There are two mice. They are called Bill and Paul. They are good friends. One mouse lives in the country; the other mouse lives in the city. On a sunny day they meet in the street.

Paul: Hi, Bill! Have a look at my house in the country. I'm sure you can enjoy yourself.

Bill: I'd love to. But I hear that the food is not delicious, and your house is not good. Is it so?

Paul: No, that's not true. Go and see!

Then Bill goes to the countryside with Paul.

Bill: Why do you live in a hole in the field? You should come and live in the city. You would live in a nice house made of stone. You would have better food to eat. You must come and see me at my house in the city.

Paul: Thanks! Maybe you are right. I'll visit your house one day.

____days later Paul goes to Bill's house in the city. The house is big and beautiful. They are sitting in the sitting-room, having a big dinner comfortably. Suddenly, there a great noise.

Bill: Run! Run! The cat is coming!

Paul: Oh, no! It's terrible! Both the house and the food are nice, but I do not like living in the city. I enjoy living in my hole in the field, for it is nice to be poor but happy than to be rich but afraid.

    Stephen Hawking was born in England in 1942. He is one of the most well-known scientists on space and time in the world. Hawking is researching how the universe began and how it ends. He is called the King of the Universe.

    When he studied math and science at Oxford University, he became seriously ill, which made him unable to speak or breathe without the help of machines. Till now, he can't move or feed himself and he is helped to dress, eat and wash by a nurse. However, he has a wheelchair with a special computer, with which he can communicate with others.

    In spite of all these difficulties, he refused to give up his hope of living and went on to study at Cambridge University after graduating from Oxford University. In 1965, he got a Doctor's Degree of philosophy(哲学). Because of his serious illness, it was difficult for him to draw diagrams or to write. So he started to think in pictures. With this new way of thinking, he is respected by people in the world. Then in 1988, he wrote his first important book, A Brief History of Time. It has been sold more than 5.5 million copies in 33 different languages. He was once invited to China to give lectures. His self-confidence and humorous conversations impressed us deeply.

    From Hawking's unusual experiences , we learn that nobody should lose hope, no matter how bad the situation is .As he once said, “Life is not fair, you just have to do the best you can in your own situation.”

There was a young boy named Garth in my small village before. Garth was good at playing the1 . Every day after school, he would rush home, take his guitar and2 himself in the music he created. 

One day, an opportunity knocked on Garth's door. The 3 was hosting a talent show, and Garth decided to attend. However,4 started to spread into his mind. He began comparing himself to other good musicians and questioning his abilities. The fear of failure began to 5 him. At that time, Garth's grandfather noticed that. He shared a story from his own youth. 

"When I was your age, "his grandfather began, "I had a dream of becoming a painter. But I 6 self-doubt, just like you are now. I decided to ask for guidance from a wise old artist in a nearby town. "

The old artist listened to his worries and offered him a 7 . He asked Garth's grandfather to paint a picture on a large canvas( 画 布 )8 a crowd. He was worried. 

The wise artist smiled and said, "Don't care what others might think. Instead, paint from your heart and pour your heart into your drawing. 

Encouraged by these words, Garth's grandfather 9 the challenge. He painted with passions (激情), he made a beautiful masterpiece (佳作). 

Finishing the story, Garth's grandfather said, "That day, I realized that success is not decided by how 10 we are or how we compare to others. It's about expressing ourselves with passions. "

Inspired by his grandfather's story, Garth decided to give the talent show his all. He practiced 11 and poured his heart into every note. When the day of the talent show12 , Garth took a deep breath, stepped on stage, and played his guitar like never before. 

The villagers were captivated (着迷) by his performance. At that moment, he realized that his self-doubts had held him back, but now he was13 .

Garth didn't win the talent show, but he felt like a 14 . deep inside. He learned that success is not always measured by people's recognition 15 by the joy and satisfaction we find in achieving our passions. 

A doctor, a lawyer（律师）, a little boy and an old man were out for a Sunday afternoon flight on a small plane. Suddenly, the plane had engine（发动机） trouble. At last, the pilot took a parachute（降落伞） and shouted to the four people that they had better jump, and then he himself jumped out. Unluckily, there were only three parachutes left.

The doctor took one and said, "I'm a doctor. I save lives, so I must live." Then he jumped out. The lawyer then said, "I'm a lawyer, and lawyers are smart people in the world. I must live." He also took a parachute and jumped out.

The old man looked at the little boy and said, "My boy, I live a long and full life. You are still young. Take the last parachute and live in peace." The little boy handed the parachute back to the old man and said, "Don't worry, grandpa. The smart man in the world just jumped out with my schoolbag."