Hiding 1 the loose dusty curtain, a/an2 packed up his overcoat into the suitcase. He planned to leave home at dusk 3 there was thunder and lightning outdoors. He had got to do this because he was tired of his 4 nagging about his 5 study and did not want to 6 it any longer. He couldn't get along 7 with English and disliked joining  in English classes because he thought his teacher ignored him 8 purpose.9 ,  his score in each exam never10 over 60.

    His partner was 11 about him very much. She understood exactly12 he was suffering from, but 13 disagreed with his idea.14  calm him down and settle his problem, she talked with him face to face and 15 a series of learning tips with him. The items she set16 helped him find the17 to study English well. The teenager was grateful and got great 18 from his friend's words.

    Now, he has recovered from being 19 and has fallen in love with English. What an important part friends 20 in our life!

    A few days ago, I observed a teenager doing yardwork that his dad had told him to do. Instead of doing the task1, he wandered around there for hours,2 to himself and doing a bad job.

    The person he hurt the most was himself. His dad was trying to teach him 3and how to do a good job. As a result of his4attitude, he spent the whole afternoon finishing a task that should have taken one or two hours. And the yard 5 wasn't clean enough when he got through.

    He6his day because of his attitude. And his dad was 7with him, and the boy's bad mood ended up8 the whole family that day.

    A sweet lady was working in a fast-food9. The minute I walked in, she welcomed me10. She smiled as she took my order, and then as we11 for the food, she talked with me. As I walked off with my tray, she said with a big 12, “I hope you have a blessed day!” I think the food tasted better because of her13. There was a delay, during which I sat there hearing her singing as she14 her tasks behind the counter.

    She wasn't making a large salary, and she didn't have a powerful15, either. In addition, she stood on her feet for a long shift each day, often dealing with 16customers. But she chose to be joyful.

    I want to17from her. I want to do my best, even when there's no 18 or glory. Other people are watching me19 I might not realize it at the time. I want to bring joy to all those around me. A(n)20can make a great difference.

    As a student in my final year of high school, I am very concerned about college. I spend most days thinking about the 1, hoping that I am on the right path.

    I am interested in a career in 2, so I decided to volunteer for service at the local hospital. I thought it would be the best of both worlds: 3 people while getting valuable on-the-job experience! So I went to the business office. 4, the hospital director was quite willing to let me help out, and he said I could 5 that summer as soon as I finished my finals. I accepted his 6 immediately, thinking to myself that here lay all the 7 I could ever want!

    Soon enough, I 8 for my first day at the 9. The director gave me a brief tour of different departments 10 we stopped right in front of maternity ward（产科病房）. "This is 11 you are going to work," he said. I was overwhelmed(不知所措的) by the sounds. Women shouted and newborns 12. I got nervous and wondered if I had been in a hurry when I was 13 to go for such a (an)14 job.

    My 15 must have shown clearly on my face because the director said, "Don't worry. You are going to help in the nursery." 16 that, we walked down a hallway filled with balloons, beautiful flowers and into the 17 room I've ever seen. The soft colors provided a quiet backdrop to the sleeping babies. The nurse in charge of the nursery 18 me, thanked me for 19, and asked me to start putting some baby things away in the drawers. The director gave me a (an) 20 look, which I returned with a quiet nod. I got right to work.

The Chess Competition

    I had signed up to play in the School Chess Competition two months before. I'd been counting the days, filling my afternoons with practice games and begging everyone I knew to play 1 with me.

    Soon the competition was about to begin. I would be competing against twenty 2, and all of us would be battling for just a few trophies. Glancing up at the prizes, I could just 3 one of them sitting on my bookcase.

    My daydream was interrupted by the announcement of the 4 round. "Shake hands and start playing" said the judge. I 5 across the board and saw that my first opponent (对手) was almost too small to see over the top of the table. "Aha" I thought. "This will be a(n) 6 win."

    One unexpected game later, I 7 my overconfidence. My opponent, the nine-year-old girl, had beaten me in only 10 minutes! I hid my disappointment and 8 her. "Good game! You're a fantastic player," I said with a sincere smile.

    The next three rounds went by very quickly, with each game proving more 9 than the one before. By evening I had one win and three losses. After the second game, I was ready to go home and give up, 10 I stayed anyway, smiling and sincerely congratulating each of my opponents.

    As the trophies were being awarded, I listened 11, applauding each winner as his or her name was called.

    It was hard to hide my disappointment, but I tried. 12, I heard the announcer say my name. "For excellent chess etiquette (礼仪), a friendly 13, and great determination, the Good Sport Award 14 to Dustin Hodges," the judge declared. It was amazing and I smiled broadly as I walked up to accept the prize. Although it wasn't the trophy that I had hoped for, the gold cup looks pretty good on my bookcase. I think it won't stay there forever, and I plan to 15 it with the championship trophy next year.

    Canadian students devote much of their spare time to community volunteering. In fact, most schools require their students to1a certain number of community hours during their four years of high school. Students can find volunteer jobs at2places, from the school library to a charity.

    Not long ago, I was a(n)3at a community school as a teacher's assistant (助理). Since the class I was 4 was an elementary class with students aged between 4 and 10, I needed to5the teacher with the class work as well as6the kids. From escorting (护送) them to the bathroom to7their fights, I helped to keep them in order.

    When I started doing this job, I was very8, as I wasn't used to dealing with kids. When I9talked to them, it was like there were tons of butterflies in my stomach. But as time went by, we started to10very well.

    They began to talk about their11with me—what they did at the weekend, what kind of hamburgers they had at McDonald's, and what books they had12.They also told me about their favorite cartoons and13their snacks with me in the classroom.

    Once, the teacher asked the kids to14their best friends. Many of them drew a tall guy, and they said to me as they pointed at the15, "This is you, You are my best friend." After16that, I was so happy—I17thought I'd become so close friends with kids so much18than me.

    19I've already completed my community hours, I still go to the community school every week, mainly for the warm greetings from the kids and the20they bring me.

It was my last class before summer break, and I was finishing up the first year of a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program in poetry. Unsure if I deserved a 1 in the program, I worried I wasn't as2 as my peers. When the professor asked about our summer 3 , I panicked. I didn't want to appear idle (闲散的)，so without much 4 , I burst out "gardening". Surprisingly, my professor nodded and mentioned Emily Dickinson loved gardening. Emily Dickinson, a great American poet, studied plants as a 5 . But I was in my twenties and had no gardening 6 .

A few days later, I 7 some seedlings in a store. I thought I should get some. At least I could say I had 8 gardening. Wait, was that a jalapeno (墨西哥辣椒)? I 9 it up.

Over the summer, the plant grew, not big but 10 . I was proud. Maybe I didn't have 11 . But then I had to move out of my apartment for some reason. I 12 with my friends. It was December when I found my new apartment, and my jalapeno was suffering: its 13 had fallen off. I set it next to a window by the kitchen sink, and 14 for the best.

I 15 to work hard in school. Then spring came. My plant grew with new leaves. And it flowered when I 16 my graduate paper, a book of 17 , in May.

I was washing dishes one day when my professor called. "Your poems are strong..." he said. I'd done it! I went back to the dishes, but suddenly I found the flowers 18 my jalapeno were gone. Had I done something 19 ?  I looked closer. Where a flower had been, a tiny green fruit 20 through.