1 . One day, I had a serious quarrel with my father. I felt he was always trying to _________ me and I wanted to break free. After we exploded in _________, I stormed out of the house and went back to school.

All that day, my mind was racing with _________ thoughts. After all, he hadn’t even finished high school, but here I was a mighty college student! How dare he try to _________me on my life and plans?

Suddenly, I realized that I didn’t do the assignment that was _________: a thought card. Dr. Simon always _________ us to think deeply by raising all kinds of questions about social issues, political issues, personal issues etc. _________, for something to write, I could only think of the _________ I’d just had with my dad.

“I am the son of an idiot!” I wrote and then _________. The next day, Dr. Simon gave back our cards. He put mine on the desk face down. I picked it up, almost unable to turn it ____________. On the card, he wrote, “What does “the son of an idiot” ____________ with the rest of his life?”

I felt like someone had ____________ me in the face. Again and again, my parents didn’t ____________ me and I blamed them for this or that, but how long could I get away with blaming them for my life?

Slowly, my thinking ____________ and my relationship with my father improved. Instead of controlling, now I saw him as concerned and caring. And it all started with an innocent- seeming ____________

2 . It has been another long, rough winter here in the mountains of my home. And today as I looked at the broken ________ littering my yard it brought back ________ from another rough winter several years ago.

A foot of snow had fallen and was rapidly melting. The ________ from the hills had swollen the rivers, filled the ditches and ________ puddles(小水洼)in the road. In addition to this broken and fallen tree branches were everywhere. I was ________ home and suddenly saw one of these branches had broken off a tree overhanging the ________ and fallen across it. It was big enough to damage my car if I didn’t stop in time so I ________ on the brake and hit my emergency flashers.

I got out of my car ________ and tried to pull the branch to the side of the road. This branch was a lot ________ than I thought it would be. Inch by inch I ________ it off the road. When it was finally safely moved to the side I________ and smiled. Just then a little red car raced around the curve(弯道), ________ a pool of water in the road and splashed my pants. I shook my head and laughed at the ________ of it all.

Sometimes we all do good things in this life only to get ________ with dirty water for our kindness. When this happens just remember that the real reason you do good is because of the ________ inside of you.

3 . In Lincoln Elementary School, the students went wild with excitement on hearing the announcement of the upcoming science fair. Among the ________ participants was Alex, a promising young scientist with a passion for ________.

Alex envisioned creating a volcano model for the fair, complete with a(n) ________ display using baking soda (小苏打) and vinegar (醋). He was busy with his project when he noticed Mia, a recent addition to the school, _________ to resolve the complexities of the science fair. Instead of being ________, Alex decided to extend a helping hand and invited Mia to ________ him.

Their working together became a lively ________ of ideas and creativity. Alex patiently explained the scientific method, ________ his knowledge with Mia, who, in turn, put forward new thoughts. They ________ searched for materials, exploring science by trial and error. Time flying, their joint project, an eye-opening solar-powered model, was ________.

On the science fair day, the school gym was full of scientific wonders. When Alex and Mia confidently introduced their project and skillfully ________ the awe-inspiring sight of volcanic eruption, the judges were deeply impressed and awarded them a special ________ for teamwork.

Alex’s decision to ________ to Mia not only made the fair memorable for them but generated positive energy among the students, who realized that ________, as well as kindness, is truly a ________ in supporting one another in the pursuit of scientific knowledge.

6 . As usual, Lily bought expensive gifts for her children Alice and Peter before Christmas. Her job kept her busy, and she _________ got to see her children during weekdays. Being a mother, she always wanted to be _________ her children, but she placed her _________ first, thinking earning money was more important.

Lily _________ the gifts in secret and decided to give them a day before Christmas since she had to attend a business meeting the next day. _________, a day later, the meeting got canceled. Lily was _________ she could spend Christmas with her family. Therefore, she decided to _________ a party. Lily sent _________ to all her friends and her father-in-law, Michael. Lily was worried her friends would not feel _________ in the presence of aged people. Later that day, her children noticed the gifts she had bought. Unexpectedly, neither of them seemed __________ to open the gifts.

