1 . As the saying goes, life is sweet. But while we may wish for consistently sweet moments, life often serves us other _________.

Recently, we celebrated my mom’s birthday. In her nineties now, as she _________ the closing stages of a long and remarkable life, she struggles with dementia (痴呆), leading to her mind and body not _________ the way she would want.

The day before the celebration, we _________ to bake cookies with her great grand kids. Not just any cookies, but 60 _________ sugar cookies cut in different shapes, covered with lots of sprinkles (糖屑). Though the kids worked as carefully as they could, they made the kitchen a total mess, _________almost as many sprinkles on the floor as on the cookies. They went on for hours, rolling dough, baking, cutting shapes, and _________ with four kinds of sprinkles.

The next day, the birthday _________ was a success. We took many pictures, and the beautiful cookies were shared. In an _________ way, those sweet sprinkles have not only stuck in my mind but remained almost everywhere in our home for the past few days. In every __________, I continue to find them, in all the colors of the rainbow, four shapes and sizes, sweet, and after I __________ step on them, not so sweet.

Truly, these are bittersweet moments, filled with __________ emotions. From such moments, we unwillingly learn that much in life is __________ our control: the separations and losses, the __________ of life, the passage of time. Life serves up many flavors. __________, we can choose our attitudes on the journey.

2 . Mark and his friends decided to visit Mount Matterhorn, a beautiful mountain in Europe this year. It can not only be _________ from countless viewpoints, but also offered a pyramid-shaped peak.

Since it was a very hard climb to the top, they _________ to make camp at the last possible spot with one of the most extraordinary views, and decided to _________ the next day, not intending to finish the whole climb.

While Mark was _________ how a handful of people were making their way to the _________, he changed his mind and invited his friends to join him. _________, no one was willing because it was too dangerous, and they were _________ with where they were. Luckily, there was a group of climbers who were just _________ past and were on their way to the top. Mark quickly asked them if he could join them, and he was _________.

When they eventually reached the top, Mark was __________ as it’s so beautiful and it’s not at all that __________ as told. A climber next to him, pointing his finger at the __________ where Mark and his friends and many others had set their camps, smiled and explained. “You see, most people in the crowd right there end up satisfied in the __________ of their journey.” continued the man. “Many of them never think that they have the potential to achieve more, so they remain part of the crowd their whole life.”

Hearing that, Mark __________ how many times he was like those who have a(n)__________ they want to reach but not follow through till the end.

3 . I was quite young when I married. My wife shared with me my love for animals and she got several ________ pets, including one cat.

The black cat was beautiful. We named him Pluto. I liked him best so that I often fed him alone. Our friendship ________ for several years, during which, however, my wife and my job ________ me. Gradually, ________ became my new friend; I became quick to ________; I forgot how to smile and laugh.

One night I came home quite late from the inn. Walking with ________ steps, I made my way with effort into the house. As I entered, I saw Pluto was trying to stay out of my way to ________ me, which made me angry beyond ________. I lifted my foot and gave him a heavy kick ________. The cat burst into a tragic scream, like a ________ cutting through the peaceful dark sky.

It seemed a ring ________ me. I followed up the cry, calling “Pluto”. No response. Turn on the light, and I found him, curled up below a chair. I felt regretful and ________, attempting to comfort it. No response. I knew I had made an ________ mistake.

I made my efforts to ________ him in my manner, feeding him alone and eventually quit drinking. Maybe sometimes some evil things inside ourselves pushed us to do wrong, but we must bear in mind that we ought to treasure what is ________ us accompanying us in our lives.

4 . Art is my favorite subject because I enjoy drawing. In school, there are only four ______ classes per week, which I find not enough. During an art lesson, I notice that time ______ to fly by. When I’m drawing ______, eighty minutes feels like eight minutes. One moment I am taking out my art materials, the next the teacher is ______ us to hand in our work.

Art is my favorite subject because it can bring ______ responses. For example, if I was happy, I would draw a colorful picture of myself.

I especially enjoy drawing cartoons. This is one area where my ______ is regularly exercised. Sometimes I draw things that amaze my classmates. I also love to draw still life in color. ______ is really an art and I have developed considerable skills in it, much to the disbelief of my classmates. As I have had so much ______ in coloring, I have a huge advantage over the ______ of the class.

______, I must say that I always feel good when I am drawing something. Perhaps this is why I ______ art so much. It’s because I get a good feeling every time I start drawing. Drawing is a (n) ______ exit for self-expression for me, so the feeling is ______. There is nothing to remember or practice in art as there is in the other subjects. All one has to ______ with art is follow one’s feelings, and the outcome is always ______.

5 . Even when you have confidence in yourself, your goals will sometimes seem out of reach. When that happens, get hold of the people who _________ you and your goals and don’t let go!

When I was younger, I _________ because life felt so hard. I had _________to become a teacher or a business administrator. I knew I needed a college degree, but I had _________ believing in myself. Then a teacher in my high school _________ me. He told me three things: First, if you don’t believe in yourself, it will be _________ to get anyone else to believe in you. Second, never let other people’s _________ to see your brilliance prevent you from being brilliant. And third, despite life’s _________, stick to creating the future you want.

Early in my _________, I was teaching a workshop when a person in the audience yelled out to me. He told me I had __________ made a job choice and had a bright future. This __________ feedback (反馈)came at just the right time, because while the audience didn’t know it, I was __________ self-doubt.

Even now, I __________ myself that I have a bright future. That’s what I tell myself when I __________ success and failure. You have a bright future ahead. Think about this every single day. Remember your talents, skills, and interests. Explore the jobs that interest you, and have courage—and most __________, believe in yourself.

