3 . “I don’t want to see that cat in our yard again,” my husband said as he shooed the beautiful cat back into the neighbor’s yard. “I don’t appreciate her cat ________ in our yard,” he insisted. Sighing, I sent off a quick________ to our sweet neighbor, Cheryl, informing her of my husband’s ________ of cats. “I’ll do my best,” she replied some time later, “but it’s kind of hard ________ where she goes when I let her outside.”

The following morning, John stood at the window in our bedroom. “You aren’t going to ________ this,” he said in a low voice. “Come look!” “Oh, my God!” I cried ________. Right in the center of our yard were two ________ groundhogs (土拨鼠). John raised the ________, and the two raced into the woods ________. That evening, I happened to glance out the window, only to see a big fat groundhog chewing on the flowers we’d planted. “Something’s got to be done!” John shouted. He surfed the Internet and looked up what ________ the groundhog could cause and how they could be ________. “The groundhogs do not like cats. That’s ________… in fact, they hate the ________ of soiled kitty litter. Um… why don’t you text Cheryl and let her know the cat ban has been ________?” I couldn’t help smiling to myself.

That evening, we spotted the sweet yellow cat in our yard searching mice. The groundhogs were nowhere to be ________. “It’s a beautiful evening, isn’t it?” My husband smiled as we sat on the sofa.

4 . Last summer I talked with my daughter studying in her last year in high school about her graduation album. I asked which _________ she selected to take her pictures for it. She told me she _________ no one, adding she’d rather have a friend or family member snap a few candid (抓拍的) shots and _________ from them. It would be a good idea to me since she _________ available photos of herself, and it would be a _________ to spend hundreds of dollars and have her like none of the photos. Of course, I asked her several times to be _________ afterwards.

After two _________ she still didn’t like any of the photos I took for her very much and told me she wasn’t submitting one for the graduation album. As the _________ was fast approaching, I warned her that the school might use her _________ from her school ID and asked again if she was certain she wanted to go this route. Her answer was __________ so I decided to let it go.

Yes. I could have picked a photo my daughter didn’t like and submitted it behind her back, but I knew it wouldn’t have __________ well. So I didn’t do that.

My daughter is __________ enough to make such a decision on her own. It’s her senior year. The fact that she doesn’t want to __________ a senior portrait for the graduation album doesn’t __________ there’s anything wrong with her. I need to let her do her thing.

I had my senior year and did it the way I wanted. Now it’s my daughter’s __________.

5 . Brie Peters had a passion for music. She grew up singing in school choirs, learning piano and ________ people with her musical abilities. It was almost a ________ for her to pursue a degree in music, although she recalls now that she also thought about going into ________ at that time. But many people in her life ________ her to major in vocal performance, so she did. “I always felt like I was told what to do, never having a choice for myself,” she recalls.

Her music career showed instant ________ after she graduated from college. She sang in front of thousand of people worldwide. But soon she began to feel that there was more she could do. “Working with thousands of people in large groups ________ a time wasn’t ________ enough for me,” she says. “I ________ the eye contact and the personal care that truly makes a difference,” She adds. She wasted no time and began ________ her degree in nursing right away.

Peters is now celebrating her ________ into the Master of Nursing program at the University of Minnesota. She’s ________ beginning her nursing journey later.

She admits that nursing is hard work and can be ________, but has ________ doubted that it’s worth it. “People come into a hospital ________ for help. It is such an ________ to be a part of that and spend my life caring for those in need,” she says.

6 . Karis Wales, Isha and Diya Goel were born prematurely. The twins and Karis, who has a twin brother, are now 13. They were born and cared for at the same Arizona hospital, just days apart. After reuniting in the sixth grade, Karis, Isha, and Diya formed a close ______ . A year later, they decided to create a club called Knots for NICU at school to help ______ families like theirs.

Premature births are not uncommon for ______.“Both of us, size and width, were about the ______ of a loaf of bread,” Diya said. It’s a(an)“______ roller coaster” for parents, she added, not knowing if their children will survive. Karis has also been told about her parents’ ______ when she and her brother were born. “It was especially ______ because I got out of the NICU prior to my twin brother,” Karis explained. For her mother, being ______ in two places at once — at home with Karis and at the hospital with her brother — was ______ challenging.

Learning how tiny they were at birth has helped the girls ______ clothes for preemies (早产儿). Knots for NICU meets weekly. They crochet (钩针), knit, and ______ everything from headbands to blankets for ______ in Banner Desert’s NICU.

Once the school year ended, the founders gathered to ______ 120 pieces of the clothing. The girls hope that their club’s work will ______ the struggles of families caring for premature babies. In the future, they hope to host knitting workshops and ______ their initiative in order to help even more families.

