1 . Whether it is a relaxing walk or a power one, taking a walk usually only lasts a small duration of time. This was not the _________ for Tom Turcich, though.

On April 2, 2015, Tom decided to walk around the world by himself. It wasn’t a _________thought. His childhood friend died _________ at the age of 17 due to a jet ski accident. _________by how short life was, he was fueled by a strong _________ to live every day to its fullest.

Tom’s walk _________ as a lone journey. But quickly, he found himself missing _________ on the road. And so, while making a stop in Austin, Texas, he _________ Savannah, a rescue dog. Since then, the pair have been making their way across borders, continents and seas, _________ 25, 000 miles in all.

Traveling always has some ups and downs. Tom __________ numerous unexpected delays along the way. He was __________ due to severe weather in Panama and became very ill in Scotland. Also, he had no __________ but to wait out pandemic lockdowns in many countries. But on the __________side, he met many kind people and __________ the beauty of nature in different parts of the world.

Tom __________ something few people have succeeded in, which helped him gain a much larger understanding of the world.

2 . Jeremy Locke, 25, has his own roofing company in Bridgeport, Nova Scotia. For a couple of years before he began his_________, he would drive past the home of Jeanette MacDonald, noticing the_________state of her roof. He was_________—not just for the elderly woman but also for the children living with her. So Locke_________to lend a helping hand.

The young man knocked on MacDonald's door and_________to fix her roof for nothing, "I didn't know who the woman was, but I wanted to_________this for her and her grandchildren," he explained to The Chronicle Herald. However, despite his kind_________, the woman politely turned him down.

MacDonald and her_________left an impression on Locke. He saw_________between the woman and his own grandmother, and couldn't bear to see her in this__________. He had also grown up without much and felt that he should use his skills to__________.

A year after Locke set up his own roofing company, seeing that the roof was__________in a state of disrepair, Locke returned to MacDonald's home and asked MacDonald if she wanted to enter a raffle (抽奖) his company was doing for a__________roof. The 70-year-old woman__________the chance, but little did she know that there was no__________.

MacDonald's relief__________Locke's kindness is immeasurable, "I could win $1 million but it wouldn't make me as__________as knowing I'm getting a new roof on. Jeremy is__________something. He's a guardian angel (守护天使) sent from God."

The__________should cost about $ 9,000 in terms of materials and manpower. However, the only thing Locke wants in return is a home-cooked meal for his staff from the woman who__________him of his grandmother.

3 . A young man was walking by the lakeside when he suddenly saw a piece of gold glittering in the lake. He was so happy that he jumped into the _________ to look for it. But he couldn’t _________ it however hard he tried. Being wet, dirty and tired, he had to go ashore (上岸) for a _________.

Unexpectedly, after the water became _________, the gold appeared again.

He jumped into it again,_________ once again the gold disappeared. So he had to go ashore again to sit beside the _________. He thought, “Where on earth is the gold coin in the water? I have seen it _________, but how come it is that all the attempts were made without any success?” Driven by the _________ to get the gold, he searched the water again and again, but _________, which made him really unwilling to ______________.

At that moment, his father came to ______________ him. Seeing his son wet and dirty, he asked, “What ______________? Why do you look so ______________?”

His son answered, “I see a piece of gold coin in the water clearly, but I can't get it ______________!”

His father looked into the water and it seemed that a gold coin was on the peaceful water. Then he looked up at the tree nearby and said to his son, “You are ______________. Look! It's not a gold coin but the reflection of the metal ______________ on the tree.”

Ordinary people are always busy ______________ illusory (虚幻的) things and all these just result from hoping for ______________, which weakens our ability to ______________ right from wrong. So we should choose the right ______________ of life and learn to understand and thank everything, which will help us live a happy life.

4 . The Fitting-in of Suzy Khan

The first time I saw Suzy Khan, I knew I had to help her. She was really small for her age of 12. The boys in my class often   _______ about her and laughed their heads off. She would open a book, pretending to read, with tears dropping on the open page.

All I knew was that she was an orphan (孤儿) from Africa. She had just been adopted by a family in town who _______ that the best way for her to learn American ways of life was to be with American kids. I looked down at this _______ girl and promised myself that somehow I would help her.

But how could I help her _______ in with us? There had to be a _______ .

One day, when I went into the classroom, I saw that Suzy had _______ her geography book to a picture of a train, and in her notebook, she had made a(n)   _______ copy.

I was surprised and thought that she could do something in the coming _______ show. So, I took her to see the art teacher, Miss Parker, and showed her what Suzy had   _______ . “why, it’s wonderful,” said Miss Parker, who then showed us a poster she had painted ________the talent show. “I need more of these, but I just don’t have enough   ________. Could you help me, Suzy?”

On the day of the talent show, Suzy’s ________ were everywhere ---- all over the hall and all over the school, each one different.

“And finally,” said Mr Brown, the schoolmaster, at the end of the show, “we have a (n) ________ award. I’m sure you’ve all noticed the wonderful posters.” Everyone nodded. “One of our own students ________ them.”