6 . Rejection doesn’t always hurt. Sometimes rejection may _________ a more certain path to our final goals.

This year football fans have been watching to see how Joe would _________ in the playoffs(季后赛) this season. Joe dreamed to play in the National Football League (NFL), but his journey wasn’t a(n) _________ one. He applied to several colleges, but none _________ him. Later, he got into Ohio State, but he sat on the _________ for three years. Ohio State had a great football program and coaches, who didn’t think Joe had _________. But Joe thought differently. He _________ Nebraska and got rejected once again, but he didn’t quit. Then he applied to Louisiana State University, which accepted him. The rest is history.

Joe became the Heisman Trophy _________ during his senior year, then he was admitted to the NFL, and later, his team participated in the World Championship.

Joe’s story reminds us that there are _________ paths to our final goals and that it __________ strong endurance and determination to reach them. No single __________ is going to prevent you from __________ your long-term goals. Be sure to__________ the pain that comes from disappointment and face it bravely. Try to focus on goals rather than the __________ outcome of being rejected and remember that the hurt of rejection comes from how we __________ it.

7 . Clinton was a great example of the student every teacher loves to have in class. An immigrant from the Philippines at the age of twelve with _______ English skills, he had traveled far to be the only student at school who _______ scholarships from three different school-based groups. All his teachers felt proud when he announced to be a teacher in the future because we knew he would _______ students’ lives

_______ , Clinton never made it to college. Just two days after he graduated from high school, Clinton was diagnosed with stage four colon(结肠) cancer. The doctors held _______ hope that cancer treatments would do more than postpone the eventual_______ . We were heartbroken. Clinton would never _______ college.He would never teach. He would never marry. He would never have children.

We_______ a hand of help and comfort to Clinton and his family. Many an hour was spent by Clinton's side in the hospital; a T-shirt was sold to help raise_______ for Clinton's medical care, and on the front of that T shirt was the following: “Love is a verb ”. For all of us who knew and loved Clinton, we came to ________ that statement and we believed it would make all the ________ in the world.

Clinton passed away on October 16th. We were all deeply ________ by his death. But we also ________ to the fact that the true duty of our school is beyond the factual knowledge and skills we teach to students. It is helping ________ to grow and mature into ________ people.

8 . Brady has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. It has been _________ for his family and his students. He was _________ not only because he was a rising star, but also because he had recently _________ the highest honors for young researchers at the White House.

We truly _________ him — as someone put it, “He always has a smile and a kind word for everyone.” It is very _________ to find someone who is extremely intelligent should be so nice.

Last week, I bought a simple card, reading, “Healing thoughts and wishes are coming your way. We are all _________ for your recovery”. I met and made all his students, who have worked pretty closely with him, sign and add a _________ on it.

He is still undergoing intense treatment, trying his best to stay _________ and hopeful. He didn’t show any trace of self-pity or sadness when I met him. _________, he paid attention to every word of my presentation and asked me several questions __________ to my work, though being in great __________. I saw an expression of joy and hope on his face as he opened the card. He said he was __________ to see the messages from the students. Then he __________, “I am trying to focus on staying positive, hoping to be back this summer.”

Despite being too sick to teach classes, my professor has managed to continue being a great teacher, introducing his last __________ messages to us. It is so important to tell people how much they __________ to us before it is too late.

9 . While enjoying my fresh lunch in a restaurant in Amsterdam, I noticed something odd. Customers coming in for something to eat ignored the person standing behind the counter (柜台), preferring to________through a smart phone.

What was the crazy thing about this? They were just several________apart! In fact, they were so close that the staff member took a quick________at his screen to get a head start on picking the right vegetables—all without any words________. Now, I get it: Modern technology allows us to be more________, but I might be witnessing something deeper: we prefer not to talk to each other anymore.

Think about it for a moment. When was the last time you naturally ______ a conversation with somebody you didn’t know? The chances are that you don’t even________! Likely either you or the other person was “busy” with other things like________with a smartphone. Now, with the________of digital technologies, one can’t help but pay the________for modern efficiency: our ability to talk to strangers.

We shop,________a hotel, or order a taxi, all via an app.________with random strangers is becoming rarer and rarer. Yet there are surprising________of having even a short and simple conversation with strangers. You might learn something________, and beyond doubt, it has the power to enrich your understanding of others and________a special bond in our modern world.

10 . My knees started shaking, yet my body froze. It felt as though my soul left my body and I had no _______ of it. I looked through the list posted on the wall _______. My heart sank as I saw all my friends’ names on that list but was _______ to find mine.

Tears filled my eyes. Just then, a group of students _______ to see the final team list. Every one of them jumped with _______ after seeing that they made the basketball team. Trying to _______ about the situation, I walked home. However, I walked _______ and it felt as if I had a100-pound weight tied to my backpack. My mind was also _______.

Noticing my _______ facial expression, my father asked me what was wrong. “I didn’t make the basketball team,” I replied. “What are you going to do about it? Are you just going to sit there?” he asked.

I just shook my head and ________ myself in my room. Being alone in my room, I thought hard about what my dad said, and it started ________ to me. Nobody was going to give me a(n) ________ on that team. I would have to ________ it. Then I decided to take action. Conveniently, there was a ________ near my school, and I biked there after school every day and trained hard for two hours. I wasn’t sure if I could finally make it, but I ________ it.

After almost a year of ________, I tried out for my seventh-grade team. ________ the result, I knew I’d worked hard and learned about mental ________. The next day, I found out I made the team. As the saying goes, “The greater the ________, the sweeter the reward.” I couldn’t ________ with it more.