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 ．

    Life is full of chances and challenges. For students, if we don't study hard, 1, we will fall 2 other students. At first, I didn't know 3 the word " exam" meant. Later, I knew an exam was a 4 of competition. In competitions, there were always 5 and losers. As I grew up, I got to know competitions well. In one's life, there must be competitions, so people could 6.

    Each time I saw children 7 games, and heard their laughter, I 8 I were that age again. However, I remembered my parents' words—You must work very hard 9 have a good future. So I 10 up my pen and began to study hard again.

    I was still not 11 what competitions really meant. One day, I was 12 an English-speaking competition. When I went to the stage, I saw other students looking at me kindly. I suddenly knew what the competition was. It was not as cruel 13 my teacher and parents told me. In fact, competitions were important and necessary.

    I learned a lot 14 what I experienced. Now I understand 15 about the world. Competitions are important for us all.

    Can you imagine trying to write music if you are deaf? Most of us can't imagine it. But for the great composer Ludwig van Beethoven, there was no1at all.

    Beethoven wasn't born deaf. He was2on December 16, 1770 in Bonn, Germany. He lived a3life, and faced much sadness. One of his piano pieces, Fir Elise(《致爱丽丝》)，was written for a failed love interest—a woman4Therese Malfatti.

    At the5of about 28, Beethoven began to lose his6. Yet he was7to go on writing music through hearing vibrations(振动). After the performance of his famous Symphony NO. 9(《第九交响曲》)，people cheered and clapped(鼓掌). Beethoven could not hear them clapping, and when he turned8and realized, he began to9.

    Before Beethoven, most music was very controlled(克制的). He10this and created a powerful, violent sound. At first, many people hated his music, saying it was too emotional(情绪化的). But today, his name is a symbol for passion(热情)and genius(天才).