I never thought I would be a “runner”. I was the girl who ran slowest in the PE class.A few years ago, I was walking with a group of friends in the Race for the Cure, a 5km race designed to ___ money for the fight against breast cancer,____one lady caught my____.

She was one of the ____ women I've ever seen. She must have been close to seventy years old, ____ a T-shirt with the word “Survivor”. She was so small that it seemed as if she could even be turned over by a strong wind. But, she was running. And she was____ me and my group of friends. She ran slowly, but ____ ---- as if each step pushed her cancer further into her past. Right at that moment, I____that in the next Race for the Cure, I'd be___ along with her.

A week later, I found myself in the____, running on the treadmill ( 跑 步 机 ) .Three minutes after I started, my face was bright red, I felt like my lungs were going to ____. I ___slow down to a walk. I thought of the____ at the race. I kept it up. I was able to go a little____each time. Three and a half minutes. Four minutes.Five.

A year later, I was____at the Race for the Cure, but this time, I____ with the runners. When the race started, the other runners passed me by. I ran forward. I____ if I'd be able to do it. But then, I remembered the____ woman. I ran as fast as I could until I finally crossed that finish line. I had just____my first race! I looked down at my legs, amazed. They had done something I'd never thought____ . I have never felt stronger than at that moment. And I knew that I wanted to do it again.

When I first met my new parrot, Chico, his wings had been cut short and he was stuck on the earth just like us humans. When the weather turned nice, I would take Chico outside. I ________   him on a branch of a tree, hoping to make him happier. At first he seemed confused. He walked back and forth on the branch looking ________ . He didn’t even flap his wings in an/a ________   to fly. Somehow he knew he was incapable.

One day Chico got especially excited. He paced back and forth and made an ________ amount of noise. Then all of a sudden he stopped and let out an even louder scream. He started ________ flapping his wings for the first time ever—then he lifted off the ________ like a space shuttle! I was amazed and ________. Little did I know his feathers had been growing back, and Chico had been waiting until the moment was ripe for ________!

Two days later Chico returned. First I tried to ________ him back with food, but he would not come near me. Then I took his ________ and put it away—still he would not come. Finally, I made him a firm promise that I would let him out every day if the weather was nice as long as he did come back. ________, he flew onto my shoulder.

From that day on, whenever the weather was good I would let him ________ early and he would fly around and be back before dark. The routine lasted for two months ________ suddenly Chico became ________. The vet said that he had been infected with a disease from the pigeons in the ________. Within a few days he died.

I was very sad. The ________ crossed my mind that if I had not set him free to fly, he would be still alive. But what ________ is there in being a bird if you can’t fly?

Chico made his first ________ for freedom on a late Monday afternoon in April. When will you make yours? You too can take a ________ when the conditions are right, knowing you too, in your own way, were built to fly. If you don’t set yourself free, what will be the ________ of your life?

My daughter brought her four dogs over to my house though I keep two of my own. For a few hours then the house was full of ____. There was running, barking and growling. Toys were chased after, laps were ____ on and faces were licked. Now that they have thoroughly ____ themselves out, all six dogs are napping ____ and the cat finally came out of hiding again.

I have had dogs as my ____ for almost all of my life here. They have given me a ____ and friendship that no amount of money could ever ____. Of course, they have had their flaws too. Their breath hasn’t ____ been the best, Nor has their body ____. They sometimes have defecated(排便) on my floor had thrown themselves up on my ____. They have woken me up far too ____, far too often. Their sudden barking has made my ____ ring and my heart rate jump. They have stolen my covers and ____ on my pillows. They have covered my clothes and carpets in ____. What is worse, they have ____ my shoes and sometimes my furniture. And I have seen them eat things that I won’t dare ____ here. Still, I have loved them all unconditionally ____ they have all loved me unconditionally.

In this ____ moment with them all napping around me, I can’t help but think what this world would be like ____ we all loved each other as unconditionally as our dogs love us.

Would there be a(n) ____ to war, hunger, hate, and fear? I expect that we will be able to create a peaceful world for all the people on it.