A Leap（跳跃）to Honor

    Leaping on a narrow balance beam（平衡木） is not easy. But Lola Walter, a 13-year-old gymnast, is an expert at it. To perfect her skills, Lola 1 for four hours a day, five days a week. At the state championships in March, she finished seventh out of 16 girls.

    That's especially impressive. 2 she is legally blind, born with a rare condition that causes her eyes to shift constantly. She often sees double and can't 3how far away things are.

    When she was little, her mom 4 that even though she couldn't see 5, she was fearless. So her mom signed her up for gymnastics when she was three. She loved the 6 right away and gymnastics became her favorite.

    Though learning gymnastics has been more 7 for her than for some of her tournaments, she has never quit. She doesn't let her 8 stop her from doing anything that she wants to.

    She likes the determination it takes to do the sport. Her biggest 9 is the balance beam. Because she has double vision, she often sees two beams. She must use her sense of touch to help her during her routine. Sometimes she even closes her eyes. 'You have to 10 your mind that it'll take you where you want to go.' says Lola.

    To be a top-level gymnast, one must be brave. The beam is probably the most 11 for anyone because it's four inches wide. At the state competition, Lola didn't fall 12 the beam. In fact, she got an 8.1 out of 10 — her highest score yet.

    Lola doesn't want to be 13 differently from the other girls on her team. At the competitions, the judges don't know about her vision 14. She doesn't tell them, because she doesn't think they need to know. Her mom is amazed by her 15 attitude.

    Lola never thinks about 16. She is presently at level 7 while the highest is level 10 in gymnastics. Her 17 is to reach level 9. She says she wants to be a gymnastics coach to pass down what she's learned to other kids 18 she grew up.

    Lola is 19 of all her hard work and success. She says it's helped her overcome problems in her life outside gymnastics, too. Her 20 for others is 'just believe yourself'.

    When I was three, Connie, my new sister, was born on December 17, 1993. Eleven months later, this smiling child was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). The doctors at John Hopkins gave her an 8% 1 of survival. With the help of our 2 parents, Connie was able to fight against the disease and 3 went into remission（缓解期）. Months later, Connie had a relapse（复发）. After a (n)4 second relapse in 1996, with a survival rate now at only 1%, the doctors5 a bone marrow transplant（骨髓移植）was the best route to take. After 6 our blood types, the doctors found an exact7.Me. I was honored to be able to help my sister.

    After the bone marrow transplant Connie spent her summers in the neighborhood pool. She could always be8running around the house in bathing suit. Staying in the remission for five years would mean Connie's cancer would be 9 But before Connie could10 year three, cancerous cells started to 11 her body once more; she relapsed.

    Connie 12 during this relapse. becoming progressively13 During the summer of 1999, she was not able to14 in the pool or ride her bike. She spent her summer days in hospital.

    When November 15 around, Connie hit rock bottom. The doctors said it was her 16. When I was nine years old, on November 19, 1999, my family and I said our goodbye to a child who did not live 17 the age of six.

    Connie is a 18to my family and me. She is a role model to people who knew her. Her bravery and courage was greater than19I know. Connie has taught me by example: it is hard to 20 a person who never gives up.

    My daughter was reading her English composition aloud. It was titled My Mother. All of a sudden, she 1and walked to the kitchen where I was busy preparing for tea.

    "Mom, what does 'beautiful'2?" she asked,

    "'Beautiful' is someone or something that is very 3to look at," I explained.

    "You mean like all those actresses you see on TV?" she said.

    "That's right," I said, hoping to end the 4.

    "Are you, beautiful?". She asked rather 5.

    What was one to answer? She was 6my looks with those of some film stars and 7 it was I who treated beauty as good 8.

    Suddenly I hit upon an idea to solve her 9. "Why don't you ask Dad?"

    As soon as my 10reached home and had his evening coffee, I saw her11to her dad, "I have a doubt," She said,

    "What is it, my dear?" my husband asked.

    I couldn't 12my curiosity and I listened to the father-daughter 13.

    "Dad, is Mom beautiful?"

    "Of course she is. Don't you think so?"

    Well…She began rather doubtfully.

    "Let me show you our wedding 14. See here. Isn't she the most beautiful person in the world."

