A Leap(跳跃) to Honor

    Leaping on a narrow balance beam(平衡木) is not easy. But Lola Walter, a 13­year­old gymnast, is an expert at it.

    To perfect her skills, Lola 1 for four hours a day, five days a week. At the state championships in March, she finished seventh out of 16 girls.

    That's especially impressive,2 she is legally blind, born with a rare condition that causes her eyes to shift(移动) constantly. She often sees double and can't 3 how far away things are.

    When she was little, her mom 4 that even though she couldn't see 5 ， she was fearless. So her mom signed her up for gymnastics when she was three. She loved the 6 right away and gymnastics became her favorite.

    Though learning gymnastics has been more 7 for her than for some of her teammates, she has never quit. She doesn't let her 8 stop her from doing anything that she wants to.

    She likes the determination it takes to do the sport. Her biggest 9 is the balance beam. Because she has double vision, she often sees two beams. She must use her sense of touch to help her during her routine. Sometimes she even closes her eyes. “You have to 10 your mind that it'll take you where you want to go，” says Lola.

    To be a top­level gymnast, one must be brave. The beam is probably the most 11 for anyone because it's four inches wide. At the state competition, Lola didn't fall 12the beam. In fact, she got an 8.1 out of 10—her highest score yet.

    Lola doesn't want to be 13 differently from the other girls on her team. At competitions, the judges don't know about her vision 14. She doesn't tell them, because she doesn't think they need to know. Her mom is amazed by her 15 attitude.

    Lola never thinks about 16. She is presently at level 7 while the highest is level 10 in gymnastics. Her 17 is to reach level 9. She says she wants to be a gymnastics coach to pass down what she's learned to other kids 18 she grows up.

    Lola is 19 of all her hard work and success. She says it's helped her overcome problems in her life outside gymnastics too. Her 20 for other is “just believe in yourself”.

    Christmas 1940 makes me misty-eyed every time I think about it. In the hard times, people1one another. We2food, clothing, bedding and household items and gave them to the needy.

    That Christmas we students found ourselves3toys we collected and loading packages for4.As we presented the gifts, we saw5in many faces, especially those of the children. We had a few more6to make on Christmas morning. The air was heavy and frozen to the bone. For several hours, we knocked on doors. But as the cold hours passed, our7gradually faded. When we8headed home, someone9a small house down a canal bank. None of us knew who lived there,10we wondered if there were11.We still had a doll, two trucks, some small toys, chocolate Santas and a box of groceries. We decided to make one last visit. When we knocked on the door, a young woman answered it, looking at us12.Three small children watched from behind her skirt—a little girl of about 2, and boys perhaps 4 and 5 years old. “Merry Christmas,” we13as we bent down and handed the gift-wrapped packages to the children and the box of groceries to the 14, whose eyes widened15.She slowly smiled, then quickly said, “Come in.” The room was16as the children looked at their mother, wondering if the gifts were really for them. The little girl17her doll, and the boys grasped the trucks as they sought a(an)18.She put her arms19them and said in a20voice, “I told you Santa Claus would come.”

    I won't forget my voluntary experience a while back. It always reminds me what people truly need is not always so 1. This story is a lesson which has stayed with me and helped me ever since.

    It was Thanksgiving and I was volunteering with my mother at a 2 for the needy. We stood behind the counter 3 food to whoever came in. It seemed that most of our diners had been having 4 times. Their clothes were ragged, worn and dry; they were hungry and tired. 5 , they looked needy!

    When we were busy with the unlucky fellows, a well-dressed man came in who looked 6 but poor. I wondered what he was doing there and my jaw dropped in7 when he joined the line for food. The closer he came to my service station, the more I muttered. What was this man doing? I wanted to know. Surely he wasn't going to take the food8 for those really in need! He had small talks with 9 and the look on his face suggested that he just wished to10 being alone.

    Then my mother11 took me to one side, saying, “You have12 that the needs of the people who come here must be purely13 : hunger, inadequate shelter, clothing, etc. But this gentleman seems to have none of those problems. What if his needs are emotional? What if he needs 14, friends, or just to be among other human beings?” Her words 15 me like a ton of bricks! I felt like I should apologize to the man, but I didn't.

