3 . “Why did she spill my beans? Why did she do that to me?” I regretted it myself, and vividly remembered that day when I was _________ about the knowing looks which everyone gave me.

5 years ago, Sally was a new _________ in our class. I didn’t know what but there was something special about her which _________ me towards her. We started as classmates _________ after a few months we were like best friends.

I told her about my family’s _________ situation. She exaggerated the matter, added her own spices to it and made it the most heated topic in school. It was like someone had stabbed a knife in my _________. After she _________ my secret, everyone at school started laughing at me, staring at me and giggling everywhere I went. I left school and _________ to another one because I thought no one had the right to laugh at me. Sally called me many times but I didn’t _________. My heart is broken because the person I trusted the most gave me away.

I tried hard to __________ those scars from my heart and started a new life. One day I met Anna in the market, she was my classmate from 3rd grade. To my __________, she admitted to me that she had overheard our __________ and brought my secret to __________.

I was all at sea, and felt that the ground collapsed __________ my feet. From that I got a lesson in life that we should trust our loved ones, because one mistake can ruin our life. I was so embarrassed that it took years to __________ my mistake.

4 . I was invited to a three-day retreat (静修会) in New Jersey. I didn’t want to go because I was working, and it didn’t really call my _______ from the beginning. My friend insisted I go and _______ a request to my employer on my behalf.

We travelled and spent the first night in a _______. There were so many people. The environment was so _______— everybody was very kind.

We _______ mass (弥撒) next morning then at break I was alone. I saw a girl who was alone and _______ the girl to ask if she needed help with her wheelchair. She _______ in a shy way.

We selected our food and chose a table, the only _______ in the dining hall of the hotel, and we sat together. We spoke a lot about pretty much _______ we could think of. I was so open to her and after a few laughs she was to me also. I didn’t even ask her name and she didn’t ask mine, but we were having a _______ time.

At that time, I was learning English and she was learning Spanish so we _______ to teach each other. I am a native Spanish speaker and she is a native English speaker.

She was very interesting and taught me something really important that I will never _______ . I think everybody has faith, everybody has strength, everybody has confidence, everybody has courage. I think everybody has what it _______ to be what they want to be or reach what they want to reach. I _______ asked her name and shared mine. We continue to _______ each other and we have remained friends ever since that day.

5 . In December, 2009, 46-year-old Phil Belfiore was teaching his students how to write a pastiche (模仿作品) of Robert Frost’s poem. He liked the _______ he had written for them, so he _______ it on his answering machine (电话答录机). That brought an unusual _______ to him.

When Phil returned from New Year vacation, he listened to _______. One gentleman said he was sorry for dialing wrongly. He added he heartily _______ the poem. Phil laughed and thought nothing more about it. _______, the phone rang days later. Phil recognized the voice. “He _______ for bothering me, but he wanted to hear the poem again,” recalls Phil. The caller is John, 73 years old. It turned out that his brother’s number was _______ to Phil’s; thus the wrong call happened. “I told him to call back anytime.”

That was 11 years ago. They’ve talked regularly ever since. John _______ most calls. Phil will ring if a long time has passed and he has any ________ to worry. “We always ________ each other when there’s been a storm or a sports event,” Phil says. Gradually, their conversations grew more ________. “We talk about health, finances, and whatever else comes up.”

They planned twice to visit the other, but circumstances ________ their plans. They haven’t gone to a game or had a coffee together. Neither ________ the “haven’t”, as picking up the phone is enough. “My best friend is someone I’ve not yet ________,” says John.

8 . Reaching your goals will always require a lot of hard work and focus, but random opportunity also plays a part in getting you where you want to be. However, you need to keep your life ________ with friends, family, and activities that you enjoy in order to be open to these strange, coincidental ________.

The last month my ________ has been on reconnecting with old ________ and colleague. So this past week when we ________ to Indian Springs, California, for the tennis tournament there, I planned a dinner with Hal Morris, a talented speaker who had ________ worked for my company, and his family. The ________ thing was, we ________ staying with some other wonderful people we hadn’t expected to see.

At the ________ itself, we ran into a(n) ________ friends from Utah, Dr. Lynn Rassmussen and his wife. ________ my wife got a ________ from her best friend, Susie, saying with her husband, they were driving down to California. What a big ________ it was to find out we’d all be in California ________. We got together and had the most ________ time.

As we left California, I was thinking how we were able to ________ time with so many great people, and more than half of it hadn’t even been ________. I had started focusing on ________ friends around us and here it was happening more and more on its own. If you focus on what you want and ________ yourself up to opportunities, unexpected things will happen to support and ________ your goals not to mention enriching your life with many pleasurable experiences.

9 . There are young trees near my window, growing proudly around pink flowers. My little hill with the trees _______ me of my childhood best friend. The _______ of a best friend lasts even if the friendship does not.

I met my best friend Marianne when I was 14. She sat behind me in our Grade 9 classroom. I can still _______ her there with orange hair. She was thin and had bright eyes, a sweet smile and an inviting openness. Once she asked me over to her house after school. We first stopped at a bakery to satisfy our never-ending _______. We each bought two small cakes, and started _______ with mouths full of cake.

The laughter never _______. We laughed through elegant dinners and playing hide-and-seek in the dark. We were _______. We sucked all the childhood juices out of our young lives _______ there was no more childhood to suck up. And then we were ready to _______.

Marianne and I went in ________ directions. In our late 20s, we met up for one ________ lunch in a cafe after I bumped into her in Toronto. We became Facebook friends and glanced over pieces of each other’s ________.

I recently felt a longing to call Marianne. We chatted about old times and caught up on news about our kids and parents. A few days later, she ________ a story on Facebook. She is living with breast cancer. ________, she is sweet and full of that lovely energy I noticed in our classroom. She is ________ life, and she wants us to do the same. I called her after reading her post, and we talked like two schoolchildren ________ it was 46 years later.

I’m ________ for her inspiring philosophy (哲学) of life, which reminds me of when we were two silly girls ________ the unknown of our new lives with hope and love.

When I look out from my window, I can see the little hill with its trees. I think of those ________ as my childhood friends and see Marianne there, ________ and blooming(盛开) with love and grace. And I’m thankful. Marianne will be my best friend forever!