I think that sleeping is perhaps the most comfortable thing in the world. While 1, I will do nothing but close my eyes, leaving all the trouble behind. However, I2 get up early almost every morning.

    My class begins at 8:00 am, but the teacher asks us to arrive at the school before 7:15 am, so we will have3time to prepare for the classes. If you are 4, then you will lose one point. And when you lose 105, your parents' visit to school will be a must. Though I think it's 6 to arrive so early, I still don't want to lose any points.

    One morning, my alarm clock7to work. I8with a start(吃惊) and found that it was already 7:00. I had lost two points that week, that is to say, I would lose three points in a9. My teacher said that he 10me to be late that morning. And my friends joked that my 11was coming soon. I finally  12to do something to change this. I bought a new alarm clock. It sings songs on time every morning 13 I turn it off.

    The new alarm clock is perfect for a lazy cat like me. The first time I 14it, I was able to get up at 6:00 the next morning. Proud of 15 I took a deep breath and found that the air in the early morning is surprisingly 16 I read some English books, 17that morning is really fit for reading English. I hadn't realized 18 that morning is so wonderful.

    “Life is 19a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get,” just as Forrest Gump said. Sometimes if you make a 20, you may find that things will end up with the better.

    I grew up on a big farm in the small rural community of Catevisa, Missouri, as the sixth of seven children. My parents, Archie and Altha, often 1 during meals how everything on the table came from the 2.

    Besides running the farm, Dad was also a 3. In the fall of 1970, he was working on a house when the ladder broke 4. His back was fractured in two places and 5needed rescue.

    He stayed in the hospital for three weeks, 6 his back to align (校准) correctly so the bones would 7 perfectly.

    On Thanksgiving, Dad was still in the hospital. We always killed pigs the day after the holiday so that we had enough pork 8 for the next year, and that year my uncle 9 with a couple of cousins to help my three older brothers prepare our year's supply.

    After Dad returned home, he was in a back brace, saddened for 10 to work. Worse still, the doctor told us his chance of complete recovery was 11. I was too young to realize our family had no money coming 12 as Christmas approached.

    One night we heard a car coming up the long driveway and we kids were 13 about who was visiting. Peggy Phelan, my neighbor, was at the door, holding an envelope 14 with money which, according to her account, she had 15 in the community. And she was there to 16 it!

Dad tried to 17 but Peggy would have none of it. I can still hear her saying, "Archie, whenever someone's baler (压捆机) is broken, you help them to bale their hay. Every time someone passes away, Altha is cooking. It's our18."

    That evening, I understood what being a good neighbor was, and that 19 my parents were good neighbors, their 20 would be paid back.

A welcome gift

    Dario and his mother loved their new apartment.  The living room was large enough for their piano. That night, the two of them 1 side by side at the piano. They played jazz music to celebrate their new home. The loud 2filled the room and made them feel very happy.

    The next morning, 3,their happiness disappeared. Someone had left a 4 under their door during the night. One of their neighbours had written to complain（抱怨）about the sound of the piano. Dario's mother asked the building superintendent（管理员）if he knew anything about it.But he said that they were all 5 people and he couldn't imagine any of them had done that. Later that morning,

    Dario suggested that they write a letter to their 6 and apologize for their playing.

    “Maybe we could go and 7 everyone in person," his mother said.

    “What if we invited them to come here for a 8 instead?" Dario asked.

    They both loved the 9.Over the next few days, they 10invitations and prepared desserts for their guests. They decorated the apartment with streamers(彩带) and party lights.

    Finally, the day of the party 11. Some guests brought presents. Others brought flowers. Some even brought desserts to 12.One woman, Mrs Gilbert, 13 Dario's mother with a book of piano music by Chopin. “I heard you playing the other night,”she said. “The sounds woke me out of bed.

