As we pulled into the driveway, I noticed that something seemed different about my mom. She was _______away from me, her shoulders dropped and her hands relaxed. I parked the car and she turned toward me.

“Okay, we’re home,” I said,_______that now was her time to get out and let me be on my own. She sniffled (抽鼻子) and_______her hair behind her ears to reveal her tearful eyes and moist cheeks. She had been crying.

“Mom! Why are you crying?” I asked, even though I already knew the _______.

I had just got my_______which I’d been looking forward to for months. I was free-able to drive myself where I needed to go and drive too fast on the back roads. Now I had it in my pocket, but I suddenly felt_______ I had been so quick to grow up, completely_______the emotions that my mom must be experiencing with her firstborn nearing adulthood. “My baby boy is growing up too fast,” she managed to say between deep breaths. My heart_______ I hated it that I had been so ignorant toward her feelings. I had been counting down the days, _______ waiting to enter the next stage of my life, ____________she counted down with fear and headache. The delight and freedom I had previously felt were gone, ____________ by an odd sense of mourning.

We hugged. A nice long hug that was____________in my family. Then she looked me in the eye and told me to drive carefully. “Of course I will,” I reassured her. I waved goodbye and ____________ of the driveway.

On my way to meet my friends, ____________the fast-paced ride, I went the speed limit and took my____________not just for my mom, but for me.

I had been so____________ to start speeding that I’d forgotten just how beautiful the ride is. Now I cruised (漫游) down the peaceful two-lane road,____________the sights, sounds, and smells of the nature that surrounds me. At that moment made a____________ to myself that I would take things slow and never, ever, catch myself speeding again.

Life had passed me by while I lived my days in fast forward, ____________to notice all the beautiful things along the way. It seems life also has its own daily routine and if you find yourself going too fast, you risk missing the ____________that make it so special.

Seven years ago, I began accompanying my father to the local market to sell vegetables we harvested from our farm. At the beginning , I did what I could to _____him while I also communicated with other participants in the market.

As time went by, I increasingly _____the craft of gardening, _____I began planting a garden of my own to _____a seller myself. The market soon became my _____for many summers to come. The sellers in the market were_____and more than willing to share their gardening experience. Many sellers were the new generation of farmers and acquired knowledge through the experience of their_____. The years I participated in the market helped me grow, taught me many new skills and opened doors to success I _____imagined.

Responsibility came rather quickly as I _____to manage my own gardening business. There was a huge of work being self _____. I had to do everything by myself. I learned that self-discipline(自我约束) and time management were important in order to _____a productive garden. Rising _____in the morning at 4 a. m. to arrive at the market with my _____produce ensured I would be there to greet early _____

The market opened a door of opportunity I never dreamed of. It _____me to make a profit to start a greenhouse business. It is a(n) _____feeling when I see the seeds come out and raise them as they continue to _____until they are ready for sale. I’ve learned _____because it is impossible to rush Mother Nature! It takes time and work to make the plants grow and become mature. It is not an overnight _____. Several weeks are required for the plants to be ready, but the _____is worth all the time I spend and all work I do.

My father was a farmer. He worked very hard and never complained. He has never gone to school. So, he was a common man ________ little education. But he would teach my sister and ________ lessons through stories.

One day before I was leaving for college, he sat down and took a ________ from his pocket. And he said, “You need to know ________ things before you go out into the world. Remember them, ________ you will be the best person you can be.”

“First, look at the pencil. We know that in order to become a(n) ________ pencil, from time to time, it has to go through being sharpened (使锋利). If this pencil could ________, we could imagine how painful that would be. But that’s ________ it becomes a useful pencil. Life is much the same. No one can live the whole life ________ all the time. Painful experiences and difficulties come to us all. But we build our personalities and we ________ through these chances. Second is to keep in mind that you will be able to make many of your mistakes correct just like this eraser. If we ________ from our mistakes, they’re not mistakes. We can use the lessons to do ________ next time. Third, just like this pencil, every place where you are used, you leave your mark. You’re ________ your own story. Don’t be afraid and never stop writing. And fourth, always remember the most ________ part of you is what’s inside. A pencil is useless without it’s inner part.”

When I feel sad in my life, I’ll think about my ________ words. They give me courage to move on.