When I spent the summer with my Grandpa in Warwick, he sent me to Miss Bee's store. 1 the counter was Miss Bee. A pair of glasses teetered(摇摇欲坠) on the 2 of her nose, gray hair was 3 on her head.

    “Excuse me. I need to get these.” I said. “So?” She pushed her glasses 4 her nose. “There's no one here except you and me and I'm not your 5. Go get them. If you're lucky you'll finish shopping by sundown.” Sundown was five hours 6. I wasn't sure l would 7 it.

    How could I hope to find anything on the packed, jumbled(乱堆的) shelves around me?

    I visited Miss Bee several times a week. Sometimes she short-charged me. Other times she overcharged. 8 she sold me a/an 9 newspaper instead of one that was current. Going to the store was more like going into battle.

    “That bread is only twenty-nine cents!” I corrected her one afternoon. I had watched the numbers change on the cash register(收款机) closely, and Miss Bee had added 35 cents. She didn't seem 10 that I had caught her 11. She just looked at me and 12 the price.

    All summer I learned the hard way to 13 my list. But she still found ways to 14. me into making mistakes. No sooner had I memorized the items' location on the shelf than Miss Bee 15 the shelves and made me hunt for 16 all over again. The morning I was to 17 to Brooklyn, I stopped in to get a packet of gum.

    “All right,” she said. “What did you learn this summer?” She was mean! I pressed my lips together. To my 18, Miss Bee laughed. “I know what you think of me,” she said. “ but when you get older you'll be glad our paths 19!” Glad I met Miss Bee? The idea was 20.

    Now I grow up and I finally understand I really learned a lot from Miss Bee.

    Every time I passed boys who were playing basketball, I stopped to watch them silently.  But as a girl, I once thought that I could 1 play basketball.

    I like playing basketball though I'm not good at it. I've had a basketball 2 I was a child. At first, I could play freely because no one 3 when I was just a kid. But as I 4it seemed harder and harder for me to enjoy basketball. My parents did not 5 me play basketball at home.6when I went to play basketball with my friends, boys stared (盯着) at me as if I were7

    I was feeling 8 and had lost hope of playing basketball.9 something changed the first day of high school. I made some friends who also10playing basketball. One of them told me with a smile, “Go your own11 let others talk.” This girl would always play basketball with me. Even the boy who sat next to me in class talked about 12 with me almost every day.

    I was encouraged by them. Confidence (信心)13to my heart. I am ready to stand up and play. Basketball has become an important part of my 14. Through basketball, not only do I feel happy and confident, but also 15a lot from others.

    I've heard the NBA star Tracy McGrady say, “Nothing is impossible.” It is from an advertisement on TV. I have 16to realize that life is just 17 playing basketball. You should have an aim (目标). After that, just be confident and 18 going. Never give up and you'll 19it sooner or later.

    I love the motto of the NBA. It can20my strong feelings for basketball, “I love this game!”

    My wife and I were attending a wedding at St. John's Church. The sound of 1 rang to the heavens as the ceremony continued.

    At the church, I2an old friend, Casper, who happened to be at the 3. Now 73, Casper was a brilliant and 4softball pitched (投球手) back in the Men's Leagues of Philadelphia in the mid-60s. I did not5 the now silver-haired fellow until my brother-in-law John mentioned his name to me! After a very pleasant6 Casper asked if I remembered a letter of7I had written to him back in 1964. It appeared Casper fell on hard times, as professional pitchers 8 do, and he wasn't pitching too well for a period of time. I did not9the letter, but he said, “Yes, I still have it, and I read it anytime 10aren't going too well.” He said that he had read the letter many times, and the situation always seemed to improve. I was 11and speechless!

    He continued, “You don't remember?” I said, “Sadly, no, I don't.” but I did ask if I could have a(n)12of the letter. He said he would email it to me. After the 13, we met on the steps of the church. Casper came up to me and 14 the letter. He lived a block from the 15and had run home to get it. The envelope was 16 and turned yellow, and so was the letter inside. That letter had to be nearly 50 years old.

