1 . Sharon, in her mid-sixties, has been coming to the adult swim class from the first day I started working at the pool. While everyone else in the class ________ their favorite stroke (泳姿), swimming lazily back and forth, Sharon and I steal a (n) ________of the pool to work on her biggest ________, the back float. Try after try she would either roll over onto her ________, or sink to bottom like a rock.

“Don’t worry,” I’d always say to her, “You’ll ________it one day.” She would always ________at me, dreaming that one day she would ________   be able to do the task that she had been working so hard on for almost two years.

One Saturday, half of the ________had gone by when I heard my name being called. “Matt,” she________across the pool, arm whipping back and forth trying to get my attention, “Watch this!” It was one of the most ________ sights I have ever seen. Sharon was lying back on the water, arms and legs spread out, ________. As she lay there for a ________ ten seconds, face above the water, a disbelieving laugh ________ her body.

Even though Sharon had been working on such a ________ thing for almost two years, she had taught me that no amount of ________ could replace patience, willpower and hard work.

2 . My mother turned ninety. I knew I needed to find a senior _______ center. Not for her — for me. If I were at her age, I would want to stay in shape to _______ life, getting a lot of pleasure. Yes, walking in local parks was my _______, but I wasn’t so active as before.

I called a nearby center, “Do you have aerobics (有氧运动) classes _______ for seniors?” “Sure. Come and check us out! We start at 10 am,” the receptionist (接待员) replied and _______. The next morning, I went there. One part of me was _______ that the class was too easy, not doing me any good. The other part feared it was too hard for me to _______.

When I came into the room, a woman _______ me, “Oh, you’re new. Welcome.” Then the music started. The hour-long workout woke up the muscles I didn’t often _______ in daily walks, suiting me fine. I became a member there. My classmates ranged in age from fifty to ninety. Most gave the exercises their own ________, doing as much or little as they could. ________ no one kept score. Soon I learned physical well-being wasn’t the only ________ there. During breaks, people chatted happily. Whenever some people were ________ we asked around. Were they busy? Were they in hospital? Moreover, we signed cards for those who were ill.

I ________ to be in good shape now as I’ve hoped. Still, I’m grateful for things more valuable from the class — close friendships and new social ________.

3 . For many years, I was so wrapped up in my kids and my family that I ignored how I looked. The words “________maintenance” described my approach to beauty perfectly.

It wasn’t until recently, when I had my picture taken for a work ID, that I ________ the “Youth Train” had left the station, and I was no longer on it. The woman in the ID picture looked ________ and definitely middle-aged.

For a few days, I was a little ________ by the fact that I was no longer the sweet, young thing I thought I was. For those few days, I tried a little harder to ________ younger, brighter and tighter. I ________ with my hair and added extra eyeliner.

I thought I was ________ in my seeking for a youthful glow until one of my new co-workers ________ asked me a question that told me I was ________ only myself. “I don’t suppose you know what beauty is, do you?” she asked.

That simple question opened my weary eyes once and for all. My family ________ me not for my no-longer-shiny hair but because the ________ I’m playing, that is my husband’s wife and my kids’ mom.

Someone once said that ________ is the first gift given and the first one taken away. I agree but only when it comes to ________ beauty. When it comes to staying young, a mind-lift ________ a face-lift any day. The ________ beauty, the stuff inside that all of us have, lasts a lifetime.

4 . I don’t know when I became so focused on ensuring equality in all areas,including personal relationships.I was afraid of the sort of ______ where you give and give with nothing in return,and the other person feels much bigger than you are.I constantly worry that I ______ my friends more than they do.When the scale ______ to one side in my relationships,I feel like falling over too,like a branch ______ the edge of a cliff.

But when I entered high school,I began to make friends who gave ______ :advice,knowledge,help,and ______.______ they gave more than they received,they did so with a smile.My friend Alicia always ______ to help others with their work and assignments,which made me and all the other ______ of her kindness willing to help her if she ever ______ anything in the future.It wasn’t an exactly equal way of paying her back,but it was our own small way of saying thank you.I slowly came to understand that some people were worth the ______ ,and some things could be paid back in other ways or paid back later.