I could hear everyone whispering. “Who in our school could draw ________ well?”

Mr. Brown waited a while before saying, “ ________ this student worked so hard on the posters, she deserves a ________ ,too. Our mystery(神秘) artist is our new student ---- Suzy Khan!”

Mr. Brown thanked her for all the wonderful posters and gave her a professional artist’s set. “Thank you,” she cried.

I ________ , at that time when I was looking at her excited face, she’d probably never   ________ anything in her whole life.

Everyone started to ________their hands. Suzy Khan gave them a shy smile and the applause was deafening. I knew then Suzy was going to be all right.

6 . After working an inhuman 8-hour shift at a factory unloading (卸货) parts for cheap furniture, I got on the bus, dirty, tired and hot. I ______ that place every day looking like I worked in a coal mine. _____, I still felt a bit proud of myself as I had held this tiring job for 3months, which was extremely rare. So when I took my seat on the bus going home, I decided my ______ life would not lower my spirits today.

I was dreaming about a better and new life when I was ______ by our new passenger. She was a middle-aged woman with worn-out clothes and messy hair. She got on, aggressively and ______ pushed her way into a front seat, and then turned her glare and ______ on whoever dared to look her way.

All I could feel for this woman was ______. There was no disgust. Only pity and the familiar knowledge of being faceless, nameless, and ______ to no one. Suddenly, she turned her threatening eyes towards me and very loudly yelled, “Why you so ______ man?”

With a smile, I said, “I just came from work.” She then loudly asked if I worked in hell and broke out in laughter, so I laughed too﹣______ her and told her that was funny. Then I asked her her name as I ______ why I was so dirty. Her name was Karen.

In front of all of us on the bus that day, the power of ______ showed its beauty. In front of all of us this woman ______. Her language, her posture, and her voice, even the way she tilted (倾斜) her head when I spoke to her as a ______ changed.

As Karen was getting off the bus, she touched me ______ on the arm. With tear-filled eyes, she asked whether I’d be riding the bus the next day. I promised I ______. We waved to each other and then I got what my life had needed all along: affirmation (认可).

Everyone on the bus had been watching us and then an old woman spoke to me, “Sir, you just changed that woman with your heart. She will never forget how you ______ her. You are great.” Other passengers gave me thumbs-up signs showing their ______.

That day was the first day when I realized I am ______. People say I gave Karen something that day but actually she ______ me so much more. I now work in the field of mental health. I often tell the story of the power of kindness, and I talk about Karen and unlimited possibilities.

7 . Yesterday, a salesman called me to sell his phone plans. I was at work and as I usually don’t like spending time on those things, I _________ myself that I couldn’t talk yet and _________ that he call me back at 6 pm.

That’s what he did. So we talked about 20 minutes. He _________ to me his different phone plans. While listening to him, sometimes I was_________ in thought. I gave several “hmm hmm” as a sign of agreement and to_________ that I was still there. Sometimes, I felt a bit _________   . But I stayed calm and _________ until the end of the discussion.

Finally, he said the following to me: “Thank you, Olivier. You are the first person in a long time with whom I had an enjoyable conversation. _________, people shout at us and slam down the phone. Today, since 10 am, I haven’t had a phone _________ without arousing anger. I know you had a long day at work and you could have   __________ in front of your TV. But you listened so carefully to me. I am __________ and I sincerely thank you.”

It set me thinking. He had been the __________ of verbal violence (语言暴力) all through his working day. Physical __________ do not exist in this situation but dehumanization (去人性化) seems to happen. __________, he was only doing his job. I felt a sense of   __________ that I hadn’t treated him so rudely.

10 . My 14-year-old son, John, and I spotted the coat at the same time at a second-hand clothing store. It had a black velvet (丝绒) collar, delightful tailoring, a Fifth Avenue label and a(an) _________ price of merely $28. We looked at each other, saying nothing, but John’s eyes _________. Dark, woolen topcoats were popular just then with teenagers, but could cost several hundred dollars now. John put the coat on and _________ it. He turned from side to side, _________ himself in the mirror with a serious, studied _________ that soon changed into a smile. It’s a perfect _________.

John wore the coat to school the next day and came home wearing a big smile. “How did the kids like your coat?” I asked. “They love it.” He said, carefully _________ it on the chair and smoothing it flat. Over the next few weeks, the _________came over John. Quiet, reasoned discussion _________ argument. He became more thoughtful and eager to ____________. “Good dinner, Mum,” he would say every evening. One day when I ____________ that he start on homework before dinner, John said, “You are right, and I guess I will.”

When I asked one of his teachers ____________ caused the changes, she said with laughter, “It must be his coat!”

John and I both know we should never ____________ a person’s clothes for the real person within them. But it is meaningful to ____________ a standard of excellence for the world to see, to practice a standard of excellence in thought, speech and behavior, and to ____________ what is on the inside with what is on the outside.