We have been driving in fog all morning，but the fog is lifting now.The little seaside villages are ____，one by one.“There is my grandmother's house，” I say，____ across the bay to a shabby old house.
I am in Nova Scotia on a pilgrimage(朝圣) with Lise，my granddaughter，seeking roots for her，retracing(追溯) ____ memory for me.Lise was one of the mobile children，____ from house to house in childhood.She longs for a sense of ___，and so we have come to Nova Scotia where my husband and I were born and where our ancestors ____ for 200 years.
We soon ___ by the house and I tell her what it was like here，the memories ____ back，swift as the tide(潮水)．
Suddenly，I long to walk again in the ____ where I was once so gloriously a child.It still ____ a member of the family，but has not been lived in for a while.We cannot go into the house，but I can still walk ____ the rooms in memory.Here，my mother ____ in her bedroom window and wrote in her diary.I can still see the enthusiastic family ____ into and out of the house.I could never have enough of being ____ them.However，that was long after those childhood days.Lise ____ attentively as I talk and then says，“So this is where I ____；where I belong.”
She has ___ her roots.To know where I come from is one of the great longings of the human ____.To be rooted is “to have an origin”．We need ____ origin.Looking backward，we discover what is unique in us；learn the ___ of “I”．We must all go home again—in reality or memory.

A Leap(跳躍)to Honor
Leaping on a narrow balance beam(平衡木) is not easy.But Lola Walter, a 13－year－old gymnast, is an expert at it.
To perfect her skills, Lola ____ for four hours a day, five days a week.At the state championships in March, she finished seventh out of 16 girls.
That's especially impressive，____she is legally blind, born with a rare condition that causes her eyes to shift(移動(dòng))constantly.She often sees double and can't ____ how far away things are.
When she was little, her mom ___ that even though she couldn't see ____ , she was fearless.So her mom signed her up for gymnastics when she was three.She loved the ____ right away and gymnastics became her favorite.
Though learning gymnastics has been more ____ for her than for some of her teammates, she has never quit.She doesn't let her ____ stop her from doing anything that she wants to.
She likes the determination it takes to do the sport.Her biggest ____ is the balance beam.Because she has double vision, she often sees two beams.She must use her sense of touch to help her during her routine.Sometimes she even closes her eyes.“You have to ____ your mind that it'll take you where you want to go，” says Lola.
To be a top－level gymnast, one must be brave.The beam is probably the most ____ for anyone because it's four inches wide.At the state competition, Lola didn't fall ____ the beam.In fact, she got an 8.1 out of 10——her highest score yet.
Lola doesn't want to be ____ differently from the other girls on her team.At competitions, the judges don't know about her vision ____.She doesn't tell them, because she doesn't think they need to know.Her mom is amazed by her ____ attitude.
Lola never thinks about ____.She is presently at level 7 while the highest is level 10 in gymnastics.Her ____ is to reach level 9.She says she wants to be a gymnastics coach to pass down what she's learned to other kids ____ she grows up.
Lola is____of all her hard work and success.She says it's helped her overcome problems in her life outside gymnastics too.Her ____ for others is “just believe in yourself”．

The purpose of a letter of application is to help you to “sell” yourself. It should state   __ __ the job you want, and should tell what your abilities are and what you have      . It should be simple, human, personal and brief without      out any necessary facts.
In writing a letter of application, keep in        that things a possible employer is most       to want to know about are your qualification, your achievements and your aims. The opening paragraph is perhaps the most important part.       the first few sentences fail to       the readers’ attention, the rest of the letter may not be        at all. Try to key your opening remarks to the needs or interests of the employer, not       your own needs or desires. For example, instead of beginning with “I saw your     in today’s newspaper”. You might say , “I have made a careful       of your advertising during the past six months” or “ I have made a survey in my neighborhood to find out how many housewives       your product and why they like it”.
Try to       generalities (籠統(tǒng)) . Be clear about the kind of job for which you are now   ___    . College graduates looking for their first positions often ask “What can I      ?” in a letter. Employers want experience---which, naturally, no      has. The answer is that everything you have ever done is      .
It is important to write a good strong closing remark for your letter.       a specific request for an interview or give the possible employer something definite to do or expect. An excellent    _ is to enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your letter. That makes it       for a possible employer to get in touch with you.

