A funny thing happened to Arthur when he was on the way to work one day. As he walked along Park Avenue near the First National Bank, he heard the sound of someone trying to start a car. He tried again and again but couldn’t get the car moving. Arthur turned and looked inside at the face of a young man who looked worried.

Arthur stopped and said, “It looks like you’ve got a problem.”

“I’m afraid so. I’m in a big hurry but I can’t start my car.”

“Is there something I can do to help?” Arthur asked. The young man looked at the two suitcases in the back seat and then said, “Thanks. If you’re sure it wouldn’t be too much trouble, you could help me get these suitcases into a taxi.”

“No trouble at all. I’d be glad to help.”

The young man got out and took one of the suitcases from the back seat. After placing it on the ground, he turned to get the other one. Just as Arthur picked up the first suitcase and started walking, he heard the long loud noise of an alarm.

It was from the bank. There had been a robbery (抢劫)!

Park Avenue had been quiet a moment before. Now the air was filled with the sound of the alarm and the shouts of people running from all directions. Cars stopped and the passengers joined the crowd in front of the bank. People asked each other, “What happened?” But everyone had a different answer.

Arthur still carrying the suitcase, turned to look at the bank and walked right into a young woman in front of him.

She looked at the suitcase and then at him. Arthur was surprised. “Why is she looking at me like that?” he thought. “The suitcase! She thinks I’m the bank thief!”

Arthur looked around at the crowd of people. He became frightened, and without another thought, he started to run.

As he was running, Arthur heard the young man shouting behind, “Stop! Stop!” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The taxi stopped in front of the police station. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . The first time my grandma came to visit us in Canada, she was a little upset. She ________ that there was nothing to do.

Before my grandma arrived, I used to tend the flowers in our garden. But while I was at school and my parents were at work, my grandma, feeling ________, came down upon the little piece of land. She pulled out the annuals (一年生植物) and ________ those with orderly rows of green onions and other ________. I told her to stop, to keep the flowers. “They’re pretty, but they’re ________,” she said matter-of-factly. I was annoyed until I learned something about her past.

Grandma was ________ at the time of a severe famine (饥荒). She lost her parents and did everything on her own. ________ , she never cried about it to anyone.

Different times ________ unique characters. My grandma was shaped by the ________ of her family members and the difficulties in China’s recent history. Those who experienced the famine are, ________, unwilling to use valuable land to plant flowers. Her ________, responsibility, diligence and frugality (勤俭), helped her through those difficult years, some of which were laid down by the hands of time, and to change them now would ________ her. She is a(n) ________ link between my family’s past and future — she ________ her times’ challenges to support the next generation. Someday, I will be like my grandma and ________ my small part to human’s moving on.

6 . You may have heard of Osceola McCarty, who worked for 75 years as a washer woman. After she retired, she went to the bank and _________, to her surprise, that her small monthly savings had _________to over $150,000. She donated $150,000 to the USM for a scholarship fund for students with financial_________.

What you have not heard is how Osceola’s gift has_________ my life. I was a _________student and I had my heart set on going to USM. But I _________ a regular scholarship by one point on my entrance exams, and a scholarship was the only way I could attend. One Sunday, I _________ the story about Osceola and her generous _________in the newspaper, and went to the financial aid office and became the first_________ of an Osceola Scholarship.

I first __________Osceola at a press conference—meeting her was like finding family. Osceola__________married and lived alone, so my family has since become her family. My grandma and she talk __________ on the phone and she__________us in family gatherings. It was amazing that I used to cycle right by a __________every day on my way to school and I did notice how everything was clean and neat there, but I didn’t know it__________to be where she lived.

Osceola gave me much more than a scholarship. She taught me about the gift of __________. She worked her whole life and gave to others, which reached deep inside of me and fueled my __________   to give back when I can. Eventually I plan to add to her scholarship fund. I want to give Osceola the__________she’s always wanted, so I’ve adopted her as another grandma. And when I graduate from USM, she’ll be sitting in the audience __________my mother and my grandmother—right where she __________.

8 . Even though it was only October, my students were already talking about Christmas plans. With each passing day everyone became more _________ waiting for the final school bell. As soon as the bell _________, everyone would run for their coats and go home, everyone except David.

David was a small boy in ragged clothes. I had often _________ what kind of home life David had, and what kind of mother could send her son to school dressed so _________ for the cold winter months, without a coat, boots, or gloves. But something made David _________. I can still remember he was always _________ a smile and willing to help. He always _________ after school to straighten chairs and mop the floor. We never talked much. He _________ just simply smile and ask what else he could do, then thank me for letting him stay and slowly _________ home.

Weeks passed and the __________ over the coming Christmas grew into restlessness (烦躁) until the last day of __________ before the holiday break. I smiled in __________ as the last of them hurried out the door. Turning around, I saw David __________ standing by my desk.

“I have something for you.” he said and __________ from behind his back a small box, __________ it to me, he said worriedly, “Open it.” I took the box from him, thanked him and slowly unwrapped it. I lifted the lid (盖子) and to my __________ saw nothing. I looked at David’s smiling face and back into the box and said, “The box is nice, David, but it’s __________.”

“Oh no it isn’t.” said David. “It’s full of love. My mum told me before she died that love is something you couldn’t see or touch unless you know it’s there.”

Tears filled my eyes __________ I looked at the proud dirty face that I had rarely (几乎不) given __________ to. After that Christmas, David and I became good friends and I never forgot the meaning __________ the little empty box set on my desk.

9 . When struggling to reach a goal, don’t let limitations define you. Use them as _________ to push beyond your comfort zone. That way you’ll find creative _________ and better understand your inner strengths. And it’s inner strengths that define how you’ll deal with _________ in life.

At the age of 20, Bryan joined the army. One day, he was behind the wheel when a roadside bomb _________. As result, Bryan lost his left hand and both legs. Several days later, Bryan _________ up at a medical center with his mother by his side. It was in that _________ that his mother said the words that defined the _________ for the rest of his life. She said, “You know you have _________ two choices here, right?” He _________, “Move on, or roll over and die.” She said, “And you’re going to...” To which he replied, “Move on.”

Bryan noticed that the patients who were making __________ were the ones who accepted their __________ and worked hard to move forward. From the start, Bryan __________ himself. He refused to let his injury __________ him from living his life. The process of learning to use his prostheses (假肢) was a __________ and difficult journey, but his mother and friends were there to __________ him.

Today, Bryan lives a __________ life and is a motivational speaker. In his free time, he loves to snowboard, skateboard and enjoy time on his motorcycle. Bryan’s story is powerful __________ that we too can overcome our limitations. We mustn’t let them stop us from moving forward but push ourselves to rise above and __________ varieties of possibilities. We all have our __________, but if you believe you can __________ them, you will.