A long time ago，there was a king in India．The king's 1 game was chess．

    One day，a wise old man 2 to the palace and the king challenged him to 3 game．The king promised the old man．"You can4 any prize if you win the game．"

    The old man5 ， "If I win the game，I'd like one grain of6for the first square of the chessboard，two for the second，four for the 7 ， and then double the amount for each of the 8of the squares．"

    "Is that all？"asked the king，"Wouldn't you like gold or silver9？"

    "No，just rice．"replied the old man．

    The king and the old man played the game 10  a long time．Finally，the old man won．11  the king ordered his men to collect a bag of rice．He12  one grain on the first square，two on the second，and so on．The king quickly realized the13—even with all the rice in the country，he would14  not have enough rice to put on all the 15 ．

    Alan is fourteen years old. He 1 in Canyon Middle School in America. He goes to school 2 weekdays. Today is Monday. He is really busy. He gets up at half past six. He has some bread and milk for 3. In the morning, he has 4 classes. They are math, science, geography, and art. He thinks Geography and science are difficult. He doesn't like

    5. After lunch, he goes to the library to find some 6 information(信息) for his English speech contest (演讲比赛) in the 7. The speech finishes at 4∶30 p. m. After that, he comes back home. It is his 8 birthday. The family has 9 big birthday dinner for him. Alan 10 a gift(礼物) for his grandpa and he really likes it. They are all very happy. At half past nine, Alan goes to bed. What a busy day he has!

    I was born with the ability to run very fast. As a result, I was the best runner in my school. I 1 get the first place in every race. But that was before a terrible traffic accident, which changed my life completely.

    After I woke up in a hospital, I found that I lost all feeling in my legs. I 2 sitting in my wheelchair. Sometimes when I thought about it, I got really sad inside. When I was 3 in my room, I even cry. However, thanks to my father, I am not going to cry about it any longer, and I'm not sick or helpless.

    Not long ago, Dad talked with me in person. And this conversation helped me to change. He told me to be brave. "You can be good at 4 else besides running. Try to find it out, Jane!" said my father, with a 5 expression on his face. 6 I started playing chess. Before I never thought of playing something like chess, but now I'm getting pretty good at it. I 7 Dad last night. Dad said I could enter their chess competitions.

    Before my accident I used to be good at a lot of things and I never really thought about it. But with chess I really have to think about it a lot and practice and try. 8, now I have to practice lots of things, and when I'm able to do a thing without 9, I have the feeling of winning though it isn't a/an 10.

A couple of months ago, I made a promise to myself. I put some money in my wallet with the purpose of giving the money to the person in trouble.

Months passed, and as my daily life got busy, I was unable to keep my promise. Whenever I opened my wallet and saw the money, it reminded me of my promise. and I would feel a little disappointed because I haven't taken action. The voice inside told me that I should do something soon.

Today, while walking to work on a busy street, I passed a blind old lady with her hand out on the corner. Seeing her aged face and sightless eyes, I stopped at once. What a poor old lady she was! All of a sudden, I remembered my promise and the money lying in my wallet. I took out the money from the wallet and bent (弯腰) down to her level. Gently, I took her hand, placed the money into it, and closed her fingers over the money so that she could feel it and understand my action. The lady nodded her head a little bit.

I felt like I had achieved something. I kept my word to help someone in need! It was really a small act but especially a meaningful one! You will never make it if you don't take the first step.

Today is the last day of my spring vacation, so I want 1 a little story about it. I really like to stay at home with my family and 2 I like to hang out with my friends. When I am at home, I like to eat, play games with my sister, read, ride my 3 and kick a ball around. The first night of my vacation, Tony and I didn't go to bed 4 very late and had lots of fun! The next morning we all went outside and rode our bikes. Tony tried to ride his little sister's tricycle(三轮车). He was 5 big!

After a few days, I went to my friend Ivan s house. But before I went there, he came to my house and we went golfing. Guess what? He 6 , while I lost! And then we had hot dogs! 7 fun we had!

Yesterday we went over to 8 friend's house. Her name is Kathleen. She is one of my 9 friends. Oh yeah, my sister's name is Kathryn. Sorry, I didn't tell you that earlier. We 10 there for a few hours and we had a good time. 

When I was a boy, every holiday that I had seemed wonderful. My parents took me by train or by car to a hotel by the 1 . I seem to remember I 2  on the sands with some other children all day. We were strangely 3 . We made houses and gardens, and 4  the tide(潮水) destroy them. When the tide went out, we climbed over the rocks and 5  the fish in the rock pools. 

In those days, the sun seemed to shine always 6  and the water was always warm. Sometimes we 7  the beach and walked in the country, exploring(探索) broken houses, dark woods and climbing trees. There were sweets in one's pockets or good places where one could 8  ice creams. Each day seemed like a lifetime. 

Although I am now thirty-five years old, my idea of a good 9  is much the same as it was. I 10  like the sun and the warm sand and the sound of waves beating the rocks. I no longer wish to 11  any sand house or sand garden, and I dislike sweets. 12 , I love the sea and love to feel sand running through my fingers. 

Sometimes I wonder 13  my ideal(理想的) holiday will be like when I am old. All I want to do then, perhaps, will be to lie in bed, reading books 14  children who make houses and gardens with sand, who watch the incoming tide, and who make themselves 15  for eating too many ice creams.