In a couple of hours my son Daniel was flying out to France and to spend at least a year learning French in a different culture. It was a ________ for him.

When we were to say goodbye, I looked ________ at his face, attempting to give him good advice. But no sound came over my ________. I stood motionless and silent.

I knew that this wasn’t the ________ time I had let such an opportunity pass me by. On Daniel’s first day in preschool, I followed him to the bus. I hadn’t said a word before he ________ the bus and disappeared. Some ten ________ later, his mother and I drove Daniel to his university. He was ill in bed ________ I wanted to say goodbye. Again the ________ let me down. I only ________ words like “I hope you’re better. Dan.” Then I ________ and left.

Among all those________ there was one I didn’t miss, however. One day, I ________ Dan that he could have traveled around the ________ because I believed that was the best way to ________ a deeper insight into life. Dan thought about it and chose Paris. The night before his ________ for Paris, I lay twisting and turning in bed, ________ what to tell him. But in vain. Maybe, I thought, it wasn’t really ________ after all.

But when I stood ________ Dan, I knew that it really did mean something. My mouth was dry. “Dan,” finally stammered out (结结巴巴地说), “If I had the ________ myself, would have chosen you.” That was all I could say, ________ and commonplace. It was nothing, and yet it was everything.

A team of volunteers in the UK rescued a dog in a very unusual way, using a drone (无人机) and a sausage.

Millie, a lovely and pretty dog ________ while she was out for a walk in Hampshire, near the southern coast of England.

After she was seen running on busy roads, her ________, Emma Oakes, contacted the Denmead Drone Search and Rescue (DDSAR) for ________.

Millie was ________ found in a wetland by the coast, at risk of drowning as the tides filled different parts of the area with ________. Police officers, members of the coast guard and volunteers ________ to get to her on kayaks (橡皮艇) and on foot while the DDSAR ________ a drone to follow her. But they were all ________.

After three days of trying to rescue Millie, the team thought of ________ a sausage from a drone to try to help her get to ________. “It was a crazy idea,” said the DDSAR’s Chris Taylor, speaking to The Guardian. But they decided to try anyway. With the help of a local woman who gave them sausages and even ________ the sausages, the team hanged one in front of Millie, who ________ it to higher ground. However, after taking a ________ of the sausage, Millie ran away again. It took two more days before she finally ran into the ________ of her owner.

Emma said it was ________ to finally have Millie home, and she was very thankful to all the volunteers for their hard work.

It was a cold evening and my daughter and I were walking up Broadway. I didn't notice a guy sitting inside a cardboard box. But Nora did. She wasn't even four, but she ________ at my coat and said, "That man is cold, Daddy, can we take him home?"

I don't remember my reply. But I do remember a sudden _______ feeling inside me. I had always been delighted at how much my daughter noticed in her world whether it was ________ in fight or children playing. But now she was noticing _______and beggary.

A few days later, I saw an article in the newspaper about volunteers who picked up a food package from a nearby school on a Sunday morning and ________ it to an elderly person. It was quick and easy. I   ________ us up. Nora was excited about it. She could understand the importance of food, so she could easily see how ________ our job was.

When Sunday came, she was ready, but I had to ________ myself to leave the house to fetch the food package. On my way to the school, I fought an urge to ________ . The Sunday paper and coffee were waiting for me at home. Why do this? ________, we phoned the elderly person we'd been assigned. She invited us right over.

The building was in a bad state. Facing us was a silver-haired woman in an old dress. She took the package and asked us to come in. Nora ran inside. I unwillingly followed. ________ inside, I saw that the department belonged to someone poor. Our hostess showed us some photos. Nora played and when it came time to say goodbye, we three hugged. I walked home in tears.

Professionals call such a(n) ________ "a volunteer opportunity". They are opportunities, I've come to see. Where else but as volunteers do you have the opportunity to do something ________ that's good for others as well as for yourself? Nora and I regularly serve meals to needy people and ________ clothes for the homeless. Yet, as I've watched her grow over these past four years, I still wonder which of us has ________more?