I sat in my seat as my new grade six classmates found theirs. At the front of the class our new math teacher stood1 us. The bell rang.

     “Welcome to a new school year. I'm Mr. Stevens and I'm sure I'll learn all your names in no time.” He walked around the class 2 math books. When he was done, he 3 to the front of the class and looked at us. “What are you waiting for? Get started?” he said. We looked at him,4 Wasn't he going to teach us? “Is there something wrong with your 5? You're not all deaf, are you?” A6 boy at the back of the class asked what we all wanted to know. “Mr. Stevens, aren't you going to teach us?” Mr. Stevens 7 “You're smart kids. Open your books and get down to it. If you have any8or any questions, raise your hand, and I'll help you.” We opened our books. Mr. Stevens helped anyone 9had questions. He would stop to teach all the students10when we all had the same question. It was a 11 method of teaching, but it was very useful.

    It was a 12 point in my life. Mr. Stevens made me13 I was good at math and also able to reach the14of any class I attended. I studied with his help until I graduated from middle school.

    Monty Python's Flying Circus was a popular television show back then. The actors 15 the best British humor (幽默) into our Canadian lives. Mr. Stevens would often act out one of their funny scenes (场景) in front of the class. Some thought he was strange, and I guess he was,16he knew how to make a math lesson interesting.

    I've carried his 17with me all my life. Whenever I am faced with a new 18 I think of my first day in grade six math.19 sitting and staring at the challenge, I just get 20 Before I know it, the challenge has been settled.

    My nephew's 10-year-old son came for a visit one hot, July weekend. I persuaded him to 1 inside and joined him in a game. After 2 for an hour, I suggested that we relax for a while. I 3 my favorite chair to let my neck relax. He left the room and I was catching a few enjoyable4 of peace.

    “Look, Alice,” he said excitedly as he 5 over to the chair where I was sitting. “I found a kite. Could we go outside and 6 it?” Looking out of a nearby window, I noticed it was 7 outside. “I'm sorry. Tripper,” I said, sad to see his 8 expression. “The wind is not 9today. The kite won't fly.”

    The 1010-year-old boy replied, “I think it's windy enough. I can get it to fly,” he answered 11he hurried out to the back door.

    He ran back and forth, as 12as his ten-year-old legs would carry him, looking back 13 at the kite behind. After about ten minutes of unsuccessful trying, he came back in.

    I asked, “How did it 14?” “Fine,” he said, not wanting to admit (承认) the failure. “I got it to fly some.”15 I heard him say secretly, “I guess I'll have to wait for the 16”

    At that moment I heard another voice speak to my17“Alice, sometimes you are just like that. You want to do it your way 18waiting for the wind.”

    And the voice was 19. We usually want to use our own efforts to 20what we want to do. We must learn how to make use of “the wind”in the first place!

All Quiet in a Darkened Library

    After my mother died, my father, who was 75 at the time, began to regularly visit the local library in Epping. He loved going there1 he enjoyed reading different kinds of books, especially reading the newspapers on Saturdays. The library had a small area, where the soft carpet, folding chairs and lap desks 2a comfortable space for independent reading. My dad would sit there for hours. This particular wintery Saturday, at about 12 noon, after being there for two hours, my dad 3 that it was very quiet and darker than usual. He looked around, realizing that all the staff had left and he had been 4locked in.

    My dad was a “panic merchant” at the best of times, so I can only 5 what he was like when this happened. The doors had been locked from the outside and he had no way 6 He must have felt completely at a 7 since he didn't know some 8 for handling this kind of crazy situation. My dad looked at the noticeboards to try to find a 9 phone number—a staff member or someone he could ring to help let him out—but without 10 So he rang the police station and they kindly got in touch with the head librarian.

    The head librarian immediately rang my dad back at the library, and 11that she would be soon there. She tried to 12 him and even explained how he could make a coffee if he wished. This was very nice, but my dad was in too much of a “13” to do so.

    Thankfully, the head librarian arrived 14 the hour and let my dad out. She apologized for the15it had caused my father and sent my father back home in person. We were very grateful, since she could easily have been16at having to come back to work. The next day my dad seemed to17 from this accident. He almost forgot all about the unpleasantness, and even found his experience quite 18.

    I guess the entire staff now makes extra sure that the library is 19 before they leave. What's more, my dad has learned an important lesson by himself—never again became quite so20in his reading.

