4 . “I hate New Orleans! I wanna go home!” I _______ to my mother as we moved boxes. _______, going home was not easy because my home was 1,100 miles away.

I was born and _______ in Virginia. Virginia was my home, and I never expected that to _______. Last year, my parents decided to move to my mom’s hometown, New Orleans.

Only three months after my parents made the _______ to move, I found myself moving boxes into our new house. My announcement to my mother that I _______ the new environment was mostly due to the fact that I felt like my entire life had been turned upside down. Far away from almost everyone and everything I had ever known, I was _______. To make matters worse, I was starting high school in two weeks. Starting high school is a scary _______ on its own.

I spent my first few months in New Orleans, _______ wanting to go back to Virginia. But after that, I ________ that I had a choice. I could continue missing my old home, or I could start trying to build a new home right here. I ________ the latter.

As soon as I stopped giving all my ________ to how much I missed Virginia, I was able to begin accepting the love that local people were giving me. I joined some clubs at school, which gave me the chance to make friends. My neighbors taught me how to cook some local food, and I found a wonderful ________ of neighbors. Overall, I seized every possible opportunity to ________ myself and to rebuild my life.

Because of my resilience(适应力) in creating a new home for myself and the ________ that local people have shown to me, home is right here.

5 . That day Bill Price was attending a reunion for a summer program. He remembers standing outside after the reunion, ________with friends. Eventually, everyone said their________—leaving Price standing by himself.

“Sometimes when you’re________, it’s fine,” Price said. “But sometimes when you’re alone, you feel________. And that’s the way I felt then.”

Nearby, another group of teenagers stood laughing and________. “I found myself wishing so much to be a part of them,” Price________. One of the teenagers was a person named Wendy Westman. She and Price had only met in another summer program a few months earlier. As Price stood there, feeling________lonely. Westman turned around and________him if he’d like to join them.

“My life was transformed at that moment,” Price said.

Westman’s kindness________a realization in Price: He could offer that same________to anyone, at any time. “It’s so easy to see someone who seems left out and alone and________them, say hello to them, be kind to them,”Price explained. “And I realize that is a gift that everyone can________.”

Price became a psychiatrist(精神科医生). His job is being kind to his________, listening to them and being attentive to their________. Price attributes his understanding of the importance of kindness to that________.

6 . On a Friday evening in December, two weeks before Christmas, I lost my job. I wasn’t just a single parent. I was the _________ parent. I could turn to no one. I felt as if the world was closing in on me.

On a weekend afternoon, I _________ out the window. It had been snowing all morning. I noticed a small woman _________ to open her car door against the wind. It _________ to be my old professor, Sister Esther. I hadn’t seen her since we’d met for lunch three months ago.

I _________ out. “What are you doing out in this _________?” I asked as we hugged.

“Well, I tried to call last week but couldn’t get through. Then I called your _________ and they said you weren’t working there anymore, so I thought I would come by,” she said. “I have _________ for you and Kristil.”

I made her a cup of tea, and we talked. Just being _________ gave me hope that things would be all right.

As she got up to leave, she handed me a Christmas __________. “This is for you,” she said as she kissed me on the cheek. I walked her to her car and waved as she __________ away.

When I opened her card, I got in __________. Hundred dollar bills fell onto the table. Tears of __________ welled in my eyes as I counted. $1000!

On Christmas morning, Kristil and I __________ around our tree. I joyfully watched her open her gifts. I __________ thanked Sister Esther in my heart.

7 . If you’re feeling that life just can’t be any worse for you, it can be challenging to think positive thoughts. When you’re stressed, depressed, ________, or in a negative state of mind because you feel “bad things” ________ happening to you, it’s important to change those ________thoughts to something positive. If not, you’ll only attract more “bad things”.

It’s often very hard to think positive when so many things are negative, but be ________that someone, somewhere is worse off than you. You can choose to think ________by beginning with the smallest of steps.

If you start one small, positive thing and ________it during the course of your day, you’ll begin to move into a more positive ________: positive thoughts, feelings and opportunities. With practice, you will find that over time, you will change your outlook and choose to be ________, regardless of the events around you.

Here are some examples for you to ________. Begin and end each day with a “Thank you for this wonderful day!” When you see gas prices rising, say “I’m so glad to have a ________in which to get around.” When your boss is too hard on you, say “I am grateful for my job as I know that many don’t have one.” If you are having health problems, be ________for what does work: “I do appreciate it that my eyes see, my ears hear, my mouth tastes, my legs walk, and my ________ write.” Write down whatever you’re thankful for each day. In moments when you’re feeling really down, read aloud what you ________beforehand. This will certainly help uplift your spirits. If you practice this ________, you will find your list getting longer and longer.

The________to making it a moment of joyful peace is to move yourself into a positive thought and keep it there long enough. The more you practice, the happier you’ll be.

10 . I looked out at the smiling faces in the school hall. The applause (掌声) filled my ears. I had really done it!

Just a few months earlier I would never have _________ myself acting in a play in front of two hundred people. But when the time came, I got up on stage and _________ one of my greatest fears. I found a new person inside me, a much more _________ , outgoing person who had been hidden all along, just waiting for the opportunity to come. If not for my teacher, Mrs. Sather, I might never have found that _________ .

I was extremely _________ 1 had friends, but it just wasn't in my personality to be very outgoing, even when I knew someone well. I was even _________ with strangers.

One day, Mrs. Sather _________ that our class was going to perform a play. “I need someone to play the lead part of Dorothy, ” she said. “Anybody want to try?” A few _________ hands shot up - mine, of course, was not one of them.

After class Mrs. Sather came to join me, “Dallas, I was thinking you would be the person for Dorothy. But I was _________ you didn't raise your hand.”

Was she __________ ? Me, the lead? I was __________ just thinking of standing on stage in front of a lot of people.

“Dallas, you're great at __________ things, so you won't worry about lines (台词). And you have such a sweet personality. Perfect for Dorothy!” She said.

Mrs. Sather stared into my eyes as if seeing my inner self locked away inside. “I' d love you to give this a __________ for me. But if you really don't want to, I won't make you. It's your __________ ” Mrs. Sather wanted me in this role. She __________ me. I realized it was time to __________ my shy cloak (披风).

Fast - forward through five months of practicing, we were ready __________ , I was as nervous as I had ever been. I proved to myself that I could do it in practice, __________ could I prove it to everyone else when it really mattered?

“It doesn't matter how you perform tonight, ” said Mrs. Sather, __________ reading my thoughts when she came backstage for a final check. “Y ou have already shown yourself how wonderful you are.”

At the end of the play, when the audience stood and applauded, I knew they were not just cheering for my performance that night, but for the performances they knew would come in later years because of my newfound __________ .