1 . There was a young boy at a beautiful beach digging sands using his plastic tools. While his other friends were playing the whole time, the little boy spent his day_________his sandcastle. He even_________a moat (护城河) using a spoon, a bridge with a_________,and walls for his castle.

After a whole long day, he finished his_________sandcastle until the waves washed his hard work. Holding back his tears, the boy didn’t get mad and_________decided to study the waves that_________his creation.

The boy was aware of the_________and saw it a couple of times already. He already knew how to do things better. He felt no_________, regret, or fear any more whenever the waves came. He just smiled,_________his tools and left. He knew that the tide was beyond his__________and he couldn’t do anything about it. What he could do though is how to__________those situations.

Basically, no matter where you are, the waves of life will always__________you. What matters most is how you behave during those moments and what they__________about yourselves along this__________called life. Keep calm while looking at things from different viewpoints because sometimes all it takes for__________to happen in your life is by looking at things through different lenses!

2 . Life is like a road. There are long and short roads; smooth and rocky roads; crooked and straight paths.

    1     There are roads to happiness as there are roads to sadness, roads towards victory and delight, and roads leading to defeat and disappointment.

    2     There are no guarantees. This is one of the most important thing you need to realize about life.

Nobody said that choosing to do the right thing all the time would always lead you to happiness. Loving someone with all your heart does not guarantee that it would be returned. Gaining fame and fortune does not guarantee happiness. Accepting a good word from an influential superior to cut your trip short up the career ladder is not always bad, especially if you are highly qualified and competent. There are too many possible outcomes, which you really cannot control.     3     Since life offers no guarantee and you would never know that your decision would be wrong until you have made it, then you might as well take the risk and decide. It is definitely better than keeping yourself in limbo(中间状态).     4     It is all a matter of perspective(客观判断力). You have the choice between being a lost traveler or an accidental tourist of life. But take caution that you do not make decisions haphazardly(随意地).     5    

3 . Tips for overcoming adversity

◆ Be aware of, and accept that adversity is unavoidable in life.     1     To avoid or resist it will only make it persist (持续). Everywhere you look in the world there is unmistakable struggle. There are floods, tsunamis, wars and disasters of all types. Although pain is unavoidable, suffering is optional.

◆ Build your internal resources. Before adversity hits, work on cultivating ( 培养) emotional strength, courage and discipline. When you make yourself aware that certain difficulties are unavoidable, you can prepare yourself mentally for facing adversity head-on.     2    

◆ Build your external resources. Build a support system of family and friends.     3     We need someone to talk to, someone to help ease the burden ( 负担). You would be surprised to discover how often a friend has had a similar experience and can help guide you through the difficult time.

◆ That what does not kill you will make you stronger. If you do not have enough built-up resilience ( 韧性) or experience in dealing with difficulties, adversity can crush you.     4     Resilience like any muscle is built up gradually with repeated exposure to adversity.

◆ Take inspiration and learn from others who have dealt successfully with adversity. There are many inspiring stories of people who overcame seemingly insurmountable ( 无法超越的) difficulties.     5     For example, when Helen Keller was only 18 months old, she lost her sight and hearing due to a mysterious fever. She overcame her deafness and blindness to become a strong and educated woman.