2 . I’m not a barber but I cut my 5-year-old son’s hair. Normally, it would be _________ to get him to sit down for a mere 5 minutes, let alone 20.

Anyway, I began a haircut _________ the other day with a firm speech, “Ethan, I need you to sit _________ and behave yourself.” Strangely enough, he _________ to do it for the first 7 minutes. Then he started to swing his legs and arms and _________. My speech now sounded more like _________, “Please Ethan, don’t move. When it’s done, it’ll make a _________ and you shall get some candy.”

I tried my best to calm him down and it was somewhat _________. This was only because I took some time to explain the _________ and how he’d look different after that. When he understood the purpose, he was __________ to sit through the discomfort to obtain the __________ at the end. I had just taught my son how to be __________.

All things come to those who __________, as life experiences are just like getting a haircut. If we learn to not __________ and give the barber a chance to finish our haircut, we can __________ looking better than we ever had our entire life.

3 . Szczecin, an ancient city in northwestern Poland, has plenty to offer to visitors. Without doubt, the Pomeranian Duke’s Castle and Kasprowicza Park are two of its most popular tourist attractions, but when it comes to online reviews, both pale in comparison to a fat cat named Gacek.

Gacek, whose name means “long-eared bat” in Polish, has nearly 2,600 reviews, more than any other attraction in Szczecin. According to a local woman, Gacek first appeared on Kaszubska Street in downtown Szczecin about 10 years ago. He stuck around and people started feeding him, so from a skinny feline (猫科动物), he soon turned into a thick-fleshed boy, which only made him more adorable. The cat rose to fame in 2020, after a local news site featured it in a video that then went viral on social media, and people have been showering him with positive reviews ever since.

Also known as the “King of Kaszubska Street”, Gacek, the city’s online influencer, now lives in a roofed wooden box outside a shop on Kaszubska Street, and even though he doesn’t technically have an owner, the people who run the shop act as his caretakers. There is a sign outside his house that tells passers-by to leave whatever treats they have for the cat in a sealed (密封的) container and not to pet him when he’s sleeping. Most people who posted a review awarded the feline the maximum 5 stars, making him the top-rated tourist attraction in the city. Most of those who have interacted with Gacek claim that he is a “fantastically handsome and superb fellow”.

But Gacek does have a few one-star reviews, mostly from people who criticize his caretaker or express worry about his weight. Some even complained that he scratched (抓伤) their hands or stole a sausage. “Gacek seems to have become their envy now,” a citizen jokingly commented.

I really like my job—teaching, in which I can watch children grow up and understand slowly, especially when I can play a part in it. However, it can be a challenging job. There are times when students can seem uninterested in learning and troublesome in class. Tyler is just one of them.

Tyler was enrolled in my senior American government class for a term. He had impulse-control and anger-management issues. He had been suspended (停课) many times before. When he entered my class in his senior year, I expected the worst.

Every time I talked at the front of the class. I would ask questions of students, calling them by name. Doing this helped me to get to know them and learn their names. Unfortunately, every time I called on Tyler, he would respond with a glib (未经思考的) answer. If he got an answer wrong, he would become angry.

About a month into the year, I was still trying to connect with Tyler. I could usually get students to join in class discussions or at least encourage them to sit quietly; by contrast, Tyler was just loud.

One day, Tyler was talking while I was teaching. In the middle of the lesson, I said, “Tyler, why don’t you join in our discussion instead of having one of your own?” With that, he got up from his chair, pushed it over and yelled something, some dirty word even included.

Due to his terrible performance in my class, he was sent to the office with a discipline referral (纪律处罚表), and he received a week-long out-of-school suspension.

To this point this was one of my worst teaching experiences. I feared that class every day. Tyler’s anger was almost too much for me, like a bomb, ready to explode anytime. The week Tyler was out of school was a wonderful time, and we got a lot achieved as a class.

On the day of Tyler’s return, I stood at the door waiting for him, ready to have a talk with him.

As part of my efforts to build connections with him, I managed to meet him regularly after class to learn about his study problems and his advice on how to manage class better.

6 . I have had the privilege to meet many amazing people, people who have been my role models and my inspirations. But the greatest______was when had the chance to meet a fourteen-year-old girl named Nicole.

I had been______by the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada,an organization that tries to make the dreams of young people suffering from terminal illnesses come true. Nicole had been______with cancer for over two years, and her______to the Foundation had been a simple one:She asked if she could meet me. The foundation agreed by flying her here to Los Angeles, and______our meeting at Universal Studios.

