1 . When I was three, I had a very good friend named Gemma. She was fearless where I was anxious, rebellious where I was conservative, and _________ where I was awkward. She was also entirely imaginary. With Gemma’s support, I almost made it to the top shelf of the bookcase before my parents found me — and “Gemma said it was fine!” did not _________ me from a telling-off (责骂).

I cannot remember when or how I “met” Gemma, and, perhaps sadder still, I do not remember the _________ time I “saw” her. _________ my brain created her, she inspired me to go on adventures I would not have had the confidence to embark upon without her. It _________ me, then, that 72 percent of nursery workers believe children have fewer imaginary friends than they did five years ago, as is shown by a recent survey. This is believed to be a result of _________ screen time.

It is thought that 40 percent of us at one time or another had imaginary friends during our _________. In an essay for Aeon, writer Sophie Elmhirst found that 81 percent of those surveyed had “lost” their imaginary friends after they turned ten, but most of these friendships ended _________. Perhaps imaginary friends simply stay with us for as long as we need them. They move on when our lives become too _________ for our brains to make space to generate their own entertainment.

If you have enjoyed an imaginary friendship, I would guess that you did not __________ sit down to create a perfect pal. They probably arrived as an indication of the thoughts and ideas you never knew you had. In order to be a good __________ to an imaginary friend, you need to be able to make “what if?” into an exciting proposition. When we grow up, we are too quick to finish the sentence with “what if it goes wrong?”

Having grown up, we might not need our imaginary friends anymore, but we could still use a reminder that a little bit of boredom is good for us, and that our brains can create the best ideas when they are left to their own devices. If there are fewer imaginary friends __________ the worlds where our children live, that might lead to a future with fewer artists, writers and problem-solvers. This is a real cause for __________.

As an adult, I think of my fearless, invisible friend Gemma whenever I have to do something that __________ me — usually public speaking, rather than scaling a bookcase. However, whenever I __________ my own expectations and meet myself in a place that I did not think I could quite reach, I can hear my subconscious whispering, “Gemma made me do it.”

3 . Some children are natural-born bosses. They have a strong need to make _________, manage their environment, and lead rather than _________. Stephen Jackson, a Year One student, “operates under the theory of what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is mine,” says his mother. “The other day I bought two new Star Wars Lightsabers (光剑). Later, I saw Stephen with the two _________ ones while his brother was using the old ones.”

“_________ the extended family, and you’ll probably find a bossy grandparent, aunt, uncle or cousin in every _________. It’s an inheritable trait (遗传的特征),” says Russell Barkley, a professor at the Medical University of South Carolina. Other children who may not be particularly bossy can gradually gain dominance when they _________ their parents are weak, hesitant, or in disagreement with each other.

Whether it’s inborn nature or developed _________ at work, too much control in the hands of the young isn’t _________ for children or the family. Fear is at the root of a lot of bossy behaviour, says family psychologist John Taylor. Children, he says in his book From Defiance to Cooperation, “have secret feelings of weakness” and “a desire to feel safe.” It’s the parents’ role to provide that _________.

When a “bossy child” doesn’t learn limits at home, he is to face lots of troubles __________ the family. The overly willful and unbending (倔强的) child may have trouble __________ teachers and coaches, for example, or trouble keeping friends. It can be pretty __________ as the top dog because no one likes your bossy ways.

“I see more and more parents giving up their __________,” says Barkley, who has studied bossy behaviour for more than 30 years. “They bend too far because they don’t want to be as __________ as their own parents were. But they also feel less __________ about their own parenting skills. Their kids, in turn, feel more anxious.

4 . A screen door (纱门) allows for an open view while at the same time affording a degree of privacy. _________, communication between parents and their child away at college should have openness in expressing viewpoints but, at the same time, it should demonstrate a respect for privacy. Staying in touch with each other is important because without _________, there is no connection and worry can take over. All involved should try to be _________ in listening to, understanding and dealing with special concerns or needs that arise whether they be from the student, parents or friends.

For the happy student adjusting well at school, calls to home can be infrequent. This is not necessarily a cause for parents to worry. While parents are naturally _________ about what their child is up to, the majority of students are busy getting _________ to their new home, making new friends and _________ to new schedules and activities. The fact is that without any ill intention on purpose, they can spend little time thinking about home and they may not appreciate the degree of their parents’ _________ curiosity.

