2 . Mary Dickins had been a member of the audience at poetry nights before and knew “the poetry clap”. She made a polite tapping of fingers. But when she made her debut (首次演出) as a performer at the age of 62 at the legendary Bang Said the Gun night in south London, she said, “It was so wild — like nothing I had ever seen before.” The audience stamped their feet and shook shakers. “It felt transformative. I thought, ‘I’ve got to have more of this,’ ” Dickins said. Becoming a performance poet has given her a place on a stage of her own making.

All her life she has written, mostly without being seen or heard. Her mother died when she was nine, and, after she went into a care home at 13, Dickins’ writing stayed in notebooks. Really, she says, a lot of her adult life has been about getting over childhood shyness. At university — she studied education — she met her husband of 40 years, but in three years of seminars she did not say a word. Some of this results from her years at the children’s home. She says, “It gave me a sense of what it’s like to be excluded. I never fitted in anywhere.”

After she graduated, she discovered that she loved working with people with learning disabilities. She became an expert in inclusive education. “That was my niche (称心的职业),” she says. She published books and returned to the University of North London as a senior lecturer in early childhood studies.

Dickins now sees that in adulthood she has been giving herself permission to be silly. “The sillier I allow myself to be, the better the writing is,” she says. Her observations are humorous.

“Putting things into words and giving shape to your emotions is an important part of coming to terms with the things that happen in life,” she says.

Does she still feel like an outsider?

“I think I’ve made it into a virtue. I celebrate the fact that I don’t fit into a box. Finally! You have to wait till you’re 62 to feel confident!” she says. “But I have a sense of who I am and I'm proud of it. I wouldn’t be anyone else now — and it took me a long time to say that.”

I had spent the long winter months waking up each morning with the sun and birds. Each day began like the previous one: sneakers (运动鞋), headphones and stretching. The fresh air filled my lungs as I ran out the front door, greeted by the empty streets and sidewalks. The world became my own training ground. As I ran, I found peace in the rising sun. This boring time quickly became my favorite time of the day.

I was born into a “running family”. I lost count of how many marathons my dad had participated in, and I was pretty sure my mom traveled on foot more than she did by vehicle. My brother, Mike, followed in their footsteps by running when he could, and competed in at least 4 races throughout the year. Unlike him, I didn’t naturally fall into the running life.

“Running is the best thing for you. I don’t know how people can dislike it,” my dad questioned during many dinner conversations in grade school.

“You would be a fool not to join the track team, Colleen,” my mom suggested in her serious voice.

“Of course I will,” I replied while rolling my eyes. “What could be funner than running?”

After hundreds of practices and a handful of track meets later, I found myself agreeing with my parents and laughing at the idea that I once disagreed with them. The time had come when my dad finally asked the big question, which I had been nervous about for a while.

“So, the marathon is in November. What are we thinking?”

I felt my heart sink and speed up at the same time. Oh no, was I ready for this? The words suddenly came out before I could even fully process the question.

“Yeah, let’s do it!”

I couldn’t let him down. He had been waiting years for this experience. Finally, we spent hours training and bonding together until the big day came.

It was at mile marker 20 when my legs began to lose feeling.

The finish line was finally in view.

6 . In the summer of 2018, I decided to do a solo expedition (独自探险) across Antarctica. To get some ________, I did a two-week training course. I learned all the ________: how to camp in the snow, how to pull a sled and what clothing to wear. In October, I flew to Antarctica from Punta Arenas. I’d allowed 70 days, which would make it the longest ________ one-way expedition across Antarctica

I only took ________. I didn’t even take a hairbrush. The first few days were ________. The winds were about 60 mph, and my sled weighed 120 kg. Even if the visibility is good, you can’t ________ much — it’s a white horizon. I was on the move for 13 to 15 hours a day.

Then, I found the conditions to be much worse. There was more sastrugi (雪脊) and it felt colder. The last 40 hours were really hard. I ________ about 14 times every two hours. As a result, I fell behind ________. In the end, I ________ 922 miles and fell more than 100 miles short of my goal. Towards the end of my trip, a helicopter flew to pick me up. The ________ I felt when I saw the dot in the distance was unbelievable.

It took me a while to be ________ of what I’d achieved, because I had failed to reach my ________ goal, but I’ve learned it’s ________to move the goalposts. I don’t agree with the idea of conquering (征服) somewhere. You treat places with ________ and hope they’ll allow you ________ passage.

7 . With a broad smile on her lips, 15-year-old Sirin rushed to her mom to show off her new painting. But her mom raised her eyebrows, and spoke in a hushed tone, “Shh... honey.. don’t shout. I am busy with a(n) ________ talk.”

Holding her oil painting, she ________ and then searched for her dad. “Dad, see what I have done,” Sirin announced aloud in a(n) ________ voice. Her dad smiled and just patted her on back lovingly, saying, “No time, baby. I’m late for work.”

Hearing this, she stormed off to her own bedroom, slammed the door and ________ herself on her bed, sobbing. When her mom was calling her for dinner, Sirin arrived late deliberately. She kept silent, ________ the table mat with her nail. Her mom was puzzled at the ________ behavior. Suddenly, the morning ________ clicked in her mind. Softly, she asked, “Honey, did we do anything wrong?”

At this very moment, Sirin could no longer ________ her anger. “Why is everybody so busy?” she roared, tears streaming down. She assumed that, ________ ignoring her like others in her school, her mom and dad would appreciate her painting, but they were no ________. Shocked, mom threw her arms around her tightly, announcing ________ and firmly, “Baby, I am so sorry!”

When back from school the next day, Sirin was surprised to see her beautifully-decorated ________ on the wall. It was beautifully framed and just below the painting, it read, “Honey, we are really proud of you!” ________ her parents’ stress from daily routine, she felt sorry about her previous behavior. She ________ her head and apologized.

Though everything came and went, mutual ________ would stay forever in their family.

10 . About a month ago I noticed something really amazing, which I must call a garden miracle(奇迹). It so happened that when I _______ the double doors of a small storage area in the back of my house where I _______my garden supplies during the long, severe New England winter, I found, in one of the dirt-filled pots, a living, growing plant, topped with two of the most unlikely pink _______you’ve ever seen.

How was this _______? The unheated space had been closed all winter, and it was still cold outside. Once I caught my breath, I _______and discovered something approaching a reasonable explanation-there was a small glass window at the top of the double doors, and it was possible that a ray of sun fell directly on that pot, giving the plant just enough light and warmth to_______ it to grow in its own personal greenhouse.

I can’t help feeling_______ at the lessons this wonderful plant has to teach.

For one thing, I am moved by the happenstance(巧合) of the whole thing. If I had _______my pot six inches to the left or right of that spot, the plant might not have gotten that_______ray of light. If I had ________ the roots of the plant in late fall, there would have been nothing but dirt in that pot.

But there’s something else that________me about this-just how little light and________it took for this plant to grow and flower. I’m not________ we should be mean with love and kindness and all the other warming things we__________for others and for ourselves. But isn’t it comforting to think that just a drop of________can brighten a day, a place, a life?

When it comes to positivity, a little goes a long way. Just ask my little miracle plant.