When Dave was eighteen, he bought a second-hand car for ￡200 so that he could travel to and from work more 1 than by bus. It worked quite well for a few years, but then it got so old, and it was costing him2 much in repairs that he decided that he had better3 it.

    He asked among his friends to see if anyone was particularly4 to buy a cheap car, but they all knew that it was falling to pieces, so 5_of them had any desire to buy it.

    Dave's friend Sam saw that he was 6 when they met one evening, and said, “What's 7, Dave?” Dave told him and Sam answered, “Well, what about advertising it in the paper? You may8 more for it that way than the cost of the advertisement!” Thinking that Sam's 9was sensible, he put an advertisement in an evening paper, which read: “For sale: small car,10very little petrol, only two owners. Bargain at ￡50.”

    For two days after the advertisement first appeared, there was no 11. But then on Saturday evening a man rang up and said he would like to 12 him about the car. “All right,” Dave said, feeling happy. He asked the man whether ten o'clock the next morning would be 13or not. “Fine,” the man said. “And I'll 14 my wife. We intend to go for a ride in it to 15 it.”

    The next morning, at ten quarter, Dave parked the car in the square outside his front door,16 to wait there for the person who had 17 his advertisement. Even Dave had to 18 that the car really looked like a wreck (残骸). Then soon after he had got the car as 19 as it could be, a police car stopped just behind him and a policeman got out. He looked at Dave's car and then said, “Have you reported this 20 to us yet, sir?”

    In 2005, I had a stroke and was taken into hospital. I was paralyzed down one side, with only a pad and a pen to 1 . But on my first day, after writing a note to the nurse, I found my right 2 wandering across the page. It was so 3 because I just copied a cartoon as a child, and I hadn't drawn since then. The act was 4; 5 when a nurse asked me what I was doing did I look down to see patterns all over the paper.

    From then on I woke up every night at 2 a.m. And kept drawing until dawn. It didn't feel 6. I'd never drawn before in my life but now couldn't 7.

    The 8explained that very occasionally, following a stroke, a patient's brain rewired itself to avoid the damaged area. Sometimes this can 9 a new ability in a patient: in my case, 10.

    I'd never had the 11 interest in art in my life. I was an engineer by trade, and now, 12, memories and thoughts appeared to me as abstract 13 . It was just something that happened. Drawing had become like breathing: something I did instinctively and without 14.

    In 2007, I heard about Second Life, the online virtual world. Inside, I 15art galleries selling digital art for real 16 and I decided to 17 my work for the first time. Two months later, someone 18 me saying he had bought two of my pictures online and wanted one in real life.

    Now I'm a 19 artist—in my first year I've earned around ￡30,000. I've been featured in some art exhibitions, 20 many of my pictures appeared on the cover.

    White clouds filled the sky. The sun's rays 1 through them, spreading cheer and 2. After the meal, Olivia lay back on the blanket, 3 the amazing sky and Dad was 4 the picnic food.

    “Dad, that 5 over there looks like a rhinoceros（犀牛）! There's a horn（角）, two ears and a long tail.” Olivia said.

    “Is there? I can't see it.” Dad sighed and 6 his head.

    “Oh, look, Dad. That cloud looks like a penguin.” Olivia turned to her father.

    “Do you see any 7 in the clouds, Dad?”

    “I see a turkey.” He rubbed his cheeks and 8 her closer with his warm hands.

    “Dad, I see a fighting lion, a running giraffe and a 9 parrot.”

    “I'm sorry to stop our fun, 10 it looks like rain” said Dad, 11 the picnic basket “Clouds don't get big 12 they're going to drop rain on us.”

    A raindrop 13 on Olivia's forehead.” You're right, Dad. I'll 14 the blanket.” The two rushed for the 15. On their way home Olivia 16 out of the window. “Is the sky always that 17 before a storm, Dad?”

