1 . Wang Fang, a Suzhou native, has given her heart and soul to Kunqu Opera. Wang, who has twice won the Plum Performance Award — China’s top award for theater and opera performances-started to learn the traditional art form in 1977.

Born with a melodic voice, Wang loved to sing and dance when she was little. She performed frequently, and was recruited by the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Troupe (剧团) when she was in middle school. However, her parents refused the troupe’s invitation, insisting that she should concentrate on her studies and not drop out of school. After members of the troupe visited the parents repeatedly and showed great sincerity,Wang’s parents finally agreed.

Learning the traditional art form was never easy. She started to learn how to pronounce words, sing them lyrically and make gestures gently. As an actress playing martial artists roles at first, she had to spend extra time practicing kung fu movements. Years later, Wang used the word “unimaginable” to describe how hard the days were when she first learned Kunqu. She was soaked in sweat when practicing movements in summer, while in winter she often had chilblains (冻疮) on her hands when training in shabby classrooms with broken windows. “But I was young and determined at the time. No matter how difficult, I always got up early the next morning to practice,” Wang recalls.

Wang says she did not love Kunqu at first, but in her early 20s,when she watched the show Peony Pavilion performed by Zhang Jiqing, a master of the art form, it clicked. “I was shocked,” Wang says. “Her every movement was full of elegance and delicacy. Each of her lines and songs was perfect. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of Kunqu for the first time in my life, and it has stayed with me since.” Now, Wang has herself become a master of Kunqu. Her performances have impressed generations and helped to promote the art form among young people.

2 . Bournemouth in Dorset has always been my favourite seaside town. When I was growing up, Mum and Dad didn’t have much money, but they’d saved enough for a few days in Bournemouth. I was four years old at the time. I don’t actually remember much about the trip, apart from being devastated when we had to leave. Mum said I fell in love with the place and insisted on waving goodbye to the sea when it was time to go. So I grew up believing Bournemouth was a wonderful place.

Forty years on, my wife and I returned for a week’s break. I was nervous, wondering if I’d be able to bring back that delight I’d felt as a child. I needn’t have worried. We had a fantastic time. It helped that the British weather had decided to provide us with high temperatures and plenty of sun. But it was Bournemouth that kept me spellbound, making me feel like a child again.

Bournemouth and its neighbour, Boscombe, are always busy, alive with chatter, music and other lively sounds. But as we stepped into Boscombe Chine Gardens, all the noise faded away. A sense of peace spread through us as we meandered along the paths, delighting in the squirrels climbing up and down the trees and the bright colours of the pretty plants.

One morning, we made a short trip to Poole Quay and took the ferry to Brownsea Island. Owned by the National Trust, it’s a feast for the eyes, from its mock Tudor entrance, to the many peacocks walking around, to the magnificent views of the sun sparkling on the shining waters and boats bobbing up and down, seen from the island’s highest point.

Before we knew it, it was time to return home—but not before waving goodbye to the sea.

4 . At noon, I would race breathlessly home, a ten-minute walk from my school. My mother was waiting for me with pleasure to have lunch while I shared what happened at school.

I had been picked to be the princess in the school play, and for weeks my mother had rehearsed (排练) my lines so hard with me. But no matter how easily I acted at home, hardly had I stepped on stage when every word escaped me. Finally, my teacher asked me to change to a narrator’s (解说员) part. Her word, kindly expressed, still hurt, especially when I saw my part go to another girl.

I didn’t tell my mother what had happened that day. But she sensed my pain. Instead of suggesting we practice my lines, she asked if I wanted to walk in the yard.

Under the rose vine, we could see yellow dandelions (蒲公英), as if a painter had touched our landscape with shades of gold. I watched my mother casually bend down by one dandelion. “I’m going to dig up all these weeds,” she said, pulling it up by its roots. “From now on, we’ll have only roses in this garden.”

“But I like dandelions,” I argued. “All flowers are beautiful — even dandelions.”

My mother asked thoughtfully, “Yes, every flower gives pleasure in its own way, doesn’t it?” I nodded, pleased I had won her over. “And that is true of people too,” she added. I burst into tears, a mixture of relief and regret swelling up as I told her what had happened.

“But you will be a beautiful narrator,” she said, encouraging me as she did. “The narrator’s part is important, too.” Composing myself gradually, I began to accept the narrator’s part. Then came the performance day. I was still nervous, but it was at that very moment that I found a dandelion in my pocket. It was obvious that my mom secretly put the flower there, which magically gave me confidence.

5 . Last May I bought some sweet potatoes for food. Several days later, a tuber (块茎) left in the kitchen was sprouting (发芽). Thinking it was a waste of money to throw it away, I_________ the tuber into a pot hoping it might take root and _________ something that could be put on the dinner table.

