My Hero

    What does it mean to be a hero? I think a hero is someone who goes out of his way to make others happy. My hero is Mr. Wright, my chorus(合唱队) teacher.

    When I was 12 years old, my grandparents passed away. I was really close to them, and losing them was the hardest thing I've ever had to1through. I couldn't eat, sleep, or think; I felt like I couldn't even breathe. It was as if my whole world had fallen down from under me, and I2into this huge hole of depression(抑郁).

    3I was battling depression, I was determined to make my high school years the best of my life. It was difficult to be 4, but I had to try. I joined Women's Choir. Mr. Wright was the choral director and he was so funny that the first day, I just knew I had made the best5of my life. As the year progressed, I loved chorus more and more. I began to smile again and really enjoy 6.

    Then one day that all changed. My friends—or those that I thought were my friends—started talking about me behind my back. I was7 , and I sat by myself. Mr. Wright came over and asked what was wrong. The look in his eyes told me that I could8him. Trying hard to9 back tears, I told him the whole story.

    When I finished, he nodded and told me, “If you never learn anything from me, learn this: No one is worth 10 your joy.” What Mr. Wright said really11a chord (心弦) in my heart. He 12 cared about me and what was going on. I'll never be able to thank him enough, because he not only saved me but has13every day of it since. Any time I feel like giving 14, I remember Mr. Wright's words and push forward.

    I'm proud to say that I 15 my depression, and I'm now a senior. I'm still a16of chorus, and now I'm also in the best choir at my school.

Mr. Wright is a hero 17 everyone he meets. He cares about every single person who walks through his door, and he loves what he does more than any other teacher I've known. That's18  he deserves to be Educator of the Year. He deserves the19 not just this year but every year.

    I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet you, Mr. Wright. You are an 20teacher, and I hope you realize that. You're my hero.

    I never thought I would be a “runner”. I was the girl who 1 slowest in the PE class. A few years ago, I was walking with a group of 2  in the Race for the Cure, a 5km race designed to 3 money for the fight against breast cancer(癌), 4  one lady caught my 5 .

    She was one of the weakest-looking women I've ever seen. She must have been close to seventy years old, 6  a T-shirt with the word “Survivor”. She was so small that it seemed as if she could even be 7  by a strong wind. But, she was running. And she was 8  me and my group of friends. She ran slowly, but 9  —as if each step pushed her cancer further into her past. Right at that moment, I10  that in the next Race for the Cure, I'd be running along with her.

    A week later, I found myself in the 11 , running on the treadmill(跑步机). Three minutes after I started, my face was bright red. I felt like my lungs were going to burst. I 12  slow down to a walk. I thought of the 13  at the race. I kept it up. I was able to go a little 14  each time. Three and a half minutes. Four minutes. Five.

    A year later, I was 15  at the Race for the Cure, but this time, I 16  with the runners. When the race started, the other runners passed me by. I ran forward. I wondered if I'd be 17  to do it. But then, I remembered the brave woman. I ran as fast as I could until I finally crossed that finish line. I had just 18  my first race! I 19  down at my legs, amazed. They had done something I'd never thought 20 . I have never felt stronger than at that moment. And, I knew that I wanted to do it again.

    "Where is the bus?" I asked myself. I was going to be late and the manager wasn't going to be 1 ." Thank God. Here it is." The bus  2 round the corner and I got on. Ten minutes later I was walking into the 3 where I work. Twenty-five past nine. I hope the manager doesn't notice. But no 4luck.

    "Smith!" shouted the manager. "Late again. What's your 5 this time?"" I'm afraid the bus was late, Mr. Brown." "6 up earlier tomorrow! Anyway, get to business at the counter. We'll be opening in a few minutes."

    My first customer was a pretty girl 7 a red dress. Behind her was a young man of about 25. He seemed very 8 , and 9 few seconds he looked towards the main entrance. The girl asked about opening a bank account. I gave her the necessary 10 and she walked out. 11 , I noticed a tall man by the door, carrying something 12 with brown paper. Turning to my next customer, I was terrified to see a gun 13 out of his coat. The next moment a loud noise 14 my ears. Everything went black. I was falling.... After 15 seemed a very a long time, I opened my eyes and found myself in bed! 16 shaking from the memory of this terrible dream, I got dressed and ran out of the house. As 17, the bus wasn't on time, and I arrived at 9:25.

