Tom is the son of a farm owner. One New Year's Day, when he was 15, his father  1  him to work on the farm for one year when he was free. Tom was 2with his father's idea." That isn't my job. I have3school work to do." Hearing this, his father said, "I promise(许诺)to give you the best present if you 4  finish one year's work." Tom thought for a while and 5 .

    Starting one Saturday, the boy got up early and worked 6  till evening, just like any other farmer. Time passed quickly. Tom's crops grew well.  7   the last day of the year, the father said, "I'm happy to see that you have worked very hard the whole year. Now, tell me 8     you want."     The boy smiled and showed his father a big piece of bread made from his wheat." I've already got the   9present. No pains, no gains. I think this is what you wanted   10  to know." His father was quite pleased to hear that.

    Have you ever planted a few trees on Tree Planting Day? Each year, millions of people, both 1 , plant a lot of trees. But this may not be the best way to make your home a 2 place.

    Last week we visited a park in Hebei. We were 3 to find most of the trees had been burned. The workers told us that the trees 4 soon after they were planted because they weren't watered well enough. 5 workers burned them and cleaned the place for 6 trees to be planted this year. 7 a card found in one of the dead trees, a student wrote,“ I hope this tree will grow up with me to 8 the backbone (栋梁) of our country.” The workers said that the survival(存活) of the trees was really more important than 9 trees were planted.

    Some people in Beijing now have a new idea that they can donate (捐赠) some money and let professionals (专业人士) plant and 10 the trees.

    Simon has a big shop in the center of the city. He tells all 1 salegirls to be friendly to the buyers and he gets 2 money.

    One day an old woman 3into the shop to buy a handbag. When she went out of the shop with the handbag, she left her wallet in it. A girl who worked 4 a shop assistant picked it up and found there 5 nearly five hundred dollars in it. She looked around and 6saw it. She put it into her pocket quickly. Soon the old woman came back to look for it7 she failed. She was sad and left. That evening Simon was told about it. He was so angry that he sent the girl away. Then he decided to get an honest man to take her place. Several young men came, but none of them could8  him.

    One morning 9 young man came to his office. He asked, "Do you smoke, sir?"

    "No, sir," answered the young man.

    "Do you drink?"

    "No, sir."

    Simon asked him the other questions, and the young man's answers made him happy. Before he made his decision, he asked him the last question, "You have no shortcoming, do you?"

    "No, I don't, sir. " said the young man. "I only like 10  lies."

    A group of adults, highly succeeded in their jobs, went to visit their old professor. Soon they began to1 the stress in work and life.

    The professor went to the kitchen and returned2a pot of coffee and all kinds of cups —crystal (水晶), glass, plastic; some nice looking, some simple looking; some 3some cheap. And he told them to help4to the coffee.

    When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said, “I've noticed that all the nice looking expensive cups were 5 leaving behind the simple and cheap ones. While it is

6 for you to take only the best for yourself, that is the root of your 7 and stress.

    You know that the cup itself adds no quality (品质) to the coffee8 you really wanted was coffee, not the cup9 you went for the best cups without thinking.

    Now consider this: Life is the coffee. The jobs, money and 10 in society are the cups. They are just11 to hold life, and the type of cup doesn't change the quality of our life. Sometimes, by 12 attention to the cup only, we fail to enjoy the coffee that God has 13 us. God offers us the coffee, not the cup. Please enjoy your coffee!”

    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make 14 of everything. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak15 And leave the rest to the God.

    "You're doing it all wrong," said Ryan.

    "You're nuts!" shouted Tom. "I'm the best jumper there ever was!"

    "Then why can't you touch the doorframe (门框)?"

    "It's 1, okay?"

    Tom looked straight up. The doorframe was ten feet high. 2 could jump high enough to touch it, even older kids. But Ryan had dared (激某人做某事) Tom that he couldn't do it, and so Tom had to 3.

    He muttered, "I'm the best jumper there ever was."

    It all started one day last year, a Frisbee (飞盘) was stuck in a tree. It was so 4 that nobody could get it. And Tom stood way back from the tree and got a running start. When he was going as 5 as he could run, he leapt. It was like he was in the air forever, and then he felt the Frisbee in his hand. From then on, when there was a problem that could be solved by 6, they called Tom.

    Everybody 7 Ryan loved their jumping champion(冠军). 8 Tom came along, he had been the best jumper in the class. Ever since then, Ryan had been 9 the chance to take revenge(报复).

    "Come on," he 10 Tom, "You can't jump just a little bit higher? I thought you were the best jumper!"

    Tom gritted his teeth, tensed his legs and threw his body up into the air. And he 11 fell short by at least two feet.

    "It's impossible," he said.

    "Ha! I knew it."

    "12 we work together."

    "Excuse me?"

    "Neither of us can jump high enough to touch it alone, but if we work together…" Tom 13.

    A few minutes later, Tom went down on his knee and held Ryan's foot in his hands.

    "One…two…three!" shouted Tom. On three, Ryan put all his 14 on Tom's hands, and Tom threw him up into the air. Ryan's hand hit the doorframe and fell down laughing.

    "15 did it!" he said.

    "Now it's my turn!" said Tom.

    Together, they were the best jumpers there ever were.