It was______not to like Nicole from the very first moment I met her. Her outgoing personality and great______swept me up and immediately______my spirits.Her positive attitude about dealing with her disease______me. When I mentioned during our initial meeting that I was very sorry that she should have to______something so difficult, she thanked me, but replied that she did not want me to feel bad-she wasn’t looking for anyone to feel sorry for her. A(n)______I had never known before shone in her eyes.

As time went on, I realized how true it was. She didn’t want______she just wanted to hang out and do things that______do together. We ate junk food and shared funny stories. The more we laughed over______things, the more our friendship grew. I began to realize that I was just as lucky as she was to have this opportunity to have her______.I know that wherever she is,or wherever I go, she will always remain in my heart.

7 . Students at an elementary school in California, with the help of their art teacher, created a telephone hotline that people can call to get _________ advice from kids during difficult times. In just days, the hotline began getting thousands of calls an hour.

Jessica Martin, who teaches art at West Side School in Healdsburg, California, _________ her students just might have the magic words needed to bring _________ to people in these difficult times. “To hear the pure _________ from kids is extremely comforting,” she says.

The project was called “PepToc”. Actually, they called it “Pep Talk” (鼓励话语) first.. But when Ms. Martin’s 6-year-old son drew an advertisement for the hotline and _________ it “PepToc”, they _________ they liked that even better.

The hotline is _________ in English and Spanish. It offers the happy voices of _________ of different ages sharing positive messages. For example, by pressing 3, you can _________ a group of kindergartners saying together, “You can do it! Keep trying! Don’t give up!” Pressing 4 __________ the sounds of children giggling and laughing—a sound certain to bring a __________ to anyone’s face. Pressing 1 __________ ideas for people who are “feeling mad, frustrated, or __________ ” Helpful suggestions include “punch your pillow”, or “go get a cookie”. Pressing2 results in “words of __________ and life advice”. This includes messages like “The __________ is a better place with you in it.”

8 . I looked around at the other patients waiting to see the doctor. Three people had their heads down, staring at cell phones. Another was _______ in a magazine. Everyone was in their own little world.

I’d probably be _______ myself with my cell phone too — if I hadn’t forgotten to _______ it before I left home. So I sat _______ in a chair as a couple of new people took distant seats.

My _______ went well, and I breezed out of the office to my little Honda. I turned the key. No response. Naturally, I _______ my cell phone to call — then remembered. _______, like my car.

I would have to use the _______ inside. I returned to the group, making my request, “I’m sorry, but my car won’t start.”

A few patients got up and _______ me to my car. “I grew up on a farm,” one of the men said. “Something was forever out of ________.” “I used to be a mechanic,” another patient said. “I see the ________. Battery is loose.” “It’s a simple ________,” one assured me.

When the mechanic gave a thumbs-up, everyone ________, “Try it now!” I turned the key. The engine turned over immediately. A ________ went up.

My Honda never stopped again. My waiting room team had done a better job than the ________ ever did. I guess that’s just what happens when people come together.

10 . As ninety approached, many things had changed for Mom except one: She wanted a big birthday party. But because of a fractured (断裂的) hip just 3 weeks before, we could only arrange a small one at the rehab (康复中心) instead of giving her a big celebration in a restaurant.

Mom’s husband, Fred, was also in the facility, admitted to the dementia (痴呆) unit prior to her admission. Mom visited him a few times each week, but these visits distressed her because he was usually asleep and did not respond to her. She often left in tears and was sad for days.

On the day of the party, we decorated the dining room with balloons, and a sheet cake was decorated in her favorite colour. Surrounded by her loved ones, Mom was overwhelmed with happiness. Only one other person could have made this day happier: Fred, her husband of thirty years. Because the party was held in the nursing facility, we had taken him to the party, too. When an attendant brought him into the room, Mom shouted with joy. We positioned them side by-side in their wheelchairs. He sat there with his eyes closed, unresponsive, and the party went on.

A short time later, there was a buzz in the room: “Fred’s awake!” And he was! Mom spoke to him, and he responded. He said, “I love you.” He ate the birthday cake and ice cream. He stayed for the rest of the party. After I sent him back to his nursing unit, the remaining guests were still talking about Fred and his miraculous awakening, just in time to share his wife’s ninetieth birthday. Mom was very happy, crying that his presence was the best gift of all.

God works in strange ways. We were able to give Mom a lovely celebration after all, and with her husband at her side, a happy birthday indeed.