Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One early morning, I1a call for a taxi. When I arrived at the building, it was 2:30 a.m. and I found the building was dark except for the only light in a first floor window.

    Many drivers would just shout once or twice and then drove away, but I thought this2 might need my help. So I walked to the door and knocked, "Just a minute," answered a3, elderly voice. After a long time, the door opened. A small old man showed up before me, 4a small bag. He kept thanking me for my5. "It's nothing," I told him.

    "Oh, you're such a good man." He said. When we got into the taxi, he gave me a (an) 6, and then asked, "Could you drive through the city center?"

    "But it wasn't the7 way." I answered quickly. "Oh, I'm in no hurry." He said. "I'm on my way to a hospital. I don't have any family left. The8says I don't have much time left.

    I 9 started the taxi and shut off the meter(计程器). For the next two hours, we drove through the city center. He showed me the building where he once worked. We drove 10 the church where he got married. He would never forget that happy moment. Sometimes he'd ask me to slow down in front of a building and would sit11the darkness for a long time, saying nothing. When the sun began to rise, we drove in silence to the address he had given me. When we arrived, 12without thinking, I gave him a big hug. "You gave an old man a little moment of13. Thank you!" He said with tears in his eyes.

    I was completely lost in thought for the rest of the day. What would happen if I had refused to do14I did? We always think that there are no15moments in our lives, but great moments are just in what others may think small and unimportant ones!

    A young man was walking in the desert. He felt very 1. Just then he suddenly found a spring of delicious and clear water. The water was cool and sweet for a man who had 2it for such a long time. He drank a lot, and then he 3 his bottle so that he could bring some back to his village and gave it to his teacher who had taught him in middle school.

    After a four-day 4, he gave the water to the old man and he took a deep drink, smiled warmly and 5his student for the sweet water. The young man returned to his home with a happy heart.

    Later, the teacher let another student taste the water. He spat it out at once, saying it was6. The student said the water had become bad because the bottle was too old.

    The student asked his teacher, "Master, the water was bad and it was bitter. Why did you 7 to him that you liked it?" The teacher replied, "You only tasted the water 8 I tasted the gift. The water which has been put in loving and kindness is not 9water." Nothing could be 10 than love.

As an old saying goes, "The last leg of a journey marks the halfway point." This is exactly the case with me.

There was a time when I wondered how I should express myself and explain my opinions 1 . My parents and teacher gave me a lot of help, 2 didn't work well. And I often got low marks on writing and failed 3 proper words to express my ideas. So I 4 to make every effort to improve my writing skills. I read ancient poetry loudly every morning. At first, I made great progress, But as I continued, it became much 5 for me to improve myself.

Although 6 process was difficult, I never considered giving up. 7 important writing is! And 8 classmates supported me powerfully. They told me the saying, "The last leg of a journey marks the halfway point." I 9 by the words and I kept going. At last, my teacher was pleased 10 my writing.

I would not ignore (忽视) the value of this experience, because Rome was not built in a day. We have to put in more and more efforts as we reach success little by little.

Last night, when I was preparing for my English exam in my bedroom, I suddenly heard a loud noise. The glass on the edge (边缘) of the desk {#blank#}1{#/blank#} onto the floor. The glass was {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. The light in the room was shaking. I looked out of the window and found the whole building was shaking too. I realized (意识到) that a(n) {#blank#}3{#/blank#} had happened. I{#blank#}4{#/blank#} myself that I must be brave and stay calm and try not to cry. I crawled (爬) and hid myself under the bed. Several minutes later, the building didn't shake any more. So I crawled out and ran out of the building as quickly as I could. Or I couldn't {#blank#}5{#/blank#} what would happen. What a terrible experience!

Judie's class was studying Chinese culture. One day, her teacher went into the classroom1 some kites. He told them that kites 2 in China more than 2,000 years age. At the end of the class, he said, "The Chinese make kites that mean something important to them. I expect each of you 3 a kite that means something important to you. You will have a 4 understanding of kites than before."

Judie decided to ask her dad for help as it was5 first time to make a kite.

"What do you think of when you see a kite?" her dad asked.

Judie thought for a moment and 6 , "Butterflies."

Judie's dad agreed that it would be a good idea to make a butterfly kite. They made a cross with some wood sticks,7 then Judie painted a butterfly on a piece of white paper. Next they stuck the paper on the cross. Finally they tied a long tail to the bottom.

The next morning, they took 8 kite to the park and tested it. "Wow!" she cried proudly. "9 high my butterfly flies!"

"Judie, can you tell me 10 butterflies?" asked her dad.

Judie replied, "To me, butterflies mean beauty and freedom!"

A man was1 because he tried hard but always failed. He went to the 2 and met a wise hermit(隐士). The man asked, "Why should I keep trying?"

"Look," the hermit said, pointing towards3 plants. "Do you see that fern(蕨) and bamboo there?"

"Yes," the man nodded.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. Within a short period of time the fern 4 grew from the earth," the hermit continued. "But even though the bamboo seed was cared for years, there was no sign of 5 . But I did not give up on the bamboo seed and continued to water and take care of it. By the fifth year,a very small sprout(芽) came out from the earth. And within six months, the tree grew 6 tall. It was as tall as a seven-storey building."

"Did the bamboo stay still for four years and then grow a lot in the fifth?" asked the hermit. The man didn' t know what to say.

"It's simple," said the hermit. "It was making 7 roots underground. These roots helped it grow big in the fifth year and keep growing."

"Did you know that all the times you had been struggling(挣扎), you were growing strong 8 ?" said the hermit.

 The man learned his9 that day. He understood that persistence and hard work can10 , even if it takes time. The fern and the bamboo stood right in front of him as he walked towards his life to continue to work on his dreams.