For the student who is not adjusting well at school, calls to home will probably be made more _________. This circumstance can bring a _________ period for both parent and child. For the parents at home, it can be terribly __________ to sense their child is unhappy. It is difficult to judge how we should react to this challenge: as __________, we want to bring our children home to the safety of our nest; in our parent-teacher role, we want to __________ the ties and allow our child the opportunity to make it on his/her own.

For the student away at school, unhappiness can be lonely and frightening and in some cases, it can lead to depression and illness. There is a sense of __________ for some homesick students who fear that Mom and Dad will __________ their inability to cope with the new environment. This is especially true when the homesick one sees classmates adjusting somewhat effortlessly. No matter what the circumstances are that have created __________, communication between parent and child must remain open, honest and in balance.

5 . On March 11, 2021, World Kidney (肾脏) Day, the actress Raisa wrote on Twitter: “I’ve kept my kidney donation process pretty private. However, I think I’ve got to a point where I feel comfortable in speaking about my experience...” Showing her ________, the singer Gomez responded, writing: “Thank you for blessing me.”

In 2015, Gomez was diagnosed with a terrible disease and soon she became seriously ill. She even had to deal with the mental health problems ________ from her battle with the disease.

Although she was then living with Raisa, Gomez did not tell her long-time friend about the ________ of her health troubles. “I hadn’t asked anything. I knew that she hadn’t been feeling well,” Raisa recalled in an interview. “She couldn’t open a water bottle one day. She then started crying, and I asked, ‘What’s wrong?’” That’s when Gomez revealed that she needed a kidney transplant (移植), but that the waiting list was ________ long. Deeply ________ about her friend’s condition, Raisa decided that she would get tested to see if she could be a ________ for her. Gomez immediately refused, not wanting to make Raisa put her entire career and life ________ for her, but the actress insisted, and amazingly turned ________ to be a match indeed.

With physical and psychological evaluations (评估) taking place over the ________ of a single day rather than the usual six months, Gomez and Raisa began their ________ journey. The surgery was ________ successful. It wasn’t long, however, before Gomez’s new kidney began to turn around inside her body, which then resulted in a second surgery, ________ by a lengthy process of recovery. Gomez, now back to normal, is certain that she ________ her life to Raisa, a true friend indeed.

Both Gomez and Raisa said it was their ________ that guided them through their emotional journey. The pair also hope that sharing their story can have a positive impact on others. “I don’t think what we went through was ________. I just hope this inspires people to believe that there’re really good people in the world,” said Gomez.

6 . For most people, the longest relationship they will have is with their sibling（兄弟姐妹）. It’s a shame, then, that we can’t choose them. As children, my younger sister and I were always _________with each other. I was jealous of her looks and she felt threatened by my academic success. But our rivalry（竞争）was _________compared to that of some famous siblings.

Take 1940s movie stars Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine. The competitive relationship between these sisters is the stuff of Hollywood legend. “I married first, won the Oscar before Olivia did. And if I die first, she will ___________be angry because I beat her to it,” Joan wrote in her autobiography. Their rivalry became very _________in 1946 when Olivia won an Oscar. Joan was asked to present the award but Olivia refused to even shake her hand. “They just don’t have much in common,”, commented on person at the time.

But it’s not just in _________business where siblings fall out. Entrepreneurs Rudolf and Adolf Dassler started making sports shoes in the small German town of Herzogenaurach in the 1920s. Their factory south of the river became very successful but they were always very _________. Adolf, or Adi, was a quiet craftsman while Rudolf was “a loud-mouthed salesman”. _______in 1948, the brothers fell out permanently. Rudolf moved across the river and set up a rival sports-shoe company, which he called Puma. _________, Adi used the first letters of his name and surname to create his brand—Adidas.

The brothers never spoke to each other again and their rivalry _______the town. The residents wore either Adidas or Puma and would sometimes refuse to __________each other. It became a place where you always looked at the ____________someone was wearing before starting a conversation. The brothers died in the 1970s and were buried in the same cemetery—at opposite ends.

But not all successful siblings ________each other. Top tennis players Serena and Venus Williams have played each other in over 20 major tennis tournament finals, but have always remained the best friends. They played doubles together, lived together, and even had breakfast before these big matches.’ We leave everything on the ________.’ Serena once said. ‘We’re sisters the moment we shake hands at the net.’

