“How does the yard look?” My father asked, with his eyes shining. I could tell he was eagerly waiting for my   (1)  . “Wonderful!” I replied after I gave it a thorough  (2)  . Then I recited all the changes I had  (3)  in his yard and he smiled contently.

       When I was young, my mother  (4)  in a car accident, leaving my father alone to  (5)  their three young daughters. At the beginning, life was not always  (6)  and my younger sisters usually complained. However, Dad always  (7)  us to believe that life was good. Meanwhile, he tried his best to  (8)  that belief.

       In 1972, my dad developed a piece of waste land that had been  (9)  on Okaloosa Island. Every year at the first sign of  (10)  , he would begin spending countless hours working there to make it be bursting with colors. Through his continuous hard work, the land  (11)  turned into a beautiful garden with different types of flowers and other unique plants. While our friends were enjoying their vacation through traveling to different places, we were  (12)  working with my dad in his yard, watering the flowers, weeding or cutting off the branches. Sometimes, our friends were envious of our working vacation, and we would  (13)  them. Dad made his yard very  (14)  so that it became our vacation paradise during our childhood.

       For so many years, when we were  (15)  , we liked to visit Dad’s yard, because it could  (16)  us of Dad’s belief. It was Dad and his yard that gave us  (17)  that enabled us to survive and   (18)  major challenges in life. One day, it shocked us that Dad said he would not  (19)  the yard. Then he explained, “Twenty years ago I decided to start my work in that yard to tell you life is good. Now my work is done.” We were sitting in  (20)  , recalling what we had experienced. Life was good. Dad was right.

Happiness isn’t about always getting what you want. Happy people understand that sometimes life doesn’t   (1)   their way; life isn’t fair. What they do know, is that you can only do your best,

  (2)   yourself for what doesn’t work, and   (3)   when you need to.

Suffering is an inevitable (不可避免的)   (4)   of humanity. You cannot   (5)   this world without at least a little suffering. Happy people know a   (6)   happiness comes through surviving a deep pain. We learn what we’re truly made of when   (7)   with such hurt.

As hard as you work, and as   (8)   as you try to plan it all out, you’re just not in control. You cannot control the actions or   (9)   of others. In order to reach happiness, happy people accept this inevitable truth and learn to be   (10)   rather than passive to life’s surprises and misfortunes.

If your happiness is   (11)   on how other people feel about you, you will never be happy. You can’t   (12)   everyone and you certainly can’t   (13)   anyone to love you in a specific way. Happy people accept the way their loved ones feel, and work at showing their   (14)   and asking for what they need rather than expecting people to love them the way they want to be loved.

If you believe you are incapable and let that belief   (15)   you from happiness, then   (16)   

you give truth to a self-imposed fallacy (谬论). The only way to improve and succeed at anything is to try and try again. Consider this: who is your   (17)  ? Do you think he or she is so accomplished through a life   (18)   from failure? No! They simply do not let their doubts keep them from happiness.

Unhappy people seek happiness through approval. Unfortunately, that approval is impossible to achieve because it is caused by an inner   (19)  , which keeps them   (20)   striving (奋斗). Happiness can only be achieved through self-acceptance. Yours is the only approval you need.

The Write Feeling

Growing up in a military family, I moved a lot. I mostly went to __  (1)  __ with other kids whose parents were also in the military. But when my dad __  (2)  _ from the Marines after twenty years of service, I found myself __  (3)  __ a civilian school with twelve-year-olds who shared no similar life experience with me.

I was a stranger in a strange land. Everyone in my class had grown up together, and they had no room to _  (4)  _ for a newcomer. I wore different clothes, had different thoughts, and spoke with an accent. I __  (5)  _ for the first few weeks of school. I had no friends, no activities, and no __  (6)  __ of a bright future. To deal with it all, I began __  (7)  __ in my diary every day---stories of adventure, of old friends, of feelings that I could not speak. I wrote as if my life depended on it, as if the very next breath I took could not happen __  (8)  __ I wrote down words.

