One of my favorite high school teachers was Mrs. Ide. She was my   (1)  teacher and the leader of our choir (合唱团), in which I was a member during high school in France. It was Mrs. Ide who asked me to   (2)   the school choir. Mrs. Ide was a great teacher,   (3)   she believed in all of us and was a musical genius. Besides, she didn’t play favorites at all.

First of all, Mrs. Ide always had   (4)   topics for her music class. She had   (5)  to make them fun every time. We   (6)   in groups in class. We studied for musicals (like Cats, My Fair Lady),   (7)   every one of us had a part to act and sing. When we   (8)   studying our parts, we had a“creative evening”, where all our families, friends and teachers came and watched our   (9)  .

Secondly, Mrs. Ide   (10)   our musical talents. She taught us to be self-confident (自信的) with our   (11)   and how to use different skills to   (12)   our singing. She told us every week that we all have great talents, and it felt really   (13)   that we had such confidence in our musical   (14)  .

Finally, I can   (15)   that Mrs. Ide was the best teacher and she  (16)   cared about us. She helped everyone in her class to improve our   (17)   and be more self-confident.   (18)  , she taught us skills so that we were able to   (19)   at home alone. She was the person who encouraged me to study singing. I really   (20)  that there are other teachers like her, who are an inspiration (鼓舞人的人) for students and their future.

When I was 13 my only purpose was to become the star on our football team. That meant  (1)   Miller King, who was the best  (2)  at our school.

Football season started in September and all summer long I worked out. I carried my football everywhere for  (3)  .

Just before September, Miller was struck by a car and lost his right arm. I went to see him after he came back from  (4)   He looked very  (5)  , but he didn^’t cry.

That season, I  (6)  all of Miller’s records while he  (7)   the home games from the bench. We went 10-1 and I was named most valuable player,  (8)   I often had crazy dreams in which I was to blame for Miller’s  (9)  .

One afternoon, I was crossing the field to go home and saw Miller  (10)   going over a fence—which wasn’t   (11)   to climb if you had both arms. I’m sure I was the last person in the world he wanted to accept   (12)   from. But even that challenge he accepted. I  (13)   him move slowly over the fence. When we were finally   (14)    on the other side, he said to me, “You know, I didn’t tell you this during the season, but you did  (15)  . Thank you for filling in for   (16)  ”

His words freed me from my bad   (17)  I thought to myself, how even without an arm he was more of a leader. Damaged but not defeated, he was  (18)   ahead of me. I was right to have  (19)  him. From that day on，I grew  (20)   and a little more real.

    Years ago, I was driving my three-year-old daughter, Hanna, to her first day of preschool in Princeton, New Jersey. We were   (1)    on the way when the radio announcer said, “A plane has just     (2)    one of the World Trade Center towers.” Not   (3)    what I’d heard, I walked Hanna to her classroom.

       I was back in my car with my one-year-old son, Harris, getting ready to     (4)   , when the news that a second plane hit the World Trade Center broke. That’s when    (5)  flooded over me— my husband, Steven, worked in Tower One.

       A minute later, my cell phone rang. It was my close    (6)    Jennifer, whom I’d met in our kids’ playgroup a few years earlier. “I don’t think I can    (7)   ,” I told her.

       “Stay there,” Jennifer said. “I’m     (8)  .” Within minutes, she was in the parking lot,     (9)  to drive me home. My other friends from the playgroup, Maureen and Lori,     (10)    to my house. The three of them were    (11)    lying on top of（紧挨着）me as we watched Tower One fall down on television, and I screamed my husband’s name.

None of them knew what to    (12)   to me on that day or the days that followed.     (13)  they instinctively（本能地）knew what to do. When I   (14)  to be hugged, they hugged me. When I needed to be left alone, they gave me     (15)  . They were going to do whatever it took to make sure my children and I    (16)   this.

Being independent is very important, but perhaps knowing you have people you can depend on is more   (17)  ). On September 11, 2001, I felt like the unluckiest woman alive— my entire body shook     (18)   when two police officers told me that Steven’s body had been positively identified through dental（牙齿的）records.

Now, I see how   (19)    I am, blessed with the greatest friends in the world. I can honestly say that if it weren’t for my     (20)  I’m not sure if I would be here.

 It was past 10:00 pm．I was busy with my schoolwork though I was  (1)  . Just then my little brother Michael ran out of his room,     (2)  a pen in his right hand and a piece of paper in the other.

     “Betty, can you help me with my   (3)  for school? It’s about the seven    (4)   of the world.” He said.

      My eyes were so   (5)  on the computer screen that my brother had to pull my blouse just to get my   (6)   .

     “Look, not right now! I’m very busy.” I said．“You’re always busy! You’re always like that!” he replied.

      I felt a bit guilty（愧疚）  (7)   I thought about his words, but my work seemed more     (8)  to me than my brother’s. I sighed(叹气) a few times and   (9)    with my own studies.

