I will never forget the darkness, the pain and strong desire to escape.
November 1 grey and busy, and going into an even more stressful December, I was filled with 2 thoughts.
On Saturday, I watched a TV program teaching 3 , and then I started to learn. By the end of the weekend, I had a dining room table covered with sweet treats. I packaged them up in tins, attached a label to each of them 4 "winter love" on it, and dropped them off on a few of my 5 porches(门廊)before work. It shocked me 6 it lightened my mood, seeing a small 7 lost on a porch.
The thanks I received later from the neighbors made me light up. It felt so good, and it distracted me from my dark 8 .
By January I had 9 a routine: On Sunday I'd bake cookies and package them up, and on Monday I'd deliver them. Every week I 10 a few different people to my delivery route, baked a few different kinds of cookies.
Then things started 11 on my doorstep—a homemade cup, a pair of socks with tiny cookies and 12 a gift certificate(礼券)from the local bookstore. Every single one warmed my heart. 13 what I really appreciated was how people began to share their own stories of mental health with me. There is no greater 14 than to be trusted with another's life. I was overwhelmed by the love and care of my community. It humbled(使感到卑微)me that something so 15 had created such incredible kindness. It 16 me that there was good in me, in my neighbors, in the world.
I was shifting into a new season of light, while letting go of a season of darkness. What had begun 17 an attempt to bring light into my own darkness had been transformed into a story more beautiful than I could have 18 dreamed. It reminded me that there is 19 being kind and that life is hard, but there is a quiet strength in knowing you are not 20 .
1. A. arrived B. solved C. created D. mentioned
2. A. curious B. excited C. anxious D. confident
3. A. skating B. teaching C. sharing D. baking
4. A. to B. with C. for D. as
5. A. neighbors' B. friends' C. roomates' D. classmates'
6. A. how soon B. how much C. how often D. how long
7. A. wish B. paper C. package D. book
8. A. thoughts B. questions C. methods D. knowledge
9. A. trained B. got C. missed D. developed
10. A. puzzled B. required C. added D. invited
11. A. taking up B. showing up C. showing off D. taking away
12. A. even B. also C. hardly D. yet
13. A. Though B. So C. Since D. But
14. A. regret B. honor C. contribution D. relationship
15. A. simple B. valuable C. different D. secret
16. A. allowed B. protected C. advised D. reminded
17. A. for B. to C. without D. as
18. A. never B. ever C. neither D. yet
19. A. admiration B. inspiration C. beauty D. performance
20. A. alone B. polite C. considerate D. active
