1 . Compassion (同情) literally means “suffering together”. Among many emotion researchers, it is __________ as the feeling that arises when you encounter a person’s suffering and feel motivated to __________ his or her suffering.

Compassion is not the same as empathy (共鸣), though the two concepts are __________. Empathy refers more generally to our ability to feel the __________ of another person, while compassion goes a step beyond and appears when those feelings and thoughts include the desire to __________.

When we feel compassion, our heart rate slows down. Then a chemical is produced in our body and _________ regions of the brain linked to empathy and caregiving light up, which often results in our wanting to __________ other people and offer assistance.

Compassion often comes in two forms, which vary __________ where these feelings are directed. Your experience of compassion may focus on other people, or it may inwardly focus on yourself.

When we __________ compassion, we can start by __________ another person’s situation. We look at what they are __________ without passing judgment on their behavior and put ourselves in their shoes. And then we’ll find ourselves filled with compassion.

Compassion tends to have a __________ impact on our life, ranging from improving our relationships to boosting our psychological __________. One study found that people who volunteer out of concern for others can be as __________ as the receivers. The finding suggests that compassion itself can be a __________ to the givers.

2 . A hero isn’t just a superman that flies around saving people. A hero can be a volunteer worker, a teacher, or even a _________ member. My hero just so happens to be my dad, which may sound like something _________ to you. You would also say your mom or dad is your hero because they raised you, or you’re always able to _________ them. My _________ are like that as well. _________, I still consider my dad a hero above everybody else and he _________ deserves it.

My dad has always been caring and loving. When I was young, he was the one that stayed at home with me, taking _________ of me and loving me wholeheartedly. He also helped me with my _________ so I could do well in my schoolwork. I couldn’t ask for a _________ dad. I love how my dad __________ my mom as well. He is a fantastic __________, so my mom is willing to share her sorrows and joys with him. Besides, my dad is always __________ to offer a helping hand, sharing housework and solving her problems at work. He has also shown others his good __________ by serving our country and helping the community.

My dad isn’t a great person who changes the world, but he has __________ my little world. He is a great __________ for me and I’d like to be an ordinary hero like him.

3 . Every year on my birthday, a white gardenia (栀子花) was _________to my house. But no card or note came with it. Calls to the flower shop were always _________— it was a cash purchase. After a while I stopped trying to discover the sender’s identity and just _________in the beauty and heady perfume of that one magical, perfect white flower lying in soft pink paper.

But I never stopped _________who the giver might be. My mother _________to these imaginations. She asked me if there was someone for whom I had done a special kindness who might be showing _________. I had more fun imagining that it might be a boy I fell in love with or one who had a _________on me even though I didn’t know him.

One month before my high-school graduation, my father died. My feelings _________from sorrow to fear and anger: my dad was _________some of the most important events in my life. I became completely __________in my coming graduation, the senior-class play and the ball. But my mother would not hear of my losing any of those things. Mother and I had gone shopping and found an impressive dress, but it was the __________size. When my father died, I forgot about the dress.

The day before my ball, I found that dress — in the right size — hanging over the living room sofa. It was __________to me so lovingly. I didn’t __________if I had a new dress or not. But my mother did. She wanted her children to feel __________, filled with a sense that there was a beauty even in the face of __________.

My mother died ten days after I was married. The following year the gardenia stopped coming.

4 . The sweetest memory of my childhood is about a round table. When I was still little, my _______ family would get together on different traditional festivals to _______ dinner. We kids would be sitting around or playing hide-and-seek under the table _______ the grown-ups were having a chat.

When I got a bit _______ , my aunt brought back her boyfriend and my grandma cheerfully _______ another seat to the round table. It seemed a little more _______ , but we all felt much closer to each other. When I was twelve, my grandpa _______ . That made us feel _______ . However, when the whole family got together once again, we totally _______ that his chair, his bowl and his chopsticks should __________ the same. Even though his seat was __________ , we felt like that he had never left us.

We all have a table like this in our __________ . It is a sign of reunion of our family __________ our feelings. Although the __________ why we come together may be different, the feelings behind it are the __________ . Usually different cultures are __________ by us around the table. What’s more, we __________ the love not only for our family, but also for a company, our __________ and even the whole world.

The history of our nation has been the stories of looking for or running to the round table which we belong to. The round table has been a __________ of the Chinese feelings. It was, it is and will __________ be.

5 . The school life is a wonderful period of our life and a golden period of learning. It is ______ for children as well as for grown-up students.

I have good school life memories of myself. My first school day memories are still ______ . I can still feel how ______ I was welcomed in the school. As a child, I kept ______ and made progress under the best company of my best friends. Most of them later became my life-long ______ . I also clearly remember the help and encouragement I ______ from my teachers in the first school year. That is why I always regard my primary school life memories as the ______ for my life.

Another ______ period is my high school, when I learned experience to improve myself. I always developed the habit of writing down everything on a ______ then. The diary made me full of confidence and courage. I ______ had a lot of school life pictures to record my best memories. One was the day when I won a prize in the annual science fair. It was the ______ of great pride for me and my parents. Our school president gave me a ______ , which is still with me.

It is said that a person always ______ his first school day because he came crying, and he won't forget the last school day because he ______ crying again. In my case, I remember clearly my first day and last day in the school because of the countless ______ school days.

6 . A video of a tearful young man bursting with joy, pride and gratitude during his high school graduation recently went popular. Dontrail Spencer was _______ holding his diploma and screaming out the names of his teachers and family members who had _______ him along the way. They had been encouraging him to keep his eyes on the _______ and to push through the _______days.

None of us can _______ life without encouragement — _______ from a parent, best friend, school teacher or spiritual leader. Their _______ keeps us going and believing in ourselves. When someone gives you encouragement, you are given the _______ to do something important. You are made _______.

Even volunteers like myself ________words of encouragement. Back in February, I was in my fifth week as a community volunteer during the pandemics (大流行病). I don’t ________ meeting Grace, a lady who had been very ________ and in the hospital. But one morning I ________ an email from her: Thank you and all involved for keeping our community and life moving forward. It makes me sad that our ________ a relationship has been so limited. I enjoy your Wednesday chorus and ________ find you inspirational. I’m ________ to be part of it Love, Grace.

A few days later I received a call that she had ________. Grace was nearing the end of her life, but she took time to encourage me. Every time I read her email, I’m ________ by her words. When we encourage one another — everybody ________. Be generous in your ________. We all need in it. Some now more than ever.