    "See your mom was 15when she said beautiful is just looking good. When you 16someone, the person becomes beautiful in your eyes."

    My daughter was 17for a while. Then a smile 18climbed into her face as she 19 "Mom is beautiful…Dad is beautiful because I love you both…"

    I was 20to have found someone who loved me enough to think of me as the most beautiful person in the world.

    October 12^th, 2008. It was a cold, rainy day, and I had no desire to drive up for two hours along the winding mountain road to my daughter Carolyn's house. But she had 1 that I come see something at the top of the mountain.

    "I'll stay for lunch, but I'm 2 back home straight after that," I announced when I arrived.

    "But I need you to drive me to the garage to 3 my car," Carolyn said. "Could we 4 do that?"

    "How far is it?" I asked.

    "About three minutes," she said. "I'll drive—I'm5 it."

    After ten minutes on the mountain road, I looked at her 6. "I thought you said three minutes."

    She laughed. "This is a detour(绕道)."

    Turning down a narrow path, we parked the car and got out. To my 7, the views before my eyes were 8 words.

    From the 9 of the mountain, several acres(英亩) across hills and valleys, were rivers of daffodils(水仙花). Plenty of 10—from the palest ivory(象牙白) to the deepest lemon and then to the most vivid pink—shone like a carpet before us. It looked 11 the sun had tipped(翻倒) over and spilled(洒落) gold down the mountainside.

    A series of questions 12 my mind. Who 13such beauty? When? How?

    As we approached(接近) the house that 14 in the center of the land, we saw a sign that15: "Answers to the Questions; I Know You Are 16."

    The first answer was: "One Woman—Two Hands, Two Feet, and Very Little Brain." The second was: "One at a Time." The third: "17 in 1958."

    The 18 of it would not let me go. "Imagine," I said, "if I'd had a 19 and worked at it, just a little bit every day, what might I have 20?"

    Carolyn looked at me, smiling. "Start tomorrow," she said. "Better yet, start today."

    A young and successful executive was traveling down a street, going a bit too fast in his new car. He was1for kids rushing out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.

    2his car passed, a brick3the car's side door. He pressed hard the4and drove the car back to the5 from where the brick had been thrown.

    He jumped out of the car,6a kid and pushed him up7a parked car, shouting, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the hell are you doing?"8more and more angry, he went on "That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to9a lot of money. Why did you do it?" "Please, mister, please, I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do!" 10the youngster. "It's my brother," he said." He fell out of his wheelchair and I can't11him up". Sobbing, the boy asked the executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."

    12beyond words, the driver tried to13the rapidly swelling lump(块)in his throat. He14the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his15and wiped the scrapes(擦伤)and cuts,16to see that everything was going to be okay.

    "Thank you, sir. And God bless you," the17child said to him. The man then watched the little boy18his brother to the sidewalk toward their home.

    It was along slow walk back to his car. He never did19the side door. He kept the dent(凹痕)to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your20.

Not long ago, my daughter's shoes {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(damage) with a knife. She burst into tears. I took them to the shoemaker's. The man said he would add more scratches on both shoes as if the openings were made on purpose for a special style. I didn't fully understand him, but I decided to leave the shoes. Two days later I dropped by from work {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(collect) the shoes. I found more scratches on each shoe, but all the openings were patched by red leather and the stitches were twisted. The appearance looked {#blank#}3{#/blank#}( interesting) than ever.

The African penguin is expected to go extinct in the wild in just over a decade, given its current population decline. The main reason is a lack of food caused by disturbance to ocean conditions from global heating and {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(compete) from the commercial fishing industry. According to a study, recently scientists {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(identify) a possible additional cause, one that is an entirely new threat and that further {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(prevent) the penguins from finding food: noise pollution from marine ships in a bay.

Crying is a natural response to emotions. Regardless of{#blank#}7{#/blank#} causes the tears to flow, the physical reaction is usually the same with puffy cheeks and tight eyes {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(lead) to streaming tears down one's face. Despite its stigma(污名), crying can be an act {#blank#}9{#/blank#} relieves tension and clears feelings of negativity and sadness. Crying can communicate our emotions to others and foster greater understanding and compassion. Ultimately, crying is a powerful tool we ought to use to free ourselves {#blank#}10{#/blank#} negativity.