8 . As the other four players enjoy the crucial victory in an Arena Of Valor competition, they remained unaware that their teammate Lu Dong is a Paralympic _________ champion who plays with her feet.

At 32, Lu Dong has _________ a lot of medals over her 19-year swimming career. Meanwhile, she has enriched her daily life by _________ into various hobbies.

Lu _________ an interest in Arena Of Valor in 2017. _________, her appearances in internet cafes drew a lot of curious glances, which made her _________ However, it also led to generous compliments when others _________ her remarkable skills. “They praised me after watching me play so well with my feet, which gave me a sense of _________,” Lu said. Besides video games, Lu has _________ an hour daily to piano practice for the past three years and has also __________ her skills in both cooking and beauty makeup.

Losing her __________ in a childhood accident, Lu stop participating in P. E. classes to avoid __________ in her elementary school days, which made her physically and mentally __________. Luckily, she was recommended to join the provincial swimming team in 2004. She won two golds and two silvers in the youth group of the National Championship in 2005, earning a __________ in the national squad (代表队). Lu’s __________ performances in the pool caught the eye of Beijing Sports University in 2020, __________ the beginning of her college journey.

Changing from a (n) __________ girl to a national champion, Lu gained immense confidence. She no longer __________ to wear T-shirts in summer or to tuck her sleeves into her pockets in winter.

“It was swimming that __________ the girl who always talked a lot and the girl who was brave enough to __________ the fixed image of the disabled.” Lu said.

9 . “Are you ready for our walk?” Grandma asked the usual question every Friday evening. “Of course, we are!” We ________ excitedly. Growing up, my sisters and I always knew Grandma had heart problems and couldn’t do anything hard, but we did know she would do anything to spend more with us.

One day, we were told that Grandma only had 2% heart ________. Her heart was ________, but she found out that there was a way to live longer: a surgery.

The ________ of the surgery was rough for our family, as we woke up bright and early to ________to the hospital. That car ride left me with worried thoughts ________ through my mind: Will Grandma be okay? Will we ever take another walk?

When we arrived at the hospital, we knew exactly where to go, as we had been there many times before. After________ those familiar doors up the stairs, my mom and I walked up to the nurses’ desk and asked for Grandma.

“Oh, Mary?” A nurse answered. “She’s one of the nicest ________ we had.” Then she ________ us to the waiting room and told us that only two of us were permitted to go into the ward (病房) to say goodbye to Grandma before she went in for surgery.

When my turn came, I________ the chance. I ran forward and gave her the biggest hug with tearful eyes. Grandma, holding me tightly in her arms, said, “I know there’s a chance I won’t ________ it, but I love you forever.” I comforted her, “Don’t worry, honey. We are all waiting for you here.” Then she was ________, leaving us waiting and praying anxiously.

Finally, after the longest morning of my life, the doctor entered the waiting room smiling. “Mary is out of surgery. You’re allowed to visit her as long as you’re ________.” he said. ________swept over my body and tears began rolling down my face. Thank goodness, I had grandma back! Once we walked into the room, there lay Grandma, looking peaceful yet painful with so many tubes ________ to her. I felt so shocked but so happy.

10 . “A new student is waiting in your room.” My principal announced. “Name’s Mary. I’ll talk to you about her.” I nodded, some materials in my hands. “Fine,” I said. “We’re making valentine envelopes, a good way for her to get ________.”

She sat in the back of the room, her hands ________ in her lap. “Welcome, Mary. I’m glad you are in our room.” No ________. “Mary.” I said again. She raised her head and looked into my eyes. A chill went through me. The eyes in that face were unexpectedly ________ as if the owner of a house had drawn the blinds (百叶窗).

The bell rang, little time to worry about Mary. After ________ Mary into her desk, I distributed materials and then hurried to the office. There I learned weeks ago, someone had broken into her home, killing her mother in Mary’s ________. She survived but had been ________ since. “Give her ________,” the principal suggested.

I returned and grabbed a chance to explain this to my students. “It may be a long time ________ she joins us, but you can do your bit.” How loving they could be once they understood. On Valentine’s Day, Mary’s envelopes overflowed. Although studying each card without ________, she replaced it in her container.

Later on a March day, my children noticed the flowers ________ and advised making flower baskets! It was something to lift our ________. Remembering the valentine incident, I expected nothing from Mary; ________, I encouraged her to try. Soon, a boy exclaimed: “Look at Mary’s basket. So pretty!” I was dumbfounded at its beauty, asking how she managed it. She looked at me with the shining eyes of any ________ girl and replied “Mother loved flowers.”

“God, you’ve given us a ________.” I put my arms around Mary. I’ve kept the followers in my desk just to remind me of the lasting power of love.