It's the day before Christmas. Karen Hartley, 33, was skiing（滑雪）by 1 at Powder Mountain in Utah. By mistake, she began to ski off the trail. Soon she 2. She shouted for help, but no one heard her. Night came, and the temperature 3 below freezing（凝冻）. Karen was very cold and afraid of 4. But she stayed calm. She played music in her mind and danced all night long to stay 5. She danced to old disco songs, pop songs, and Christmas songs. “It was either dance 6 die,” she said. “I kept on 7. I didn't give up.”

    The next morning, a helicopter began to 8 Karen. After 18 hours in the cold, she was 9 just before it's too late. Karen was very cold but all right. She 10 Christmas Day in a hot tub（浴缸）.

    A first-grade student whose best friend is battling cancer thought that hours of playing and telling jokes was not enough - he wanted to show his buddy just how he understood the1time he was going through.

    Seven-year-old Vincent Butterfield2the only way was to cut off his hair in support of his best friend Zac who lost his hair through chemotherapy(化疗).

    Zac Gossage is receiving treatment but3goes to Union Central Elementary School in Missouri every day,4that's where he gets to play on the swing with Vincent. Vincent found out that Zac might5his hair because of the chemotherapy treatment. So one day, he showed up in the first grade class wearing a6He said to his teacher Mrs. Koester, "I have a surprise for Zac." And he pulled off his cap and other7saw that he already had all his hair8_off.

    "I did it just to make Zac feel he's not the only one without any9" said Vincent.Vincent has also been raising money for his best friend after learning how10his chemotherapy treatments are. He asked his mother to make11than 20 scarves and gloves. He and his mother12them at the price of 10 dollars each, raising over $200 for Zac. The encouragement from Vincent seems to be working. Though Zac is receiving treatments, he has13_missed any days of school. He knows that Vincent is out on the playground, waiting for him at break.

    When asked14friendship was, Vincent looked at his friend Zac, thought for a(an)15and responded,"It's a beautiful thing."

Clearly, wisdom doesn't always come with age.

    One day a man and his donkey（驴）were walking down the road. They 1a traveler on the road and the traveler wanted to hire（租用）the donkey. The owner 2, but he said to the traveler," This animal is very 3. I always have to use a stick（枝条）to make it move. I 4 that I go with you. You can ride on the donkey's back while I 5 behind."

    Then they started out. At noon, the weather was so hot that they decided to stop and have a 6. The only shade（阴凉处）they could find was 7 the donkey.

    Both men tried to sit there but there wasn't enough8. The owner said," I should be the one to sit under the donkey 9 this is my donkey."

   "But I 10 for the ride," said the traveler.

   "No," said the owner." You paid to ride on the donkey, 11 not to sit under the donkey. So the shade belongs to 12."

    They argued on and on. When they 13 stopped arguing, they found that the donkey and the shade were both gone. The traveler had to 14 to his town while the owner had to spend hours 15 his lost donkey in the sun.

    Once upon a time，a rich man wanted to make a trip to another town. He tried not only to take things to sell but also to take money to1things with. He2to take ten servants（仆人）with him. They would3the things to sell and the food to 4on their trip. Before they started，a little boy ran up to5and asked to6with them.

    The rich man said to the little boy，“Well，7may go with us. 8you are the smallest，the thinnest and the weakest of all my9 ， you can't carry a10load（担子）. You must11the lightest one to carry. ”The boy thanked his master and chose the biggest load to carry. That was bread. "You are12." said his master, "That is the biggest and the heaviest one." The boy didn't say13and lifted the load gladly.

    On the trip they walked for days and at last they got to the town. All the servants were very tired14the little servant. Do you know15? Most of the bread was eaten during the trip and a little was left when they arrived at the town.

   "Jane, please let me borrow a dollar," Jenny asked as they stood in the school lunch line." I have one in my jacket, but I don't want to1and lose my place."

   "OK," agreed Jane.

    Jane waited all day for Jenny to2back the dollar she borrowed, but Jenny always seemed to be3."She just forgets about it," thought Jane." I don't want to make her angry." Still, her money didn't go4. Some classmates, like Jenny, were5five dollars a week.

    Weeks went by. At last Jane got enough courage to ask her about the money.

   "Oh Jane, I6!" Jenny said." I'll bring the dollar tomorrow." The next day Jenny seemed to have forgotten again. During the noon hour, Jane saw her buying sweets for Mary and Ann. Jenny saw Jane looking at her.7she said something in a low voice to the other two girls. Jane felt8and asked her teacher if she could go back to the classroom.

    In the classroom, Jane saw two new pencils on Jenny's desk. An9came to her," Jenny's not10recently, and anyway, she really owes (欠)me. Besides, she has money to buy more. A dollar doesn't mean anything to her, but it means a lot to me."

    Jim is the son of a farm owner. On New Year's Day, when he was 15 years old, his father 1 him to work on the farm for one year at his free time. Jim was 2 with his father's idea. "That isn't my job. I have 3 school work to do." At hearing this, his father said, "I promise(答应) to give you the best present if you 4 finish one year's work." Jim thought for a while and 5.

    Starting one Saturday, the boy got up early and worked 6 until evening, just like any other farmer.

    Time passed 7. Jim's crops grew very well. On the last day of the year, the father called his son to him. "I'm happy to see that you have worked very hard the whole year," said the father. "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 9 present. No pains, no gains. I think this is what you wanted me to 10."