1 . When I was about 5 or 6 years old, my mother set me down on a purple banana-seat bike. She _________held the back of the seat while I found my balance. Then she gave me a _________and let me go，calling，“Pedal(踩踏板)，pedal，pedal，glide(滑行)!”as I rode across the grass.

When I was older, I _________ a soccer team and I always rode my bike to go to _________. On my bike, my_________was my own. I can do what I want to. After a(n) _________ practice, I would pick an apple from a tree in the garden near the soccer _________ and eat it while I pedaled home, or _________ to the shop and go home with some of my favorite snacks.

Then I got married and had babies. _________ the house for a two-hour ride was no longer a(n) ____________. When my girls got older, my mom ____________ them to ride their own bikes. “Pedal, pedal, pedal, glide!” she’d ____________ as she used to. But this time it was me ____________ after them with my hand on the seat.

Last spring, my mother died suddenly. I was in deep ____________. Every morning, I’d leave my hotel and ____________ my bike to a bike path. She’s never going to teach us again. I wanted to cry.

2 . About three years ago, a tornado attacked our town. My father and I _________ to visit my grandparents to make sure they were okay. Upon arrival, I took my regular seat and _________ with Grandma about what was on our mind to pass the time. _________, the power was out and it got dark in what seemed like a matter of minutes.

Then, Grandma turned to me and asked with _________ eyes that stared right past me, “Now you’re graduating this year, aren’t you?” As a freshman, I was _________, about this strange question. Actually, Grandma could exactly _________ you when every one of her grandchildren was born. _________, I assured her that I was not yet a(n) _________, and still had a few years until graduation.

Soon, my father asked if I was ready to go home. I silently _________ my head—yes. Into the car, I __________ and couldn’t stop weeping. My father asked me what was wrong. “Is Grandma going to __________ my graduation?” I asked.

It took him a long time to respond, “Yes. She may not know where she is, but she will be there, no matter what.” The rest of the car ride home was __________. When we eventually arrived home, I rushed to my room and cried for hours. That night, I could picture that Grandma’s __________ would be changed from the care giver to care receiver.

Ever since that talk with my Grandma, I have matured and __________. Her Alzheimer (阿尔茨海默症) has progressed to about stage 3 now. At my graduation, I was sitting on the stage seeing Grandma there sitting with the rest of my family. “She may not know where she is, but she will be there”. My father’s words __________ in my ears.