I still remember the day when I lost my job. I said to my parents，"I would like to go _________，have an experience in an English-speaking country and look for a（n）_________there. "My parents answered，"What are you saying？You are 30！You are too old...and you don't have a good level of English. It will be _________ for you."

Yes，it would be hard _________ not impossible. I didn't care about my age，my basic English and people's _________；for the first time I was really _________ about my choice. I knew that I could do it. The work situation in Italy _________me several times. Despite my _________ in Medical Biology，I couldn't find a good job in my industry. And what's more，I really wanted to learn English. So I decided to _________.

That's how the biggest __________ of my life started.

I was afraid but at the same time so __________. I planned everything：4 months of English courses and then 4 months of work experience in the medical area.

The time that I __________ in Alpha College was amazing. I met people from all over the world getting the opportunity to know new __________.Teachers were skilled，helpful and they coached me step by step. I couldn't believe how __________ my English was getting better. When I did the job interview，I was definitely __________ about my English. I got the job easily. My work _________ inspecting and testing all packaging materials. Moreover，every week，there were courses and training for new __________ like me.

My work experience was finishing when，one day，my boss __________ a contract（合同）to me. I was completely astonished… my dream was coming true！__________ I accepted it and I'm still working here.

This is the end of a beautiful story...MY STORY！But，please，don't think that it can't be also your __________. There is no age to learn English or to start a new life...just believe in yourself！If you want you can！

   I was stepping out of my office with a complex feeling. That was my _____ day in my office. I was _____ about what was going on in my mind. My staff members wished me many good wishes. I _____ with a smile. For the last time, I returned to my table again and _____ the board, which read “CEO” below my name. I read it and sighed deeply.

One month passed. I tried my best to _____ myself to a new life which was a bit _____. After all, I had no office or routine (常规的) life. Though I got enough job offers, I _____ them all. I didn’t know why I was no longer interested in a job. _____, one day I was anxious to visit my ex-office. So, I went there immediately. When I got there, some of my colleagues were _____. I met others, but I felt as if I ______ something. They greeted me and talked to me, but showed less ______ for me. Everything seemed very casual to me.

With a ______ heart, I left the office for a nearby park. Sitting on a bench, I ______ every single person moving around there. Slowly, I realized no one was at fault. It was my disillusion (幻灭)of ______ and position of my past days. I think ______ people must be feeling the same if they don’t ______ specific work after retirement (退休).

It was my good day in that park. While ______ on the bench, I heard a kid saying to his friend, “What is this? Why are you ______ about yesterday’s incident? ______ it! Let it go. Let’s play together again.” This “Let it go” is the best way to make your ______ cool!

   I am a mom of two young children whom we homeschool. This _____ that they are with me almost all the time. Whenever possible I will _____ random acts of kindness—_____ things like paying for the order behind me in the drive-thru lane, holding doors, etc. So, they are very _____ with the concept and are, of course, also _____ to do "nice" things for others.

Just a few days ago we _____ our local grocery store to pick up a few things which quickly turned into an entire cartload of stuff. We got into one of the two open checkout lanes and waited our _____. While we were waiting, a young man came up behind us with only a few _____ in his basket. I told him to go ahead of us as we were in no _____.

He seemed very pleasantly surprised and ______. As he began putting his items on the belt the cashier began to ______ her till tape（出纳机纸带）so we had a fairly long ______ in line. My kids were very ______ behaved but they were still children；they asked questions, they talked ______, they moved around and they were generally very entertaining.

I could see the young man watching and listening with a smile on his face.

We were putting our groceries on the ______ when the cashier finished with his order. What I didn't know was that he had heard my kids ______ bubble gum. I had agreed they could have some. So he ______ a pack of bubble gum and asked the cashier to ring it through twice ______ putting it back. He then told my kids that he bought their gum because their mom was ______ enough to let him go ahead in the queue.

The experience really showed the ______ that good begets（引发）good to my lovely little kids.

My wife Laura and I were on the beach, with three of our children, taking pictures of shore birds near our home in Alaska when we spotted a bear. The bear was thin and small, moving aimlessly.

Just a few minutes later, I heard my daughter shouting, "Dad! The bear is right behind us!" An aggressive bear will usually rush forward to frighten away its enemy but would suddenly stop at the last minute. This one was silent and its ears pinned back — the sign (迹象) of an animal that is going in for the kill. And it was a cold April day. The bear behaved abnormally, probably because of hunger.

I held my camera tripod (三脚架) in both hands to form a barrier as the bear rushed into me. Its huge head was level with my chest and shoulders, and the tripod stuck across its mouth. It bit down and I found myself supporting its weight. I knew I would not be able to hold it for long.

Even so, this was a fight I had to win: I was all that stood between the bear and my family, who would stand little chance of running faster than a brown bear.

The bear hit at the camera, cutting it off the tripod. I raised my left arm to protect my face; the beast held tightly on the tripod and pressed it into my side. My arm could not move, and I sensed that my bones were going to break.

Drawing back my free hand, I struck the bear as hard as I could for five or six times. The bear opened its mouth and I grasped its fur, trying to push it away. I was actually wrestling (扭打) with the bear at this point. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the fight ended. The bear moved back towards the forest, before returning for another attack — the first time I felt panic.

Apparently satisfied that we caused no further threat, the bear moved off, destroying a fence as it went. My arm was injured, but the outcome for us could hardly have been better. I'm proud that my family remained clear-headed when panic could have led to a very different outcome.