1 . After my mother suffered from Alzheimer’s disease(阿尔茨海默病), the plants in our house began to die. In years past, I remember the deep, earthy smell that would ________ in our house after my mother had made her weekly watering rounds. Back then, I never connected it with the care that was at the ________ of everything she did.

But now, leaves were ________ , some dry and edged with brown, and many of the stems(茎) bare. It was a mark of how my mother can no longer attend to all the things that she lovingly cared for. I was so focused on the increasing ________ of her own care that her beloved plants had escaped my ________ .

I began her old rounds, pouring water into the thirsty soil, and soon the plants ________ . That’s the thing about houseplants: They demand nothing. They wait quietly, no matter how ________ they are. But even after my best ________, some of the plants couldn’t survive. My mother’s kind caregivers have since brought new ones to add to her ________ , and my father buys fresh flowers every week.

Though Alzheimer’s disease ________ so much of her memory, her desire to care is still there. I would guide her down the steps to water the plants herself. I watched as her shaking hands picked the brown leaves. Each time, she smiled up at me with ________ satisfaction because being able to ________ something is still, what brings her the greatest joy.

I look at plants ________ these days. I see them as my mother does:________ reminders of the need for kindness toward all living things. It is clear to me that the things we spend a lifetime ________ are never truly lost and the love she has planted in me still blooms(开花).

3 . I had a good job in the marketing division of a Fortune 500 company. After working for this first-class ________ for fourteen years, I got to ________ what it would be like to design a job around what I enjoyed most while using my strongest skills. I hoped to spend the next ________ of my career doing what I loved most and spend more time with the people I ________ most, my wife and sons.

My wife was a stay-at-home mom, so I would sacrifice (牺牲) our only income and insurance for nothing more than a ________ . Yet, after ________ extensive (广泛的) research, reading books on how to launch this type of business, calling the authors for additional details, freelancing (从事自由职业) for ad agencies and design firms to ensure I could write on any subject, and purchasing insurance, this goal slowly developed from ________ to probable.

I ________ then that author Henry David Thoreau was onto something when he said, “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” At thirty-seven, I had a window of opportunity to ________ a dream — to run a home-based business and spend more time with my family. I pulled the plug (终止) — and ________ my advertising and executive speechwriting business in June 1991 — thirty-two years ago. While working with different clients and sharpening my writing skills on ________ subjects, I watched my sons grow up for ten years, played hundreds of unscheduled backyard baseball games, and enjoyed countless father/son ________ while walking around the block.

How would I have ________ if I had never taken a ten-year break from my corporate (公司的) career? It’s a question I've asked myself before. The answer? I’d have more money in the bank — but I would also have a major deficit (赤字) in my memory ________ .

Life provides windows of opportunity, but they close quickly. For me, to remain in my former company during this “window” came at a price too high. Thoreau was right; I wasn’t willing to ________ more of my family life for my professional life.

Logan was a brilliant student. He had committed to doing everything it took to win a scholarship to study at a good university. But nothing was more important to the 17-year-old boy than supporting his mother who was sick. After school hours, he would work as a bagboy at the local grocery store. Together, Logan and his mother managed to make ends meet while still fighting to achieve bigger dreams.

Now right outside the grocery store, Logan spotted a familiar face. “Mr. Peters!” Logan called out to the old man holding crutches (拐杖), whom he recognized as his new neighbor. Mr. Peters waved at Logan.   Logan happily helped the old man find what he needed and helped him bill the items, too.

“That will be $23, Mr. Peters,” Logan said.

Mr. Peters was taken aback by the bill’s amount. He asked, “And how much without the fruits?”

“$19, sir.”

“I see.” Mr. Peters looked in his wallet. He studied the bill and said, “Actually, I’ll just take the greens, thank you.”

“You know what? Here, let me pay for your order. It looks like you may have … left your card at home or something.”

Mr. Peters didn’t see this kind gesture coming, and even though it hurt his pride a little, he accepted the boy’s help.

Logan paid for the order and handed the bags to the old man. But Mr. Peters could only move a few steps forward as he tried to hold all the groceries without the crutches slipping away Logan rushed to Mr. Peters and offered to carry the groceries to his home. It was a short walk, but the two men were engaged in conversation all the way.

“What are you doing working at a grocery store? You look like you should be in college!” Mr.   Peter asked.

On listening to Logan’s story, Mr. Peters was moved and thought he should do something. “It was lovely to meet you, Logan. Maybe you could pop in after your shift at the store today?” he asked.

Logan agreed, suspecting that the man probably needed some help around the house.

After work, Logan knocked on his neighbor’s door and discovered the most astonishing thing about the old man.

“I’ve asked some former workmates to notice a scholarship application from a young man named Logan,” Mr. Peters continued.

9 . Kwane Stewart, a devoted vet (兽医) in San Diego, had reached a point of burnout in his career. The animal ______ where he worked was full of abandoned pets as people ______ to deal with the ongoing economic decline. In those days, animals would be euthanized (安乐死) if they weren’t ______ in seven days. The cruel reality deeply troubled Stewart, even leading him to consider ______ his profession.

One fateful day, outside a convenience store, he ______ a homeless man with a dog suffering from a visible skin issue. The man, ______ for a solution, shared his dog’s suffering. Stewart examined the dog and then ______ some medicine to him. In tears, the man thanked Stewart, saying “Thank you for not ______ me”. The very words served as a wakeup call to Steward and inspired his next ______ .

Stewart began working as a street vet during his free time, determined to ______ on his own. Over a nine-year period, he provided ______ medical care for over 1,000 homeless people and their pets and in 2020, he created a nonprofit organization Project Street Vet.

For Stewart, the most rewarding aspect of his work lies in the one-on-one ______ with the homeless. By ______ helping their cherished companion, Stewart helps ______ their faith in humanity. Their gratitude fuels him to continue his mission, offering ______ to those facing awful circumstances.

10 . In the early 19th century, New England farmers, tired of wrestling with their poor land, journeyed to the Midwest. In states like Illinois and Iowa, they found rich, black soil. Unfortunately, many soon felt like thirsty sailors in the middle of the ocean—water everywhere but not a drop to drink. They were surrounded by fertile soil, but had to stop every few seconds to remove the sticky dirt off their iron plows (犁) with large wooden paddles. This dilemma caught the attention of John Deere, a blacksmith who moved to Illinois in 1836.

Deere decided to look into the problem. From his previous work on plows, he knew that dirt was less likely to stick to highly polished metal. That thought was in the back of his mind when he visited a sawmill (锯木厂) in 1837 and noticed a broken saw made of steel. Deere brought it home and began making a better plow. The plow he wanted would have to cut deep into the soil at a sharp angle so that dirt would fall off, yet it could not put too much burden on the horses pulling it. After several experiments, Deere constructed a new plow that featured wood handles. It proved a success. Unlike the old iron plows, Deere’s not only had a blade from which dirt fell away cleanly, but it also turned the soil more efficiently and quickly.

Demand for Deere’s plows increased sharply, but production was limited by the shortage of polished steel. Initially, Deere could only produce a few plows each year. However, Deere’s persistence paid off as he sourced cheaper steel from Pittsburgh. Amazingly, in 1857, his company manufactured and sold 10, 000 plows!

Deere, a perfectionist, continually improved his plows, introducing multiple new versions in a single year. While this slowed down his production ability, it ensured Deere a solid reputation among his customers. Deere plows became world famous in the 1870s when they outshone the competition in a demonstration in France. That same decade, his company built its first riding plow and designed the leaping deer as its trademark.