1 . I made bread yesterday because I was missing my mom. As I poured over the oil, I _______ the time Mom taught me to make bread.

I was about sixteen and I asked her for a _______ for her bread. She told me she didn’t have one but she would guide me through the _______.

So I went through the process under her _______ eyes. When the water had _______, I mixed those and started adding flour, putting the dry masses into the mixture. I kept adding _______ until I couldn’t stir in anymore. Mom watched and checked from time to time to _______ the movement or to feel the shape and thickness, encouraging me to _______ it too.

As the right standard was reached, I _______ the entire mass and put it in the bowl to rise. I gave it a good pat with my hand.

Mom looked at me ________ and asked, “Why did you do that?”

I shrugged and said smilingly, “Because you always do it. Why do you do it?”

________ to a friend yesterday afternoon she suggested getting a bread maker. My answer was a swift NO! The joy is ________ the process. For me, it slows down my ________ and the process is calming in the movements.

My small batch(一团生面) produced six loaves. There was satisfaction knowing they came from my own hands—and ________ in knowing that I had extra loaves to ________ with family and friends.

2 . When I was growing up, my family was so poor that when I was 7, we had borrowed from every _________ person in my hometown, sold our valuables, and so on, just to _________ as my parents were both _________. When my dad finally got hold of a job as a janitor, my mother started working as well. Finally after we had gotten on our _________ and were comfortably living, she became a stay-at-home mom. At the time our total _________ for my parents and my brother and I, was roughly 23K a year.

That’s not enough to have a maid _________ you lobster in the halls of a big house. But it is _________ to see a loving parent present you with a home-cooked meal and nothing but _________ in their hearts. Now, as I get _________ to turn 18 in late August, I have a father and a brother. I wondered to myself why I didn’t ____________ as many of my friends did with depression or ____________ thoughts, and so on. It wasn’t because I found a religion, or because I started getting ____________.

I was given a ____________. Not only that, but I was given parents who loved me ____________ and would give anything for my ____________. I knew that when I went home and closed the door behind me, my dad was in his room ____________ (working the graveyard shift is a pain), and my mom was making sure I came home to a meal, a smile, and open ____________.

Parents. Love your children. ____________ for them. Let them know that their problems are your problems and that you ____________ them no matter what will happen. Children. Love your parents, help them and most of all, ____________ them. If you’re reading this, that probably means in less than a decade you won’t come home from school every day to see their smiling faces or loving embrace.

3 . Making a family

For years, Dad had avoided getting a dog. Whenever the _________ came up, Dad complained, “Dogs are a pain. I don’t want to be _________.”   Despite his strong opposition, Mom brought home a puppy named Chip, a cute ball that _________ us all.

For me, at age thirteen, Chip brought out my _________ side. I fed, brushed and walked him every day. I also learned that when we take care of what is important to us, we _________ the benefits. And this _________ stayed with me as I grew. At that time, Chip meant a loyal (忠诚的) companion, someone to _________ me at the door when I returned, and someone to kiss my face when I was sad.

Chip even _________ Dad. It was nearly a month before Chip’s _________ personality won him over. Dad was the first to __________ him to sit on the sofa. He even made chew toys for Chip to play with.

Most __________, Chip brought us together as a family. After dinner, instead of escaping to our bedrooms as before, we all __________ Chip into the family room. We’d teach him new __________ or perfect his old ones. We’d recall stories of the cute things he’d done that day. The key is that we’d do this together.

People sometimes complain that dog lovers are __________ humanity; rather, their pets stimulate the __________ of their humanity.

4 . It snowed heavily. Five year-old Sean, who ________ went to kindergarten, was staying in the house playing home policeman.

This time, the playful and ________ boy was interested in his brother Felix, who ________ to studying no matter where he was. Sean ________ looked inside his brother’s room from the door, and shouted toward the ________ where Mom was working, “Mom, Felix isn't studying. He’s just watching a funny video.” Sean was ________ smiling at his brother.

Felix was ________ because his little brother was ________ him. Right then, Mom asked ________ from the kitchen, “What are you doing, Felix?” “I’m watching a lecture video for my science class.” Felix ________ against Sean s accusation and ________ his tongue out at his little brother.

“All right. I’m sure you’re doing your work.”Mom ________, and then sharply added a question. “Sean, what are you doing?” Sean’s face immediately became ________, and he said, “________. ” “Come here, honey, and you can help me.” Sean ran to the kitchen right away. “What can I do for you, Mom?” His voice was high, and Felix could sense that his brother was excited.

Felix was pleased to________ the policeman, and now he could concentrate on the lesson.

5 . Joe and Della were a new couple. They were both interested in art--one in painting, the other in music. They lived in a small flat. They loved each other and they were happy.

But one day they found that they had spent all their money. One afternoon Della told Joe that she had found a _________ and was to give her three music lessons a week. For that she could get fifteen dollars a week. But Joe was not _________ because he didn’t want to stay at home, playing with his art while Della was at work. He wanted to earn some money too.

Every day they parted in the morning and _________ in the evening.

A week _________ , Della brought home fifteen dollars, but she looked a little _________. Joe took eighteen dollars out of his pocket. They were both _________ to have so much money at hand.

The next week, Joe _________ home another eighteen dollars but Della came home with her right hand in a bandage (绷带). Joe asked Della what was the _________. Della said, “It was because of an iron-- I mean a plate of soup spilled on my _________.”

“What do you do every day, Della? Do you __________ give music lessons?” Joe asked. “Tell me the __________!”

Della cried. She told Joe that she was working in a laundry (洗衣店), __________ shirts. A girl accidentally __________ an iron on her hand and she got a __________ burn. But Della asked Joe how he had guessed that she wasn’t giving music lessons.

Joe told Della that he worked in the engine-room of the same laundry where she worked. They both let out their __________ and laughed.

6 . “I am leaving home.” When Timmy, my 10-year-old son eagerly announced that he couldn’t wait to ______ , the feeling of guilt peaked as I tried to figure out the ______ “So, I can get a dog.” he stressed.

But I stayed ______ we didn’t need a dog to complete our life—and he gave up. Until the day I overheard Tim my, with his brother, discussing his moving plan. Suddenly, the situation ______ gain a dog or ______ a child? I felt my resolve ______ “We can look into it,” I replied doubtfully, but the kind we wanted cost a ridiculous $1000! Yes, love had a price. I ______ for thought again.

I shared my _____   with my friend whose love for dogs was quite sensible. He connected me to his pet keeper friend who got a pregnant dog and the baby dogs were due soon. A few days later, we took a surprise trip to the countryside when the little dogs were born. I would admit that all my previous ______ reappeared after watching a group of blind things, but it was too late. Among screams of ______ we chose one of the little dogs as ours.

We attempt to ______ our kids in a healthy way—I didn’t realize the added dimension of love and ______ that a dog would teach my kids. On a hot day, Timmy cut short his outing to check if Odie, the dog, had enough water. When Odie was sick, my elder son made fresh soup and ______ fed it to him.

My children no longer talk about leaving home ______ there is the troublesome issue of who will take the dog. They quietly learn how to give and receive love. If having a dog means linking my children even closer together, it will be a mother’s prayer ______