“You are the only one who can handle it, Matt,” said Mr. Wolf, my fourth-grade band teacher, as he put the heavy tuba into my arms. I felt_______because I had asked for other band instrument, not the tuba. But I knew what he_______and he was right. In the fourth grade, I was_______a foot taller and 50 pounds heavier than any of my classmates.

Now I’m 6 feet and 3 inches and weigh 240 pounds. Since freshman year, my football coach has had only one_______place for me: the line. I had to be where size_______.

Somehow my size has_______me from any solo performances in music or sports. In fact, there is a(n) _______chance that a tuba player or a lineman will get noticed. But I seldom complain about my lack of_______because my size has benefited me a lot.

In school, my classmates formed a fixed_______of a big kid:that I was either an awkward fool or an annoying “tough guy”. I didn’t feel that I__________in either category. To correct their expectations, I__________to become athletic and even graceful. I made sure that I played well in all the sports I__________. I also joined in a ballroom dance class and followed it throughout high school, long after my friends had__________halfway.

My father used to encourage me to use my size to my full__________. He told me that I should take pride in myself.________, he lost his life on September 11, 2001. His death was a heavy__________to my family, but it helped me see my size from a different__________. During his funeral(葬礼), I tried to__________dignified and brave. I hope my calm and tall__________would comfort my family and give them the courage to make it through.

Looking forward, I know that my size will__________me to accomplish many positive things, whether in college, in a career or in just helping others.

Whenever Michael Carl, the fashion market director at Vanity Fair, goes out to dinner with friends, he plays something called the “phone stack” game: Everyone _______ their phones in the middle of the table; whoever looks at their device before the check arrives _______ the tab（账单）.

Brandon Holley, the former editor of Lucky magazine, had trouble _______ her mobile phone when she got home from work. So about six months ago, she _______ putting her phone into a milk tin the moment she walked in. It remains there until after dinner. And Mare Jacobs, the fashion designer, didn’t _______ to sleep close to a beeping gadget. So he _______ digital devices from his bedroom — a house rule he _______ with audiences during a recent screening of Disconnect, a film that shows how technology has alienated(使疏远) people from one another.

As smart phones _______ to make their way into our lives, and wearable devices like Google Glass _______ to destroy our personal space even further, overtaxed users are carving out their own device-free zones. Whether it’s a physical ________ (no ipads at the dinner table) or a conceptual one (turn off devices by 11 p.m.), users say these disconnecting ________ are improving their relationships.

“Disconnecting is a luxury that we all ________,” said Lesley M. M. Blume, a New York writer who keeps her phone away from the dinner table at home. “The expectation that we must always be ________ to employers, colleagues and family: it creates a real problem in trying to ________ private time. But that private time is more important than ever.”

A popular method for disconnecting is to choose a box for your cellphone, like the milk tin that Ms. Holley uses. “________ my phone is buzzing or lighting up, it’s still a distraction, so it ________ in the box.” said Ms. Holley. Others choose new ________. “No screens after 11 p.m.” said Ari. Melber, a TV host. “Now evenings are more ________ and I am sleeping better.” he added.

Sleep is a big factor, which is why some ________ to leave their phones out of their bedrooms. “I don’t want to sleep next to something full of photos and emails.” said Peter Som, a fashion designer, who keeps his phone plugged in in the living room overnight. “It ________ is a head­clearer and distinguishes daytime and sleep time.”

I got on the plane for a long flight to New York. After settling down, I spent a few minutes talking to a young ______. While talking, I ______ on the back of his hand a tattoo (纹身)—“Lost”.

For some reason, that ______ me in the same way as “Help Wanted” ______ in store windows did sometimes. I wondered what he was ______.

This passenger told me ______ there’s a lot you can do in New York, there’s a lot that you can’t do when you’re penniless. And now he was learning how to do video editing. Then we ______ the topic of documentary (纪实) film-making and the beauty of working creatively with ______. I told him about a documentary I made and pulled out a copy from my ______ to show him. He looked at it in silence and then asked ______, “Can I buy this from you?”

“No.” I said. “But you can ______ it.”

Even though I didn’t usually give my works away, ______ in me really wanted to share this story with this random stranger. He was surprised and touched by the ______.

Before landing, I prepared three Smile Cards as the “______” for the documentary, with a note telling him how to use them creatively.

As the flight ______, I asked, “what is that about?”, pointing to the back of his ______. “Oh, that. That’s the______ of a TV series my girlfriend wanted me to pick up. I just wrote it to ______ myself.”

Before he left, I handed him his “bill”. He was ______ and shot me a big smile before putting it into his pocket. “By the way my name is Mark,” We shook hands and he left. And I am ______ smiling.