Free to be yourself

    When a woman took the seat beside me on a plane, I felt uncomfortable. She had to make herself lower {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(slow), pushing her heavy body into the small space.

    "My name is Kelly. I'm a Canadian. Where are you {#blank#}2{#/blank#}?"She waved her hand quickly in front of my face. "China," I said as I shook her hand unwillingly. When we {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(serve) drinks and meals, she made sure that I had enough room in my seat.

    "I don't want {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(make) you uncomfortable with my elephant size!" she said truly. As we talked, I was surprised by her wise {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(word). She had read many books and was knowledgeable.

I asked her {#blank#}6{#/blank#}she ever thought about losing some weight.

    "Aren't you worried{#blank#}7{#/blank#}the illnesses that come with being overweight?"

    "Not at all. I eat {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(healthy) and walk regularly. " she said. "I believe, in my heart, the people {#blank#}9{#/blank#}get ill are the ones who worry. So you are free to be yourself."

    I suddenly realized that Kelly was {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(beautiful) and cleverest woman I had ever met in my life.

    One day, Mom told us that she wanted to become a plumber (水暖工). After taking courses for about a year, she was ready to begin working. The problem was that nobody wanted to hire (雇佣) her because people didn't believe that women plumbers could be as good as men plumbers.

One day, a plumbing truck {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (stop) at the house of Mrs. Reed, one of our neighbors. Mrs. Reed {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (be) weak, old and in a wheelchair. Mom watched as the plumber went in and out of the house. After an hour, he drove the truck away.

    Later that day, my little brother came home and said, "Mom, there is water {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (come) out of Mrs. Reed's house." "I {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (go) and have a look," replied Mom. She took her tools and went to Mrs. Reed's house at once. She knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Finally, she broke a window and climbed in. Mrs. Reed was lying in the water, unable {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (get) up.

    It turned out that the plumber hadn't tightened a pipe (拧紧管子) properly and it {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (break). Within a minute, Mom turned off the water and repaired the pipe. Soon the newspaper found out about the hero plumber. Since then, she {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (become) so busy that she can't keep up with all the work.

    She's my mom, the hero plumber.