There once was a king in a faraway country. One day, he decided to1a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of2So many artists 3The king looked at all the pictures4there were only two he really liked, and he had to 5between them. One picture was of a6lake. The lake was a perfect mirror with peaceful huge mountains all around it. Above was a 7sky with light white clouds. All who 8this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

    The other picture had9too. But these were not flat at all. Above was a (an)10 sky, from which rain fell heavily and in which lightning played 11Down the side of the mountain was a waterfall with loud sound. This did not look 12at all.

    But when the king looked 13he saw behind the waterfall a small tree 14in a crack (缝隙) in the rock. In the tree a mother bird had 15her comfortable home. There, with the current of angry water, the mother bird was 16her hungry children in the nest, taking no attention to the 17things around them — in perfect peace.

    Which picture do you think18the prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why?

    “Because” said the king, “peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise,19 or hard work. Peace means although noisy things are around you, you20keep calm in the heart. That is the real meaning of peace.”

    Christmas 1940 makes me misty-eyed every time I think about it. In the hard times, people1one another. We2food, clothing, bedding and household items and gave them to the needy.

    That Christmas we students found ourselves3toys we collected and loading packages for4.As we presented the gifts, we saw5in many faces, especially those of the children. We had a few more6to make on Christmas morning. The air was heavy and frozen to the bone. For several hours, we knocked on doors. But as the cold hours passed, our7gradually faded. When we8headed home, someone9a small house down a canal bank. None of us knew who lived there,10we wondered if there were11.We still had a doll, two trucks, some small toys, chocolate Santas and a box of groceries. We decided to make one last visit. When we knocked on the door, a young woman answered it, looking at us12.Three small children watched from behind her skirt—a little girl of about 2, and boys perhaps 4 and 5 years old. “Merry Christmas,” we13as we bent down and handed the gift-wrapped packages to the children and the box of groceries to the 14, whose eyes widened15.She slowly smiled, then quickly said, “Come in.” The room was16as the children looked at their mother, wondering if the gifts were really for them. The little girl17her doll, and the boys grasped the trucks as they sought a(an)18.She put her arms19them and said in a20voice, “I told you Santa Claus would come.”

    Oxford and Cambridge have decided to remove the words CAN”T and IMPOSSIBLE from their dictionaries. Cox, 25, a girl born without arms, stands inside a(n) 1. Although she was born without arms, that has 2 stopped her from doing one thing: using the 3“can't”.

    Cox got the Sport Pilot certificate recently and became the first pilot licensed to 4 using only her feet. She made what's seemingly 5 become a reality. Her certificate6 her to fly a light sport aircraft of 10,000 feet.

    “She's a good pilot and she's strong,” said Parrish, the flying 7 at San Manuel's Ray Blair Airport. Parrish 8 a company of PC Aircraft Maintenance and Flight Services and has trained many pilots, some of whom didn't come close to Cox's 9 “When she came up here driving a car,” Parrish recalled, “I knew she'd have no 10 flying a plane…”

    Doctors never learned why she was born without arms, but she 11 early on that she didn't want to use prosthetic（假体的）12.

    Not only did Cox 13 a license to fly airplanes on October 10, 2008, but she also has a college degree in psychology, and a successful 14 as a motivational speaker. What doesn't Cox have? Arms. From 15 on, her feet became her hands. She can drive a car and fly an airplane using her feet, without any 16 adaptations.

    “I highly encourage people with 17 were confident enough to consider flying,” Cox said, “It helps 18 the traditional idea that people with disabilities are powerless into the belief that they are19and capable of setting high 20 and achieving them.”

Geraniums of Love

    As the fifth of seven children, I went to the same public school as my three elder sisters and brother. Every year, my mother went to the same ceremony and had parent-child interviews（亲子交流会）with the same teachers. The only thing different was the child. And every child 1 an old

    Geraniums school tradition—the annual plant sale（拍卖会）held in early May, just in time for 2 Day.

