three points, I saw the focus and determination on his face, with no room for self-doubt. After he made the free throw, his team managed to stop the other team from scoring, winning the game and moving on to the finals (决赛).

As I sat there, my heart bursting with pride, it dawned on me. I had taught him perseverance (毅力) in the face of adversity, and he had just taught me the same lesson. That short moment of self-doubt and feeling sorry for myself was blown away by the actions of my son on the basketball court. He will play in the finals, but it doesn’t matter if he wins or loses. At this moment, we both won.

10 . Considering Grandma Joy was 85, Brad knew it was impractical. In order to ask her for ______, Brad knew he felt it ______, but he ______ called his grandmother. To get to the park, they would have to drive 500 miles through the night and it would be the first time in her life she’d ______ and slept outdoors.

In the long silence that followed, Brad expected, for all the right reasons, that it just wasn’t ______. But the old lady ______ him by asking, “When do we leave?”

They arrived at the campground at around 1:30 am in the middle of a rainstorm. Brad tried to set up the ______. Finally they climbed inside ______. It reminded him that when he was young, his grandmother did everything hard with him together.

The skies ______ the next day, and they set off. When they crossed a ravine (溪谷), he would held her hand to avoid ______ on the wet path. She moved carefully with the ______ of an 85-year-old woman. They walked slowly. When some people passed her, Brad asked if she wanted to turn back.

“I won’t give up even if it is ______ for me,” she told Brad. When they finally ______ the top, the hikers gave her a big round of applause. That night Brad made a campfire. He and his grandmother sat next to each other, feeling the warmth and looking at stars. Brad and Grandma Joy opened the box of their ______. They talked about families, about loss, pain and regret and about what had happened.

“Here I had the ______ to communicate with my grandson,” she said. “I thanked him. I had tears in my eyes. But they were good tears.”