My relationship with my pen pal (笔友) is one of the most valuable friendships I have ever had, even though I have never met her in ___________________, or even heard her voice.

It all started in 2013. I was on my way to USC to meet with Kerstin Zilm, a German radio personality who wanted to interview me about being a ___________________ student at Long Beach City College. After the interview, a woman named Renate ___________________ out to Kerstin, inquiring how she could find me and help me financially with college. I thought it was great that Renate, who ___________________ in Germany, wanted to assist with my education.

At first, Renate and I emailed each other twice a ___________________. She wanted to know a lot more about my life growing up in Watts, my attempts to ___________________ my education, and whether there were ways ___________________ finances that she could help. I did not have a specific answer for her last question, but her ___________________ support was important. Just having someone rooting for me and my education gave me a boost.

Her support kept coming, in ___________________ forms. She would email me articles, send books, and began a ____________________ of having a birthday cake delivered to me every December on my birthday. I emailed back more frequently. When I had a good day, I couldn’t wait to tell Renate. And when I had a bad day, I couldn’t wait to tell her ____________________ because I knew she would make me feel better.

“You really have the heart of a fighter,” she would say in her email, “But fortunately you also got soul, ____________________ and compassion. In this way you are a rich person.”

Whenever I needed encouragement, she always ____________________. After a couple of years of pen pal friendship, we were emailing at least once a week. I even downloaded WhatsApp so I could talk to her more ____________________.

My friendship with Renate has become so important to me that I can no longer ____________________ a life where I was not her friend. She has become a friend forever.

Start Today

"What can you do when you have done nothing but mess up your whole life long?" These were the   _______I heard when I turned on the TV the other day. They came from one of the talk shows that are so_______on TV these days. I started to turn the channel but the words I heard made me stop to look at the speaker. He couldn't have been more than 18 years old,_______ already thought of his life as a useless waste.

I wanted to_______at him, "You are not dead yet!"

It is so sad that so many people can't get rid of the past or live in the present. There are people in their twenties who already think they have_______the boat to success and happiness. There are people in their thirties and forties who sit around_______that life has passed them by. I want to shout at them all, "_______! You are still young! Chances are everywhere!"

If you want a happy life, you_______just think about your past mistakes. If you want joy and love in your life, you must choose them today. Never put off what should be chosen until tomorrow!

A new chance in life_______before us every morning. We can live with hope starting at this moment. It doesn't matter how hard our past has been. Our present can be full of joy and our future can be full of happiness. It doesn't matter________we are eight or eighty-we can still make our lives wonderful. Life isn't over until your last heartbeat. Start today, then, to make your heart beat with joy and love.

I have just returned from the 3rd Annual International Weight Stigma (羞耻) conference held this year in Iceland. I was invited to give a(n) ____, as I’ve been doing research on weight and health and sharing my findings for the last five years. I   ___ expecting to have a pleasant time and learn a few things.

What I learned ____ me. I learned something about myself that I had no idea was true.

As a woman considered fat and a(n) ____ speaker on the topic of weight and stigma, I thought I was more or less immune (免疫的) to fat hatred. I had a few examples of weight-based discrimination (歧视) ____ my way. And they usually didn’t ____ me because I knew they came from a place of ignorance and hatred.          What I didn’t know was that despite all my knowledge and ____ and relative privilege (特权), I had ____ been affected by discrimination every day. But somehow I didn’t think weight stigma ____ to me. I thought my knowledge protected me from having such ____.

However, I was ____, and understanding this has made me think about the millions of people in this world   who ____ far more serious stigma and discrimination than I have experienced. I knew how discrimination   could ____ us physically and psychologically. But I didn’t ____ know how serious the hurt could be until I attended the conference. And knowing that has ____ the way I understand myself and helped me I see stigma and discrimination in a ____ sense.