Sally Ride was born in California in 1951. She was the first American woman to travel into space. She loved to play tennis and wanted to be a tennis player when she was young. But after three months' professional(专业的) training, she changed her mind. She went to Stanford University and started to study science. She studied stars and planets. She did researches at the university and got her PhD in astrophysics(天体物理学博士学位) after several years' hard work.

 In 1977, she took a test to become an astronaut. And then she was picked up from over 8,000 people. In order to realise her dream of going into space, she had to get different kinds of special and difficult training. She learned how to fly a plane, how to jump out of a plane as well as how to operate(操作)special machines

 Sally and four other astronauts flew a spaceship called Challenger on Jun. 18, 1983. She became the first American woman to travel into space. Later, she taught at the University of California. Then she wrote seven books on space for children, encouraging children to study science. Unfortunately, she died in 2012.

      Carol studies at Roosevelt High School. She is having a hard time passing exams. She has no interest in her homework, so she seldom finishes it on time.

     But there is one lesson she is doing well in. It is history. Carol always hands in her history homework on time. She respects the history teacher Mr Aragon. Carol feels that Mr Aragon treats her more than just a student. She feels other teachers look down on her.

      Carol's mother Maria told Mr Aragon that Carol wasn't doing well in her other lessons. Mr Aragon was surprised to learn that. "She is such a smart girl," he told Maria. Mr Aragon told Maria that he would talk to her daughter.

Carol felt embarrassed when Mr Aragon talked to her about the problems she was having in other lessons. But later Carol understood that Mr Aragon just wanted to help her. Mr Aragon and Carol had a discussion about what she could do to improve her marks in other lessons. They made a list of ways to help her to complete her homework on time, including setting a timetable for homework, cutting down some boring after-school activities, and having a friend help her with the homework. Carol decided to try these ways out to see which one would work best for her.

B

    A driver stopped his car on a street side to have a rest. As he lay down in the seat and closed his eyes, a person came up and knocked at the window to ask the time. The driver opened his eyes and looked at his watch. “It's five past eight.” he said. Then he went to sleep again. But soon he was waken up again because a second person was knocking at the window. “Excuse me, what time is it now?” He asked. The driver looked at his watch again, and told him it was half past eight.

    In this way, the driver thought he couldn't have a good rest, so he wrote a short note and stuck(贴) it on the window for all to see. It said, “I don't know the time.” Again, he lay down in the seat for his sleep. A few minutes later, a third person came and began to knock at the window, “Hey, sir.” He said, “It's a quarter to nine.”

    Once, in a small village, lived a family with two children, James and Jack. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} of them loved painting very much, but the family was so {#blank#}2{#/blank#} that it was impossible to send both of them to study at the art college at the same time. After many discussions, the two boys finally worked {#blank#}3{#/blank#} a plan. They would throw a coin. The loser would go to work in the mines（矿井） to support his brother's studies at the college. Then, when the brother at college {#blank#}4{#/blank#} his studies after four years, he would support the other brother's college studies.

    James {#blank#}5{#/blank#}, and so Jack went down into the mines. James worked with all his heart, and his paintings were soon much {#blank#}6{#/blank#} than those of most of his teachers. By the time he graduated, he was beginning to make a lot of money from his paintings.

    When James returned, the family held a big dinner to {#blank#}7{#/blank#} his great success. Soon after {#blank#}8{#/blank#} dinner began, James stood up from his seat to drink a toast to his dear brother. He said, "Jack, now you can go to the art college and your dream will come true. I will take care of you."

{#blank#}9{#/blank#} Jack said softly, "Brother, the four years in the mines has done too much to my hands, so it's too late. Now I can't even hold a glass."

James was heart-broken. One hour {#blank#}10{#/blank#}, he drew a simple picture of his brother's hands. This drawing is today known as the famous picture named The Praying Hands.