    Sarah Hott had fought against weight all her life, and when she had trouble walking down the school aisle（过道）for her ride to work, she knew she had to 1.

    “I was 2 Reader's Digest, and the people in an article seemed so 3.” said the 43-year-old teaching assistant. She decided to try the 21-day 4. She first 5 healthy food and good habits, and then went on to 6 18 pounds in three weeks, then 73 pounds in eight months. Then chores（工作）aren't 7 anymore for her.

    “Last year, my 8 hurt so bad that I couldn't climb on a chair to change a light bulb,” Sarah said. “Now I feel 9.” “Best of all.” she 10. “my three daughters love to play Frisbee（弗里斯比飞盘）and swim, and I can 11 them now.”

    Recently, the students in Sarah's class brought “Ms Sarah” a special 12 for her birthday. But the kids didn't provide her with cakes 13 rich calories and much sugar. 14, they brought her favorite parfait（冻糕）.

    Sarah's success has 15 her friends to start the diet. “A few weeks ago, I took a friend to go food shopping for the plan.” Her 16 was fell at home, too. She called her husband “a potato chip connoisseur（行家）”, 17 almonds（杏仁）in front of the television.

    Sarah makes some changes for her own 18. She changes the master19 by using Haifa banana and half a cup of apple juice. “I 20 the diet food in the fridge and cat them with a spoon.” she said. Now Sarah is trying to change her diet plan in many different ways and encouraging more and more people around her to join her plan.

    I had offered to watch my 3-year-old daughter, so that my wife could go out with a friend. I was getting some work done in my study while she 1to be having a good time in the other room. No problem, I figured. But then it got a little too2 and I shouted, "What are you doing?" No response. I3my question and heard her say, "Oh…nothing." Nothing?

    I got up from my desk and ran out 4the living room, where I saw her running across the hall. I followed and watched her as her little behind（小屁股）made a quick5into the bathroom. I had her6! I told her to turn around. She 7. I pulled out my big Daddy voice, "Young lady," I said, "turn around!"

    8, she turned toward me. In her hand was what was left of my wife's new lipstick. And every square inch of her face was9with bright red! As she looked up at me with fearful eyes. I heard10voice that had been shouted to me as a child. "How could you… You should know…How many times have you been 11…What a bad thing to…" It was just a matter of my picking out which old 12 I was going to use on her so that she would know what a bad girl she had been. But 13 I could let loose, I looked14 at the sweater on her. In big 15 it said, "I'M A PERFECT LITTLE ANGEL (天使)!" I looked back up into her tearful eyes and, 16seeing a bad girl who didn't listen, I saw a little angel full of17that I had come dangerously close to18. "Sweetheart, let's take a picture so Mommy can see how 19you look." I took the picture and thanked God that I didn't 20 the chance to prove what a perfect little angel he had given me.

    I, a postman, married Kathy twenty-eight years ago. Our marriage life was filled with quarrels, swearing, throwing pots…—it was too much like 1. So I had an idea that our time as husband and 2 was about up but I didn't expect it would 3 with a fight.

    We were 4 at home one evening after tea, one at each end of the table. I was 5a book, and Kathy just sat there. 6 she said, "I do love you, Harry." I was still in the book and said 7.

    Then, "Harry, look at me." My 8 came up, smiled and went down again to my reading. Maybe I was in the wrong, and should have said something, 9 the book was too good.

    "I'm sure all that reading's bad 10 your eyes," she commented. I went on reading, not looking up. She added, "My dad used to say that only fools read books."

    The words 11 me and I couldn't resist replying, "He only said that because he didn't know how to read. He was 12."

    Kathy never read books. She hated 13 like poison. She sneered(冷笑), "No need to be jealous of you. We've got more sense, and too much to do."

    Then I was upset, but in a 14 way, "Let me read, anyway, won't you? It's an interesting book, and I'm tired."

    She 15 out loud, "Tired? You ought to do some real work for a change instead of 16the streets with that stupid post-bag." She snatched the book out of my 17 and screamed, "Nothing but books, books, books," throwing the book into the fire.

    This really 18 me, so I slapped(掌掴) her across the face, not very hard but I did.

    One day, a month after 19 the book, I came back from work and found a note waiting for me, "I am going away and not coming back."

    We 20 six years after we married.