On Christmas Eve, Lily __________ her friends into her house. However, she felt __________ when she saw Michael walking in. On arrival, Michael gave Alice and Peter presents—some cookie molds (模具)! The two kids ran happily to their grandfather and showed great __________ for his gifts, asking him to bake cookies with them.

All the guests present were moved by the scene. Lily __________ all they want is their parents’ time and __________ not what their parents buy them.

7 . Fredric Roi Marquez joined a program to give out food to people at a retirement community. By doing so, the high school student hoped to earn a(n) _______ at college. But the program gave him more than he _______, including lessons that would _______ him in the rest of his life, like the qualities of being focused, patient and highly-efficient.

Roy and Lynn moved to the community 12 years ago. They _______ what these young people brought to the community. Roy said, “As you go in and have your dinner offered by young people who are _______ and considerate, you just feel great _______ and strength.” Lynn said the students truly _______ about the people in the community.

For Marquez, the experience was new. He said, “Wow, I’m _______ doing this like I’m working. I get close with ‘Grandma’ and ‘Grandpa’.” Marquez also began _______ special relationships with the residents. Many students kept the residents ________ about their lives.

They talked about school projects, exams and even family issues. They ________ their hopes and sought advice from the residents.

Experts say the experience is good for both ________. Courtney Benhoff is a spokesperson for the community. She said the program offered students the ________ to gain an amount of money. “And through communication, the residents can also better understand these young people that have made their lives more ________,” Courtney Benhoff said. “The program is a good ________ between the young and the old.”

8 . During the lockdown, my husband, Bob, and I were offered a pingpong table. I am a non-athlete but Bob does well in pingpong.

“What are we going to do with that pingpong table?” Bob asked me.

“The two of us will _______ ,” I replied. Bob looked doubtful.

I lost every game and I told myself that it didn’t _______ that I always lost. I was playing for _______ and to provide a positive experience in a difficult time. But there were days when I _______ losing. Once I threw my paddle(球拍) across the yard angrily. Then Bob _______ I play with a handicap(让分) of 12 points. That _______ a lot—I sometimes won! I’d never been interested in any kind of sport. But pingpong became the _______ of my day. I began to get better and won more games. My handicap _______ to 8.

My husband and I _______ the worst of the lockdowns through pingpong. It ________ me that even a self-described bookworm can learn a new sport. The ________ was my husband’s suggestion that I play with a handicap so I’d have an equal ________ to win. He doesn’t like to lose either, but it’s more fun for him if I actually want to participate and ________ it. It takes two willing partners to play table tennis, after all, and two people with an equal chance in each other’s ________ to make a marriage. Simply put, when it comes to table tennis—or any other ________ —there is no ping without a pong.

9 . When I retired, my wife Peg said “Great! You’ll have time to clean the garage!” After 30 years’ ________ as director of a radio station, I would finally have more time for housework, but I worried I’d lose the sense of________ I had felt in my profession.

I pushed at the garage’s wooden doors, but they were as ________as I felt in this new stage of my life. I finally got the doors open and started to empty the shelves. Then my hand hit something ________. It was a common old metal can. I ________ the cover and found a ________ envelope with a postmark of May 13, 1940 inside. ________, I opened it and found some flower seeds in it, “ Eighty years old! I wonder if they’ll still grow. ”

I ________the seeds in a plastic pot. I checked it every day, but nothing happened. “I guess they’re just too ________to be any good, ” I told Peg in ________ . I picked up the pot to get rid of it, but something made me ________. I changed my mind and set it aside. Meanwhile, I was keeping ________, buying some books to improve my photography skills and teaching my granddaughters everything I knew about gardening and dogs.

Six weeks later, I was out in the yard when I ________ to notice the pot. A new bit of green-a leaf had ________. I proudly showed it off to my granddaughters. “Look, girls, even something this old can still ________ for its purpose and be pretty cool. Just like your grand- papa!”