    About a week later, from an 16source, the shelter received a large donation. I can't help but17 if it came from that man.

    Now, whenever I meet others, I remember my mother's words and try to send kindness and blessings to them,18how they look. Needs aren't always visible. Maybe emotional 19 is not only the loneliest feeling, but the most difficult need to get 20 . But kindness always makes a difference.

    Shayla Mitchell, 16, was diagnosed with the terminal stage of cancer. As a father, Mitchell always stayed home to care for her. He said the 1left them financially worse off. Then a group called Growing Hope 2 in with $1,800 to help with his living costs.

    3, he wanted to pay them back. In his 4, he had been a 5. So at age 40, Mitchell took up the6again, participating in two fights in Fairfax. Mitchell was7out in the first and second rounds, but he still8to raise $ 20,000 that he gave to Growing Hope. During this time, he 9 his daughter. "I fell into a dark bottom," Mitchell said, and for six months, he did little but 10.

One day, Mitchell11 upon a Mark Twain quote— "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you 12why." "After I read that quote, I was going to spend the rest of my life helping kids with 13and their families." he said.

    Mitchell thought of creating a foundation, though boxing did not seem 14anymore for fund-raising due to his age. Then he found that 15 could be a source to raise money. In the Corps Marathon, he cut a striking figure on the course.16by this success, he set his sights higher. He 17each of the miles of the race to a different child with cancer, and he carried their 18with him. Years after his daughter's death, Mitchell now 19up in the morning knowing his 20.

    It all 1 when we were at school on a Monday. It was after lunch time and we had just finished this week's maths exam and Stephen, Vivian, Krystal and I were correcting our 2 again. We were just getting ready to do English when everything started 3. Things were flying everywhere. It was an EARTHQUAKE!

    Stephen, Vivian, Krystal and I all 4 for cover while everyone else stood there, too 5 to move. Even the 6 boys in the class didn't move! It shook like jelly and it was the scariest earthquake ever! A bookshelf fell on the 7 of the girls. The heater fell on the boys. It was a 8! So far, Stephen, Vivian, Krystal and I were the only people 9. We were all as scared as if we had seen a 10.

    The earthquake went for a couple more 11 and then we ran into the corridor and checked if anyone was alive. Everyone but us was dead. We went outside and all the 12 were wrecked. All except one.

    We ran into the house and it was as 13 as ice. The disgusting cobwebs (蜘蛛网) touched our skin. It was a 14! The house was old and rotten and it 15 like really bad body smell. We ran 16 and we heard someone 17. We 18 the door. There was a 19 in the room. We guessed she was about eight years old. "Help me", she shouted in a frightened voice, I was just about to help her when I heard my alarm clock ringing. It was just a 20!

    It was our first Thanksgiving in the new house and I wanted everything to be perfect. But my plan for everyone to contribute some preparation work had been 1 by my husband's business trip. Even worse, a critical project for me that week had2two days of planned vacation. By Wednesday, my vision of a table with fresh flowers, 3drinking glasses and various homemade desserts had already4 away, I just hoped that I'd find a clean tablecloth and eight5forks.

    In my perfect Thanksgiving, there wouldn't be any orange in my salad because It hadn't made the grocery list. There would be no perfect family photos to record that day because I hadn't got the broken camera6. Someone had brought home the wrong toilet paper, which was the last straw that made me7.

    I don't remember what my son asked me as he was vacuuming(吸尘), 8I do remember twisting into that mean-and-tight mom-face before barking out an 9. This combination of noise and anger is a universal signal to kids everywhere that they might as well 10 me. But he didn't.

    Instead of disappearing from view, my second-grader turned 11 the vacuum and walked across the room to12me. He never said a word. He just13 his arms around me, making me feel 14of myself until today.

    It turned out a(n)15 Thanksgiving. The people I loved gathered around my table and dined just one choice of the pie. My dad used a mismatched fork without 16. My daughter drew a picture of us where everyone smiled.

    My son took a(n)17 to teach me that sometimes we need a hug most when we are 18huggable. This is the best gift you can give. One size19 all and no one ever minds if you 20 .