    I 14 that you might play like this every night. So I wrote a short note.I hope you don't think I disliked the playing.” Dario's mother smiled at Mrs Gilbert.“I think maybe we15 you an apology," she said.“I didn't 16how late it was when we were playing. Maybe we should play some quieter music at night.” “You play, you play!" Mrs Gilbert said.“I like what you play! Just not so loud at night." She pointed to the book she had given them. “These songs are not such 17 music.”

    “These songs are beautiful music," Dario's mother said. “We will be18to play them in the evening.” “And we won't play so loud or late!”Dario said. He was already looking forward to 19 the new music. More than that, however, he was happy to see the big smile on his mother's face. It gave him a feeling of 20 and made him feel that they were home at last.

    A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had loved a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well 1 it, he told him that was all he wanted.

    As 2 drew near, the young man expected 3 that his father had bought the car. Finally, on the morning of the special day, his father called him into his study. His father told him how 4 he was to have such a fine son, and how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped (包装好的) gift box. Curious, but a little bit5, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound (皮边的) Bible (圣经).

    Angrily, he raised his 6 to his father and said, “Is a Bible 7 you can give me with all your money?” He then stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.

    Many years 8 and the young man was very successful in business, but 9 his father was very old, he thought perhaps he 10 go to see him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. 11 he could make the arrangements , he received a telegram which 12 him of his father's death, and all the possessions (财产) left to him.

    13 arriving at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to 14 through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had 15 it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to 16. As he was reading, a car 17 dropped from the back of the Bible.

    How many times do we 18 blessings (祝福) because they are not wrapped as we expected? Do not spoil (搞糟) what you have by desiring (渴求) what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once 19 the things you hoped for. What may appear as bad fortune (运气) may 20 be the door that is just waiting to be opened.

    For those who love travel, particularly rail travel, China in 1987 was a can't-miss kind of place. In 1987, China was still operating steam trains on some rail routes, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} made people from many countries amazed. Bruce Connolly, a photographer from Scotland, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (be) one of them.

    Connolly first came to China in 1987, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (start) his continuous travelling throughout China. Since then, he {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (travel) to most parts of China except Fujian, Zhejiang and Jiangxi. Wherever he went, his camera remained by his side. During his journeys in China, Connolly found China very different from {#blank#}5{#/blank#}he saw in photographs, which showed Chinese people very religious {#blank#}6{#/blank#}the way they dressed and behaved. Instead, what he saw was that people were {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(friend), welcoming and wore bright clothes. In the early years of his journey, most Chinese people were fascinated with foreigners visiting China, but now that has changed in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, foreigners are no {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (long) curiosities.

    Another dramatic change that Connolly has felt in China is {#blank#}9{#/blank#}widespread use of new technology. China has become one of the most tech-savvy（懂技术的）societies. People now do everything with {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (they) smartphones, and use of cash is almost disappearing.

    When I settled(定居) in Chicago，my new city seemed so big and unfriendly. Then I had a 1 problem and had to go to hospital for a 2examination.

    It seemed a small 3 compared to the one I was about to face, but things started to go 4 right from the beginning , not having a car or5 the city, I was depending on the buses to get me from A to B, 6I'd left myself plenty of time, soon it was 7. I was going to be late, because I had mistakenly boarded a bus that was taking me in the 8 direction.

    I 9 the bus and stood on the road not knowing what to do, I looked into the eyes of a 10 , who was trying to get past me, 11 , instead of moving on, she stopped to ask if I was 12. After I explained my 13to her, she pointed to a bus stop across the street, where a bus would take me back into the city to my 14. Sitting there waiting, I felt 15that someone had been willing to help. 16, hearing a horn(喇叭)nearby, I looked up to see a car with my new friend 17 at me to get in. She had returned to offer me a 18 to the hospital.

    Such unexpected 19 from a passer-by was a lovely gift to receive. As I climbed out of the car at the hospital and turned to thank her, she smiled and told me not to lose  20, for all things are possible.