Although it was autumn, the snow was already beginning to fall in Tibet (西藏). Our legs were so heavy and cold that 1 felt like big pieces of ice. Have you 2 seen snowmen ride bicycles? That's what we looked like! Along the way children who were 3 long wool coats stopped to look at us. In the late4 we found it was so cold that our water bottles froze (结冰).However, the lakes   5 like glass in the setting sun and looked wonderful.

    Wang Wei rode in front of me as usual. She was in high spirit and I knew I didn't need to

    6 her. To climb the mountains was hard work but as we7 us, we were surprised by the view. We seemed to be able to see for miles, and we were so high that we found ourselves cycling through clouds. After a while, we began going 8 the mountains. It was great fun especially as it slowly became much 9. At the foot of the mountains, colourful butterflies flew around us and we saw many sheep eating green grass. Then we had to 10 our caps, gloves and trousers for T-shirts and shorts.

    In the early evening we stopped to make camps. We 11 our tent（帐篷）and then we ate. After supper Wang Wei went to sleep but I stayed 12.  13 midnight the sky became clearer and the stars grew brighter. As I 14 below the stars I thought about how far we had already travelled.

    We will reach Dali in Yunan Province soon, where our cousins will join us. We 15 hardly wait to see them!

    Accept life as it is. I learned how to do it from my father. 1 , he did not teach me acceptance when he was strong and healthy, but rather when he was 2 and ill.

    My father was 3 a strong man who loved being active, but a terrible illness 4 all that away. Now he can no longer walk, and he must sit quietly in a chair all day.

Even talking is 5 . One night, I went to visit him with my sisters. We started 6 about life, and I told them about one of my 7 . I said that we must very often give things up 8 we grow — our youth, our beauty, our friends — but it always 9 that after we give something up, we gain something new in its place. Then suddenly my father 10 up. He said, “But, Peter, I gave up 11 ! What did I gain?” I thought and thought, but I couldn't think of anything to say. 12 , he answered his own question: “I 13 the love of my family,” I looked at my sisters and saw tears in their eyes, along with hope and thankfulness.

    I was also 14 by his words. After that, when I began to feel angry at someone, I 15 remember his words and become 16 . If he could 17 his great pain with a feeling of love for others, then I should be 18 to give up my small anger. In this 19 , I learned the power of acceptance from my father.

    Sometimes I 20 what other things I could have learned from him if I had listened more carefully when I was a boy. For now, though, I am ashamed(惭愧的) for this one word.

    Michael had taught us English for two years before he moved to New York. He worked very hard and was patient with his students, so we all 1 him very much since he left. It was not long before Michael came back to Los Angeles 2 a short visit. The teachers and students held a small party for 3.

    At the party, people walked 4 and talked with each other. I certainly would not give up the good 5 to learn English. I tried to think of all kinds of topics 6 with another English teacher, Mrs. Green.

    Just before I was going to run out of my 7, suddenly I heard Michael say to others loudly, “I dig New York!” I asked Mrs. Green at once, “Is it really 8 to find a job in New York? Why does Michael have to do 9 work since he is such a good teacher?”

    Mrs. Green didn't seem to understand 10 I said. “Why do you think of that?” she asked.

    “Haven't you heard him say that he is digging New York? Is he 11 an underground passage(地下通道)?” I asked.

    When Mrs. Green finally 12 what I meant, she laughed to tears. Then she asked us whether we knew the 13 of “I dig New York”. All of us shook heads and said “14“. Michael told us that “I dig New York” means “I love New York” in American slang(俚语). 15 few people say that now, we still hear it sometimes.

    Laura is my cousin. She works at a radio station. She thinks it's an interesting job. Today I will 1 you about her life.

    Laura says she is very busy 2 Monday to Friday. She usually gets up at 6：30 and exercises for half an hour. She has a nice breakfast at 7：15. After that, she goes to 3. She has lunch at the station. She usually gets home at about 7：00 p. m. Then she 4 dinner and has it at about 8：00 p. m. Then she watches TV with her cat. At about ten, she goes to bed.

    On weekends, she is 5. On Saturdays, she either plays ping­pong 6 goes swimming. They are relaxing for her. What does she usually do on 7? She always goes to the art club. She is good at 8. My last question is not easy for her. I ask, “You like art. 9 not be an artist (艺术家)？” She says, “I like to talk to people through (通过) the 10. I can help more (更多) people in this way (用这种方式). ”

    I was born and grew up in the small town of Pineville, which I left at the age of sixteen. Twenty years 1 I came back on a visit. I went to see my old friend Tom Clark, who, active as ever, was head of a Reading Club. He was 2 getting ready to welcome a famous writer, who had been invited to come to give a talk on novels at the public library that evening. Since I happened to have read a book or two 3 this famous writer, when Tom asked me to go with him, I gladly 4.

    Tom was going to introduce the writer to the f audience. 5we went to the library a little earlier to welcome him. As the writer hadn't arrived yet, I left Tom and went into the reading room. A large number of people had already been there. I was sorry to find that I didn't know 6person. So I found a seat in the corner and sat quietly waiting.

    When it was just about time for the 7 to begin, I saw Tom standing at the door making a sign for 8 to come out. He looked worried about something, so I got up right away and went to him. He said that he had just had a telephone call from the writer. He had 9 his flight and would not be arriving! While we were considering the problem, Tom suddenly asked me if I would mind giving a talk instead of the writer. I never had time to 10 it when all at once I found I was being pushed back into the reading room to speak to the waiting audience.

    I'm sure many great people think about how they can make a difference in the world. In fact, sometimes little things can make a really big difference. I learned this 1 one day five years ago with my father, when I was just acting like myself—a nine-year-old kid.

    Papa came home late from work after 9 p.m. and he looked even more tired than usual. His eyes were already half-closed. I followed him to his bedroom. Papa 2 up the stairs, slowly lifting his feet one after the other. I was afraid that I would have to start pushing him. Fortunately, he 3 it to the bedroom on his own.

    Papa sat down on the bed and started removing his shoes and socks. "How was work?" I asked cheerfully.

    "Oh, it was OK," he replied. "It's just that I'm tired." "Oh, um……you want me to leave?"

    Papa gave me a tired 4 that made me more comfortable. I made me feel like he wasn't going to scold me, as he often did when I made some 5.

    "No," he said kindly, "of course I don't want you to leave."

    I opened my mouth and started 6 out the Disney movie Lilo & Stitch. Papa always loved it when I did that, and he started laughing loudly. I was happy that I had made my father laugh so much.

    "Did you like it?" I asked. "Of course I did," he said. "Did you know that 7you make me laugh, you make me feel a lot better?"

    I was  8that I could really do a thing like that.