Last month I 4precious watch, which was an 18-year-old birthday gift from my father. I could not fall asleep for a couple of nights because I felt5about the loss.

There have been many 6like these in my life. I could never figure out how to deal with such tough things7I read "If You Have a Lemon, Make a Lemonade" by American writer Dale Carnegie.

"When the wise man is handed a lemon, he says, ‘What8 can I get from this? How can I9my situation? How can I turn this lemon into a lemonade?" he wrote. I suddenly10that life is full of ups and downs, so I need to stay 11 all the time.

    Now when I think of my past, I wish I could have handled things 12. When my mother was fighting for 13, I should have held her hands in mine, telling her things would get better instead of 14and crying.

    Several weeks ago, I took part in a campus singing competition. I didn't 15 a prize. If I had not 16this article, I would definitely have felt 17again. But instead, I smiled after the competition. I was happy that at least I had got some stage18.

    Life is not just a bed of roses. There are thorns（刺）as well, but these thorns help us become19 and strong. When life 20us a lemon, let's try to make a lemonade.

       As I rushed among the tables, suddenly, a  1  asked if I could mind a child. I was quite   2 but I could tell the man was quite desperate. So I had to make a  3  with him that if he wanted his son to stay and wait for him, he had to 4  something in the shop．

       This was quite  5  for the man to do; I could  6  he was quite poor by the  7  he was dressed. It looked as if he had tried to come in his 8 clothes. But they still looked a bit old and worn out 9 he had often worn them, just to make himself look best. Looking down I could see his 10  were also a bit torn and the heels were in a terrible state. I thought he was going for a job interview. In the end he bought a small box of 11 for his little son and seated him down in the corner. I could tell the boy was feeling down and only could   12  with a bit of cheering up．

       Seeing that the kid sat there for quite a while, I was a bit  13  as the poor little kid was sitting  14  his own. People watched him and some kids even came over to pick on him. I was15  to see one of them even knocked his cookies off the table．He quickly went and got them back without saying a word．I was hoping his father would 16  up and come back for his son's 17  .

        At closing time, the only person left was the little boy．After a while, the father finally came in with a tiresome look. I  18 he didn't get any job．As they were leaving, I offered the kid a little cake, but the man rejected it. I19  he felt as if I had just abused him．Of course I didn't mean to．But I could understand why he felt like that．I only wished them good  20  whatever happened．

The man opened the door to leave－father and son hand in hand．

    Two excited kids begged their father for his permission to see a film. Having read some 1about the movie on the Internet, he firmly 2 their request with the reason that the movie presents immorality as being 3. “But dad, those scenes are only a few minutes of the 4film, in which good 5 evil eventually. In addition, there are other inspirational 6 like courage and determination making up for its 7!”

    But the father didn't 8, and the two teenagers were discouraged. They had just thrown themselves down on the couch when they heard the sounds of their father preparing something in the9. One of the teenagers said, “Dad must be feeling 10, and now he's trying to 11 us with some tasty food.” Soon their father appeared with a plate of warm cakes and said, “Before you eat, I want to tell you something: I love you both so much.”

    The teenagers smiled and 12 with each other knowing 13. Dad was softening. Looking at the mouth-watering cake, the two boys were getting impatient about the father's long speech. “But I want to be 14 with you. I added one ingredient(配料) that is not 15 found in cakes.”

    “To make it more delicious? Oh, come on, Dad! Please just tell us what it is.”

    “OK, if you 16. That 17 ingredient is dog waste.”

    Both teens 18 stopped chewing the cake, spit it out and dropped the 19 cake back on the plate.

    “DAD! Why did you do that?”

    “That is the same reason why I won't allow you to watch that movie. You won't 20 a little dog waste in your cake, so why should you put up with a little immorality in your movies?”

    Teachers selected from each district school for the Teacher of the Year competition were recognized.The competition's winner will be1in the spring.All those model teachers got me to think about some of my teachers through the years, and how they2me.

    My college adviser, J.C.Casey, had a big3on my life.She was a teacher and friend.She4me to consider journalism as a career.My high school math teacher,Kathy Cloud,took the time to5math to me in a way I could    6understand.I'd struggled with math until I got in Cloud's classes.She gave me the7to realize I could do it.

    My first-grade teacher, Darlene Dryden, held me back. Now, most people wouldn't8the teacher that kept them back a grade fondly, but Dryden has always been my9teacher.I was the youngest person in my class and very shy. She thought I10another year to mature before moving on to second11.She didn't make me feel12for having to repeat the grade.Instead,he made me feel13.I think I was her favorite, too.

    My senior year of high school, right before14,I wrote Dryden a note letting her know that I'd become a good student and was going to15and that she'd had a16in that.

    The Norman teachers17Wednesday are just a few of the many who are in the classrooms every day making 18in their students' lives.They may not even know the19impact（影响）they're having.I know it's not an20 job, but teachers, just remember that you're a Mrs.Dryden to somebody.

    Justin, my brother, has been missing for two weeks. Now I 1 him very much. I'm worried that something2 has happened to him. I'm sure he3 that night at about 11 o'clock, because I heard him playing his favorite CD in his bedroom. But where has he gone?

    Yesterday a girl named Marvies told me that 4was once taken away by aliens (外星人) from outer space. They did some research on her. Marvies said that the whole experience was really terrible5luckily they returned her home. If Justin has been taken away by aliens too, I hope they will 6him soon.

    My parents have been worrying about Justin. Soon after he was found missing, they called7. However, the police are not making 8 in the case (案子). They are very puzzled, saying Justin might have been murdered. Dad is very9 with them. He doesn't think they are doing their job well. Mum is so worried that she 10 sleep well. I hope Justin will come home soon and tell us what happened to him. I want all of us to be together again.

    It was the last day of the final examination in a large eastern university. On the steps of one building, a group of engineering seniors gathered, discussing the exam due to begin in a few 1. On their faces was confidence. This was their last exam before they went on to 2and jobs.

    Some talked of jobs they already had; others talked of jobs they 3get. With all this assurance(确信，自信） of four years of college, they felt ready and able to take 4of the world.

    The approaching exam, they knew, would be a(n) 5task, because the professor had said they could bring 6books or notes they wanted, requesting only that they did not 7each other during the test.

    After they entered the classroom8, the professor passed out the papers. And smiles9on the students' faces as they noted there were only five essay-type questions.

    Three hours had passed 10the professor began to collect the papers. The students no longer looked confident. On their faces was a frightened expression. Papers in hand, no one spoke as the professor faced the class.

    He looked at the11 faces before him, and then asked, "How many completed all five questions?"12a hand was raised.

    "How many answered four?" Still no hands.

    "Three? Two?" The students moved restlessly(不安地) in their seats.

    "One, then? Certainly somebody finished 13."But the class remained silent.

    The professor put down the papers. "That is exactly what I 14," he said. "I just want to impress upon you that, 15you have completed four years of engineering, there are still many things about the 16you don't know. These questions you couldn't answer are relatively 17 in everyday practice." Then smiling, he added, "You will all 18this course, but remember — even if you are now college graduates, your education has just 19."

    The years have 20the name of this professor, but not the lesson he taught.