(一) one day a few years ago we had a guest of the uninvited variety. in fact, it was a bird，__1__， a sparrow. “what’s that？” i asked when i first heard the gentle thumping(重击声). “it sounds like joe is outside playing basketball，” my wife, anita, said. she __2__ and listened more devotedly. “it’s coming from the __3__. ” she said. “maybe it’s one of the little kids. ” we rushed out of the door. jonathan, our youngest, was __4__ to make trouble. “if he’s making holes in the wall again…” i said as i searched there. no __5__ at all. but there was that __6__ again, coming from right up there. and that’s when i __7__ the sparrow. it was flying __8__ just inches below the ceiling. it was __9__ trying to get out, but couldn’t see that the way out wasn’t up, but down __10__ the open door. so the bird continued __11__ its wings and hitting its head against the __12__. “poor thing，” anita said. “it must be __13__.” “well, maybe it’s because of us，” i said as i moved toward it. i tried to show the bird how to glide(滑翔)down to get outside, but that only seemed to __14__ it more. “why don’t we just__15__ for a few minutes？” anita suggested. “i’m sure he’ll __16__ eventually. ” so we went back into the house, where we continued to hear the ongoing __17__.then suddenly, it was __18__. we looked into the garage, and our uninvited guest was gone. “see？” anita said. “i told you he’d succeed.” “yeah，” i said. “but how many knocks on the head did it __19__ him？” i’ve thought about that little sparrow through the years. just like that sparrow, we often meet situations, and we don’t know how to __20__. born to go upward, we don’t even consider the
