The Happy Hitchhiker (徒步者)

Several years ago, I decided to visit my best friend, who lived in Napier. _________ I was short of money, hitchhiking was the only way to go. Carrying a small bag on my back, I set off on a sunny morning, and soon I got lifts. I enjoyed the conversation with the drivers, and was _________ enough to have made some distance before it got dark.

As I walked along a tree-lined country road, I _________ where I would spend the night. It was summer and the weather was warm so I thought I could sleep under a tree. An elderly gentleman came up and asked me where I was _________. I told him that I was hoping to get to the next town, “Op-o-tiki”.

He laughed and asked if I _________ “Opotiki”. Being English, I was not familiar with the correct pronunciation and replied that I did. “It’s still a long way. You won’t get there before dark,” he said. “So come with me and we will put you up for the _________ .”

Opotiki was a further 25 km away, so I _________ him to a comfortable, warm house nearby. He introduced me to his wife who was preparing dinner. They invited me to have a nice cup of tea, and even a hearty beef casserole (砂锅).

After dinner we all _________ for a while about where I was from and how I was finding the town, and then I was shown to my room. My host was a retired sea captain, and he told me that he was used to being up early and would wake me up. I had a very comfortable night’s sleep.

The next morning I woke to a cup of tea and a nice hot breakfast. I thanked them for their care, when the lady handed me a sandwich saying that it should _________ me going until I reached Opotiki. We had a laugh and said goodbye with each other. I have never forgotten their amazing __________ .

A mother was criticizing (批评) her daughter because the girl was not good enough to compete at a championship level in the gymnastics camp.

The scene reminded me of my ______ of the day when one of my own gymnastic performances put me to tears.

My mother became seriously injured when she was young, and she has______ a wheelchair ever since. But she never let that ______ her. She raised five children and had a career.

One day I joined a gymnastics program at a nearby park. Before long, I was totally ______in it. By 1972, I was on the National Gymnastics Team for the Olympic Games. I couldn’t think of anything else but ______ a gold medal.

Before the competition, all in my mind was ______ not to disgrace (使……丢脸) my country and myself. But, though I tried my best, I didn’t win a gold medal. I was so ______. When the winners were receiving ______, I joined my parents in the stands, and we all cried. “I’m sorry. I did my best.” I said.

Mother said nothing but ten words I never ______, “Doing your best is more important than being the best. ” Suddenly I understood her______than ever before. She had never let her handicap(残疾) ______ her from doing her best.

Now I approached the crying girl and put a(n) ______ around her. “Honey, ” I said. “I know you have done your best, and doing your best is more important than being the best. I’m ______ you. ”

She ______ me with tears in her eyes. Maybe somewhere, someday, she’ll ______ those words along.

During the first weeks of his retirement from the fire service, Max had felt lost. And that’s when Polly, a library manager, helped him sign up as a ________ , for Robot Club in the library.

Max hadn’t volunteered before and he didn’t know anything about ________ . He opened the packs containing the robots, nervously staring at the mess of parts. A dozen primary-age children gathered around the table, ________ eagerly. Almost double the number of adults crowded around them, watching.

Glancing around the library at the many parents and carers accompanying the robot builders, Max knew he had to face this ________ .

“Okay, team,” he started ________ , adopting the tone he’d used to brief his unit during his firefighting days. “We’re going to build these robots one step at a time.”

The children nodded, their hands busy with screws and plastic limbs. Max wandered from table to table, ________ words of encouragement, and slowly but surely, piecing together the instructions in his mind.

An hour passed, and the room was filled with the sound of chatter and clinking parts. As the final minutes of Robot Club ticked away, Max stood back and ________ the room. Robots of all shapes and sizes stood on the tables. The children were excited, ________ their creations to anyone who would look.

As they began to leave, many children stopped to thank Max. Each “thank you” and “see you next week” chipped away at the sense of ________ he had felt since retiring. He hadn’t put out a fire today, but perhaps he had lighted something far more important — a new ________ for himself.