2 . Cheerleader tryouts were just around the corner. The idea of being on the team had _________ me for years. But the thought of being _________ for being a boy cheerleader was frightening.

The first tryout day finally came. I got a cheerleader tryout clearance(许可) form, but the thought of not trying made me increasingly _________. This nervousness finally led to _________. As soon as school was over, I jumped on the _________ heading home.

About five minutes on the bus a _________ called my name and asked, “why aren’t you at cheerleader tryouts?” I said, “Oh, I go _________ and left. Maybe I’ll go back tomorrow. I have a lot of homework tonight.” My friend knew it was just a (n) _________ and could clearly tell my nerves had got the best of me. She said, “You have to go back, or you’ll _________ it!” Before I could say anything, she had pushed the “Stop Request” button (按钮). The bus __________ and I got off.

My anxiety-ridden legs brought me back to school in a __________ , because now I was late. Once I got to the outside of the gym doors, I __________ for a second, took a deep breath and walked in.

As the varsity captain (校队队长) for this upcoming fall, it is almost impossible to imagine my life without __________. I’ve had so many doors open for me because of it, and met so many wonderful people through it. I’m so __________ for the friend making me realize that following my __________ is the best thing I can do.

Two things changed my life: my mother and a white plastic bike basket. I have thought long and hard about it and it’s true. I would be a different person if my mom hadn’t turned a silly bicycle accessory(配件) into a life lesson I carry with me today.

We had to earn our allowance by doing chores around the house. I can still remember how long it took to polish the legs of our coffee table. My brothers can no doubt remember hours spent cleaning the house. Like the two little girls growing up at the White House, we made our own beds (no one left the house until that was done) and picked up after ourselves. We had to keep track of our belongings, and if something was lost, it was not replaced.

It was summer and, one day, my mother drove me to the bike shop to get a tire fixed — and there it was in the window. White, shiny, plastic and decorated with flowers, the basket winked at me and I knew — I knew — I had to have it.

“It’s beautiful,” my mother said when I pointed it out to her. “What a neat basket.”

I tried to hold off at first. I played it cool for a short while. But then I guess I couldn’t stand it any longer: “Mom, please can I please, please get it? I’ll do extra chores for as long as you say. I’ll do anything, but I need that basket. I love that basket. Please, Mom. Please?”

I was desperate.

“You know,” she said, gently rubbing my back while we both stared at what I believed was the coolest thing ever, “If you save up you could buy this yourself.”

“By the time I make enough it’ll be gone!”

“Maybe Roger here could hold it for you,” she smiled at Roger, the bike guy.

“He can’t hold it for that long, Mom. Someone else will buy it. Please, Mom, please?”

“There might be another way,” she said.

And so our paying plan unfolded.

A few days later, A neighborhood girl appeared with the exact same basket.

4 . Those who have children will know that it’s incredibly important to celebrate their children’s birthdays -especially when they’re younger. However, this year children have to experience a birthday in lockdown. Elizabeth Guthrie’s parents were ______ about the fact that her third birthday was coming up pretty fast, but any party planning had to be toned down due to lockdown measures and social distancing ______ . They tried hard to work out a way to celebrate her birthday ______ , and then they came up with the perfect ______.

Like many people across the globe, Elizabeth loves dogs, so her parents wanted to do something that would ______ the youngster to celebrate her birthday with some four-legged friends in tow(牵着). They ______ a sign in their backyard asking for dog ______ in the area to take their dogs on a walk at a ______ time on Elizabeth’s birthday, and they hoped that their neighbors would ______ them to celebrate.

In the end, the whole community ______ together to wish Elizabeth a happy birthday with their pups in tow. Many of them walked by her house. others drove by, and there were ______ some who made their own banners to celebrate Elizabeth’s ______ day. She loved every second of it, and there was no ______ about the fact that it was a birthday to ______ .

Isn’t it ______ to see so many people working together for such a great cause?

5 . A few years ago, I moved to Aurora, Ontario. I was a radio broadcaster, but I didn’t have the company of colleagues. That was because I worked not in the office, but at home, and I owed it to the power of technology. Shortly after the move, I found myself feeling lonelier than ever before, I was desperate to make a friend.

Then I saw her. From the window of my flat, I caught sight of a beautiful and tall girl taking her recyclables and walking confidently, and I was attracted. I thought, “I recycle too! We have something in common!”

The question was how we would meet, “Should I knock on her door and say’hi’, or what if I just happened to be running by?” But after jogging a few times around the block, I still didn’t see her. Finally, I decided to seize on the one thing I already knew about her----recycling.

The following Tuesday, I got up a bit earlier. Around 8 am, she turned up again, with the same confidence. “Just act naturally”, I said to myself. Then I walked outside, grasping a trash can fast. “Nice to meet you, I’m Megan,” I said, trying to hold nervousness back and appear calm. “Good morning. Michelle,” she replied.

Wearing a big smile, I walked back inside. After our “chance” recycling meetups continued for a few weeks, I gathered my courage to invite her to my home. Then at my home we settled down, sharing stories about our own life.We also found more similarities between us-two young women: putting ourselves out for what we’ve been looking for--a new friend to fall in love with.

6 . I was never very neat, while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but mine always hid somewhere. She even labeled (贴标签) everything. I always looked for everything. Over time, Kate got neater and I got messier. She would push my dirty clothing over, and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other.

War broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her screaming, “Take your shoes away! Why under my bed!” Deafened, I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.

The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation, I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up, she quickly crawled (爬) under her covers, sobbing. Obviously, that was something she should not go through alone. All of a sudden, a warm feeling of sympathy rose up in my heart.

Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bed, cleaned the socks and swept the floor, even on her side. I got so into my work that I even didn’t notice Kate had sat up. She was watching, her tears dried and her expression one of disbelief. Then, she reached out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me, “M Thanks.”

Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn’t always agree, but we learned the key to living together: giving in, cleaning up and holding on.

8 . In my childhood, my mother spent her evening hours doing something for someone else. Sometimes she knitted (编织) hats for babies, and at other times, she cooked chicken soup for sick neighbors. Therefore, I wasn’t surprised when one evening my mother announced she had undertaken a new project.

“I am going to telephone seniors,” said my mother. “Every night? But you don’t even know these people.” “It doesn’t matter,” she said. “What’s important is that I listen.” I was sixteen years old and couldn’t understand why my mother was willing to spend her evenings talking to strangers. She had friends and my two older sisters to call if she felt lonely. “They will talk your ear off. Some people didn’t even stop to catch breath,” I said.

My attitude didn’t stop my mother’s enthusiasm for the project. That evening, she settled on the sofa and dialed. For a while, I listened as she asked the woman on the other line about her day and what she had eaten for dinner. When she finished the call, I said, “Why do you care whether she had cookies or rice pudding for dessert?” My mother grasped one of my hands and gave it a slight squeeze. “I’m the only person she talked to today.”

It took me more than thirty years to fully understand the meaning of that statement. Now, as my mother is nearing eighty, I find myself thinking about those nightly calls she used to make. I am often the only person who telephones my mother, and sometimes I’m the only person she speaks to all day. I ask her what she cooked for dinner, but mostly I just listen as she describes a walk she took, or how her dog Lucky stole foods from the refrigerator. I realize that my mother’s calls were life lines that ensured housebound seniors remained connected to the world. Without her, their world would have been empty.