I ran after the train, shouting, “Hey mister, can’t you see me?” It was hopeless, as no conductor is going to slow down for a 60-year-old man who got to the station several minutes late. They absolutely didn’t know how important that day, that train ride was to me! I was on my way to an interview for what could have been the opportunity of a lifetime.

I threw both my hat and my art case down in depression, and sat down on the nearest chair, wiping (擦掉) the sweat from my face and breathing heavily. I would have to wait a whole day for the next train, and by then my appointment with the gallery owner would have given up on me. Perhaps it was for the best. It was, after all, the first time in 40 years anyone had shown such an interest in my art. Maybe if the gallery owner had seen all my paintings, he would have changed his mind about offering me space on his walls.

Disappointment filled my soul. Should I dial the gallery and get an interview on a different day? But Pierre Gianni was the owner of the most well-known gallery in New York City. Why would he give a rare second chance to an elderly nobody when he had the newest, coolest young artists to choose from?

Come to think of it, perhaps these insecurities were the very reason I had never been offered a show before. I was too afraid to try. I found countless excuses not to offer my work up to be seen and perhaps criticized. I told myself it would hurt too much if I failed, but the truth was that I had never tried.

Finally, I gathered all my courage to dial the gallery, only to find my antique cell phone had broken down. It was at the very moment that I was in total despair and decided to go home.

Suddenly I felt a touch on my shoulder.

The next morning I got to the gallery on time.

2 . Born with severe hearing loss, Li has found her way to communicate with the world — through painting. Drawing was not only her way of coping with a ________childhood, but has also opened for her a door to creativity and a way of ________ . Moreover, painting led Li to meet her husband Hu Shiqun, who lost his hearing due to medication.

After graduation, Li got a job as a typist. ________ job as it was, Li was not happy because the previous feeling of loneliness came back. In March 2016, Li ________the job and joined her husband’s company to be a wall painter.

From then on, in many parks and scenic spots in Hunan Province, the couple have ________ large-scale murals (壁画) and interactive pavement painting. Under their ________, the pavements are transformed into fantastical scenes. For Li, their creations can make art more ________ to the public and become a way for them to ________ with the world.

Now Li has apprentices (学徒) and ________ more and more newcomers on how to create large-scale murals. Besides, Li and her husband have set up a studio in Shanghai to ________ more business opportunities.

Although they are just a small number among the country’s 27 million hearing-impaired population, Li hopes that their stories can ________ more people facing similar battles to build their own careers and achieve their goals, ________ how tough it may be.

According to Li, “Painting brushes can help me create a colorful world in my imagination, telling my thoughts on paper, instead of through ________. My husband and I want to ________painting to more people like us, helping them to fight social ________ that we can not fully participate in social activities. ”

Tim had high respect for his father, Mike, who was also his teacher. With a burning sense of responsibility, Mike loved his job so much that he always went the extra mile.

In the very early morning, Tim could always see Mike busy with breakfast for him. Later on, they went to school together to accompany the students to greet a new day of learning. At table, Mike exchanged what he knew in school with Tim. Typically, Mike would always wear a shiny smile for the funny moments; frown for his students’ problems or challenges. At that moment, Tim did feel his father’s passion for the class.

Having finished the housework and said goodnight to Tim, Mike, eventually, sat at his desk peacefully and buried himself in what he enjoyed. In the delicate light of a lamp, he made preparations for the next day, trying to make what students found boring in the textbook come to life.

Sometimes, Mike worried Tim might be envious of the attention he gave to other children. However, Tim didn’t complain about it. Instead, he admired his dedication and love. It was one of the qualities that made Mike such a fantastic father.

Tim liked making videos of activities in daily life, and kept his camera handy in case there was any opportunity to capture footage (捕捉片段). Also, he captured some of Mike’s.

One weekend, Tim approached Mike’s room, hoping to get advice on making videos for the next class meeting themed Love, only to find Mike staring at the photos of his students on the wall, a little upset.

“What happened?” Tim asked as he stepped into Mike’s room.

“You know, some of your classmates recently have been rebellious (叛逆的). Despite discipline and heartfelt communications, they’re still breaking rules, skipping classes and complaining about my strictness. Though I could be demanding sometimes, I’m concerned about them. ” Mike sighed.

Thinking of his upsetting classmates who couldn’t sense Mike’s efforts, Tim decided to try to do his part in helping Mike out in secret. With an idea flashing into his mind, he knew what the video was about.

Tim started working on the video.

The students, along with Mike got surprised when the video came to an end.

High—school sports is the biggest thing that happens in our town of Verden, population six hundred. Sports are important in our family. Both of our sons were high—school athletes. So I shouldn’t have been surprised when Lauren announced she was going out for the girls’ basketball team, but I was because she has Down syndrome(唐氏综合征). My wife and I never told Lauren that she was different, treating her like our other children.

“I’m gonna play basketball, Daddy.” Lauren flew into my arms when I came in from work. “That’s nice, honey,” I replied automatically and patted her, figuring she meant outside—on the driveway.

Walking into the kitchen, I met my wife Laura, whose frown indicated I’d missed something. Laura spoke slowly, her tone steady. “She meant she’s joining the girls’ high—school basketball team.”

Just as her words sank in, I heard Lauren behind me. “I’m gonna be a Lady Tiger,” she yelled, skipping into the room and throwing her arms in the air. Everything that could happen flashed through my mind. I discussed Lauren’s announcement with my wife that evening and finally agreed. After all, there were only 11 girls, not everyone willing to play.

