1 . I was a rising high school junior in the summer of 2021, when I took Philosophy 101 at Lehmon College, a   ____that allows New York City public school students to earn credits. Why philosophy?________, I chose it on impulse (一时冲动). I expected this course to be interesting. I didn’t expect this class, which________me to the words and works of Socrates, Plato and other moral philosophers, to change my________to college education.

But that’s what________. During the second week of class, when we________the work of Socrates, I read Socrates’ words, “The unexamined life is no life for a human being to live”. My eyes________in surprise and my posture was fixed. I read these words over and over until my professor broke my trance (出神、发呆), “Could anyone in the class interpret the_______ of Socrates’ words?”

Then I did my best to explain that the wise philosopher was making a________on how we should live. To me, this meant getting________about all aspects of yourself, putting yourself in academic, social and cultural spaces that will_______ your world view, and being open to personal growth along the way.

After reflecting on the words even after the course was over, I realized Socrates was________meaningful life means a(n)________to exploration. Being immersed in ideas such as Socrates’________me to think about the person I am. I began to see college as a place to gain knowledge and explore my interests,________just fulfill classes.

5 . It was a sunny Sunday afternoon. My husband was taking care of our baby girl so that my six-year-old and I could do some yard work, just the two of us. It was sure to be _______. But soon, the clouds of mosquitos seemed _______ to our bug spray (喷雾). I was sweating, itchy, and arguing with my son about _______to pull weeds. I had told him the “right” way — getting those weeds out from the bottom, by the roots, removing them entirely.

However, my son went about things in his own way. He pulled the_______ of the weeds off, moving quickly down the line as he left the remaining part still in the soil. Somehow, I found this to be incredibly _______Why couldn’t he do it in my way and save me the time of having to_______ his portion (部分)? Why did he do it at all if he wasn’t going to do it properly?

“If you would do as told, we’d be done earlier and_______ a longer period before we would have to returm and pull weeds next time.” I said, trying to keep my tone _______ He went back to his work, shaking dirt from his handful of growing things and throwing _______stems into our shared basket. “People do things... __________, Mom.” He said innocently.

My fire soon faded, replaced by the__________ realization that I’d just received a valuable__________from the person that I was supposed to be teaching. While trying to__________my baby girl, my kindergartener, and the yard work, __________ was a lifeline for me, a coping mechanism. But my way was, perhaps, not the best way after all. His time shouldn’t be __________. His job was to be a kid and take his time, for as long as he was able.

6 . When I was young, I liked a book about a little girl who lost her grandma’s company. Before falling asleep one night, I requested my grandmother to read it to me. I closed my eyes as I heard her _________ the story. When she finished reading, I stared at her and asked, “Will you ever die like that girl’s grandma?”

“I will _________ you as long as I live,” she whispered.

“But what if you die?” I _________.

“It is hard to _________ it since you never know how much you appreciate something until you lose it. It takes losing something to know its _________. There is no _________ of losing something if you have it forever.”

I lay in bed that night, thinking about what she said without understanding her, yet I knew _________ what she had said.

The next night I sat on my parents’ bed watching TV with them. The phone rang. A feeling of _________ ran down my back just before my dad _________ it. I saw his smiling expression tighten into __________. Then he looked straight at my mom and me, __________ unblinkingly (不眨眼地) for what seemed like forever. Then he said, “Grandma has __________.”

I then sat there __________ for a long time. At that moment, I had loved my grandma more than I ever had before and then I __________ everything she did for me. Beyond that, I definitely understood her words-you don’t __________ anything you think you will have it for good until you lose it forever.

7 . Last week, four speakers shared, at the Skoll World Forum, why they find themselves smiling in spite of everything.

Ava Duvernay

I don’t believe that all of the problems are happening to us. I believe they’re happening for us. Lonnie Holley is a wonderful artist who uses waste material to create artworks. He says we shouldn’t think of it as garbage. Rather, it can be turned into something new.

Mahali Hlasa

I love my family. I was brought up in a very close family. Of course we fight, but we also laugh together. We share all the joys and the pains and find comfort in that. When I want to be happy, my family is always there for me. With these people who I love, I know that I am safe.