One day, my teacher, Mrs. Bush, came to me and asked why I always sat there writing instead of playing with others. I told her I enjoyed writing and __  (9)  __ writing to playing. She smiled at me and walked away. About three weeks later, Mrs. Bush gave us a writing assignment. I was __  (10)  _ that I could now participate in something I knew I excelled in.

That night I worked and worked on the essay. I wrote with great __51__. It was my one chance to feel important and _  (11)  _ by the class.

A few days after we handed in our assignments, Mrs. Bush called me up to the __  (12)  __ of the classroom. I stood before thirty pairs of eyes looking at me, and I got __  (13)  __. Was I in trouble? Did I do something wrong?

Then Mrs. Bush told the class how much she __55_ all the work that went into the essay and everyone had done a great job. But, she said, one student stood __  (14)  _ as an excellent writer, one with imagination, creativity, and word mastery. That student was me!

The class clapped politely and Mrs. Bush handed me my paper, with the following __  (15)  __ on it:"Malinda, you are an excellent writer. You fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. Please keep on writing and share your __  (16)  _ of writing with the world. I am proud of you and glad you are in my class."

Mrs. Bush helped me feel a sense of __  (17)  __, a place of purpose, and a way to survive a transition in life. She helped me gain __  (18)  __ in myself that stayed with me beyond sixth grade.

Always Changing

Jack is leaving, and I’m feeling kind of sad.

You probably don’t know Jack, but you might be lucky enough to  (1)  someone just like him. He’s been the heart and soul of the office for a couple of years combining  (2)  professional skills with a sweet and gentle nature.

And now he’s moving on to an exciting new professional   (3)  . It sounds like it could be the chance of a lifetime, and we’re  (4)  for him. But that doesn’t make it any easier to say goodbye to him.

Life has a way of throwing these curve(曲线) balls   (5)  us. Just when we start to get comfortable with a person, a place or a situation, something comes along to   (6)  the recipe. Our ability to cope with change   (7)   , to a great degree, our peace, happiness and contentment in life.

But how do we do that? A friend of mine is fond of reminding us that “survivability depends upon  (8)  .” And then there’s Chris the California surf-rat, who once told me that the answer to life’s problems can be   (9)   in four words: “Go with the flow.”

Iˈm not exactly sure, but I think Chris was saying that life is a series of   (10)  —both good and bad. No matter how excellent your skill, there will always be life-influencing factors over which you have no  (11)  . The truly successful person expects the unexpected, and is prepared to  (12)  adjustments if the need should arise—as it almost   (13)  does.

That doesn’t mean you don’t keep trying to make all your  (14)  come true. It just means that when things come up that aren’t   (15)  in your plan, you work around them—and then you move on.

    “Change, indeed, is painful,   (16)   ever needful,” said philosopher Thomas Carlyle. “And if memory has its force and worth, so also has  (17)  .”

We’re going to miss Jack. But rather than stay on the  (18)  of our parting, we’ll focus on our hopes for a brighter future—for him, and for us. And then we’ll go out and  (19)  everything we can to make that future happen.

       (20)  our plans change—again.

When Walter Dean Myers was growing up, he was frequentlyin trouble. He   (1)  with the other kids at school. He talked   (2)  tohis teachers and was often made to sit in the back of the classroomby himself. But he   (3)  to read. He would   (4)  himself in books.

Today, Myers is the   (5)  of more than 100 books, most ofthem for children. He   (6)  writing for young people because heremembers how much he needed help and   (7)  at that time in life.He was named the National Ambassador for Young PeopleˈsLiterature in 2012. He travels the country,   (8)  kids of all ages toread.

Even at a young age, Myers had a way with   (9)  . He couldamuse   (10)  for hours by writing in his notebooks.One of his poems  (11)  on the first page of his schoolˈs magazine.