In17term, the letter read:

    “These hard times are18! Keep your enthusiasm for the19Never quit and you will be back on top again 20Hang on there!”

    The Youth Commission meeting only just started; I didn't even want to think about the piles of homework sitting on my desk at home. I didn't wanted to 1 the youth involvement in the annual holiday parade in the meeting, much less 2 the speech of Ray D.

    Ray D. came to every meeting of the Youth Commission. The local papers 3 him as "a thorn in public official's side-open, honest and overactive." He gave himself the 4 of "Citizen Ray" and even wore a baseball cap with this name printed on the front. He came to the meetings and 5 unsafe bike lanes and noise complaints, 6 they had nothing to do with our 7 and we could do nothing about them. He always went over the two-minute limit for guest speakers, and would not stop 8 until one of us told him his 9 was up.

    After countless nights of staying up to finish my 10 because of meetings that ran 11, largely due to distractions provided by Citizen Ray, I began to hate his 12. Why did he waste his time with the Youth Commission, when we couldn't 13 him with all of his issues? 14, we planned youth forums and relayed information about the town government to our peers; we didn't fix problems or give out building permits that he seemed to 15.

    It took me several months to 16 understand the motivations of Citizen Ray. Most people in their late seventies are 17 to leave the workplace and live in the relaxation provided by 18. Ray D., however, considered participating in the public good as his duty as a(n) 19. His efforts should be admired, not hated. After all, Ray is motivated, dedicated and ambitious. His persistence and 20would prove valuable in any field of study or work, and I realized I should value his presence.

    Jason, our son, was born with cerebral palsy（脑瘫）. My wife and I often comforted him as he faced many 1 in his early years.

    It was 2 to see him regularly chosen last for baseball, but his most 3 time came when he began high school. One afternoon, Jason returned home in 4 and shouted: "I'm never going to school again!" He was 5 with food that other kids had 6 him on the school bus on the way home. Jason later told us what had 7. A few days earlier, Jason had 8 up for the school running team. That day, a few older students made 9 of his performance on the track. I called the headmaster about the 10, and it never happened again.

    One day, as the other kids exercised in the gym, they 11 one lonely runner-Jason jogging around the snow-covered track. A few weeks later, Jason said to me, "Dad, I was ready for the 12. He added that each month, each student 13 an "athlete of the month" and voted for the 14. Jason's name had never been 15. But that day, one student said: "Sir, I would like to propose Jason for athlete of the month. "The coach looked 16. "He works harder than any of us, Sir," the student continued. Tears 17 in Jason's eyes as everyone in the class put their hands up. We, also in tears, looked on as he 18 displayed his certificate.

    Whenever I despair, I think of this story. I 19 myself that challenges are not overcome by 20, but by patience, determination, and faith.

    Long long time ago, in a small and distant 1, there was a place known2 the House of 1000 Mirrors. A small, happy little dog learned of this place and 3 to visit it. When he arrived, he 4 happily up the stairs to the doorway of the house. He looked through the doorway with his ears lifted high and his tail 5 as fast as it could. To his great 6, he found himself staring at 1000 other 7 little dogs with their tails wagging just as fast as his. He smiled a great smile, and was 8 with 1000 great smiles just as warm and friendly. As he 9 the House, he thought to himself: This is a10 place. I will come back and visit it often."

    In the same village, 11 little dog, who was not quite as happy as the first one, was determined to visit the house. He 12 climbed the stairs and 13 his head low as he looked into the door. 14 he saw the 1000 unfriendly looking dogs staring back at him, he growled at them and was 15 to see 1000 little dogs growling back at him. As he left, he thought to himself, "That is a terrible place, and I will 16 go back there again."

    All the faces in the world are 17. When you smile at the world the whole world will 18 at you, and vice verse (反之亦然). 19, it is you who can choose to be happy or to be upset. And what kinds of reflections (思考) do you see in the 20 of the people you meet?