Running for a Dream

     I will never forget that November day. It was hotter than normal. This was the 1my father and I had waited so long for, because we had been working towards this race for three years. Dozens of familiar faces from church and school flashed across my view. They had come 2 me. I saw worry and 3 on my father's face. Then the race began!

        For the first two and a half miles, I felt 4. I had never before been so ready for something. The weeks leading up to the race were filled with controlled5 and a strict diet. My friends hadn't seen me in weeks, but they understood the6  required to make my dream a reality. As in all of my races, I didn't7 out in the front, I loved the pleasure of passing people as my strength overtook their premature speed.

       Then without warning, my strength began to decrease. Neck and neck with one of my greatest competitors, I 8 see the finish line. I had begun the final dash into 9 when my knees became weak and my legs gave way. Nothing I could do would make them 10 weight.

       I watched as runners rushed by me. 11 I knew my dreams of victory were destroyed, I had to finish the race. However, my legs hurt badly. With all of the 12 left in me, I got on my hands and knees and crawled (爬), inch by inch, across the finish line. Voices, both 13 and familiar, cheered me on. They gave me the courage to keep 14 until the very end.

        The doctors were there in seconds, but my eyes searched the crowd for him. There was only one person I wanted to 15to. I whispered, “I'm so sorry, Dad, I'm so sorry I16 you.” He looked at me, saying, “You could never disappoint me. Sometimes these things just 17 ． All that matters is that you did your best.”

      “But we worked so 18 ． What about our dream?” He reached over for my hand and said, “Don't you know that you are my dream and it has come true?”

       It wasn't long before my running shoes were back on, marking a 19 path for my journey, I learned that all of the miles, the tears, the sweat, and the pain my dad and I experienced together were not for a 20. What I realized, though, was that to him, I was the greatest prize he had ever won.

The Homeless Hero

    For many, finding an unattended wallet filled with £400 in cash would be a source（来源）of temptation（诱惑）. But the 1 would no doubt be greater if you were living on the streets with little food and money. All of this makes the actions of the homeless Tom Smith 2 more remarkable.

    After spotting a 3 on the front seat inside a parked car with its window down, he stood guard in the rain for about two hours waiting for the 4 to return.

    After hours in the cold and wet, he 5  inside and pulled the wallet out hoping to find some ID so he could contact（联系）the driver, only to 6 it contained £400 in notes, with another £50 in spare change beside it.

    He then took the wallet to a nearby police station after 7 a note behind to let the owner know it was safe. When the car's owner John Anderson and his colleague Carol Lawrence returned to the car—which was itself worth £35, 000—in Glasgow city centre, they were 8 to find two policemen standing next to it. The policemen told them what Mr. Smith did and that the wallet was 9.

    The pair were later able to thank Mr. Smith for his 10.

    Mr. Anderson said：＂I couldn't believe that the guy never took a penny. To think he is sleeping on the streets tonight 11 he could have stolen the money and paid for a place to stay in. This guy has nothing and 12 he didn't take the wallet for himself；he thought about others 13. It's unbelievable. It just proves there are 14 guys out there.＂

    Mr. Smith's act 15 much of the public's attention. He also won praise from social media users after Mr. Anderson 16 about the act of kindness on Facebook.

    Now Mr. Anderson has set up an online campaign to 17 money for Mr. Smith and other homeless people in the area, which by yesterday had received ￡8,000. ＂I think the faith that everyone has shown 18 him has touched him. People have been approaching him in the street; he's had job 19 and all sorts,＂ Mr. Anderson commented.

    For Mr. Smith, this is a possible life-changing 20. The story once again tells us that one good turn deserves another.

A Deed a Day

    It was a busy day as usual. I was making sandwiches and balancing the phone between my shoulder and chin. The washing machine sounded as my husband walked in with our daughters. We had only about twenty minutes to eat 1 we had to take the girls to their next activity. My husband seemed a bit 2 that dinner was not on the table.

    That night, I had a heavy 3, thinking we were becoming taskmasters on an assembly line（流水线）. We had become too 4 in our own tasks and not very considerate towards those around us. We needed to do something to bring back some meaning into our lives. It needed to be something that would 5 our own matters and energize us toward the common good.

    I bought a notebook, named it “Our Deed Diary” and held a family meeting. I told my family I wanted us all to think about doing a 6 for others every day. It could be for each other or for people outside our 7. And we all needed to write it down in the notebook.

    I thought one deed a day was too easy. However, it was actually 8 than it seemed because it had to be something 9 what we had already done. Sending birthday cards to people we already sent cards to every year would not 10.

    We had a rough 11. On some days, someone would forget to 12 a good deed, while on other days, we would forget to write our good deeds in the diary. After a few weeks though, I found myself waking up in the morning trying to 13 what good deed I could do for someone that day. My daughters began to rush to me after school to 14me the good deed they had done.

