When I was in Grade 6, I knew a girl. She 1 to point out my shortcomings and always said I was very thin, I wasn't a good student, and so on. I tried not to care what she said. 2 , I became very 3 in the end. I cried and ran to Daddy.

    Daddy asked, “Are the things she says true or not? Lisa, didn't you ever 4 what you're really like? Well, you now have that girl's 5 . Go and make a 6 of everything she said and 7 the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”

    To my 8 , I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn't 9 (like being very thin), 10 a good number I could and suddenly I11to change. For the first time I got a clear 12 of myself.

    I brought the list back to Daddy. He 13 to take it. “That's just for you,” he said. “You know better than anyone else the 14  about yourself. But you have to learn to 15 . Don't just close your ears in anger, feeling 16 . When something said about you is true, you'll find it will be 17 to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your duty. Don't 18 your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you think is 19 .”

    In my life, this is the best 20 that Daddy has given me.

    Hitting heavily on the keys in frustration, I turned away from the piano, trying to fight the tears that were already welling up in my eyes. After an hour of 1 I still couldn't get the rhythm quite right on a Mozart piece that I had to 2 to my piano teacher the following day. It was frustrating to have spent such a( n)3 time on a piano song and still be unable to play the piece correctly. To me, the piece had at first seemed easy. But, no matter how4 I tried, I just couldn't seem to play it the way that it was 5 to be played.

    I decided to take a 6.For the most part, after a little bit of work, I could 7 learn the song rather quickly. However, it was always that one song, which might have appeared simple but was8 that always annoyed me. These types of songs always made me 9myself whether I could be a pianist.

    After having dinner, I decided to come back to the piano. Placing my10on the keys, I chose to play the piece slowly and carefully, paying attention to hitting the correct notes11 trying to play the piece quickly. Using this new method of practicing, I12 a great deal of patience, something that I often had13 with. Instead of thinking how hard the rhythm was, I thought about how I could 14myself, little by little. Finally, I could slowly see myself getting better.

    15 I didn't even get the rhythm right until a week later. I also16 an important lesson—sometimes, baby steps are the best way to 17a goal. I'm an impatient person who likes to think that I can get18 by leaps and bounds. But, in the case of piano, I couldn't move forward and improve19 I slowed down, believed in myself, and took it one step 20.

    Almost everything was fantastic in the nature camp except for a girl, Elizabeth. When I saw her sitting alone in the hot sun at lunch, I asked her to eat with us under a(n) 1 tree. However, Elizabeth refused my kind 2. When we invited her to play volleyball with us, Elizabeth 3 our invitation, too. After a few more 4 refusals like that, I decided to stay away from Elizabeth.

    It 5 that we were going on a nature 6 and that our instructor paired everyone up with a partner. Guess who my partner turned out to be. It was Elizabeth!

    “What do you like to do 7?” I asked, trying to make small 8 as we started out. “I like to 9 in peace and quiet,” Elizabeth 10. So we had the quietest and most peaceful hike in the world 11 we saw a bird. “I think his wing is hurt. Poor little bird,” Elizabeth said 12. “He might be taking a rest over there.” I said. Elizabeth nodded. Then she whispered, “But what if he's in13, like my granddad?” “Your granddad?” I said. “He 14 and broke his leg the day the camp started. He's 15 in hospital and is in so much pain,” Elizabeth explained. I noticed she was 16. “I'm sorry for what I have done. For some reason, whenever I get really sad, I act 17 and want to be alone,” she added.

    “I get it,” I said. “I don't always know how to 18 it when I'm feeling down, either.” “Thanks,” she said, wiping off her tears.

    After that, Elizabeth seemed to get along well with us, and I think she actually 19 the last few days of the camp.

    Next time, if someone is unfriendly, give him a second 20. Maybe he's going through a tough time.

    Johnny and I lived in a small neighborhood in 1955. We had bought our two young sons two 1 for Christmas and Johnny would assemble them on Christmas Eve.

    But on Christmas Eve day, Johnny 2 to go to Brookley Air Force Base in Mobile to repair a jet. I had my hands 3 with flour, preparing for Christmas dinner and 4 two energetic boys.

    I was making the chocolate cake when a(n) 5 knocked on the door. It was Beatrice who was the 6 person on our road with a telephone. The base had 7 to say that a heavy torque wrench (扭矩扳手) had come apart in Johnny's hand, making the hone 8 . My sister-in-law Ruth and her husband, Otto, took me to the 9 while my mother-in-law stayed with the children.

    We got there only to10 Johnny with a cast on his arm, eager to get home although the doctor required that he 11. It was Christmas Eve, Johnny 12, and he had bikes to assemble for his boys. The doctor said he'd consider 13 him the next morning if Johnny could find someone to drive him home.

    On Christmas morning, Johnny tried calling the motor pool (车辆调配所). They said 14 must come from higher up, so Johnny15 making calls. 16, a big blue car rolled up to the hospital asking for the man who needed a 17 home.

    Johnny's mother and I were putting dinner on the table when we heard the car. We were 18 to see Johnny. With Otto's help, Johnny assembled the boys' gifts.

That cold Christmas Day, our hearts were full of 19 for those who had gone the extra mile to bring us 20 on the holiday.

    My least favorite part was participating in sport meets, for I loved running by myself. When faced with running against fellow athletes, I was 1. I had butterflies in my stomach and the sudden urge to go to the nearest 2. This year, 3, I was encouraged to join in a long distance running competition by my coach.

    The 800-meter event was approaching, meaning that I would 4 soon. I breathed deeply and tried to 5 my worries. I walked over to some of the 6 who would run with me and started to 7 with them. We were all loosening up and getting ready to run as 8as possible.

    I stepped up to the line for the event. The starter raised his cap gun and 9. About twenty-five runners 10. With these runners around me, I 11 my coach's words, “You may be small, but you have 12 power.” So, I kept up with athletes twice my 13. I picked up the runner in seventh place and based my steps on him, making it a little bit faster. One by one, I 14 to make it to the top four, bursting around the lap.

It was the last lap before the final straightaway. I 15 I had the possibility to win. So I widened my steps, speeding up my 16. I caught up with the runner in first place and we ran side-by-side down the last 100 meters — I 17 him by a hair at the finishing line.

    My coach gave me a 18 hug as I headed back to see him. He was 19 because I had shortened my original 20 by twelve seconds at least.

    The moon had gone behind a cloud and there weren't many stars in the sky. As I took a glance(一瞥)at my neighbor's house, I saw a flame (火焰)in his 1. I thought he was having a midnight fast food so I went back to my2.

    Soon, there was a 3 smell in the air and I guessed something was wrong. 4, I jumped out of bed and went downstairs to 5. I saw fire coming out of my neighbour's kitchen. Right away, I 6"Fire! Fire!" But there was no one nearby to 7 my shouts for help.

    I 8into my house, called the Fire Department and went back to my neighbour's house. I rang the doorbell, hit on the door and 9 my neighbour's name but there was no 10. I managed to 11 the house and rescued a cat and a rabbit.

    I tried to throw water through the kitchen window 12 it was no use; the fire was too strong. 13, a fire engine arrived and soon the firemen put out the fire. They arrived just 14 as the fire was going to 15 to the other rooms in the house.

    When my neighbor came back, he was 16 because his kitchen was burnt down, but he thanked me for calling the Fire Department and for saving his 17. He wanted to give me some money in return but I did not 18 it.

    Weeks later, my neighbor repaired and restored his kitchen. He 19 me to see his new kitchen and there he gave me a medal(奖章) that he had 20 ordered from a factory. It made me feel very happy.