I went with some colleagues from my office for a dinner in a very popular local restaurant. It was______business time and the restaurant was packed. We______found a table in a corner for three of us.

As soon as we sat down, we heard a crash when a cleaning boy______the floor with all the plates he was carrying. There was______and no one was saying or doing anything.

In a flash I remembered my______many years ago. Once. I passed out in the airport because I had rushed there on my own on a(n)______stomach I was______and taken care of by two strangers. Now this was my chance to______it forward.

I ran to the young man's side immediately, turned him on his back and screamed for someone to______a hot drink. Soon people started asking if I was a doctor. I said I was not,______I was skillful at blacking out (晕厥).

The kid soon opened his eyes,______what had happened. I______him by saying it was OK and I had had a____ experience. He had not eaten anything. I held the______drink to his mouth till he finished it and sat with him till he felt OK. By then the______had arrived. I asked her to give the kid something to eat. I offered to pay.

The manager was kind enough to refuse the______and agreed to make sure the kid ate before he went home. By the time all this was______, it was getting late for my colleagues. Since we hadn't______anything yet, they decided to go home.

I slowly walked home, not hungry any more, feeling______for the opportunity I pay forward the______I had received many years ago.

How I Failed My Oxford Interview

As soon as the words left my mouth I knew I’d ________ “You think Jane Austen is soft?” The man opposite me asked in disbelief. Then, he and his colleague took turns to ________ my claim, finishing each other’s sentences as they stressed Austen’s novels were, in fact, fierce.

“I just mean…” I said in a(n) ________ voice, trying to keep the tone light, “that she’s not as fierce as Virginia Woolf.”

The two professors patted this idea around, too, like a couple of cats toying with a frightened bird — giving_______ examples of how Austen’s work was, on the contrary, more fierce than Woolf’s. With no more defensive action to take, I ________ smiled and said, “Let’s just agree to disagree, shall we?” And all that moment, my dreams of going to Oxford university ________ in a puff of smoke.

Part of my problem, in hindsight was a lack of confidence. ________ I was a straight A student and had prepared for the interview to the best of my ability, I wasn’t a skilled debater. When faced with two experts who told me that I was wrong, instead of defending myself, I rolled over and accepted ________.

To pass the interview, you need confidence, of course. You also need a ________ passion for your subject, not just a keen interest. In other words, don’t put comments on your personal statement that you don’t have ________ for your in-person backup.

So, months later, I already knew the contents of my thin envelope when it appeared on my doormat. ________, I felt a pan g of disappointment. I had wanted to go to Oxford since I was 13. I used to look up images of my favorite college with the same ________ of a bride-to-be browsing wedding dresses.

Ultimately, I didn’t have what it took — but, looking back, that was ________ a bad thing. Instead of going to Oxford, I found a university that was a better fit for my interests. I loved my eclectic course, where I could write an essay comparing Jane Eyre to 50 Shades of Grey.

Failing my Oxford interview also provided a valuable life lesson. I’m now more confident in my opinions, more passionate when it comes to debate, and I try to back up my points with ________ evidence. What’s more, I had never since ended a discussion by giving a ________ laugh and saying, “let’s just agree to disagree, shall we?”

A house with family love and memories could be called a home. Sitting on the porch(门廊) of a(n)_______ home, you can see shadows of trees _______ on the lawn. A leaf floats to the ground, suggesting the coming of fall. This wide porch was built as the main part of the home. The rest of the house _______ around it on both sides, like huge arms _______ a hug.

Countless stories have been shared on this porch by every member of the family for over 30 years. The family that grew here enjoyed daily _______- singing in the car, laughter at mealtime and football games on Sundays. When the father hit 55, his wife _______ he quit playing Sunday afternoon football with the kids. The mother never played, as she was stricken with a terrible illness after the birth of their second child. Never able to walk again, sometimes, she even had to _______ by dragging herself across the floor. She never complained about the challenges of her _______, nor did her husband complain about the _______ care he had to give his wife after she became ill.

There’s something ________ upon entering the house. It’s the smell of the piles of old books and magazines, the sheet music on the piano. Pictures of the family are still all hung in every room.

The homeowners are no longer there - they both recently ________ away. And yet, they both still ________ throughout the house. Their lives are still evident, ________ into the laughter and hearts of family and friends. They weren’t celebrities and won’t be remembered in history books. Yet they ________ of their own, by creating simple beauty in everyday life and by ________ challenges without complaining. That is truly the best remembrance(回忆) of all.