    “Beauty is in the eye of the 18, my little angel.” It is 19 that there are some people who would never have seen a rhinoceros or a turkey in clouds. 20 the eyes of the child, the world is fresh and appealing each day.

    Hello, everyone. It's my honor to recommend (推荐) Educator of the year. I'm sure everyone has a(an) 1 teacher that they will be able to 2 for years to come. There is one famous teacher that everyone wants to have in our middle school—Ms. Sullivan, whose 3you must often hear at school. Ms. Sullivan does a lot of things to make herself 4.

    First of all, she has great enthusiasm for her 5. She teaches many different classes—Language Arts Enrichment, Writing for Publication and Reader's Theater, though most teachers in middle school only teach one 6, such as Math, Social Studies, Science, etc. Ms. Sullivan is also responsible for 7 the school play. Every year she devotes her time into 8 an amazing school play. Luckily I have been a part of it and 9 it so much!

    In addition, Ms. Sullivan always shows her students that she 10 us, whether in our study or in life. Some teachers teach us the lessons in a strict way, 11 Ms. Sullivan shows us that she is always 12 like a friend. In writing classes, she makes us have a group discussion first, which I think is a good way to 13 our creative ideas. Then she lets us 14 write our stories at our own speed. She 15 everything we write and gives us a(an) 16 opinion about it. We are getting more 17 writing a composition, and no longer consider it hard work. Most importantly, she also makes each of her classes 18.

    19, I think Ms. Sullivan should be Educator of the Year. Even if she doesn't get the 20, she still deserves our respect and love!

    When we finished eating, I quickly grabbed (抓住)the check and 1 to pay. Before I could get to the counter(结账处)a man 2 me over to his table, saying "I know you saw 3 at you and I'm sorry if it made you4. It's just because you look like my old classmate 40 years ago." Then he asked if we would be with them for a few minutes.5, Danielle and I sat down. We talked for about 10-15 minutes and then I 6 I had something 7 to do. As I stood up to leave, the man 8 across the table and took my 9 out of my hand. Before I could explain, he said "I would really like to 10 this meal for you." He continued," The only thing I ask 11 is that some day when you can help others, please pass on the 12."

    As I walked to my car 13 what just happened, Danielle started jumping up and down with 14 , saying, "Mama, now we can get a Christmas tree!" 15 , we bought a Christmas tree for $8.97, which I still have today. I never put an angel (天使)on the top because it has a 16 one! Although I never met that man again 17 the years, there's hardly a day that goes by that I don't think of his 18 .He was right. I have been able to pass it on. I became a speaker and passed on his 19 to as many people as I could reach.

    Whether he's divine (神圣的)or not doesn't 20. I still think of him as a guardian angel.

It is getting hot. It's time to put on 1 clothes and open up the windows.

Yesterday brought a(n) 2 visit to the kitchen during the brief time we were out. Two daring sparrows had 3 into a dangerous territory—our kitchen.

When you come across such sudden callers, you are 4 to sense it as an action of intruding (入侵) into your comfort zone, or you might 5 it as a lovely shining moment of life. We 6 —the second option, with no hesitation. After all, we've never stopped feeling urgent to strengthen the relationship with our sparrows more and more each day.

We can't stop 7 and celebrating their dance from our window. We fed them with the 8 on our tablecloth after every meal. And we have 9 them with every kind of bases and stands on our terrace (露台).

10 , they feel at ease in our backyard. And that has led them to 11 courage to slip into our house. Perhaps because they have the feeling that we don't consider them 12 , but friendly neighbors, who only leave some wastes from time to time.

The presence of our dear sparrow holds magical consistency with real life. And we've been having lovely sparrows coming over lately, whose presence 13 us out of our dull daily routines and shows us the hidden beauty and charm.

Like different human beings, these sparrows often take different forms. We've met sparrows like those, of all shapes and colors. And they're everywhere. Perhaps all of them are willing to call our 14 making us know they are there. They only ask from us not to be afraid of them or feel uneasy to their 15 .