1 . I was an avid (热衷的) list maker. I thought the lists would help me finish things more ________ so that I would have my own ________ each day. Instead, I felt tired all the time, and it was hard to fall asleep as I ________ my to-do list for the next day in my mind. I was ________ and painful.

My real turning ________ came about a few years ago. I was having the inside of our house painted. ________, I had to move all things out of the painters’ way. After the painting, I decided to think about what I would put back. I ________ many decorations because they made the rooms small and ________. And the house felt so much more open, peaceful and beautiful. When I started to hang our calendar back up, I noticed how ________ each day was. Every square was filled in. I decided to continue my ________ of the calendar.

It was near the end of July, so I ________ “clearing” August and September. I kept doctors’ appointments (预约) and family events. But I ________ extra tasks I had taken on that left me very little time to relax, read or spend time with my family. I felt a great sense of ________ after that.

I still make ________ to keep myself organized, but I am down to one page. I schedule time for myself each day — to do what I ________. The tidy beauty of our home and schedule gives me great peace and joy.

3 . There are many kinds of friends. Some are always ______ you, but don’t understand you. Some say only a few words to you, but understand you. Many people will step in your life, but only ______ friends leave footprints.

I shall always recall (回忆) the autumn and the girl with the ______. She will always bring back the friendship between us. I know she will always be my best friend.

It was the golden season. I could see the ______ leaves floating (漂浮) with the cool wind. In such a season, I liked walking alone in the leaves, ______ to the sound of them.

Autumn is a harvest season and life is uninteresting. The boring days always get me ______. But one day, the sound of a violin flowed into my ears like a stream (小溪) flowing in the mountains. I was so surprised that I jumped to see what it was. A young girl, standing in the wind, was ______ in playing her violin.

I had ______ seen her before. The music was so nice that I listened quietly. Absorbed in the music, I didn’t know that I had been ______ there for so long but my existence (存在) did not seem to disturb her.

Leaves were still falling. Every day ______ she played the violin in the comer of the building, I went downstairs to watch her performance. I was the only listener. The autumn seemed no longer lonely and life became ______. Though we didn’t know each other, I thought we were already good friends.

Autumn was nearly over. One day, when I was listening carefully, the sound suddenly ______. To my surprise, the girl came over to me.

“You definitely like violin.” she said.

“Yes. And you play very well. Why did you stop?” I asked.

Suddenly, a ______ expression appeared on her face and I could feel something unusual. “I came here to see my grandmother, but now I must leave. I once played very badly. It was your listening every day that encouraged me.” she said.

“______ it was your playing that gave me a meaningful autumn,” I answered, “Let’s be friends.”

The girl smiled, and so did I.

I never heard her play again in my life. Only thick leaves were left behind. But I will always remember the fine ______ of the girl. She is like a dream—so short, so bright, like a shooting star giving off so much light that it makes the autumn beautiful.

4 . There was a park near my home. But I didn’t go there very often, many people said there was nothing ______ . One afternoon, I went into the ______ and found it was really small. I walked ______ because there wasn’t much to see. I walked for some time and found myself ______ in front of two paths. “Which way should I go?” asked myself, looked at one way, then the ______. I found that the two paths were different from each other.

The left one was wide and clean. There were lots of ______ on both sides of the path. Though the flowers weren’t beautiful, they made me feel good. I ______ to take this path. But wait! I looked at the right one, the path didn’t look nice, it looked like it had not been cleaned for months.

Grass grew ______. For a long time, I couldn’t make up my mind.

After a while a strange feeling made me follow the ______ path. It wasn’t nice, but I didn’t want to ______. At last, I came to the end of the path. Ah! There was a small garden there. It was beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful garden I had ever seen. There were trees, flowers and chairs. I thought it was the ______ part of the park.

Many people told me that there was nothing much to see in the park. Now I’d like to tell them that if they had ______ the right way, they would have felt differently. But when I told them about what I had seen in the park, they just smiled at me without saying a word. I knew they didn’t believe me. They couldn’t even remember that path ______ it was too small.

My trip to the park that day made me understand something about ______. Don’t be afraid to choose a ______ path. You may get a big surprise!

5 . The fall leaves are really starting to change now. It looks like the trees and mountains have become a canvas painted by a loving artist. The bright, beautiful reds are_________in the sunlight and the yellows look like gold. Some trees have only a few leaves changed, some are half-way and others have already completely_________. Some of the leaves are falling to the ground to turn it into a colorful_________. I am enjoying this so much because I am completely aware when winter arrives all of the trees will be_________with the leaves down. It is always a little sad to see but I know it is the circle of life. Those dead leaves will become the soil that feeds the trees and_________new life next spring.