The next afternoon, I parked in front of the school gymnasium. Inside, Coach Forsythe greeted us, “We’re glad Lauren came out for the team. She is not just a cheerleader!” Lauren stood alone at the other end of the court, shooting free throws. No other girl on the court grinned（咧嘴笑）like Lauren did, and after every shot, Lauren approvingly cried, “Woo hoo!”, seemingly not caring if she made the basket or not.

Mid-November, the season’s first basketball game arrived. I settled into a seat with the rest of my family. The game got off to a good start, but soon Lady Tigers was behind. Lauren followed the movement on the court and reacted to every play. Even though Lauren wasn’t playing, she looked as if she were having the time of her life. I felt admiration for my daughter. Plus, her team was getting beat, yet she still enjoyed the action. Just less than two minutes left, and Lady Tigers was down by seventeen points.

My teenage son, Jordan, always complained about having to be home earlier than all his friends. He would tell me that he was already seventeen, but still had a curfew (宵禁). He believed he was practically an adult. I pointed out that he was not an adult as he was still in high school.

“You don’t trust me!” he yelled. Before I continued, he rolled his eyes, slammed the door and walked away. I sighed. How could I make Jordan see that I only wanted to keep him safe?

I decided to go for a walk, hoping the December air would clear my head. I opened the front door and nearly stepped on her: a small black cat, just like a meatball. “Hi, Meatball,” I said, bringing her into my arms. I walked back in, touching her neck gently. Meatball seemed happy enough to come in the house, but after an hour or two, she sat by the door, meowing to go back outside.

“Why won’t she just stay in with us all the time?” Nathan, my youngest son asked.

I explained to him that she was happy here but she liked being able to come and go as she pleased.

“That must be nice,” Jordan muttered from the other room, complaining why the cat, not him, could come and go. He even asked me to give Meatball a curfew.

Meatball became a regular.

One night, temperatures were unusually low. Meatball stood at the door, meowing to go outside.

I shook my head at her, afraid that she might freeze to death. She stared at me and meowed again. I patted her head, “I know you’re not happy, but it’s for your own good.”

“Mom’s not being mean to you,” Nathan told the cat. “She’s just trying to keep you from turning into a frozen meatball.” We both laughed at his joke.

The next morning, I couldn’t find Meatball. I asked the kids if anyone had seen her.

Jordan nodded, “I let her out last night.”

As I drove to the animal hospital, Jordan sat in the back, holding Meatball inside his coat.

7 . Last year, my friend, Kydee Williams, and I started a non-profit project because we wanted to do charity work differently. Thus, The Pop-Up Care Shop was _________.

TPUCS is a traveling shop of _________ donated goods for people in need. During the holidays, we _________ clothing drives and then went to women’s shelters. Our main goal was to help inspire women who were _________ with hope as well as bring a little holiday cheer to our local communities. _________ any project or movement wasn’t easy. Brainstorming and coming up with cool ideas was the _________ part, but actually bringing those ideas to life can seem almost _________ at times. However, there were lessons about _________ that we didn’t fully realize until we started this journey.

From our experience, we learned smaller shelters, especially those in less-commercialized areas were often _________ when it came to getting community support. Actually, they were typically more __________ to new and creative ideas and would greatly welcome __________ who offered help. Under our inspiration, many __________ people devoted themselves to non-profit work. Many shelters are understaffed and the staff overworked. Working directly with them helped us __________ the specific needs of the shelter.

While material things like food, clothes, money, and shelter can help people survive, what __________ helps people live is the intangible (无形) necessities like love, presence, patience. Even though we can’t help every single person in the world, we can __________ a world of difference for at least one person.

Jean’s dream was to be a great chef, so when she was 20, she travelled to France, which has the most famous cuisine in the world, to learn to cook. After twelve years, she was among the best.

Her father, Bob, was getting old, and she wanted to be near him. Jean accepted an offer from one of Washington’s top restaurants. The manager offered her a handsome salary, and 30% ownership of the restaurant. The next day, Jean went to sign the contract. As she got out of the car, she caught sight of a green sunshade. Instead of going to meet the manager, she crossed the street towards the old restaurant, Fargonetti’s. She pushed open the door and the memories came flooding back.

Jean’s mum died when she was just 11, and her father lost his job and was forced to freelance (从事自由职业). Money was very short. When Jean turned thirteen, Bob had made a reservation at Fargonetti’s, the capital’s best restaurant.

“I’m not hungry, baby girl. I had a huge breakfast,” Bob said. “This is all for you!” “Oh,” Jean cried. “Daddy was so silly! He’s been saving to come here for lunch for MONTHS and now he ruined his appetite with breakfast!” The waiter, Carl Bader, immediately realised what was going on and went to Mr Fargonetti, the restaurant owner, and told him about Jean and Bob.

An hour later, surprisingly, the waiter brought wonderful dishes and set them before the father and daughter. “Lunch is on the house with Mr Fargoneti’s compliments (致意),” Carl said. For Bob and Jean, it was a free but magical meal. They were on cloud nine when they walked out. “Jean,“ said Bob happily. “I feel our luck has changed!” And it did! The next day, one of Bob’s old friends called and offered him a job at a new magazine, and Jean believed Fargonetti’s had made it all happen. That was when she decided to become a chef!

Twenty years later, the old restaurant looked run-down and sad, but Jean recognised the waiter immediately. “Carl?” she asked delightedly.

The man looked surprised.

Jean was staring at Carl and a brilliant idea was taking shape in her mind.

9 . 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.