    "Smith!" the manager cried out in a voice like thunder. " Later again! Go and start work at once!" To my 18 , the first customer was a girl 19 a red dress and behind her stood a man carrying something wrapped in brown paper. The dream!  20 that the surprise of my life!

    When I was in middle school, I tried my best to be popular. However, one afternoon, I had a(n) 1 with my mother, which changed my mind eventually.

    We were sitting in the dining area of a local restaurant. I told her that I wanted to be 2. She asked me why I felt that way. 3, I had never stopped to think about why I felt the need to fit in. I 4 did.

    My mother told me a story. My grandmother made her several 5 sweater vests. Although those were hardly “in style”, my mother really 6 to wear them. What was surprising was that many other female students at my mother's school began 7 sweater vests after a few weeks. My mother had started a 8. What she wore became fashionable because the other students saw the 9 with which she dressed.

    At that time, the information was too much for a thirteen-year-old girl to 10. I didn't believe her. I thought my mother was 11. So I continued to wear the same clothes, seeking popularity as usual — I had not yet seen the 12 at the end of a dark tunnel (隧道)then. However, our conversation that day 13 over and over in my mind.

    I thought long and carefully, and then I 14 that my mother's words might have some 15. I began to check my wardrobe (衣柜) to find which items I'd bought because I truly like them. I also16 my actions, trying to determine how many of them I wore to 17 the crowd. Gradually, I found myself 18 less and less what people thought about me. I was greatly 19.

    The conversation I had with my mother was a 20 lesson for me. Sometimes swimming against the current can only make me stronger.

    It was quite a bad time for me. I was in low 1 and felt tired physically. Probably   2 this I hadn't shaved (剃须) for a few days 3 because I had been doing some repairs at my daughter's house, I was 4 quite scruffily (邋遢的). Boarding the 5 to go home, I saw it was almost 6 so I found a rail to rest against.

    That was when a young woman, siting with her child, stood up and 7 me her seat. “Wow!” I thought, surprised. Out loud I said, “Do I look that old and tired?” She 8 to me with; a smile. You look like you've had a tough day." I thanked her sincerely and stayed where I was standing.

    A moment later a man 9 from his seat at the back of the bus and made his way 10 towards me, walking past several people on the way. He told me that he had a serious alcohol addiction 11 and wanted to ask my advice. We 12 about life for a few minutes and then he went back to his seat.

    13 him go, I also looked at the bus-load of people 14 me and his seat. He hadn't 15 to talk to those strangers. He chose to talk to this stranger for whatever it 16 to him and whatever comfort it brought him. Why?

    That's when it 17 to me that he must have thought that I had been where he was. I probably 18 a man who would understand a difficult life. I was a little sad at first, but then I was inspired by the 19 that even when we are at our lowest we can still 20 others if we look like we might be able to meet them where they live or walk a while in their world.

Yardley has a long history as a community that cares. For the past four decades, the members of St Andrew's community service center have been selfless,1meals for elderly and shut-in residents in the region every month.

Barbara enjoyed this2twice. "When I broke both my legs, the service center fed my husband and me in such abundance (丰富) that with great gratitude I had to say3," she says. "My husband —4asked me to break my legs every month because he5the food." When he passed away, the cards and calls were "6", Barbaba says. They helped her know she was never7.

A disaster happened, ending their proud 37-year8of making meals together, but it didn't break the spirit of 9far from it. Instead, the volunteers in the service center took to10in their homes, Soon, volunteers were 111000 meals each week. And many ingredients in those meals were12. In spring. St Andrew's provided seeds — tomatoes, beans, basil, and more — to Yardley residents to13at home. The gardeners then brought their vegetables back to the center to14with it.

What a spread of 15! That's what makes Yardley charming!