    Third grade was the first time that I was allowed to take part in the plant sale. I wanted to surprise my mother. 3, I didn't have any money. I went to my eldest sister and 4 the secret, and she gave me some money. When I arrived at the plant sale, I carefully made my 5. I agonized（苦苦思索）over that decision, 6 each plant to ensure that I had indeed found the best geranium. The moment I had smuggled it home, with the help of my sister, I 7 it on the upstairs neighbor's porch. I was very afraid my mother would find it before Mother's Day, but my sister assured me that she wouldn't, and 8 she did not.

    When Mother's Day arrived, I was bursting with pride when I gave her that geranium. I remember how bright her eyes were, and how delighted she was with my 9.

    The year I was fifteen, my younger sister reached third grade. In early May, she came to me full of wonder and secrecy and told me that there was going to be a plant sale at school and she wanted to 10 our mother. Like my 11 sister did for me, I gave her some money and off she went. She arrived at home full of 12 excitement, the geranium hidden in a paper bag 13 her sweater. "I looked at every plant," she explained, "and I know I got the 14 one!"

    I helped my little 15 hide that geranium on the upstairs neighbor's porch, assuring that our mother wouldn't find it before Mother's Day. I was there when she gave my mother the geranium, and I watched them both bursting with pride and 16. It was like being in a dream I had already dreamed. My mother noticed me 17, and she gave me a soft secret smile. Shocked and puzzled, I 18 back. I had been wondering how my mother could 19 to be surprised at this gift from her sixth child. But as I watched her eyes light up with delight as she was 20 with that most precious gift, I knew she was not pretending.

    One winter, when I was eight, my father and I took a ride to Aunt Sally's house. Halfway back home, the car 1 to shake and slow down. Dad 2 that the car had a flat tire. To make   3 worse, we were stuck in the middle of a snowstorm. I could hear the 4 in my dad's voice as he said, "we could only use a Christmas miracle right now.” I remember how much I 5 that old red car, mainly because the radio didn't work. Actually, 6 really worked in that car, but 7, Dad got his miracle- the heater began to operate and we were very 8 that we wouldn't freeze to death. We 9 there for someone to come along and help us out.

    The cold wind started blowing in 10 the little space in the door and the window. It whistled and moaned and 11 me very much. From the wind, I could 12 the pine tree in the air, tied to the roof of the car. Dad and I both began searching for some 13 to clog(堵塞) that thin space to14the cold out. As I 15 my jacket pocket, I realized there was a piece of folded paper in it. I pulled it out, 16 to realize that it was the words of the carol(颂歌), Hallelujah. I had a sudden 17 to sing, so I began to sing it. Dad also 18 me now and then. By the time I sang Hallelujah after the second verse, the winds had 19. As we sang, " and every breath we drew was Hallelujah", we heard a 20 honk (喇叭声) coming from behind us. It was my uncle Mitch coming our way with help.

    On a trip to California, my family stopped for lunch. As we walked toward the 1 to the restaurant, a man, with a 2 beard (胡须) and dirty hair, jumped up from a bench(长凳)and opened the door for us and 3 us in a friendly way.

    Once inside, my daughters whispered, "Mom, he 4." After we ordered our lunch, I explained, telling the kids to look 5 the appearance. The day I became a mother, I had made my mind to set a good 6 for my children. Yet sometimes when things didn't go right, being a good example was 7. When our meal arrived, I 8 I had left the car－sick pills in the truck. With the most winding trip ahead, the 9 needed them, so I went for them.

    Just then, the "doorman" was opening the door for a couple. They rushed past him without even noticing him. Letting them in first, I said a loud "thank you" to him as I 10.

    When I returned, we talked a bit. He said he was not allowed inside unless he bought 11. I went back and told my family his12. Then I asked our waitress to add one soup and sandwich. The kids looked    13 as we had already eaten, but when I said the order was for the "doorman", they smiled. When it was time to 14 our trip, I noticed the "doorman" enjoying his meal. Upon 15 me, he stood up and thanked me heartily. He then 16 out his hand for a handshake and I gratefully 17. I suddenly noticed his tears in eyes.

    Back in, I fell into deep thought. 18 we can't choose many things in life, we can choose when to show thanks. I said thanks to a man who had 19 held open a door for me, and also said thanks for that 20 to teach my children by example.