How old was I? I can't remember. Maybe I was only 10. It was the first 1 without my father because he was away for something. He left me to fill that sad place in my mother's heart. It was the Christmas when I stopped being a 2 and tried to play Father Christmas myself. I really wanted to make it happy and bright again. It was the Christmas of the 3.
Mom first saw the coat at Tobias, a nice 4 shop in our town's little shopping mall. It was dark green. And it was a 5, heavy, wool dress coat. Mom pulled it out from the rack(架) and held it up. “Long enough,” she said in a low voice and 6.
“I need a new coat,” Mom smiled before the mirror. She looked good on any clothes, 7 this coat suited her much better. She looked at the 8, then hung the coat back on the rack, standing there once more to 9
Eighty-seven dollars. But I decided to buy it for her. As we moved on 10 the mall, I found some excuse to return and asked one of the Tobias ladies to 11 the coat.
I helped clean every yard(庭院) in our neighbourhood—some yards twice, and soon I got the coat. The store ladies helped me put it in their biggest 12 with bright blue paper and thick silver ribbon(丝带). I don't remember 13 I got it home, but I can still feel the wonderful 14 and pride that filled me. I would imagine the big space which the box would take up under our tree. Here it was—joy, peace and15 —all in the box, waiting for Mom's surprise

    My parents were in a huge argument, and I was really upset about it. I didn't know who I should talk with about how I was feeling. So I asked Mom to allow me to stay the night at my best friend's house. Though I knew I wouldn't tell her about my parents' situation, I was looking forward to 1. I was in the middle of packing up my things when suddenly the power went out in the neighborhood. Mom came to tell me that I should stay with my grandpa until the power came back on. I was really 2 because I felt that we did not have much to talk about. But I knew he would be frightened alone in the dark. I went to his room and told him that I'd stay with him until the power was restored. He was quite happy and said, “3.”

    “For what?” I asked.

    “To hold a private meeting, just you and I,” he said, “To hold a private meeting about what we're going to do with your mom and dad, and what we're going to do with ourselves 4we're in the situation we are in.”

    “But we can't do anything about it, Grandpa,” I said, surprised that here was someone with whom I could share my feelings and someone who was in the same “boat” as I was.

    And that's how the most unbelievable 5 in this family started. Sitting there in the dark, we talked about our feelings and fears of life. That night, because the power went out, I found a new friend, with whom I could6talk about all my fears and pains, whatever they may be.

    Suddenly, the lights all came back on. “Well,” he said, “I guess that means you'll want to go now. I really like our talk. I hope the power will go out every few nights!”

    Stephen Hawking, a famous British physicist, died aged 76 on March 14^th, 2018. He died peacefully at his home in Cambridge in the early hours of Wednesday, his family said.

    As one of the well-known 1on space and time in the world, Hawking devoted his whole life to discovering the secrets of the Universe, and he is called the King of the Universe. However, this genius's life was not smooth and he had been 2 from the disease since he was 21 years old. When he studied maths and science at Oxford University, he became 3ill, causing his life very harsh: he could neither speak with his mouth nor stand on his legs or move his body.4, he was given only a few years to live. But he refused to 5 his hope of living and went on to study at Cambridge University after6 from Oxford University. In 1965, he got a doctor's degree in philosophy. Then he worked as a professor at Cambridge University. He was known for his work with black holes and relativity, and wrote several popular science books,7 A Brief History of Time, The Universe in a Nutshell, The Grand Design, etc.

    Although he lost many most important living conditions ordinary people have, he still felt he was rich, such as a finger that could move, a brain that could think… all these made him8 to life. Last year, Hawking was invited to China. His self-confidence and humorous conversations 9us deeply.

    From Stephen Hawking's10 experience, we learn that nobody should lose hope, no matter how bad the situation is. As he once said, "Life is not fair, you just have to do the best you can in your own situation."

    A little girl was born in America. She was1ill when she was 4. The illness left the girl a useless(无用的)2. She couldn't walk like other children, 3she had to wear a leg brace(支架). 4 , she had a good mother. Her mother5her to the doctor every week. So at 9, she could walk 6 the leg brace, like other children.

    At 13, the girl 7 running She took part in every race at school, but every time she was the 8 to reach the finishing line. Everyone knew that it was really9for her to run a common person. The girl kept practicing. One day, she started to win. Then she had a10. She wanted to be the world's greatest woman11.

    Later the girl went to university and met Ed Temple, a coach(教练). She asked Temple to be her coach and he12. Ed Temple trained the girl so13that she went to the Olympic Games in 1960. Guess14? She won two gold medals in the 400-meter and 200-meter races. With a good term, she also wen the 400-meter relay race(接力赛).

    The girl was Wilma Rudolph—one of the15woman in the world.

    Two weeks before Christmas last year, I went to London with my1. I shall never forget the day. The streets were full of people. The shop windows were very bright. My mother held my hand and we both went into a 2shop. The shop was full of 3. There were nice toys4. Then I saw Father Christmas himself! I pulled(拉)my mother by 5. "Please6me to Father Christmas." I said. There were a lot of children near 7. They were all very happy. They 8in a line. Father Christmas9 to every one of them. At last it was my turn. "Hello, little Tom, "he said to me. As soon as(一……就)I10 his voice, I found out he was my uncle John Smith.

    A truck is running across the Steel Bridge. David Fisher and Anna, his 3-year-old dog, are sitting quietly in the truck. This evening's work has been 1. They collected two bags of garbage.

    Since three years ago, Fisher has been doing the 2 thing. Every evening after work he drives back home to meet Anna and then to the Willamette River. The thing they want to get is 3 instead of fish.

    "Collecting is always good," Fisher always says with a big smile when he 4 garbage on a beach. At the same time, Anna plays nearby. Sometimes Anna brings Fisher some old cans or bottles, 5 its owner's high praise.

    "I can work with Anna on a beach for many hours at weekends. It's very 6 !" Fisher says happily.

    Fisher thinks small changes can make a big 7. Since he started picking up garbage, he has been more careful to put empty bottles into his pocket, collect the cans that others throw away 8 recycle everything he can.

    Fisher has 9 not only himself but also others. Once, a family with two little girls were playing on the beach where Fisher was collecting garbage. After seeing what Fisher was doing, the two girl 10 to help him pick up garbage. Fisher has actually done a lot to protect the environment.