    Now, after a year, I am happy to say that it is making a(n) 15 in our lives. Instead of always 16 what the day will bring for us, we think about what we can do for someone else.

    Who would have thought that trying to do a simple kindness a day would be so 17? I feel my daughters have felt inner joy that you can only 18 by giving to someone else from your heart. The best thing is that you feel so great about doing something for someone else; you don't even look for a expect anything in 19. So, when someone does return the favor, it is an enormous and 20 bonus.

    My nephew's 10-year-old son came for a visit one hot, July weekend. I persuaded him to 1 inside and joined him in a game. After 2for an hour, I suggested that we relax for a while. I 3 my favorite recliner（躺椅）to let my neck muscles relax. He had slipped out of the room and I was catching a few enjoyable 4 of peace and quiet.

    "Look, Alice," he said eagerly as he 5 over to the chair where I was sitting." I found a kite. Could we go outside and 6 it?"

    Glancing out a nearby window, I noticed it was7 outside. "I'm sorry, Tripper," I said, sad to see his 8 eyes. "The wind is not 9 today. The kite won't fly."

    The10 10-year-old boy replied, "I think it's windy enough. I can get it to fly." He answered 11 he hurried out to the back door.

    Up and down in the yard he ran, 12 the kite attached to a small length of string. He ran back and forth, as hard as his ten-year-old legs would carry him, looking back 13 at the kite behind. After about ten minutes of unsuccessful determination, he came back in.

    I asked, "How did it 14 ?"

    "Fine," he said, not wanting to admit 15. "I got it to fly some"

As he walked past me to return the kite to the closet shelf, I heard him say under his breath," I guess I'll have to wait for the16. "

    At that moment I heard another voice speak to my 17 ."Alice, sometimes you are just like that. You want to do it in your way 18waiting for the wind."

And the voice was right. We usually want to use our own efforts to 19what we want to do. We wait for the wind only after we have done all we can and have exhausted（耗尽）our own 20 .

    Lord Nithsdale was put into prison in 1716 because he was against King George I. As a (n) 1 , he was sentenced to death. His wife Winifred couldn't imagine life 2 her husband, so she was 3 to do anything to save him .

    She was determined to 4 the King and beg him for her husband's life, but the King didn't agree. Winifred refused to 5. In desperation, she came up with a more 6 plan. She visited her husband alongside her maid, her friends Mrs. Mills and Mrs. Morgan. Only two visitors at a time were allowed to enter the room. They took advantage of this 7, going into and out of the room many times to 8 the guards. She also gave the guards money and drink.

    9 inside the prison Winifred pulled out some 10 clothes and dressed her husband up as one of the 11 Mrs. Mills. Mrs. Mills was then brought in, emotional and with her 12 buried in her handkerchief. Lord Nithsdale then was led out by his wife, also holding the handkerchief to his eyes. This was very 13 , or the guards would notice that one of the women had a long 14 ! Fortunately everyone managed to get outside at last.

    Winifred then returned to the room and 15 to be in an emotional conversation with her husband. After a suitable period of time had passed for her husband to leave ,she left the room and got some 16 for herself by telling the guards that her husband was praying (祈祷) and should not be 17. This was a clever action as it allowed the 18 to go unnoticed for longer.

    To complete the clever escape and appear 19, they gave a tearful goodbye. Lord Nithsdale and his wife 20 and managed to leave the country together.

    A businessman was in heavy debt. The sponsor cut off his investment (投资), 1 the supplier was urging payment. The businessman felt it 2 to get out of the trouble. He sat on a bench in the 3, with his head 4 in his hands, thinking hard on how to avoid bankruptcy (破产).

    Just at this moment, an old man suddenly appeared and asked him, "Are you in any 5?"

    Hearing the businessman's story, the old man said, "I can 6 you." The old man asked the businessman's name and then handed him a 7, saying, "Take this, let's meet here again in one year. I believe you will surely pay me back."

    "Oh, thank you very much, I promise I will."

    Then the old man left. The businessman 8 the $500,000 check, and found the signature on it was John D. Rockefeller, a billionaire's name.

    "So the problem was solved easily," the businessman thought to himself. Thanks to the check, he could possibly find a 9 to save his company. 10, he decided not to use the money until he had to. With such thoughts in mind, he became positive about his 11. Therefore, a second talk with the supplier went 12 and he gained the permission of 13 delay. After that, he made several deals 14. A few months later, he paid off all the 15 and his business improved and began to make profits again.

    One 16 later, he came to the park as 17, the $500,000 uncashed check in hand. Soon the old man came. The businessman was just about to 18 the check to the old man when a nurse ran over and seized the old man. "I 19 him," the nurse shouted, "I hope he didn't 20 you, sir, he always runs away from the nursing home and tells everybody that he is John D. Rockefeller." The nurse took the old man away with the words.