“Mommy, I got something for you!” Cody ran through the door after school. His face wore the biggest smile ever. He waved something above his head. “It's a pen. But not just any pen. It's a lucky pen!” He handed me the pen 1 , waiting for my reaction（反应）.

I looked at the pen in my hand. There was nothing 2 about it. It looked just like any other ballpoint pen. I had a drawer full of them. At that moment, I didn't realize how special it was or how much I would come to treasure（珍爱）it.

I had made the decision to be a(n) 3 . I had dreamed about it for a long time but I was afraid of being refused by the publishing houses. The night before, I told my husband my 4 when I thought Cody wasn't listening. “What if 5 likes my writing and I fail?” But Cody did 6 what I said. Now he stood in front of me, watching me examine the pen. “You don't have to be afraid now,” he said. “This pen will make your 7 great and everyone will love you.”

Tears filled my eyes. Refusal and failure didn't seem like such a big problem any more. Even if I 8 sold the first book, I had everything I could ever need. I knew that pen would bring me luck, though. And I felt 9 already, just by having Cody in my life, especially when I heard what he did to get it.

In the lunchroom, Cody heard an older boy talking about having a lucky 10 . He decided to get it for me. The boy was a tough negotiator(强硬的谈判者) but Cody didn't 11 . In the end, he 12 his favorite Matchbox car, two army men his brother gave him, a crayon, and a piece of candy—his most important things, for that pen. Just to make 13 feel better.

I still have that pen, though it's long out of ink, in a cup on my desk. When a refusal letter arrives and I start feeling 14 , I look at it and remember just how lucky I am. For while I value that pen, it's Cody who I really 15 in my life.

    Tom was very proud of his dog Blackie. Whenever he got a chance, he would ask his 1 to please his friends with some tricks.

    One day Tom went to visit his friend Jack, who was 2 at home with a bad cold. "How are you feeling?" asked Tom. " 3 than yesterday," answered Jack. "I have a terrible cough, and there is no 4 in the house." "Don't worry, Jack. I'll 5 Blackie to the drugstore for some medicine. He'll be back in a minute before you know it. "Tom put a five-dollar note in Blackie's 6 and the dog ran down the street. "And keep the change," Tom shouted after him.

    "Oh, Tom, don't be 7. You know that dog won't be back with any medicine," said Jack. "Oh, yes, he will," answered Tom. Half an hour later, however, Blackie had not 8. Tom was worried and felt angry at his friend's little smile.

    "9 has happened to him, I'm sure." said Tom. "He obeyed me as a rule." Just then Tom saw Blackie at a distance. He hurried to open the door and let him in. Jack was shocked to see a bottle of medicine in the dog's mouth.

    "Good boy," said Tom. "But what took you so long?" Blackie ran to the door, 10 and wagging his tail. Tom looked out of the door and saw a bone outside.

    An old man walked slowly into a restaurant with his cane (拐杖). His old jacket and worn-out shoes made him very different from others. 1 talked to him except a young waitress. Mary watched him move towards a seat by the window. She ran over to him and helped him 2. Then she put his cane against the table 3 he could reach it. Without saying a word, he smiled and nodded a thank-you.

    After the old man finished a good meal, Mary brought him the 4. After he put the money in his pocket, she handed him his cane and the old man walked to the front door5 with the help of the girl. Holding the door open for him, Mary said, "Come back and see us, sir!" The old man 6her with a smile and agreed.

    When Mary went to clean his table, she was7 . Under the plate, she found a business card, a 100—dollar bill and a 8which read, "Dear Mary, I respect you very much, and you respect yourself, too. It is shown by the way you treat others. You have 9the secret of happiness."

    In fact, the old man was the owner of the restaurant. That was the 10time that Mary or any of his workers had seen him.

    A girl complained to her father about her hard life. She didn't know what she had to do and wanted to give up. She felt tired for fighting and fighting, one problem had been finished but another came.

    Her father, who was a cook 1 her into the kitchen. He poured water into the pans (锅) and boiled it. When the water was boiling, in the first pan he put some carrots, in the second he put some eggs and the last he put with coffee. He 2 them a few minutes without any words.

    The girl closed her mouth and waited impatiently, not knowing 3 her father was doing that. After about 20 minutes, her father turned 4 the stove, took out the carrots and put them in a bowl. He took the eggs and put them in another bowl. After that the 5 was poured into a cup. Turning back to his daughter, he asked, "What do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she answered.

    Her father told her to 6 her eyes and let her touch the carrots. She did and felt that the carrots were soft. After that he asked her to take the eggs and 7 them. Then she got boiled and hard eggs. At last, the father asked her to smell the coffee. "What is the meaning, Father?" He  __8 that each one had the same experience -the boiled water, but 9 had a different reaction(反应). The strong and hard carrots had become soft and weak after being in the boiling water. The eggs became hard after being cooked. The coffee was very special and it changed the water. "Who are you?" asked her father, "When calamity(厄运) 10 your door, what is your reaction? Are you carrots, eggs or coffee?"