Traveling in Vietnam was like visiting a mysterious neighbor. You have lived next door to each other for years but know very 1 about what happened on 2 side of the fence.

    I travelled there last August. A(n) 3 180-kilometre trip from a Chinese border town to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, 4 an adventurous eight hours. That's 5 the country still doesn't have a modern expressway system. The major passage going through the country is only a two-way road. 6, many areas are mountainous.

    Vietnamese drivers are 7 and fearless. They compete with each other at full speeds no matter how scared the8feel. When the bus shook us violently for the hundredth time, the driver made a 9 to make us feel better. "See, this is just a(n)10Vietnamese people give you, a free massage(按摩) service."

    It was midnight11I reached that hotel. Switching on the television, I was12by something: All the13in the TV plays spoke in the same voice. 14, modern Korean plays and historical Chinese plays are 15 with the Vietnamese. But it seemed they didn't have enough16to dub(为……配音)all these programs. So, the same boring woman appears17 every TV play to speak for the roles. The next morning when I opened the window, I found myself in a huge "18". The buildings in the streets were 19 in all kinds of colors you can imagine. Vietnamese are allowed to20their houses as they like. Each one was different. The large number of colors brought the city alive.

    Jim and his brother lived on the 80th level. When coming home one day, to their 1, the lifts were not working and they had to 2the stairs.

    After reaching the 20th level, breathless and tired, they decided to3their bags and come back for them the next day. They climbed4. When they got to the 40th level, Jim's brother started to 5. However, they6to climb the flights of steps, arguing all the way to the 60th floor.

    They then 7that they only had 20 levels more to climb and decided to stop arguing and continue climbing8. They reached their home at long last. Each stood calmly before the door and waited for the other to9the door. And they realized that the10 were in their bags which were left on the 20th floor.

    This story is a reflection (反映) of our life. When 11, many of us are asked to do as our parents and teachers expect. We 12 get to do the things that we really like and love and are under too much pressure (压力) 13 by the age of 20, we get tired and decide to14 this load (负担).

    Once 15  of/ about the pressure, we work harder to realize our dreams. But by the time we reach 40 years old, we find it 16 to realize them and begin to feel unsatisfied and complain, and 17them. Reaching 60, we realize that we have18 cause for complaint anymore, and we begin to walk the final stage with19.

    So follow your dreams and20for them carefully, never complain and lose your key, and your dreams will come true one day.

    In spite of the fun and laughter, 13-year-old Frank Wilson wasn't happy. It was1 that he received all the gifts that he wanted. And he also 2 the big Christmas dinner with the family members.3, Frank wasn't happy because this was his first Christmas without his brother, Steve, who was killed in a car accident. Frank 4 his brother.

    Frank said good-bye to his family members and said that he was leaving a little earlier to see a friend, and from there he could walk home. Since it was cold outside, Frank 5 his new jacket. It was his favorite gift. He placed the other gifts on his new sleigh（雪橇）. Then Frank6.

    As Frank went down the street toward home, through one front window, he saw a room with old 7 hanging over an empty fireplace. A woman was seated nearby, crying. The stockings 8 him of the way he and his brother always 9 theirs side by side. The next morning, they would find gifts.

    Then Frank had a 10. He knocked at the door. “Yes?” the11voice of the woman. “May I come in?” asked Frank. “You are very welcome,” she said,12 his sleigh full of gifts and thinking he wanted to 13 gifts. “But I have no food or gifts for you. I have 14 for my own children.” “That's why I am here,” Frank said. “Please15 whatever gifts you would like for your children from the sleigh.” “Why? God bless you!” the16woman answered. She took some candies, a toy plane and a doll. Finally, the stockings were 17. “Thank you so much!” the woman said. “You are welcome,” Frank said and left.

    Frank's 18was full of happiness. Then he gave his jacket to a poor boy. At last, he gave away all his gifts.19Frank was worried how he could 20to his parents that he had given his gifts away, he was very happy.

    Haus was a godsend to the DaLuca family in Florida. When the dog arrived, their daughter Molly and he became best friends in no time. 1Molly was around, Haus was always by her side. In fact, the family said his sweet 2made him a "fan favorite" around the neighborhood.

