I grew up in a poor family where none of us kids believed in Santa Claus. My parents refused to let us believe in him. They couldn't provide us 1 expensive presents. And they didn't want us to think we weren't as good as other kids who, on Christmas morning, found all kinds of toys under the tree that were 2 to be left by Santa Claus.

    That year when Christmas came, we had no money at all. On Christmas Eve, Dad took us three kids out into the night one after 3. I had a blanket (毛毯) with me, and when it was my turn, I offered to share it with Dad, but he said," No, thanks. "The 4 never troubled him. I sat next to Dad and we looked up at the sky.

    "Pick out your 5 star. It'll be your Christmas present," Dad said.

    "You can't give me a star! No one owns a star. "

    "That's right," Dad said. "No one else owns a star. You just have to claim(认领) it 6 anyone else does , just like Columbus claimed America. "

    I 7 it for a while. "I want that one," I said.

     "That's Venus(金星). It is a planet. It shines only from reflected (反射的) light. "I like it anyway," I said.

    "It's Christmas. You can have a planet if you want. "

    That evening, we discussed outer space and I realized Dad was a man with much 8 of the stars and planets. We all 9 about the other kids who believed in Santa Claus and got nothing for Christmas but some cheap plastic toys. "Years from now, when all that they got are broken and long forgotten," Dad said. "You'll 10 have your stars."

    Charlie Chaplin's parents separated a year after his birth in 1889. He lived with his mother and elder brother in a flat in London.

    Mrs. Chaplin managed to 1 her children on her own with the money she made as a singer. 2, their economic (经济的) situation changed when she became ill with laryngitis(喉炎) in 1894. Instead of resting her 3 until it got better, Mrs. Chaplin kept on singing. Her voice got weaker and weaker and she began to find it 4 to find well-paid work.

    One evening Charlie happened to be in the theatre 5 his mother singing on stage. Suddenly, her voice 6. She tried to finish the song, but the audience (观众) began to whistle and got angry. Mrs. Chaplin could not continue any longer and walked 7 the stage crying.

    The stage manager knew he had to do something quickly to 8 the embarrassing situation. He remembered Charlie once sang at a party. He 9 took Charlie by the hand to the stage. After a brief introduction, he left Charlie to please the audience.

    Charlie began to sing and dance in front of hundreds of people. The audience enjoyed the 10 very much and began to throw money. 11 Charlie saw this, he immediately stopped singing and announced to the audience that first he would 12 the money and then he would finish the song. The audience found this announcement especially 13 and started to throw even more money onto the stage.

    Charlie felt perfectly at home on stage. He did not feel 14 at all and danced and sang more songs to the audience. To his amazement, there was more 15 and more money throwing.

    That night was Charlie's first public performance on the stage and his mother's last.

    French student went to London for his holiday. He thought, "I know a little English. I think people can 1 me."

    One day he went to a restaurant and sat down at the table. He wanted to 2 a cup of tea and some eggs. Soon the waiter came up to him, and asked, "Can I help you?" "A cup of tea and…" he could not remember the 3 word for eggs. He looked 4 him, but nobody was eating eggs. Then he 5 a picture-book on the table next to him. There was a picture of a cock on 6 cover. He 7 the picture to the waiter. "What's the English 8 this?" he asked. "A cock," answered the waiter. "What do you call a cock's wife?" he asked again. "A hen." "And what do you call a hen's children?" "Chicks." "And what do you call chicks 9 they're born?" "Eggs."

    "Very well," said the French student happily. "Bring me two eggs and a cup of tea, please." And he sat down 10 a smile on his face.

It was a Saturday afternoon. Mr Green was reading a newspaper when he heard his wife 1 in the next room. He hurried to her and asked, "What happened to you, my dear?"

"Oh, dear!" his wife called out. "My head hurts! 2 a doctor. Hurry up!" Their two children were both out at that moment and something was wrong with the telephone. Mr. Green had to go to a hospital himself. Bad luck! That day all the hospitals in the town were 3 . Mr. Green didn't know where to go. Just then a friend of his saw him and asked, "What is the matter?"

Mr. Green told everything. The man said, "Why not go to Mr Black? He can help you. "

Mr. Green remembered his friend 4 was a good doctor. He hurried to Mr. Black's. When he got there, Mr and Mrs Black were having their 5 meal. The doctor asked Mr. Green to drink with him. He was happy and sat 6 . After that they began to chat(聊天). And when Mrs Black asked," How is your wife?" "She is fine, thanks..."Mr. Green stopped at once-he remembered his wife was waiting for a doctor at home.

Derek was born in Brazil in 1992. His father 1 him Derek after a famous surfing (冲浪) star because he wanted Derek to become a surfer. However, there was a problem.

When Derek was seventeen, he learnt about his 2 dream. From that moment, Derek tried his best to become 3 surfer. He went to the beach every day and started taking surfing lessons with a coach. Derek kept 4 and finally, he learned to surf! 5 unbelievable it was! Derek says that he can't see, but he can hear the 6 when the waves are coming. He says none of the waves make the same noise, so he knows which way to surf in.

In 2012, he flew to Hawaii to surf one of 7 waves in the world. Local surfers were very surprised to see the confident young man surf the big wave 8 no problem at all.

There will be a film about 9 on show next year. Derek's story in the film teaches us that nothing is impossible 10 we believe in ourselves!