It was June 14 and the last day of middle school arrived. The atmosphere in the halls was ________ as the students ran around the school ________ the final bell so they could celebrate the ________ of summer vacation. As I cleaned out my drawers, I ________ a student’s past homework assignment dating back to 1964, long before I became a teacher. The ________ yellow paper had been wedged (塞入) behind two drawers, yet it was in pretty good ________.

The day before, I held a party for the students. The feelings were ________, as I knew that this would be the last time I would see all of these students together. I thought back to ________ they were all in middle school and would visit me on my birthday. They ________ it an annual tradition. I will treasure these ________ for the rest of my life.

I have been a teacher now for nearly two decades, and one thing I’ve learned is that to ________ with and understand students deeply means taking the time to ________ care. We must communicate ________ messages about our world with opportunity and hope. We must take the time to celebrate each person’s life for what it is. It’s about showing care, compassion, and belief in people on a ________ basis. You can be the change in a student’s life that brings them a sense of ________.

One spring, two friends and I sought permission to plant a garden. Our school was located in the downtown area of a large city. There wasn’t_______of a backyard._______ , it was our garden, a stone-covered dirt parking lot with no extra space. However, we carefully_______taking into account the area that received the best sunshine.

The three of us_______the headmaster with our plan for a small area to plant some squash, tomatoes and cucumbers. The only real _______   involved was to rent a rake(耙), a pickax(丁字镐), and a hoe(锄头). However,_______ the headmaster’s permission would still be difficult. We will never forget his _______ to our request. With a slightly bored tilting (偏斜) of his head, he _______ replied, “ You are wasting your time. Nothing will ever grow there! But go ahead _______ you still want to.”

We had received permission_______ ! So what if it wasn’t enthusiastic? We rented tools, raked four inches of stones into neat walls _______ the garden, raised the pickax and _______what must have been a former waste area. A gardener dream-dark, rich soil just sitting there_______ to be discovered. We looked at each other, repeating together: “Ah, nothing will grow there.” As you might have_______ by now, things did grow there in our garden.

Have you ever _______ that way about your life-Nothing will grow there… Have you felt   _______ about your life’s progress? Worried about crop failure? Disappointed that nothing good ever seems to   _______ ? Don’t believe that “Nothing will grow there”. It’s never too   _______ to be who you might have been. You may not always see the _______ for growth, but it is there. All the rich soil you need may be left just _______ the surface, but can only be discovered after you begin digging.

Today I had lunch with Cynthia, a former student of mine. The go-to restaurant that I use for _________ like this is Merit Vegetarian. It’s a good _________ to vegan (纯素食的) food and everyone I’ve brought there has loved it.

As I was waiting for Cynthia to arrive, I _________ someone saying they needed to go to their car to fetch cash in order to pay for something. When a man of them stepped outside, I spoke to the staff and _________ to pay their bill. As it turned out that it was just for a piece of cake, I asked them to just add it to my _________. I _________ the cashier a Smile Card, asking them to give it to the man. When he came back with his money, the man was _________ surprised.

I thought I had done a good deed, but there were more _________ to come. Cynthia and I were seated enjoying a conversation and our lunch when Bill, a _________ at the restaurant, approached us. He explained that the couple on Table 1 had paid for our lunch, including the pie. Bill didn’t understand why, but I guessed it was just tiny waves of kindness __________.

When we were getting ready to leave, I asked Cynthia to __________ a table so that we could keep the journey of kindness going. Although they all looked __________, she chose one. I called Bill over and said I wanted to pay for their lunch. He was beside himself with joy, smiling from ear to ear. I don’t think he had ever __________ anything like this before.

So far I’ve been able to__________ so much generosity and kindness in action. Whatever the reason, it’s not a coincidence. I really appreciate it and sincerely hope that the act of kindness could be __________.