1 . Ever since we were together, my wife has known about a magical place called Lincoln City, a modest beach town on the central-Oregon ______. But for me, it holds a Shangri-La-like myth. Lincoln City is where I spent one ______ week each year as a boy, ______ the rough beaches for beautiful pebbles, fishing off the local pier, and ______ matches outside my aunt’s beach house. These are ______ my happiest childhood memories.

So it was with great ______ that, not long after marrying, I took my wife to visit the “Best Place” in the world. For me, it was every bit as ______ as I remember. For her, no so much. She couldn’t ______ the fishy smell as well as the chilly wind. Ever since, she has considered Lincoln City my unexplainable ______ with no basis in reality.

In most cases, our assessments of a place or experience seldom differ. In this case, our wildly ______ perceptions of Lincoln City can be ______ by one of the strangest and most powerful feelings that humans ______: nostalgia (怀旧). Psychologists have-defined nostalgia as a, self-conscious, ______ but dominantly positive- experience, a defense response to unhappiness and a relief from a negative mood. Maybe that is why on a windy ______ day, the kind that would normally make me ______, a fishy smell will bring me the mixed feelings that my wife couldn’t share.

2 . He is a born dwarf, only 100 centimeters tall. His _________ did not bring joy to his family, but cast a shadow on his parents’ hearts. Because he _________ a rare disease, his bones are as _________ as glass.

He showed great interest in music at an early age, — _________ the piano. However, it is not easy for a person with weak hands and feet to learn it. Every time he has to rely on others to _________ him to get up and down the piano seat.

Later, his father figured out a way to — _________ a special assistor (助力器) on the piano, which made it easier for his feet to move the pedal. Even so, he often has _________ situations in the process of practicing the piano, but he _________ them and practices the piano crazily. At the age of 13,he was recommended to two musicians and under their careful guidance, his talents were undoubtedly _________.

When he performed in public for the first time, he ____________ in front of the stage for three minutes before starting to play. After the performance, there was a brief ____________ in the audience, and then thunderous applause ____________.

Someone asked him why he stood for three minutes first. He explained, “Many people came because they were ____________ about my figure. Let them see enough before my performance.”

Being in the magical music world, he forgot the pain caused by his broken limbs and became full of ____________ and high spirits. Instead of focusing on his physical body, people looked up at the “height” of his ____________ with admiration.

3 . It’s been over a year since I started my volunteer work as a caregiver at a well-known location here in Oklahoma. During a recent visit, I had a(n) ________ with a nurse there. We discussed how I ran into some issues with my right leg after a terrible fall. I was sharing how my new ________ led me to have to make some personal changes and so I ________ some at-home projects, such as a vegetable garden, a chicken pen, and my pet birds, when Judith wheeled over and politely introduced herself. She ________ offered me a like-new bird cage to replace my ________ one, and I gratefully accepted her ________.

When I went to Judith’s house to ________ the bird cage, she asked if I could ________ her for an upcoming surgery since she had no one else to rely on. I felt ________ to be chosen to take care of her after the ________. Judith, who is also a ________ and has devoted many years to working as a hospital volunteer, truly ________ to be treated with kindness and respect.

This experience serves as a beautiful example of two ________ showing random act s of kindness towards each other. I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason, and I am truly ________ for the opportunity to care for Judith. In the future, should I ever need ________, I hope to receive the same loving support.

4 . Changing the world may be impossible, but changing a world is realistic—that’s how Lorenzo Amani looks on the life. Amani’s journey from the football team to the ________ world is a story of perseverance and personal growth.

Growing up in a military family, Amani experienced frequent moves and ________ requirements, which influenced his character and ________ his capacity to handle stress, particularly in sports. ________, a career-ending foot injury in his junior year ________ his dream of football. With the encouragement and assistance of coaches and the staff, Amani ________ his attention on other off-field interests—studying at Virginia Tech. “Student athletes at the time didn’t really study abroad,” he said. “We were generally too busy ________ our sport. This was a (n) ________ experience that taught me that we’re all a lot more alike than we are ________, even in various corners of the world.”

