1 . Over the years I’ve spent living in Beijing, I can _________ the number of truly outdoor experiences I’ve had on one hand. But a road trip to Nanshan Skiing Village in February 2021 provided me with some _________ memories.

As my friends and I sat together in the ski lift chair, I finally felt for the first time that I had _________ left the busy city life of Beijing. Up in the air a few dozen meters off the ground, I _________ the wide view of the countryside and appreciated the peaceful quiet.

As the ski lift reached its _________, I _________ slid off from the chair and almost did a face-plant into the snow. “So much for the peace and quiet”, I _________ to myself. _________, I gathered myself together and made my way as _________ as I could to one of the several starting points.

My buddies had already started making their way down the hill, and I was about to join them but suddenly fear __________ me as I noticed how easy it was to __________ speed. I __________ to swerve (突然转向) to the side to slow down, but ended up tumbling (摔倒) down into the snow.

Not wanting to become __________, I awkwardly reattached the ski. Although I still felt nervous, by accepting the risk I was able to ski more confidently and at last managed to make it down the whole ski slope (斜坡).

By the day’s end, I had relearned what it __________ to take risks and get out of my comfort zone. By accepting what seems __________, you can find both confidence and peace within.

2 . We all enjoy planning out our lives. We had great expectations and dreams to touch the sky.     1     The game of life twists and turns, changing direction to form new paths that aren’t anticipated.

So, what happens when the life you have isn’t the life you planned? You can go exploring. You go exploring without expectation because your plans could be the very thing that keeps you from the life that’s waiting for you.     2     Rather, you should get curious about how to change your circumstances for the better.

    3     But if you continue to focus on everything that went wrong in the past, you wouldn’t be able to see the good that is present. Each day is a blank canvas presented as an opportunity for you to create and to discover new things. Be careful, however, not to give in to other’s opinions of what your life should look like. These days everyone can be an expert on what you should do with your life.     4    

So, don’t be afraid to make mistakes but learn from them quickly.     5     You had better be free of these emotions to move on in a light-hearted way.