I was taught at a young age to be afraid rather than to experience life. That’s why I was afraid to _______ others, even though I desperately needed a friend. They might say no——how could I live with that _______ ?

Fortunately, a _______ changed my life. At the end of it, the writer _______ trying out what the reader had just read but _______ it was the preseason (季前赛) in a sport—when the result didn’t _______ . It didn’t matter if you won or lost or, in my case, made a friend.

I don’t know why the advice attracted me other than the fact that I grew up loving sports When my team would lose during the regular season, I couldn’t _______ to watch. But when they lost in the preseason, I didn’t care.

Somehow, for me, this advice is _______ . After reading the book, I would _______ walk to anyone I found interesting and talk to them with no fear of being ________ . And at the same time I felt very ________ as I knew the results didn’t count because this was the preseason.

Besides making friends, I discovered this tool was ________ in other ways. It allowed me to have a successful career, though I heard the word “no” many times. I turned a negative into a positive by giving a (n) ________ that every time I heard the word “no”, it meant I was one step closer to “yes”. I tried many times. After all, what did I have to ________ ? If I didn’t get the answer I desired, I would go on to the next ________ opportunity.

Last week, I was stuck on a crosstown bus during rush hour. The bus was filled with cold, tired people ________ with one. another. Two men barked at each other for an unintentional push. An elderly woman got on, and nobody ________ her a seat. Anger was in the air; no mercy (怜悯) could be found here.

As the bus ________ Seventh Avenue, the driver’s words came from the ________ “Folks,” he said. “I know you’ve had a(n) ________ day and that’ you are depressed, but I will help out. When each of you walks by before getting off, ________ your troubles into my palm (手掌). My ________ goes right by the Hudson River, into which I’ll cast them.”

It seemed as if a spell had lifted. Everyone ________ laughing, their faces shining with ________. The passengers who had been ignoring each other’s existence were suddenly grinning (咧嘴笑) at each other — is this guy ________?

At the next stop, just as ________, the driver held out his hand, palm up, and. waited. All the ________ passengers performed the gesture of putting something into his palm. The driver ________ the same action at every stop that followed.

Occasionally we may sink into a grey world, but someone can ________ it like a ray of light, showing us hope. What if we are the light? Actually, anyone possesses the ________ to shine on others’ dark days.