Myers was   (12)  in Harlem, a largely black neighborhood inNew York City. As a boy, he loved   (13)  people in hiscommunity(社区). But he couldnˈt find many   (14)  that told the stories of theordinary people he saw in   (15)  life. So he chose to write the kindsof stories he   (16)  he could have had when he was growing up.These stories honestly   (17)  the lives of kids today.“Some kids feeldeserted or   (18)  ,”Myers says,“but theyˈll   (19)  a book of mine andfind themselves or their families.”

It takes a lot of work to write as many books as Myers does,  (20)  he loves it. He wants to do the best that he can with hiswriting.

The journey my daughter Cathy has had with her swimming is as long as it is beautiful.

    Cathy suffered some terrible   (1)  in her early childhood. After years of regular treatment, she  (2)  became healthy.

    Two years ago, while Cathy was watching the Olympics, a dream came into her sweet little head—to be a swimmer. Last summer, she wanted to   (3)  our local swim team. She practiced hard and finally   (4)  it. The team practice,   (5)  , was a rough start. She coughed and choked and could hardly   (6)  her first few weeks. Hearing her coughing bitterly one night, I decided to  (7)  her from it all. But Cathy woke me up early next morning, wearing her swimsuit   (8)  to go! I told her she shouldn’t swim after a whole night’s coughing, but she refused to   (9)  and insisted she go.

   From that day on, Cathy kept swimming and didn’t   (10)  a single practice. She had a  (11)  intention within herself to be the best she could be. My ten—year—old was growing and changing right before my eyes, into this   (12)  human being with a passion and a mission. There were moments of   (13)  of course: often she would be the last swimmer in the race. It was difficult for Cathy to accept that she wasn’t a  (14)  ---ever. But that didn’t stop her from trying.

   Then came the final awards ceremony at the end of the year. Cathy didn’t expect any award but was still there to  (15)  her friends and praise their accomplishments. As the ceremony was nearing the end, I suddenly heard the head coach  (16)  , “The highest honor goes to Cathy!” Looking around, he continued, “Cathy has inspired us with her    (17)  and enthusiasm.  (18)  skills and talents bring great success, the most valuable asset(财富)one can hold is the heart.”

   It was the greatest   (19)  of my daughter’s life. With all she had been  (20)  in her ten years, this was the hour of true triumph(成功).

A little girl was shopping with her Mom in Target. She must have been 6 years old,this beautiful red-haired image of  (1)  .It was    (2)   Outside. We waited, somepatiently, others annoyed because  (3)   messed up their hurried day. The little voicewas so sweet that it   (4)  the hypnotic trance（催眠性迷睡）we were caught in. "Mom,let's run through the rain," she said.

“  (5)  ?”Mom asked.

“Let's run through the rain!" She repeated.

    “No,honey. We'll wait  (6)  it slows down a bit,”Mom replied.

    This young child waited about another minute and repeated:“Mom, let's run throughthe rain,”

    “We'll get wet through if we  (7)  ,”Mom said.

    “No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl saidas she pulled at her Mom's arm.

    “This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get   (8)   ?”

    “Don't you   (9)  ? When you were talking to Dad about his cancer, you said, ‘Wecan   (10)   anything!’”

The entire crowd fell into dead  (11)  . I dare say you couldn't hear anything but therain.   (12)  came or left in the next few minutes.

    Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would  (13)  it off and say she was silly. Some might even   (14)  what was said, But this wasa moment of affirmation（肯定）in a young child's life, a time when innocent trust can be  (15)   so that it will develop into faith.

    “Honey, you are  (16)  right. Let’s run through the rain. If we get wet, maybe wejust need washing.”Mom said.

    Then   (17)  they ran. We all stood inside, watching, smiling and laughing as they  (18)  past the cars and yes, across the puddles（水坑）.They held their shopping bagsover their heads just   (19)  .They did get wet.

    And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed  (20)   .

    Home Alone is a very funny 1990 American film. It tells a story about a boy who is accidentally left alone at home.

