1 . The summer when I was ten, my mother decided to bring us to the world of art. My brother and I were not very ________ when we realized that we would have to spend one afternoon a week at the museum. That was not so bad — what really ________ me was that before each visit, she made us ________ artists and painting styles. That felt almost as ________ as being in school. _________, who wants to spend summer thinking about ________when you could be playing at the swimming pool?

First, we have to read about ancient Egyptians and their ________ way of painting, and then look at them at the museum. Unusual style of art always ________ my brother but not me. Later we had to look at pictures of fat babies with wings and curly hair and with no clothes on ________ around the edge of the paintings. ________ those pictures, I still couldn’t see what was so great about art. However, on our last visit to the museum, things ________ —I saw a painting in which a woman was reading to a child. The colors were soft and ________, and it could tell by the mother’s ________ how happy she was just to be with the child. I could ________ take my eyes away from the painting. It was really ________ looking at so many paintings to find one that could interest me so much.

3 . There are no two identical leaves in existence, thus there is no perfect path but only the one that suits oneself.

My son asked me months ago if he could switch from his mainstream high school to a ________ school. At that time, I was unsure and even a little ________.

He wasn’t doing well in his school, and I knew the best thing for him was to ________ to another learning environment to complete his study. But my heart hurt a little that he would not walk the same graduation ________ that I had walked, and also the scenario (设想) I had created was no longer beneficial to his ________.

My son then behaved ________ and had a small friend group. Large groups were complex for him. A school of over 2,500 kids can be difficult for anyone, let alone my boy with social ________.

Then, we decided the vocational school (职业学校) was an option with the same general curriculum ________ by our state to graduate high school. The ________ he had already earned would carry over, and he could graduate early.

By allowing him to go there, we have watched him ________. The difference is astonishing. He becomes productive, he has ________ friendship and participated in a life skills course to help himself with real-life studies, and he also ________ with his teachers.

The most significant change is that he now often comes home ________, enthusiastic about his day, and excited to ________ how his day has gone.

As his momma, it is all I need to know that my son has chosen what is ________ for him.

4 . I used to think my life was perfect. My mom had her dream job and a beautiful office, and I had my own room with a computer and a garden to _________. But one Sunday, everything changed. A hurricane _________ our neighborhood while we were visiting my grandparents in Raleigh. Our kitchen was damaged, and our clean and comfortable home was in ruins.

But something _________ happened. Our neighbors, the Flores family, came to our help. They helped clear broken pieces and _________ us a place to stay. Their _________ was most impressive. We had _________ spoken to them before, but they _________ their home to us and made us feel like family.

We started a new _________ of having weekend dinner together. We invited other families from the neighborhood to join us, and our _________ were filled with laughter and delicious food. It was a beautiful thing to see our __________ come together in a disaster.

I never knew Rosica, their daughter before the hurricane. But she quickly became my friend. She had a gift for __________, and our evenings together were filled with adventure and __________.

Looking back, I realize that the hurricane __________ unexpected advantages. It brought us closer to our neighbors and __________ our lives in ways we never could have imagined. Sometimes, it takes a(n) __________ to bring out the best in people.

5 . Adam Wolfers believes that his son’s autism (自闭症) has a positive impact on his hobby of photography. 10-­year­-old Morgan has always possessed a ________ eye for capturing the world around him through his camera. Diagnosed (被诊断) with autism at the age of 3, Morgan has had a hard time ________ with others.

________ these difficulties, he has shown an exceptional talent for noticing details that ________ others. Morgan has found clarity and focus in nature, particularly in the vivid colors and shapes of plants, leading him to ________ the art of nature photography.

Not ________ with merely capturing pictures, Morgan has even established his own photography business, becoming one of the top sellers in a local shop. ________, he donates ten percent of his ________ to support autistic artists through the Blue Ribbon Arts Initiative.

However, his motivation for photography ________ financial gain, as he simply wants to share the beauty he ________ with others. His work has gained ________, with one of his photos picked by National Geographic for ________ in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

His parents teared up as they told what his photography means. Morgan’s photography has become his saving grace (体面) because it gets people to look ________ his issues. “He’s going to make his ________,” his mother said.

Morgan advises all of us to try new things and explore our ________ and what we want to do. In other words, don’t be afraid to see things differently.

6 . I am employed in an educational institution. Each day, following the ________ of the students, a delightful young woman named Claire often arrives to clean the classrooms and offices. Once a week, I ________ after hours, doing some extra work. So I often chat for a few minutes with her. She always makes me feel good because she's a good listener and willing to talk about her children. Our ________ are consistently enjoyable.

Last week, she seemed unlike her ________ self. She told me that her husband had been ________ from his job, leaving them worried about their financial ________. Later that week, while I was in a department store, my attention was drawn to the shelves lined with sunglasses. After ________ various pairs, I discovered the ideal sunglasses. As I admired my ________ , it occurred to me that Claire would look great while wearing them.________ with my current pair, I purchased the sunglasses for Claire.

Eager to surprise her, I placed them in an elegant bag and ________ put them in her closet for her discovery. The following day, Claire was chatting with a coworker as she ________ the closet. Upon ________ the bag and taking out the sunglasses and a Smile Card, her face lit up with joy. She expressed that it had been days since she had reason to smile and that this act of kindness ________ her spirits.

She penned a note expressing her ________ for my heart-warming gesture. Choosing to gift her the sunglasses instead of myself brought me much satisfaction. I eagerly ________ creating more moments of joy.

9 . Katie Whetsell has been enjoying Disney movies from an early age and would often watch them with her mom, Karen. Confident about herself, Katie knew she _________ would be a performer in the future.

When Katie was nine years old, her family were shocked by an unexpected _________. Katie’s mother was diagnosed (诊断) with cancer. When the doctor told the Whetsell family that Karen’s disease was serious, and that she was _________ to get well again, they made a(n) _________. Disney World had been a longtime dream for Karen. So the family headed to Disney World for a trip that none of them would ever _________.

While they were watching a light show, a performer put her hands on Karen’s shoulder. They exchanged smiles and, to this day, Katie still remembers how _________ her mom looked. This was the day Katie decided she wanted to _________ for Disney. Sadly, Katie’s mom Karen lost her _________. Her family members _________ her every day and often think of that Disney vacation.

Katie went on to pursue (追求) performing for a living. She __________ for years, working as a waitress and trying to make it as a(n) __________. Her effort finally __________ when she was hired as a performer in Disney.

Katie says she could help other families get away from the __________ in their lives, whether it’s a battle with cancer or simply helping adults feel like kids again. “Everything we do at the parks __________. We give people an opportunity to __________ with their childhood.”