So, now that we are adults, have my sister and i learnt to be more like the William sisters and less like the Gallaghers? Well, I’d love to say “Yes” but the __________answer is “not always”. I still hate seeing photos of us together because I still feel inferior to her. But our rivalry is not as bad as it used to be, and if I feel really jealous, I remind myself: __________fades but a sister is for life!

7 . Another person’s enthusiasm was what set me moving toward the success I have achieved. That person was my stepmother.

I was nine years old when she entered our home in rural Virginia. My father introduced me to her with these words: “I would like you to meet the fellow who is _______ for being the worst boy in this county and will probably start throwing rocks at you no _______ than tomorrow morning.”

My stepmother walked over to me, _______ my head slightly upward, and looked at me right in the eye. Then she looked at my father and replied, “You are wrong. This is not the worst boy at all, but the smartest one who hasn’t yet found an _______ for his enthusiasm.”

That _______ began a friendship between us. No one had ever called me smart. My family and neighbors had built me up in my _______ as a bad boy. My stepmother changed all that.

She changed many things. She _______ my father to go to a dental school, from which he graduated with honors. She moved our family into the county seat, where my father’s career could be more _______ and my brother and I could be better _______.

When I turned fourteen, she bought me a secondhand ________ and told me that she believed that I could become a writer. I knew her enthusiasm, I ________ it, and I saw how it had already improved our lives. I accepted her ________ and began to write for local newspapers. I was doing the same kind of writing that great day I went to interview Andrew Carnegie and received the task which became my life’s work later. I wasn’t the only beneficiary (受益者). My father became the ________ man in town. My brother and stepbrothers became a physician, a dentist, a lawyer, and a college president.

What power enthusiasm has! When that power is released to support the certainty of one’s purpose and is ________ strengthened by faith, it becomes an irresistible force which poverty and temporary defeat can never ________.

You can communicate that power to anyone who needs it. This is probably the greatest work you can do with your enthusiasm.

9 . You can actually catch a good mood or a bad mood from your friends, according to a recent study in the journal Royal Society Open Science.But that shouldn't stop you from____with pals who are down in the dumps,say the study authors:____,the effect isn't large enough to push you into depression.

The new study adds to a growing body of research suggesting that happiness and sadness-as well as lifestyle and behavioral factors like smoking,drinking,obesity,fitness habits and even the ability to concentrate-can____across social networks, both online and in real life.But while many____studies have only looked at friendship data at one point in time, this is one of the few that measured social and mood changes over time.

The new research involved groups of junior-high and high-school students who took part in___ screenings(筛查） and answered questions about their best friends, many of whom were also enrolled in the study. In total,2,194 students were included in the____,which used a mathematical model to look for connections among friend networks.

Overall,kids whose friends suffered from bad moods were more____to report bad moods themselves- and they were less likely to have improved when they were screened again six months to a year later. When people had more happy friends,____,their moods were more likely to improve over time.

Some symptoms related to depression-like helplessness,tiredness and loss of interest-also seemed to follow this____,which scientists call “social contagion.”But this isn't something that people need to ___,says lead author Robert Eyre,a doctoral student at the University of Warwick. Rather, it's likely just a “____empathetic response that we're all familiar with, and something we recognize by common sense,"he says. In other words,when a friend is going through a rough patch, it makes sense that you'll feel some of their ___,and it's certainly not a reason to stay away.

The study also found that having friends who were clinically depressed did not __     participants' risk of becoming depressed themselves. “Your friends do not put you at risk of illness," says Eyre,"so a good course of action is simply to____them."To boost both of your moods, he suggests doing things together that you both ___-and taking other friends along to further spread those good feelings,too.”

10 . The scars of love

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 ____ water, he ran out of the back door, ____ behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went.

He flew into the water, not realizing that as he ____ toward the middle of the lake, a crocodile was swimming toward him. His mother in the house was ___ the window and saw the two. In great ____, she ran toward the water, shouting to her son as ___ as she could. Hearing her loud voice, the little boy became ____ 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 ____, 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 ____ 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 ____ the crocodile.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the ____ of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother’s fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to ____ 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 ____ my Mom wouldn’t let go.’

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from a crocodile, or anything quite so ____. But, the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to ____. In the midst of your struggle, he’s been there holding on to you.