Following his graduation, Amani served as an academic coach to ________ others facing the same career ________ from sports to others post-college. It’s a (n) ________ many athletes struggle with—fewer than 2 percent of student athletes go on to be professional athletes.

Today, Amani has founded an athleisure clothing company, with a (n) ________ to contributing a portion of its profits to organizations that offer education training to minorities. Additionally, he remains devoted to ________ individuals, helping develop their leadership skills and financial literacy.

Amani’s experience proves that as long as we ________ setbacks (挫折) bravely, we can change not just our own world, but the world of others as well.

5 . A decade ago, the day before Christmas, my mother announced we were no longer celebrating Christmas. “Boys, go to find a big _________ that we can use as a tree”. My mother said, “We are going to _________ the tree with leftovers for the seagulls to eat. Those guys must get _________ in winter when there isn’t much _________.”

“Mom, we don’t want to _________ you, but does anyone else think it kind of crazy?” One of my brothers asked _________. “You’ll do whatever your mother wants.” My father jumped into _________ . Then on the -30°beach, my family gathered around a branch stuck into the _________ with boxes of food to _________ what my mom named “Seagull Day.” Our bodies shook, fingers __________.

Ten years later, with the chill of the air and the __________ of kids, my mom declared, “Find little places on the tree to __________ the snacks. Think of them as beautiful decorations.” My daughters, nieces and nephews __________ immediately with wild joy. When the boxes and bags of snacks were __________, we stood back and __________ our creation. We asked a passer-by to take pictures of us with our tree. “What’s this all about?” She asked __________.

“It’s Seagull Day!” The kids said __________. They were surprised when people hadn’t heard of Seagull Day. To them, it was a(an)__________—maybe as big as a national—holiday.

My social media posts and pictures have __________ long lines of questions and the “I want to do this next year!” promise. I __________ everyone, “Yes, you do!”

6 . Henry Bond was about ten years old when his father died, thus left the family entirely in his mother’s care. His mother found it _______to provide for the support of a large family. However, by good _________, she made great efforts to do organize things well, and also to send Henry, the oldest, to school, and to supply him, for the most part, with such _________ as he needed.

At one time, however, Henry wanted a _________, in order to join a class in that study, and his mother could not _________ him with the money to buy it. He was very much _________ about it, and went to bed with a _________ heart, thinking what could be done.

On waking in the morning, he found that a _________ snow had fallen, and the cold wind was blowing _________. “Ah,” said he, “it is an ill wind that blows nobody good.”

He rose, ran to the house of a neighbor, and offered his __________ to clear a path around his blocks. The offer was accepted. Having completed this work, and received his __________, he went to another place for the same __________, and then to another, until he had earned enough to buy a grammar.

When school __________, Henry was in his seat, the happiest boy there, ready to begin the lesson in his new book.

From that time, Henry, was always the first in all his classes. He knew no such word as fail, but always succeeded in all he __________. Having the __________, he always found the way.

7 . I’ve wanted a cat for as long as I can remember. _________, my whole family, except for Dad, has wanted a cat for a long time. About a year ago, Dad finally _________. He went to the animal shelter to bring home three-month-old Larry. My two younger sisters and I jumped for joy. At first, Larry _________ constantly because of our two large pet dogs. It wasn’t long, though, before he taught us an important _________.

The day was very _________ outside. Our family of five, along with our two dogs, _________ the warm fireplace. The dogs, weighing about ninety pounds each, were sleeping in _________ together in their new dog bed after a long day of activity.

Larry had been keeping a(n) _________ eye from his cat post. All at once, he bounced off the floor, raced over to where the dogs were sleeping and _________ them sharply. Larry wanted the new dog bed for himself. The second Larry __________ them, the dogs jumped up. Both raced off their bed and out of Larry’s __________, their tails between their legs.

Seeing the funny scene, we couldn’t help but __________. What had just happened? Had our cat just kicked two ninety-pound dogs off their bed? Perfectly placed next to the warm fireplace, Larry fell asleep and had a wonderful nap(小睡). No one __________ him, not even the dogs.

We learnt something important from Larry that day, which we won’t soon forget: __________ doesn’t matter. If you want something, go to __________ it.