The concept of solitude(獨(dú)處) in the digital world is almost non­existent.In the world of digital technology，e­mail，social networking and online video games，information is meant to be ___.Solitude can be hard to discover____it has been given up.In this respect，new technologies have___our culture.
The desire to be connected has brought solitude to a(n)____as we’ve known it.People have become so____in the world of networks and connections that one can often be contacted____they’d rather not be.Today we can talk，text，e­mail，chat and blog(寫(xiě)博客)，not only from our____，but from our mobile phones as well.
Most developed nations have become ____on digital technology simply because they’ve grown accustomed to it，and at this point not____it would make them an outsider.____，many jobs and careers require people to be____.From this point of view，technology has changed the culture of work.Being reachable might feel like a___to those who may not want to be able to be contacted at all times.
I suppose the positive side is that solitude is still possible for anyone who____wants it.Computers can be shut____and mobile phones can be turned off.The ability to be “connected” and “on” has many____，as well as disadvantages.Travelers have ended up____on mountains，and mobile phones have saved countless lives.They can also make people feel ____and forced to answer unwanted calls or____to unwanted texts.
Attitudes towards our connectedness as a society____across generations.Some find today’s technology a gift.Others consider it a curse.Regardless of anyone’s view on the subject，it’s hard to imagine what life would be like____daily advancements in technology.(2012·江蘇)

One day，while I was walking to work，I decided to bring some flowers that I had picked from my garden that morning.On the way，I ____ a stranger and presented the bunch to him with a smile card.____ by the sense of joy I felt from giving flowers to another person，and may be ____ his day，I wanted to do it again.
When I got to my office，I had the ____ of anonymously(匿名) leaving flowers around the workplace.The impersonal(無(wú)人情味的) ___ of the building where I work makes me ____.It just feels a little boring sometimes，____ it’s a nice building with great light.I __8__ lots of people might feel the same way，so why not put a little ___ there，and throw in an inspirational quote while I’m at it？____，who doesn’t like flowers?
So，for the past month，I’ve been ____ flowers in a little cup on the sink in the bathroom.Each week，I ____ the flowers and the quote.It always feels ____ for me to read quotes like Henry David Thoreau’s “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams，he will meet with a ____ unexpected in common hours.” and Gandhi’s “The fragrance(香味) always ____ on the hand that gives the rose.” If anything，I figured，it at least makes me ____ each time I visit the bathroom.
Then today，when I walked in，I noticed ____ flowers in the cup，and a quote that someone else had written！It ____，“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”—Gandhi.
This little act ____ me that，at the end of the day，we’re all just people with hearts ____ the various roles and different hats we may wear in the workplace.
I did a little dance and I am smiling wide for the rest of the day!

Most people give little thought to the pens they write with，especially since the printers in modern homes and offices mean that very ____things are handwritten.All too often，people buy a pen based only on ____，and wonder why they are not satisfied ___ they begin to use it.However，buying a pen that you’ll enjoy is not ____ if you keep the following in mind.
First of all，a pen should fit comfortably in your hand and be __5__ to use.The thickness of the pen is the most important characteristic(特征)____ comfort.Having a small hand and thick fingers，you may be comfortable with a thin pen.If you have a ____ hand and thicker fingers you may ____a fatter pen.The length of a pen can ____ influence comfort.A pen that is too ____ can easily feel top­heavy and unstable.
Then，the writing point of the pen should ____ the ink to flow evenly(均勻地) while the pen remains in touch with the paper.____ will make it possible for you to create a ____ line of writing.The point should also be sensitive enough to ____ink from running when the pen is lifted.A point that does not block the ____ may leave drops of ink，____ you pick the pen up and put it down again.
___，the pen should make a thick，dark line.Fine­line pens may ____ bad handwriting，but fine，delicate lines do not command ____ next to printed text，as，____，a signature on a printed letter.A broader line，on the other hand，gives an impression of confidence and authority(權(quán)威)．

One Monday morning，news got around in the schoolyard about a fire over the weekend.Soon Mr.Johnson，my teacher，came to explain that the Art class would be ____ due to the fire.He also warned us not to approach the Art room because it could be ____.
During the morning break，Kirn and I decided to take a ____.A first hand observation would make us heroes at lunch.At the appointed time，Kirn and I ____ the Art room，ignoring the consequence I would face ____ I got caught.We stood on tiptoes looking hard ___ the door window，trying in vain to see ____ was forbidden.Suddenly a firm __ on our shoulders stopped us.
Turning around，I found a teacher staring angrily at us.In those seconds millions of ___ flashed through my mind.My father would beat me hard.____ than that，my mom might be so mad that she might not stop him.My spirits ____ even lower while realizing how ____ Mr.Johnson would be.
When Kirn and I were led back to our classroom，I could found ____ to hide and wanted to melt into the ____.However，Mr.Johnson had a different ___ to teach.
Slowly，he bent down to look me in the ____，and I was met with a look of concern rather than anger.He spoke softly as he explained why he was ____ in my decision to go where I may have got hurt.He cared more about my ____ than the fact that I’d broken a rule.My heart was ___ with regret，and I discovered that he still loved me even after I disappointed him.The rest of the day，he didn’t even mention it in class publicly，___ did he tell my parents.It was the first time I felt the power of being given an unexpected second chance.