    One day, Molly was in the backyard playing, and 3, Haus was right by her side. Then, suddenly, Molly's grandma saw Haus jumping forward frantically （发狂似地） at a（n） 4 snake.

    When the snake 5its way over to the pair, Haus put himself between Molly and the snake. After the first bite, many dogs would have 6. But Haus stood his ground. Bite after bite, he 7 the tiny human he loved so much.

    Grandma put Molly and Haus into the car and 8the brave dog to the vet immediately. It9that the snake bit Haus three times, and he had blood pouring from his leg.

    At the animal hospital, Haus went downhill 10. His body had so much venom（毒液）inside that he couldn't even raise his head. For a time, it was 11 whether or not Haus would pull through. 12though, he did!

    In addition to the antivenom, vets also 13muscle damage to Haus' leg. The treatments and week-long stay were 14. But people from all across the country 15 the furry hero, donating more than ＄52,000 to 16his medical bills.

    Molly prayed for her 4-legged best friend, and to her 17, Haus made a full18! Haus really proved his deep 19 for this family when he protected Molly from a(n)20 that most certainly would have been deadly!

    I'm a seventeen-year-old, counting down the days till graduation, just like every other senior in the world. I've1a lot in my short seventeen years of life, but I have also made mistakes. I'm not2. I'm on the path of self-discovery, which as I've come to realize is not3.

    After many years, I still4remember the last time I had to5. At that moment, starting a new6wasn't really that big of a deal. I spent the next four and a half years in Mountain Home. I made four7friends anyone could ever ask for. When I had to8them, I was depressed.

    I soon9that starting a new high school was different from being the “10girl” in elementary or even middle school. It wasn't as easy to gain the “approval(认可)” of my11now as it had been back then. Back in elementary or middle school,12I was a freshman, I had my friends and people I knew. I could very easily13well over ninety percent of my class.14, at this new school, I15no one.

    I've been told over and over by my mom that I'll16have to enter the “real” world and that the17I have over all of these things will soon disappear. What adults18to realize is that every day in a teenager's life is a battle. We're no longer children, but not quite adults. We struggle to19who we are.

    Although I still have about a year and a half left, I honestly believe that being a teenager has been the hardest20in my life, something I'm sure I'll carry with me for the rest of my existence.

Cali Scores a Goal

    It was the last game of the season. Cali had been playing soccer all summer. She really enjoyed 1 around with the other players in her blue uniform, chasing the black and white ball across the grassy field. As much as she tried, 2, Cali still had not scored one single goal.

    "Don't give up," said her coach. He showed Cali and her team how to pass the ball to each other and take shots at the goal. Cali was pretty good at passing the ball, but she couldn't kick the ball 3 the goalkeeper. She wondered if she should 4 soccer.

    "Don't give up," said her teammates. "You just need to keep trying and you will get 5 ." So Cali stayed on the team and did her best.

    "Don't give up," said Aunt Lisa. But it was half-time, and Cali was feeling 6 . She was trying! Every time she got a(an) 7 to kick the ball, it would go in the 8 direction or a player from the other team would take control of it.

    The break was over and the referee(裁判) blew her whistle to 9 the game again. The two 10 walked back onto the field, both 11 to win. Cali heard her aunt whisper in her ear. "Look for an opportunity to get the ball. You can do it."

    Cali took a deep breath. 12 she didn't get one goal all summer, she knew that she had tried her best. She dreamed she'd leave her team after the game was over. Suddenly, she was woken by some 13 that was the sweet, happy jingle of the ice cream truck. It was driving right beside the soccer field, playing its music loudly to attract 14 .

    The players on both teams turned to 15 at it. A few girls pointed to it and cheered. The soccer game had nearly stopped. Cali looked around and saw the soccer ball close by, 16 by the nearest player from the other team. Cali dashed over to the ball. She dribbled(带球) it between her feet, moving forward toward the net of the yellow team. By the time the other girls had 17 , Cali was positioned right in front of the net. The goalkeeper was 18 to one side, looking at the ice cream truck. She turned back 19 to guard the net as Cali kicked the ball hard.

    The keeper 20 out her gloved hand. The ball touched the tips of her fingers as it swooshed past, right into the net. "Goal!"