In a far-away place, there was a village. The village was1in potatoes than anywhere else in the country. At the end of every growing season,2 potatoes were dug out of the ground, and readied for market. In each home, men and women would 3 divide the potatoes into three groups, large, medium and small.

    One year, there was a young man4 received his share of the potatoes. As the other villagers 5 , he walked around the village laughing and talking. 6 villagers thought he was lazy, and they worried that this man would never get 7 potatoes ready in time. When it was time for the villagers 8 to market, they were greatly surprised to find that the man's potatoes 9 perfectly into three groups.

    After 10 the man how he did it, they understood he was not lazy,  11very clever. He had put all his potatoes in a cart and pulled it along the village's rough dirt road. As the cart moved up and down over the road, the potatoes moved 12. The small potatoes moved to the bottom, the larger potatoes rose to the top and the medium potatoes rested 13 the middle.

    Life 14 like this too. The rough roads we travel along can also 15 us.

    When Amy wrote her first novel in secondary school, she never imagined that she would become a writer one day. Like many 1 writers on the Internet, the 2 woman got into this online world accidentally (偶然地).

    Three years ago, Amy worked in a medical industry. Her job kept her busy for six months and left her almost 3 to do for the rest of the year. To fill the time, she started writing 4 on the Internet. Her first novel was about her neighbours and their life 5 she is familiar with.

    Amy has been interested in writing 6 she was a child. At first, she just wanted to share her novels 7 people she knew. Then one day an editor (编辑) of a famous website emailed her, asking her 8 she would like to sell the electronic copyright (授权) of one of her novels. She 9 immediately and the novel was moved to the VIP section of the website. She got $ 1,500 for that.

    Now Amy is a full-time 10. So far her eight novels have come out online, and five of them  11. “The Internet made me famous and brought me 12,” she said. “I earn much more money now—about $60,000 a year. I am 13 with my career, but there is one problem—that my talent might run out after five years and I'll have to 14  to work in the medical industry.”

  “Before that day comes, I'll keep 15 for the readers with my light and close-to-everyday-life writing style,” said Amy with a smile.

    In July 1969, Nei Armstrong became the first 1 to walk on the moon. People all around the world watched their televisions and 2 the spaceship to 3the earth. We have now discovered a lot more about our Solar system, and we have sent news to Mars, but no one has walked on that planet 4. But I believe that one day 5will.

    Alex was a giraffe, he lived in a zoo with his mum, dad and other giraffe friends. As Alex grew, he 1 his neck was much shorter than the others'. He began to get 2. But his mother told him that he was special.

    Alex tried not to think about his short 3. But as his friends grew taller and taller, his neck 4short. Sometimes the other giraffes laugh at him, 5 his parents told him not to worry. They said that he should be happy with himself the way he was. He tried, but he could not even play in some giraffe sports. He was just too 6.

    One day, one of the zoo workers came and took Alex away. Alex was frightened(害怕的). Would he have to leave the zoo just because he didn't have a long neck? The zoo worker calmed Alex down and gave him some food. He felt a little 7. Then he took Alex to another area of the zoo. There was a small door 8 the two areas. Alex was the only giraffe that could go through it.

    Soon Alex's parents came to see him. "I told you that you were special," his mother said. "The zoo has made a place just for 9because so many people want to see how special you are!" She was right. Visitors pointed to him and talked 10. They looked happy to see something so special at the zoo.

    My brother Jerry is a clerk at a clothes store. He works very 1 hours every day. He usually 2 at six in the morning. After he brushes his 3, he starts to 4 for thirty minutes. He thinks running is 5 for his health. Then he has breakfast. After breakfast, he 6 a bus to work. He is very busy. He has no time 7 home for lunch, so he eats 8 at the store. In the 9, he works for four hours. He has dinner at home. On weekends, he is not busy. He usually goes to the movies 10 me.