1 . I wrote a book called Standing Up for Standing Out on the topic of being different. It was inspired by John Schwartz, a writer for The New York Times, who once said that being _______to adversity (逆境) as early as possible is very useful in how someone _______ his life. He suggests that one gradually becomes _______ and “inoculated” (注射过预防针的) against stress by having to deal with it early on, just as a vaccination helps your body learn to _______ germs before they can do your body _______ harm.

Growing because of trials can be _______ to an oyster (牡蛎) that has a grain of sand inside. In _______ to this invader, the oyster makes the most of its trial and produces a beautiful pearl in the end. _______the challenge or setback of having this uncomfortable grain of _______, the oyster would never make the pearl.

This made me __________ many instances from my past when all of my __________were playing basketball without me, which made me feel __________ left out. However, during those long period of __________, while my friends played basketball games one after another, I was working on__________myself. I was practicing the piano, reading self-development books, __________on excelling in school, etc. These were very __________days for me and I believe that I wouldn’t be who I am today if l hadn’t endured the __________ that came from being different.

As I mentioned in my new book, our differences do __________us, and the challenges we deal with can help us make something beautiful and __________. Many people I talked with supported this principle and they explained why they experienced greater __________from greater challenges.