8 . Bryanna Cook and her mum, Yolanda Cook, were headed to see Bryanna’s grandma when Ms Cook had a stroke while ________. After the car stopped in the woods, the mum became unresponsive and Bryanna took up her ________ immediately.

Recalling the scary incident, Bryanna said: “I was scared, so I called my grandmother.” Her grandmother told her to call 911. After she ________ the dispatcher (调度员) Ms Malone. Bryanna then ________ her surroundings and the ________of her mum.

Ms Malone said that while she had Bryanna on the 911 line, she used her phone to talk to Bryanna’s grandmother for more ________. Over the next two hours, Bryanna ________Ms Malone’s instructions. Bryanna said she opened the doors to give her mother some ________ air and, “I tapped her on the face to ________ if she would wake up, but she didn’t.”

Information from Bryanna and her grandmother ________ brought first rescuers to the car, Ms Malone said. The mum was taken to North Mississippi Medical Center. Bryanna stayed with her mother at the ________ until she was released October 31.

“Her teachers and the school principal were all very supportive,” Ms Cook said. Bryanna is a first grader at Fairview Elementary School. Fairview Principal Johnson said Bryanna displayed values the teachers try to ________ the students. “The level of ________ my heart felt when I learned of Bryanna’s story is immeasurable, he said. “Bryanna is always ________ in any situation; therefore, it is not hard to ________ that she was able to help as she and her mom were rescued.”

9 . My husband and I were enjoying wandering through the stores in a shopping center. We went into a shop that sold ______ items in hopes of finding a few last-minute ______ gifts. The pleasant smell of handmade soaps teased our noses as we walked through the door.

As I walked through the store, I ______ a wooden plaque (牌匾) hanging on a wall. I turned to ______ and nodded my head “yes” at the ______ on the plaque. Moving on, I enjoyed looking at other items some salesmen dressed in Santa Clauses in the store carried. ______, I found myself being ______ back to the plaque.

Standing in front of the plaque, I felt like a child who, when ______ through the sandpit (沙坑), finds some ______ treasure: a shining coin or a lost toy. Here among the other handmade items, I found a very ______, yet heart-touching treasure hidden in a message. A message I needed.

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to ______ in the rain.”

How often in our daily lives have we put conditions on our ______? When we get the house ______ off, then we can be happy. When things ______ with the kids, then we’ll be able to do more together. There is so little joy for the here and now in the uncertainties of the whens and thens.

Looking at the plaque, I found ______ unknowingly live the plaque’s message. I slipped off my ______ in a light rain and began walking ______ through the water. Maybe my neighbors thought that I had lost my last wisdom, but I don’t ______. For in that moment, I was alive. I wasn’t ______ about bills, the future or any other day-to-day cares.

The plaque now hangs in my living room. I walk past many times each day and ______ pause to ask myself: “So, am I dancing in the rain?”

I think I am. I know I try to. One step at a time, I am learning to dance in the rain.

10 . Every Saturday we trained with the same marathon running club. I had no idea he was blind because he _________ past me alongside his guide runner. It took a few weeks before I was _________ asking him what, if anything, he could see. I wasn’t just _________ by his running times. He also had a beautiful smile that lit up the room.

We had our first _________ date climbing the famous sand dune on Pacific Coast Highway. Eight years into our marriage, Adrian decided to learn to _________, so he could fulfill his dream of competing in an Ironman triathlon.

Adrian’s first lesson was a _________, but his coach’s enthusiasm was short-lived. His next instructor was easy to give in and recommended my husband _________ swimming. So, being a competitive swimmer in high school, I was _________ I could teach him.

Soon I realized how much of a _________ swimming was for my husband, even with a tether rope. His progress at each lesson was slow but __________. Nearly a month later, he tried without the tether rope, but __________ going in the wrong direction. Every time I raised my voice over the roaring waves he felt so __________ by my instructions.

Fortunately these days we laugh because Adrian is even faster than I am. He has grown more __________ with me when I have to raise my voice. I, __________, no longer say, “You went the wrong way!”, which makes him feel bad. Instead, I say, “Over here,” to which he ________ , and then swims back toward me.