It was the end of my first day as waitress in a busy New York restaurant.My cap had gone away，and my feet were ____.The loaded plates I carried ____ to be heavier and heavier.Tired and discouraged，I wasn’t able to do anything ____.As I made out a check for a family with several children who had changed their ice­cream ____ a dozen times，I was ready to stop.Then the father ____ at me as he handed me my tip.“Well done，”he said，“you’ve ____ us really well.” Suddenly my tiredness ____.I smiled back，and later，when the ____ asked me how I’d like my first day，I said，“Fun！” Those few words of praise had ____ everything.Praise is like ____ to the human spirit；we cannot grow without it.And ___，while most of us are only too ____ to apply to others the cold wind of criticism，we are ___ to give our fellows the warm sunshine of praise.Why—when one word of praise can bring such ____？
It is strange how chary(吝嗇的) we are about praising.Perhaps it’s ____ few of us know how to accept it.It’s ____ rewarding to give praise in areas in which ___ generally goes unnoticed or unmentioned.An artist gets admired for a glorious picture，a cook for a ____ meal.But do you ever tell your laundry manager how pleased you are when the shirts are ____ just right？In fact，to give praise ____ the giver nothing but a moment’s thought and a moment’s effort.

Cindy Sydney is the founder of C&S Paving Inc.(鋪路公司) in Miami，USA.In the following account，she recalls the job that challenged her ____ and skill but left her flying high.
When the Miami Airport was under ____ in 1979，we were a new company struggling to make it.National Car Rental wanted to have 2,500 square meters of dirt paved ____ the cars could be on site ____ the airport opened，and the official opening was only ten days away！____ other local paving company wanted to do the job, stating it couldn’t be done in such a(n) ____ time.
Because we were new and really needed the work，we were ____ to try harder.We gave National Car Rental our offer and ____ our best effort to get the job finished within ten days.We also ____ them that if we failed，they would be no worse off，____ they had plenty to gain if we succeeded.
We got the job and immediately went into ___.Working at night needed lights，so I rented a machine to produce electricity for the site.Our____challenge was to keep the rock mixture ____ enough.All the available water wagons(灑水車(chē)) were rented out for the airport construction，and we certainly couldn’t  ____ to buy a new one.Instead，I got a special ___ to rent fire engine hoses(消防水龍帶) and connect them to nearby hydrant(消防栓)；then I ____ held one of those hoses to ____ down the rock.
Those ten days were filled with challenges that ____ one creative idea after another.Nine days later，the night before the airport opened，National Car Rental was the only company that had cars on the parking lot.
“The key to our success was having the ____ to take on any job and then being ____ in our approach to getting it done.”

It amazed me—every time I saw Joe，he was smiling.It didn’t ____ whether he had to stop at a stop light，or if he were the seventh person in ____ at the bank，and the service stopped just before he got there.Joe ___ smiled.It made me wonder why he seemed so ____ every day.
Having observed Joe with other people，I ____ something else also.Joe asked people how they were doing，and really seemed to listen to their ____.If someone were hurting，he had __7__ for him and kind words，and offered to ____ in any way he could.
It made me think...What if I tried to smile more？A(n) ____ of sorts began when I went to the grocery store.I smiled as I went up and down the aisles...and people I didn’t even ___ smiled back at me.Some even ____！The little kid in the cart(購(gòu)物車(chē)) who was giving his mother a ____ time saw me smile and ____ talking...and，you guessed it.He made a shy little attempt at a smile.The man in the handicapped(殘疾的) cart ____ a person to reach something...I could get that for him.The smile even transferred over to him，and he ____me.
As I drove home，I was smiling.I ____ what I had just learned，and when someone passed me and gave me a(n) ____，I smiled at him.He looked puzzled.
Now I know a smile is a small thing，but what if we were all to try to smile a few more times each day？I couldn’t believe how ___ I felt.Nothing in my life had changed，____ maybe it had.For what I learned was that such a small thing could ____ not only my spirits，but those around me as well.