1 . Five years ago, I got an email from a well-known professor in my field in March. He invited me to________ for a position in his lab. Things went well and all I needed to do was finish up my thesis (毕业论文) and I decided to ________ it in the following months.

One night, my mother came up to my room, asking softly, “Have you ________ your thesis yet?” “Not yet, Mom,” I ________ , even too busy to look up at her. Then she mentioned that she had some ________ symptoms (症状) in her body that had never been seen before. She wanted to say something more, but my academic (学业的)________ made me hardly take her words to heart.

However, two months later, the doctor announced my mother might ________for less than a year ________cancer (癌症). It was then that I was ________that things became more serious than I had imagined. Before it was too late, I was________to stop my thesis and be there with my mother for her rest life. ________ , my mother failed in the battle and passed away at the end of the year. The next July, I finished my scientific thesis and got the________from the lab.

When looking back today, I feel ________for losing precious time with my mother. The ________ of my mother gave me a new way to think about life: If your loved ones need you, be there for them. Sometimes, just being a listening ear to them can really ________.

2 . My son turned 14 and didn’t have a smartphone. He was the only kid in his class without one. When he asked for a phone, I _________.

“You can choose to do things _________ when you’re a parent.” I replied. But sometimes, I wondered if I was being too stubborn (固执的) or unfair.

The more I research, the more confident I feel in my _________. Many studies _________ the current mental health crisis among teenagers to changes in how they socialize, namely, the change from in-person to online _________.

But other parents _________ my view, saying “He must feel so left out!” Then there are the parents who tell me with sadness that they regretted not delaying their teenager’s phone _________ longer than they did. They _________ me to hold out.

If teenagers are truly spending about 5 hours on average per day on their devices, as a recent research states, then what are they not doing? Kids _________ in their devices are missing out on real life, which strikes me a lot.

I want my son to have a __________ childhood, one full of adventures, imaginative play and physical challenges. The simplest way to achieve these __________ is to delay giving him a smartphone.

Some think my son is missing out or falling behind, but he is not. He does well in school, __________ with friends, and moves independently around our town. He claimed he would give his own 14-year-old boy a phone someday, and I told him that’s __________. But recently, he admitted he __________ the beautiful scenery on a drive to a mountain because he had been so absorbed in his iPad.

If that is his __________ of admitting I’m right, I’ll take it.

3 . Recently, I have been struggling to connect with my dad because our conversations have seemed unimportant to him. In a half-hearted attempt to find something that _________ him, I pulled out my phone and showed him a few _________ of Jay, my new pet rabbit.

“Did mom tell you I got a bunny?” It was an unusual question. To my surprise, my dad’s _________ were lifted. “A black bunny!” he called out, getting closer to _________ the photos. He wanted to know more. I hurried to find more photos, holding on to this _________ opportunity.

I shouldn’t be _________ that it was a bunny that broke through the _________ between my dad and I. Growing up, we never talked much. _________ our time together centered around animals, like catching crayfish at the river and caring for turtles and crabs. _________ animals has always been our thing.

A few months later, I came up with more photos and videos of Jay on my laptop so my dad could see them more __________. I had been __________ that his initial interest in Jay was a one-off event, but he __________ up again when I showed him the new stuff.

Our love for animals is the __________ that connects us. There was no __________ to start having deep conversations if that had never been our style, just finding __________ together in a photo of a bunny was enough.

5 . My grandparents actively practiced simplicity. They both grew up in very large families and _________ the Great Depression. Saving for a rainy day was their life philosophy. They chose to spend really _________ life together with their family rather than seeking _________ through material items.

Over the years my grandparents have noticed _________ changes in their community. Every year more farmland was _________ to build larger and larger homes. As real estate (地产) prices rose, many of their neighbors _________ their little homes and land. Soon theirs was _________ little house surrounded by the sea of mansions. Lots of family members _________ my grandparents to expand their little old house. But they didn’t want a bigger one. They loved their little house and were _________ with what they had.

They also __________ everything. For instance, they had driven the same car for over 15 years and didn’t buy a new one until the old Chevrolet was __________.

Through their example, I learned an important __________: it is possible to live a simple life. My grandparents taught me that living a simple life isn’t about self-deprivation (自我牺牲). __________, it’s about giving yourself the time, freedom and money to pursue your dreams. Becoming debt free, living in a __________ building, and going out on foot are good ways to __________ your life and start pursuing your dreams.

9 . Dad was not only my best friend,but teach me what to do in my life and study. While he was alive, he guided me through what he does and suggestions. He taught me one important_________“Believe in yourself.”

If there was one sentence my dad_________ liked to hear, it was “I can’t. ”He did not have a chance to finish high school. In order to support his large family, he took two jobs,_________he never complained (抱怨). Through self-education and years of hard work, my dad became a good reporter.

When I was in high school, I had a_________time with math. He tried to help me, but I still struggled (挣扎). So my math teacher suggested I meet with him at 7:00 each morning before school for_________help. I told Dad, “That’s _________I’m tired! I can’t do that!” He replied, “You’re doing it. I’ll send you to school.” Every morning at 6:45, we’d leave the house. Although Dad worked 12 hours every day, he never once_________driving me to school.

After months of_________ I was facing the final exam. I was so_________. On the day of the final, my dad hugged me and said, “Luke,__________yourself. You can do it.” His words made me realize I needed to trust in my math teacher and in the hours of work I had__________. When I got my__________proudly, the first person I called was my father. He cried, “Yes! You deserved (应得) it!”

Even now, whenever I__________that a task is too much for me, I think back to that exam. No matter how__________ something is, if you’re willing to work, you can succeed. I’m forever__________to Dad for that lesson.