_________, the tuber did take root and began to grow. In the following months I _________ it when necessary and it grew very well. Seeing that it was autumn and that the plant would not grow any longer, I decided to _________ . I pulled out the plant, which took some_________ and began to dig with my fingers to see if there was any tuber in the pot. When my fingers could almost _________ the bottom of the pot, I took the root and pulled it carefully, for the potato could _________ easily. As almost no earth was left, I tried to pull again and again but I failed to lift it up. In _________, I pushed the pot over and found the root was outside the pot! It had grown through one of the holes in the bottom.

Then and there I changed my opinion of this plant, for the seemingly soft plant gained the__________ of me. Very carefully I __________ all the soil out of the pot, __________ the root might be harmed or broken. Holding the root, I was deep in thought. The root outside the pot looked like a __________ and strong finger of an old farmer who has __________ his life to make a living. The end of the root was dark grey and __________ Obviously, the peel (皮) must have been removed during its struggle with the __________ of the heavy pot. It struck me that the tuber, though seriously __________, had struggled hard and it seemed it had never__________.

Such is a sweet potato, an ordinary-looking plant with __________ characteristics. It managed to grow where I thought it was almost impossible to __________.

6 . Extremely tired from work, I finally made it back home at 1 a.m., to find my husband drinking whiskey with a stranger in our lounge. What an unusual _________!

Out of _________, I had to stay up and _________ them. “Hello!” I said, waiting for some kind of introduction or _________. They said nothing, just smiling at me.

“So? What’s going on then?” I asked. My husband replied, “I _________ a new friend at the pub. It’s Andre Agassi, the world No. 1 tennis player.”

I was now _________. It was late and this was no time for childish _________.

“Agassi” _________ into his back pocket and _________ in it for something. Then he pulled out a photo.

“I’m not Andre Agassi, but you do __________ me. The last time you saw me, I looked like this.” He __________ a passport photo of my cousin, Ali, at age 5. I had not __________ him since my childhood.

At the age of 12, I was brought to America, leaving all my family behind. It was __________ and I missed them all terribly at first. But __________, they all became a distant memory.

Ali, a child then, once had a passport photo taken. He looked so __________ in it! This photo became a favorite within our entire family. Everyone got a __________.

And now, here was this __________ man, sitting on my sofa. I buried my face in my hands and just __________. Ali and that little photo __________ my childhood life, my entire family, my history! Suddenly they were all __________agai, no longer a vague memory.

8 . About five years ago, I was part of a pilot group (试验组) for my employer tasked with figuring out how to hire and instruct people with disabilities and make them successful inside the organization. Until then we had only _______ people with visually challenged disability. I led the interview process and hiring of a candidate with an autism (自闭症) disability. The candidate had the _______ but our interview panel felt that the disability would _______ him from learning the skills and being successful in the role.

I _______ my peers to give him a role, and try out — also, it was a pilot program meant for our organization to learn. I gave the candidate a lot of _______ and I became one of his instructors. Our HR department was not too supportive to take some _______ . So we could only hire him as a(an) _______ contractor (合同工).

The candidate _______ and surely blossomed in the workplace. There were many _______ along the way but the candidate came to be ________ by his colleagues and his leadership. I ________ to instruct him closely and helped him to ________ a number of challenges that his disability ________ at the workplace and home. The candidate too ________ many friends and ________ at the workplace. Fast forward five years, he called me last night to let me know that he got a ________ offer yesterday from his manager as a regular employee with a job title. I ________ him and told him my joy knowing no bounds on his success. He went on to say “Sir, without your ________ all these years, I would not be here”. I told him “Your success is the reward of your hard work and ________ . You are an inspiration to a lot of people with ________ disabilities.

10 . It took me a long time and a lot of hard work but I finally returned to the University of Texas in the fall of 1983 — a year and a half after almost dying.

The next few years in Austin were very ______ and busy but very full for me, for besides attending classes at the University I ______ therapy (治疗) three to five days each week at Brackenridge Hospital. I have experienced too many sufferings. ______ , I truly believe that in order to see beauty in life you have to ______ some unpleasantness.

I thought of my family and Sharon who believed so ______ in me as I climbed the steps to receive my ______ from the Dean (院长) of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas on that bright sunny afternoon in June of 1986. Excitement and ______ filled my heart as I heard the dean ______ that I had graduated ______ “highest honors”.

On May 24, 1987, I realized that nothing could ever ______ the joy I felt as Sharon and I were ______ . To me, Sharon is my miracle in a world ______ problems, hurt, and pain are seen everywhere. It was her faith and love that ______ me through so many ______ days. While other nineteen-year-old girls were going to parties and enjoying life, Sharon ______ her life to my recovery. That, to me, is the true definition of ______ .

I couldn’t help but think how ironic (讽刺的) it was that my life almost ______ in a convenience store and now at 3：10 p.m. July 11, 1990, Sharon and I ______ the birth of our beautiful daughter, Shawn Elyse Segal!

At that moment I ______ God for blessing us with the greatest ______ of all — Shawn Elyse Segal.