Let Go of the Past
Life inflicts pains on us now and then. Who hasn’t had their heart broken at least once? In most cases, time heals our wounds. But sometimes an event hurts us so deeply that we find it practically impossible to forget. We hold on tightly to the anguish and hurt. However, I have found that by taking some deliberate steps, I have been able to eventually let go of even my most painful experiences. These practices—learning to accept the reality, focusing on my purpose and practicing gratitude—have oriented me to more meaningful aspects of life.
It is important to take life as it comes. Accidents will happen, and no matter how much we prepare, something may still go wrong. Avoidable or not, whatever happened did happen; crying over spilled milk helps nothing. I understand that there are always events beyond our control. By accepting these events, I’m able to let go of them and move on with my life. In this way, I become stronger and happier.
In addition, I try to bring focus back to my purpose. This means cutting off everything except what matters most. This practice can be insanely powerful. By redirecting my attention and energy back to my purpose, I lessen the impact of the past on me. I feel relieved because I’m now fully aware of what brings meaning and joy to my life. Once again, I’m living in the present moment; anything that does not align with my purpose rightfully loses all importance to me.
I realize that the only valuable thing that the past has to offer is the lesson learned for future use. It will make any pain we experienced worthwhile. Once the lesson is drawn, we can simply let the past go for good. With that in the back of my mind, I put the past events away with no intention of ever retrieving or reliving them. By leaving the past where it belongs, I know that I’m ready to completely focus on the present moment once again.【正确答案】：
参考答案：
     A LOGICAL EXTENSION TO FOCUSING ON MY PURPOSE IS PRACTICING GRATITUDE DAILY. IT HELPS ME TO APPRECIATE AND VALUE THE WONDERFUL THINGS OF LIFE AT THIS VERY MOMENT. IT ALSO HELPS ME TO PUT ALL THE EVENTS IN MY LIFE IN PERSPECTIVE, WITHOUT LETTING ANYTHING TAKE OVER AND TAKE AWAY FROM MY DAILY BLESSINGS. I AIM FOR A LIST OF AT LEAST FIVE THINGS FOR WHICH I’M GRATEFUL EVERY DAY. IT CAN BE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A HEARTY MEAL, A SUNNY MORNING OR AN EASY COMMUTE. SOMETIMES THE SMALLEST THINGS ARE THE ONES THAT CAN BRING US THE BIGGEST JOY.
【题目解析】：由文章的第一段可列出全文的提纲： Ⅰ. Some practices make me let go of even my most painful experience—learning to accept the reality, focusing on my purpose and practicing gratitude.Ⅱ. Take life as it comes.Ⅲ. Focus back to my purpose.Ⅳ. Ⅴ. Conclusion 由提纲可知，缺失的段落是关于练习感恩的。因此段落可以围绕这个点展开。 A logical extension to focusing on my purpose is practicing gratitude daily. It helps me to appreciate and value the wonderful things of life at this very moment. It also helps me to put all the events in my life in perspective, without letting anything take over and take away from my daily blessings. I aim for a list of at least five things for which I’m grateful every day. It can be something as simple as a hearty meal, a sunny morning or an easy commute. Sometimes the smallest things are the ones that can bring us the biggest joy. 一个合乎逻辑的延伸就是每天练习感恩。在这一刻，它帮助我欣赏和珍视生命中美好的事物。它也帮助我正确看待生活中的所有事情，而不让任何事情占据我每天的幸福。我的目标是每天至少列出五件我感激的事情。它可以是一些简单的事情，如一顿丰盛的晚餐，一个阳光明媚的早晨或一个轻松的通勤。有时候，最微小的事情也能带给我们最大的快乐。