In our country we think being modest(谦虚的) is a virtue(美德) and being proud is a bad thing. One day, I heard an American boy say to a Chinese student, “You speak very good English.” But the girl answered, “No, no. My English is very poor.” The foreigner was quite 1 at the answer. Thinking he had not made himself understood or the girl had not heard him 2. He said, “Yes, indeed, you speak very well.” 3 the girl still kept saying, “No.” In the end the American boy could not understand and didn't know 4 to say.

    What's wrong with the girl's answer? She didn't 5 a compliment(恭维) in the same way as the American people do. She should answer “Thank you” instead of “No”. She 6 understood what the American boy had said, but she thought she should be modest. In the 7, people will feel 8 and confident when they are praised. So if someone says the 9 you have cooked are very delicious, you should say, “Thank you”.

    If you are modest and say, “No, I'm 10 I can't do it well”, while working in a western country, people may think that you really can not do it. If you often say, “No”, you'll certainly be looked down upon by 11. When asking 12 a job, if one says something like, “Yes, I can certainly do it” instead of “Let me have a try”, he or she will 13 get it. So in the west, you should be brave to show your self-confidence. In my opinion, being confident does not 14 being proud, so sometimes you should be confident 15 being modest.

    My parents took me to Japan when I was little. I lived there for five years.1 I came back, my Japanese was very good. "Can I do something useful with my Japanese?" I asked myself.

    Then, one day last spring, I got a good opportunity(机会).

    Everyone was afraid of SARS, so I stayed at home with 2 to do.

    My father brought me a Japanese book. "Why don't you translate(翻译)it into Chinese? It will be better than3computer games all day."

    I promised (许诺)to do 2000 words each day. But 4 I found it was hard to keep the promise.

    One day in May, the weather was beautiful. But I couldn't go out. Those 2000 words were still5 me.

    After translating only three pages, I had already lost interest in the book.

    I looked at it for a long time. But I couldn't make myself turn the pages. How I6 I could just go outside and play football with my friends!

    I counted the words again and again .I just wanted to give up.

    I felt as if two people were fighting7 my mind. One said, "Don't give up! Keep working hard , and you'll do well!" But then the other one said ,"Go and play! It will be more 8 than translating. Do your work tomorrow. "

    I stood up and would9the computer.

    But then I remembered 10my parents had told me: "Whatever you do, don't stop halfway. " So I sat down and went on with it .

    Kevin and his friend Mike loved to play soccer and they often met at the old bench after school. They couldn't 1 a real soccer ball, but Mike had made a ball out of old socks and plastic tape. It was not beautiful, but it worked well. Mike was not a good player, yet the two friends kicked and ran until the sun turned the sky pale 2.

    One afternoon, the home-made ball was spinning across the grass when it was 3stopped by someone. It was Steven, a strong soccer player.

    "Look at you two with your 4 ball and old trainers," Steven laughed and said.

    The next day was Kevin's birthday, and his uncle bought him a pair of new trainers and a new soccer ball.

    That afternoon, Steven 5 Kevin to play soccer. Kevin did not want Mike to go with them. Mike's trainers were old and he had little 6 for soccer. When the game was over, Kevin walked past the old bench where Mike was sitting. He walked on and did not look 7.

    One afternoon as Kevin walked past the old bench, he saw something 8 under it. He looked closer and found that it was the home-made ball. Kevin felt sad. As his sadness turned to 9 , he kicked his new soccer ball into the air. Up it flew, higher and higher, until it was a small dot(点)in the sky. Kevin walked to the bench and picked up the home-made ball.

    Holding it in his hands, he sat down on the old bench and 10.

    I always believed in UFOs, but I didn't see one. My husbanddidn't believe in UFOs before that 1.

    Last Friday night, he drove home 2 work. He drove near a gas station(加油站) when he saw a bright light. It looked 3 a light. It was low, and it wasn'tmoving. He didn't 4 toomuch about it. He thought maybe it was a street light, so he 5 up farther and then the lightwent off. But a few minutes later, it was on. He stopped the car. He 6 and looked around, but saw nothing.

    After a short whilethe 7 wason again. He got on the car and drove another 2 miles to our house. He sat in the8 fora few minutes thinking of what he saw. He got out of the car and the moving lightwent off. Then when he looked back, he could 9 it in the sky. Then he was 10 it must be a UFO. He went intoour house and told me about it.

    Stevie Wonder is an American musician, singer, song writer and record producer. As a child prodigy(神童), he became one of the most creative and popular 1 performers of the late 20th century. He became blind shortly 2 his birth.

    American golfer(高尔夫球手) Tiger Woods is a 14-time major champion. He was born in Cypress, California. He is 3 as one of the most successful 4 in history.

    One day, Stevie Wonder and Tiger Woods were in a bar. Stevie Wonder said, "5 is the golf?"

    Woods replied, "Not too bad. I used to have some problems with my swing(挥杆动作), 6 now I've got what is right."

    Stevie Wonder said, "I 7  find that when my swing goes wrong, I need to stop playing for a while and not 8 it. 9, the next time I play, it seems to be all right."

    Tiger Woods said, "You also play 10?"

    Stevie Wonder said, "Oh, yes. I've been playing it 11 many years." Woods asked, "But you're
12! How 13 you play golf?"

   Wonder replied. "I 14 my caddie(球童) to stand in the middle of the fairway(球道) and shout to me. I hear his voice and play towards him. Then, when I get to where the ball lands, the caddie moves to the green and again I play the ball towards his voice."

    Woods asked, "What' 15 handicap(障碍)?"

    Stevie said, "Well, I have no handicap. Let' play around sometime."

    Woods said, "OK, that's a good idea. When would you like to play?"

    Stevie Wonder said, "Pick a night!"