I had a philosophy professor who was the typically off-the-wall philosopher. His appearance was _______ by a worn sport coat and poor-fitting thick glasses which often _______ on the tip of his nose. Every now and then, as most philosophy professors do, his lessons would go off well on one of those “what’s the meaning of life” discussions. Many of those discussions went _______ but there were a few that really _______ home. This was one of them:

“Respond to the following questions by a show of hands,” my professor _______. “How many of you can tell me something about your parents?” Everyone’s hand went up.

“How many of you can tell me something about your great-grandparents?” Two out of sixty students _______ their hands.

“_______ the room,” he said. “In just two short generations _______ any of us even knows who our own great-grandparents were.”

“Oh sure, maybe we have an old photograph _______ in a dusty cigar box or know the classic family ________ about how one of them walked five miles to school barefoot. But how many of us really know who they were? ________ three generations, our ancestors are all but forgotten. Will this happen to you?”

“Here’s a better question. ________ three generations. ________ you sitting in this room, now it’s your great-grandchildren. Or will you be forgotten, too? Is your life going to be a ________ or an example? What legacy will you leave? The choice is yours. Class dismissed.” Nobody ________ from their seat for a good five minutes.

At 21, Chris Nikic became the first-ever person with Down syndrome (唐氏综合征) to complete the Ironman triathlon (铁人三项 ). The very thought would be enough to_________ people in good physical condition. But by finishing it, Nikic set a Guinness World Record.

This remarkable achievement was made possible_________the loving guidance of Nikic’s dad, Nik. Nik was_________about his son’s sedentary (久坐不动的) lifestyle, so he gave him the_________of becoming 1% fitter every day. And the first step was_________with a single push-up. Now, three years later, Nikic has_________up the strength to really push his body to the_________. Considering those with Down syndrome already have to_________with varying physical and learning disabilities, Nikic’s achievement is a typical_________of how people with this condition continue to cross barriers.

In fact, during the competition Nikic had a slight_________. While it resulted in cuts on his legs, this didn’t_________Nikic from continuing the race. As Nik_________, the achievement symbolized something more_________than an impressive medal. “The triathlon has served as a _________for Nikic to become one step closer to his_________of living a normal life. It’s also about being a role model for other kids and families that face similar barriers, _________no dream or goal is too high.”

Nikic isn’t_________there. “Goal set and achieved. Time to set a new and bigger goal for 2023!” the_________public speaker shared with his followers on social media. _________, with his family and friends, Nikic will continue to create_________.

After graduation, Susan was asked to become the executive director of the Floating Hospital. She _____ at first, as it was a very big job and she didn't know if she could _____ it. But finally, she _____. While her job was rewarding, she soon got tired of it. When she sat at her desk one day, an idea _____ to her that she wanted to go down to the New School for Social Research. _____ she was learning to trust her intuition(直觉), she decided to have a go.

Without any forethought, she titled the _____ 'Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway'. Susan was _____ as she faced the first session of the twelve-week course. The two hours went well, but she then was _____ with a new fear, for she didn't know what to teach the next week. But every week she found she had more to say. And her _____ level grew. She realized she had learned so much over the years about _____ fear. And her students were drinking it up. At the end of the course, they were _____ at how shifting their thinking really changed their lives.

Susan _____ decided to write a book based on the course she had taught. She faced many roadblocks. And after four agents and fifteen _____ from various publishers, she _____ put the proposal in a drawer.

After three years of writing, she was going through the drawer that _____ her much-rejected book proposal. Picking it up, she had a（n）_____ sense that she held something in her hands that many people _____ to read. So, she set out with much _____ to find a publisher who believed in her book the _____ way she did. This time, she succeeded. She succeeded _____ her wildest dreams.

She was so happy she followed her heart and never gave up overcoming fears that stood in her way.