I have been adopted by an American family since I was fifteen months old. Growing up in the second-whitest county in California, I had little interest in my ________ as an adopted Chinese American. After I moved to Tucson, my curiosity about my identities ________ as I was exposed to a larger Chinese population there.

During my four years at Northern Arizona University (NAU), I took two years of ________ language courses, which was a major marker in my adventure to ________ myself.

Through my class, I was introduced to the NAU Chinese culture club, where I ________ my knowledge of Chinese culture and connected with international students from China and students who were deeply ________ Chinese culture.

Then I had an opportunity to study abroad in Hong Kong for a year. Surrounded by mainly people who looked like me, I did not feel like I ________ as I usually do in the US. I became ________ connected to Hong Kong and its ________. The experience ________ me to find beauty and ________ in the complexities (难题) of holding many identities.

After returning from my ________ abroad, I started to volunteer at the Education Abroad Office at NAU. I ________ my experience and encouraged other NAU students to go abroad, as it was such a ________ experience and enabled me to better understand myself. I’m ________ to call myself an adopted Chinese American.

Everybody always says that parenthood is a learning curve, and it really is, in more ways than one.My recent discovery is that you can never imagine how big and _____the inner world of a three-year-old is, even as a mom. Yesterday afternoon went to______ Nicole from her daycare center. On the way home, she looked joyful in the beginning, telling me about the daytime activities, while later when peace and quiet came back to her, she looked _____

After we got off the bus, there was still 15 minutes of_______ along a hill to our apartment. She asked me where her daddy was, I told her that daddy was still______ . She accepted the fact, and ____ with “Oka...”._______ unhappily.

On the way back, she was not so _____ as usual. Sometimes she_______ to walk, and stood in the middle of the road. Sometimes she stepped______ to the grassland and tried to kick off the snow _____ the bare grass could be seen. And she kept silent all the way.______we arrived. All of a sudden she burst into tears and lost her______ outside the door.“Why are you crying so sadly? Tired?”The last sentence caused an even louder_____ , “Mommy can't carry me! Daddy carry me! Dad...!"

My tears came out when I heard the words. Such a sweet and_____ girl she is. One month ago I had a bad movement when carrying her up and______my waist. I remember that I couldn't move at all when the accident happened and this certainly scared her. After that I______   long-term lower back pain till now and couldn't carry her. It is, ____ that she knows everything.

No_____ she asked me where her daddy was, for it is he that normally comes to her help in a(n)_____ like this. And that was why she kept silent all the way but finally lost control when arriving home. Dear parents, do you still think that our children know nothing or little about our world?

Peter,a 5-year-old boy,showed such great interest in sea shells that he often picked them up with his 3-year-old sister, Shirley. For Peter, sea shells lay shinning on the _________beach, waiting for him, just like stars twinkling in the sky.

One day,the two were hanging about in a _________ when Peter found his younger sister was not _________ . He looked back and found Shirley _________ in front of a toy shop,with her eyes fastened on a beautiful doll.

Holding his younger sister's tiny hand, Peter entered the shop. He tiptoed(踮起脚尖）to _________ the doll and handed it to Shirley. The sister was very happy to hold tightly the doll.

Peter went to the _________ and asked the shopkeeper, “How much does this doll cost,Sir?”

The shopkeeper looked at the boy with interest, asking,“Well, what can you _________?”

Peter took out the money that was _________ for their breakfast, gave it to the shopkeeper and asked, “Sir, is it enough?”

Shaking his head slightly,he replied, “My boy, I am afraid it seems not enough. ”

The kids were so disappointed. Watching his sister's smile _________ ，Peter frowned.

Without hesitation, he __________the shells out of his pocket on the counter, and asked the shopkeeper nervously , “Is it enough now?” Without even counting them, the shopkeeper replied, “These are __________the cost. ” Saying so, he kept only two and returned the __________ shells and the money.

Peter left the shop with Shirley very happily,leaving an assistant in that shop at a loss .

He asked the shopkeeper, “Sir! You only charged them for 2 shells? !” The shopkeeper said with a smile, “For us these are shells, but for the boy they are __________. His love for his sister is the most precious. When he grows up, he will remember he __________ a doll for his sister with the shells. He will cherish love and warmth in life-cherish every little __________ sea shell in his heart. ”