Rodrigo Paris Rojas

I find optimism in villages and slums (贫民窟). That’s because despite the difficult environment around them, they still come together and celebrate at different times of year.   They bring so many smiles and so much joy. When I see that, I say, “I have more money and more education than them, but they’re way happier than me. ”So I find optimism in those ways of celebrating life and building community.

Edgard Gouveia Jr.

I’ve found optimism among kids — Black, white, poor, rich. They play. They enjoy life. They connect. It’s only later that they learn about differences and start to behave differently. But when I see how they interact as children, it’s all about playfulness. Even during war times or in very poor neighborhoods, I see kids finding ways to create joy among themselves.

8 . Both my parents were educators, and for the past 40 years, I’ve done the same thing. For years, I have watched people teach. And one of the things that are not often noticed is the importance of relationships. Someone says that no important learning can happen without an important relationship. That’s true. Kids may not even learn from people they don’t like.

How do I build relationships with kids and look after kids? I once gave a test — 20 questions. A student missed 18. I put a “+2” on his paper and a big smiling face. I said to him, “You got two right. You didn’t miss them all. And when we review this, won’t you do better?” He said, “Yes, I can do better.” You see, “-18” may be a blow to his pride, but “+2” said, “I am not all bad.”

And for years, I watched my mother take the time at recess (课间休息) to review, go on home visits in the afternoon, and buy small gifts for kids. After she retired (退休), some of her kids came and said to her, “You know, Ms. Walker, you made a difference in my life. You made me feel like I was somebody.” When my mama died, there were so many students at her funeral (葬礼). It brought tears to my eyes, not because she was gone, but because she left a treasure of relationships that could never disappear. Can we have more relationships? Of course, yes. And we teach anyway, no matter what kinds of kids we have.

Teaching and learning should bring joy. How influential our world would be if we had kids who were not afraid to take risks, Who were not afraid to think, and who had a champion (拥护者)! Every child should have a champion, an adult who will never give up on them, and who understands the influence of connection and believes that they can become the best.

9 . Are you terrified of what’s to come in the future? What if we don’t get into our dream schools?   What’s plan B? So much is on our 17-to 18-year-old minds. I didn’t exactly create aback up plan. I just adapted to every new situation I was put in.Here’s how my life didn’t go as planned, but I’m happier than ever.

In the year of 2016, I went into my dream school—Washington State University, where I’d beat tending school to study engineering. I visited my future school after I was already accepted. It was a school away from a major city. Cold feet came over me and I backed out of the school just before orientation (适应). This was a tough decision, but my heart wasn’t in it.When your heart isn’t in it, all you need to do is adjust.

My mom and I went to the Army recruiter’s (征兵人员的) office, where I enlisted in the U.S. Army as an Engineer. I’d never had a firm grasp of my identity from high school, so attending a military boot camp gave me a clean slate (新的开始), where I could become the person I wanted to be. When I came back home as an Army Engineer, I became one of the most confident people in my household. Everything seemed to be going to a plan that I had barely thought out. By the time I returned home in July of 2017 from Engineer training, I decided to enroll in my local community college. I had no high expectations for how community college would go. Turns out that my college was one of the best in the area and had a very diverse group of people from high schools I’d never interacted with. The people I met through clubs and classes at community college were beyond amazing people. I have friends for life.

I would not be where I am today without taking so many risks. I am grateful to my supportive parents and enlightening friends.

10 . I wasn’t raised to be a fan of snails (蜗牛). I was always taught that if we see a snail on a plant, we should pick it off and_________on it. This brought us the kind of giggly (咯咯傻笑的) _________that only children experience. We loved it. However, my_________on snails has changed, as I’ve grown older. They bring me a different kind of happiness.

The first time I thought of snails as more than a_________was when I saw something that_________ me in my garden. A small snail, _________a hard shell, moved slowly toward one_________bud and explored it. The exploration lasted for quite a while and, _________enough, the bud turned into a full bloom. Watching the snail carefully touching the flower_________me of the lyric: “Snails see the beauty in every inch.” I realized that the snail is probably a best representation of__________and taking life slowly.

Then, I__________the snail in my palm. It was scared by the sudden move and immediately__________back into its shell. I thought it would__________inside for several minutes, but shortly after gutting used to the takeaway, the snail poked its head out again. It was not just hiding but__________.

Giving ourselves time to nourish (滋养) inside and out, and waiting for the right__________to reenter the exciting life, is extremely restorative and worthwhile.