Today I noticed a lovely little girl from our community picking up the fallen leaves from the ground. The prettiest reds, yellows, and oranges were picked up and_________in her arms. Soon she had quite a pile and carefully carried them over to her Mom and then with a smile gave them to her as if they were delicate flowers. Her Mom accepted them with a smile and together they put them out on their porch and stared at them like the priceless_________.

I watched this_________from my living room window with a smile on my face as well. The world creates a circle of love as well as a circle of life. And I am positive that the former like the latter will never end. It will_________all through this life and into the next. Take your place in the circle. Give love. Receive love. Live every day of your life to the__________with love. And your soul will shine bright like the most beautiful tree in autumn.

7 . I was driving in my car the other day. The sun was out, the radio was playing, and I was singing along. The song was a _____ one and even my weak voice sounded good singing it. Then it _____,   however. The sweet sound of the music _____ and there came the unpleasant news. Gas prices _____ again. Fans of two sports teams got into fight. I sighed and wondered about this _____ world we live in.

_____,   I could take no more and turned off the radio. Silence seemed preferable to listening to _____ else about the crazy,   competitive society we live in. I slowed down as I entered a town and _____ the people as I drove by. A tall man was _____ an elderly lady out of a car and helping her place her walker so she could go into store in her wheelchair. A smiling woman was ______ food onto the square while a dozen birds flew down to enjoy the food being laid out before them. A young man was walking along,   carrying his ______ safely in his arms. When the daughter pulled the hat off his head,   they both ______. I laughed too as I looked at all of his ______. The radio may have been off in my car,   ______ in my heart I was still singing.

In truth, this world could have more kindness and less ______. Kindness makes us all winners in this life and our life will be full of love and joy.

8 . My name is Ally Del Monte. I remember it clearly. When I was 10 years old, my _________ and I were on our first vacation at Disney World, and we were going to a “Pirate and Princess Party”. We didn’t know that it was a costume (戏服) party but no _________ — my mom said she’d _________ me to get a princess dress. We _________ the land of princesses, but they didn’t have one for me.

I was in the beginning stage of Lyme disease. My _________ and medication caused my overweight. I was too _________ for the kids costumes and the adult costumes wouldn’t _________for me.

The lady at the shop said, “I’m sorry, she’s too fat to be a princess.” I was only 10 years old, and I was _________ because I thought I would never be _________ enough or skinny enough to be the princess that I wanted to be.

Several years later, I just turned 16, and instead of a party, I asked for a family __________. I chose to go to Disney World. Our trip was right in the middle of Halloween, and I knew I could wear a costume. It was still __________ to find a princess dress in my __________, but my mom and I decided to make our own, a magical princess dress to prove to my 10-year-old self that I am a princess, and I don’t have to look for a certain __________ to be one.

I’ve __________ that no matter what you look like, you can be a princess. A princess isn’t a size. It’s a state of __________.

10 . From Disappointment to Purpose

I’m known for my determination. If I want something, I go for it. Over the years this _______ has worked well for me and helped me achieve my goals. When I wanted to be on the dance team at school, I learned all the dances and practiced until I could hardly _______.

But this year everything changed. I had set my sights on a summer _______ that I was determined to get at the Water Zone, because the employees there could go on the water rides after their work and get free food at the snack bar. It was the _______ job to have on hot summer vacations. So just as I had achieved every goal in the past, I set out to _______ the job. I was certain that nothing could keep me from my dream job.

After my _______, the manager of the Water Zone told me that he could hire only those with experience in water safety. I felt like a failure.

On the last weekend before school ended, my teacher, Mrs. Keller, asked me whether I would be interested in the kids’ summer day camp. I decided that I had nothing to _______, so I called the manager. She was _______ by my babysitting experience and employed me. In less than a week, I had completely forgotten about wanting work at the water park. Each time I comforted a little boy who missed his mother or a little girl who needed to help tying her shoes, I felt I was doing something _______. I realized that I had discovered my life’s purpose: to work with children. I now have a new goal.

Sometimes in life we don’t get exactly what we want. It’s natural to feel __________. But, occasionally, when we don’t get what we want, something even better is waiting for us around the corner!