      The next day, I arrived home late. Michael came into my room.

      “I know you are   (10)   , but there’s something I want to show you”, he began．Without saying a word, I    (11)   the paper from him．I really didn’t    (12)   what he was saying．All I wanted was to     (13)   him and finally get to rest.

     Suddenly, my eyes widened in    (14)   . There, he wrote:

     The Seven Wonders of the World  1．Love   2．Friendship   3．Peace   4．Joy  5．Wisdom   6．Fun  7．Family

      I     (15)  believe what my brother had written on the paper．I was completely     (16)    . How could such an innocent little child   (17)   such things in life?

     The most valuable things in life are the ones that we   (18)    take for granted（认为理所当然）．These things don’t take the form of big houses or beautiful     (19)   . The most wonderful things in the world are immaterial（非物质的）     (20)    they can never be developed by human art, skill or effort.

Kids have a way of connecting with each other. In fact, watching a five-year-old enter a room with two dozen other kids of his 36 can teach you a valuable lesson about real   37 . Within minutes of walking into a crowded gym, five-year-old strangers confidently   38  with one mission: playing. Developing an instant, yet nameless, affinity(喜好)for each other, they interact as if they have   39  each other for years. Without   40  , they are playing games, laughing and having a very good time. There is no positional differences, no politics, no barriers— just pure   41 .

When we grow up, suddenly there are differences and   42 . Sometimes this is due to   43  , insecurity, or even a false sense of deference(尊重). These causes,   44  varied, can instantly be removed the moment you choose to. Adults often forget that real communication comes through   45 , not just hearing and responding. Too often, in networking especially, we listen to others with intent to   46 . Soon, the voice in our head is   47  than the voice of the person who is talking as we evaluate which response we should use and when we should use it.

When you make the effort to truly understand not just what a person   48 , but who he or she is, you are able to   49  lift the barriers and connect with that person. Never feel proud. Each of us has a unique and interesting story,   50  there is always something new and unique to learn from everyone you meet. Combine the   51  of a five-year-old with the courtesy(礼貌)of an adult to introduce yourself and get to know others. Let go of   52 , inhibitions(拘谨) and social status. Remember what it is like to be a five-year-old child and meet people for the sake of having fun and enjoying their   53  . You’ll be surprised at   54  the simple act of listening to understand can improve your ability to connect with others in your life. These connections are what create a strong and healthy network of   55  friends.

   When I was a child, I loved to play a Chinese traditional game which was called Caught You! I　  (1)  　remember playing it every spring and fall if we had good weather. We usually looked forward to this　  (2)  　activity led by our teachers. At that time, we always　  (3)  　asking our teachers when and where to play, and our teachers used to 　  (4)  　with a smile. They knew all of us were　  (5)  　to play the game.

   In this game, you　  (6)  　a large group of people (about 20-30 people), a piece of 　  (7)  　, and a small ball. Our teachers 　  (8)  　us to a park with a large green lawn (草地), and then we sat down side by side in a large circle except for one person who was　  (9)  　by our teachers and sat outside the circle of students.

   To keep the game　  (10)  　well, one of the teachers was a leader and judge, who always gave　  (11)  　to make the game fair, reasonable and fun. At the beginning, we sat in the circle and one of us just sat a few feet away from the circle with his　  (12)  　blindfolded(蒙住). That meant that he couldn’t see who was 　  (13)  　the small ball. This was a key point.

   As soon as everybody was  (14)  　, the teacher declared a start. At that moment, we began to　  (15)  　the small ball one by one around the circle, and the one who sat　  (16)  　could shout “Stop!” at any time he wished.

When we heard “Stop!”, the student who had the ball in his hand had to 　  (17)  　and sing a song or tell a story. From time to time, we laughed loudly because the players made some funny　  (18)  　and noise. The person outside the circle was　  (19)  　every five minutes.

   Now that I’m grown up, I　  (20)  　this game because it was a lot of fun.

   One young person, who was well educated, went for a job as a manager in a big company. The president did the final   (1)  .

            He discovered the youth was   (2)   and felt satisfied. Then the president asked who paid for his school fees. The youth answered, “My mother did it. She worked as a clothes   (3)  .” The president requested the youth to   (4)   his hands. So the youth did. They were smooth. Then he asked, “Have you ever   (5)   your mother wash the clothes before?” The youth answered, “Never, my mother always wanted me to   (6)  .”

            “Go and clean your mother’s   (7)   when you go back today, and then   (8)   me tomorrow morning,” the president said   (9)  .

            The youth felt his chance of getting the job was high, so when he went back, he   (10)   requested his mother to let him clean her hands. However, his tears fell   (11)   he cleaned his mother’s hands slowly. It was the first time he had   (12)   that his mother’s hands were so wrinkled (布满皱纹的). After that, the youth didn’t say a word and washed all the remaining clothes for his mother   (13)  . That night, Mother and Son   (14)   for a very long time, longer than any talk before.