Today,I still ______ with ensuring equality in my life.However,I have learned that it’s okay to give more than you receive,if you are giving to the right person.It’s okay to let some debts exist ______ ,and to let some things go.Equality is a construct that requires two parties to build,______ but surely,each person ______ a little bit at a time.

5 . One night, a married couple got into a fight. It was common for them to stay in a war of______after such a fight. And this time was no______. For most of the night, the couple had______each other and even as they were preparing for bed, not a word was said.

However, the husband started getting______because he would catch a flight at 5:00 am the next morning. He was a heavy sleeper and______his wife to wake him up. If his wife didn’t wake him up, there was a______that he would sleep right______the alarm.

In order not to lose his face, he didn’t speak with her______, but wrote on a piece of paper“Please______me when it’s 5:00 am.” He put the note on his wife’s pillow,______that she would for sure see it there. He then fell asleep without______.

The next morning when he woke up, it was already 7:00 am! He knew he had______his flight. He was filled with______and was preparing to blame his wife when he noticed a handwritten note beside his pillow, saying “It’s 5:00a——get up.” Most of the time______you say something is more important than what you actually say. When you need something, do not let______get in your way of asking for help the right way!

6 . One day, Aristotle was walking on beach, a beautiful sunset was happening. But he didn't have time to_________that as he was busy thinking seriously about some great problems of life.

_________thinking, he walked up and down the beach. There on beach he saw another man doing something very absorbed—So absorbed that Aristotle couldn't_________him. Aristotle went _________and observed what that man was doing and saw he was walking_________between the beach and ocean.                                                       

Aristotle stopped the man and asked, "Hey, what are you up to?" The man said. "Don't_________me; I am doing something very important." and then went on with his work. Aristotle became even more_________and asked, "What is this important thing?" The man with a table spoon in hand showed him a little_________he had dug in sand and said, "I am_________the ocean into this hole."       

Aristotle looked at this and laughed, "This is crazy. You must be mad. Do you know how__________this ocean is? How can you ever empty this ocean into this little hole with a table spoon? There is no__________."

The man looked at Aristotle, then__________the spoon down and said, "My job is already done."Aristotle said, "What do you mean? Not to mention ocean being empty, even the hole is not __________. How can you say your job is done?" He__________and said: "I am trying to empty the ocean into this hole with a table spoon. You are telling me it is crazy, so I should give up."

The story tells us that compared to working hard,__________goals are more important.

7 . Parking at the Alzheimer’s center where my mother-in-law lived, we were ready to visit her. I glanced at my 11-year-old son, Joel, who was totally _______ in the photo album he had insisted on bringing along.

Joel has autism (自闭症), and although I had _______ him that his grandma couldn’t remember things the way she used to and might not be as interested in the _______ as he was, I couldn’t be sure if he completely understood my words.

“See Grandma!” he shouted at the top of his voice. _______ the album, he jumped out of the car and up to the building entrance. We finally got to grandma’s room. She was _______ with the door open. “Grandma Barb,” he said _______. “Pictures.” She awoke, and I saw _______ in her eyes. “Who is this little boy?” They seemed to ask. However, not _______, Joel climbed into her lap and opened up his photo album. A sign of a _______ appeared on her face. He pointed to pictures of his father and me, identifying us. He ________ to his brother. “Poco!” he exclaimed. Now the smile became laughter. Mom’s laughter didn’t bother Joel. He knew his grandmother was happy, and that was ________ for him.

I’d been worried about Joel understanding what was ________ his grandmother when really I was the one who needed to understand. I feel ________ for the mother-in-law I had known. He loved the grandma who was here now.

I thanked God for the ________ of this moment. Then I pulled up a chair next to them and ________ in the joy of it with them — Let’s seize the present and live it to the fullest.