    One night ____  (1)  ____ Christmas, the McAlister family meet at their home. They're planning to ____  (2)  ____ to Paris for the coming holiday and are busy getting ready. 8-year-old Kevin is the youngest child and is fighting with his brothers, sisters and his cousins. When he goes to bed, he is so mad that he wishes all his family would ____  (3)  ____. In the morning, everyone wakes up very ____  (4)  ____. They are all in a hurry to get to the airport, so they forget Kevin and he is left alone at home by accident.

    Although Kevin is alone, he is very happy at first. His terrible family has gone—his ____  (5)  ____ has come true. He watches TV, eats lots of fast food and plays games. He has a good time. But later on, he goes out and hears two ____  (6)  ____ men called Harry and Marv planning to steal from his house. He goes home and plans some very funny ways to ____  (7)  ____ them. Many things in the house get broken as Kevin tries to stop them. Finally, the ____  (8)  ____ come and the men are taken away.

    The house is now a mess, ____  (9)  ____ Kevin tidies it up and waits for his parents. They get back from Paris and are very happy to find that Kevin is ____  (10)  ____.

  I've been really tied up recently helping my elderly parents out of a crisis and sorting out their house．But sometimes   (1)   opportunities present themselves to you ，which is what   (2)   today．

    I was heading out of town on my way to a well-earned picnic in the countryside，  (3)   to turn across a stream of traffic into a side road，when I   (4)   out of the corner of my eye a pedestrian(行人)   (5)   crossing the road at an unexpected and rather   (6)   place． The figure of a young woman eventually   (7)   at my passenger window in the middle of a two-lane road，looking   (8)   and asking for a lift to a college in town，where she should have been taking an exam which had   (9)   1O minutes earlier，having been let down by the bus．

    I   (10)   to let her in my car and she eventually arrived 20 minutes late． It would probably have been another 40 minutes on stop of that if she'd had to   (11)   the next bus，so hopefully this will have helped her   (12)   the exam． The even was slightly   (13)   when she later called me and wanted to   (14)   me some money，which of course I firmly   (15)  ．

    This has led me to think about general   (16)   regarding being under obligation(责任)to someone，or owing them something which must be   (17)  ． Maybe another time I may have the presence of mind to   (18)   positively and helpfully to such a   (19)  ． The best thing that even when I was behaving normally and casually in my daily time，the fate arranged that I could still have an/a 60 to trust and do someone a favor．

  When Chad Pregracke was a teenager in East Moline, Illinois, he and his father lived and worked on the Mississippi River — or rather, in it. Every day they dove into the river to   (1)  freshwater mussels (贻贝), which they sold to Japanese customers. The river was their   (2)  , but Chad came to realize that it was also dirty. While

searching for mussels on the river bottom, Chad could not  (3)   much because the water was too muddy. When Chad Pregracke was in college, he decided that he had to   (4)  the river. And thatˈs what he has done.

    In the summer of 1997, Chad   (5)   the Mississippi River Beautification & Restoration Project. Using a 20-foot motorboat and working   (6)   by himself, Chad cleaned up 100 miles of shoreline in Illinois and Iowa. By summerˈs end, he had   (7)   and recycled 45,000 pounds of trash! As people learned about Chadˈs   (8)   , they began to offer help. Towns and companies along the river   (9)   equipment, and communities (社区)   (10)  cleanup days.

    In 1998, the project   (11)   . Chad fixed up two boats, and he   (12)   a crew. During the summer months, Chad and his crew cleaned up 900 miles of Mississippi   (13)  from St. Louis, Missouri, to Guttenberg, Iowa. They collected 400,000 pounds of trash —   (14)   from old refrigerators to plastic legs!

    In the next year, Chadˈs group   (15)  the cleanup of more than 1,000 miles of the Mississippi River. They also   (16)  an“Adopt a Mississippi River Mile”program. In this program, companies and groups took   (17)   for keeping parts of the river clean. After that, Chad   (18)  the Illinois River.

    Today, Chad Pregrackeˈs project has many sponsors and an annual budget of $200,000. Chad also has   (19)   plans. He will move eastward   (20)   he has done what he can for the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. He wants to clean up the Ohio River next, and then perhaps the Hudson.