            The next   (15)  , the youth went to the president’s office. The president noticed the tears in the youth’s eyes and asked: “Please tell me how you   (16)   about helping your mother.” The youth said, “Number One, I know now what   (17)   is. Without my mother, I wouldn’t be successful today. Number Two, by helping my mother, I realize how   (18)   it is to get something done. Number Three, I’ve come to realize the   (19)   of family relationship.”

            The president said, “You are   (20)  . This is what I’m looking for to be my manager.”

A man was driving at 70 miles in a 40-mile zone, when a   (1)   came behind him. Right away the man started thinking of   (2)   to give.

As the policeman came to him, he said, “Hi, officer, I guess you   (3)   me a little bit over the speed limit. I was in a rush to get   (4)  , to be with my wife and kids. You know my younger son wasn’t feeling too   (5)   when I left home this morning. I’m afraid he’s ill.”

The policeman said, “Well, I guess so,” and started   (6)   something in his notebook. As minutes went by, he could see from the side view mirror, the policeman was   (7)   writing. When the man was wondering why he hadn’t asked for his driving   (8)   so far, the policeman came to his window,   (9)   him a piece of paper, and returned to his car without saying a single word. The man wondered: how much was this   (10)   going to be? However, the man was   (11)  1    it was not a ticket at all and he began to   (12)  :

“I had a daughter who was   (13)  by a speeding car at the age of six. The speeding driver got a fine, a few months in   (14)  , and then was free, free to hug his two daughters. I only had one, and now I have to   (15)   until I get to heaven（天堂）before I can hug her again. I have tried to   (16)   that man a thousand times, and I thought I had. Maybe I really did forgive him. So pray (祈祷) for me, and be   (17)   when you drive again. My son is all I have been left with.”

The man was completely   (18)   and could not move for the next few minutes. When finally he did, he drove   (19)  9    , even a few miles   (20)   the speed limit, praying for forgiveness.

When I was a boy I didn’t have a smartphone , home computers were unheard of , and our television could only get one channel clearly. Yet, at that time I was never____  (1)  ____. When spring arrived I would pull out my bike and ride. I would ride for hours, feel the ____  (2)  ____ on my face and laugh with joy____  (3)  ____ I rode down the hills. When summer came, I would ____  (4)  ____ every day at the local pool or the river. I never got sunburnt because I was never out of the water too ____  (5)  ____. And when it was ____  (6)  ____ my friends and I would play football and when the leaves ____  (7)  ____ we would rake (用耙子耙) them into piles to jump in . The snows of winter didn’t stop the____  (8)  ____ either. My brothers and I would have snowball fight and walk into the woods to ____  (9)  ____ our Christmas tree. Later I would sit in my favorite chair by the ____  (10)  ____ wood stove and read books that carried my ____  (11)  ____ away to different lands and endless adventures.

 Those simple pleasures always brought me so much____  (12)  ____. There was nothing to be bored about because there was ____  (13)  ____ something to enjoy. I feel a bit ____  (14)  ____ the children of today because they are spending so much time watching and so little time ____  (15)  ____.

 One thing I am sure of , though , is that even in this ____  (16)  ____ world the simple pleasures of life can ____  (17)  ____ comfort your soul. A hug can warm yourheart. A walk in the woods still ____  (18)  ____ your spirit. There are simple pleasures of life for us to____  (19)  ____ and share. Welcome them into your day , take them into your heart, and share them with everyone. Live as a ____  (20)  ____ child today and always.

The best gift I’ve received was from two young boys. At that time, I didn’t have a lot ofmoney or a huge home. As a single mom with three young children of my own, life is so   (1)  .

They were boys with dirty faces a bit older than my children, but they always   (2)  my yard（院子）. It seemed that they were more than   (3)   to avoid staying in their own homes, for reasons that I shall not describe here.

I must feed my children who were   (4)   thirsty and hungry, so I   (5)   a lot of time baking so many healthy muffins(松饼). These two boys almost   (6)   in our yard, and they were glad to pray with us before they would have a   (7)   with my family.

We would also   (8)   food, laughter, books and games with them. And a while later, they   (9)  . I didn’t know where they had gone and I often wondered what had   (10)  in their lives, and meanwhile I hoped for the   (11)  .

During one of the darkest times in my personal life, no one came to visit me. I felt reallylonely these days. I even wondered if God had   (12)   me. On Mother’s Day, my children  (13)  home from school.We were sitting together talking when I heard a  (14)   on the door.

I went to answer it, and there   (15)   two clean-faced, tall, smiling boys holding two bundles of beautiful flowers I had ever seen. They said to me, “Do you   (16)   us? You used to feed us muffins! They were so   (17)   . We wanted to come back and thank you and say Happy Mother’s Day   (18)   you were really like a   (19)   to us!” I was so moved that I couldn’t help crying, and   (20)   them again and again.