My parents passed away ten years ago and I miss them terribly. But I know they are with me every day in what they taught me and in the 1 they gave me. Every morning my father's message to me was: Remember that 2 you walk out of this door, you carry responsibility, the good name of this family, the hopes and dreams of your mom and dad. My mother often urged me to3 the high standards she set for me.

    When I was in high school, I played in a rock band with friends in my class. We were devoted and practiced constantly. We moved past the guys - in - a - garage stage and 4 to be pretty good, doing getting - paid gigs (演奏会) most weekends, which made me 5 At that time, though part of me was 6 up in that band, another part of me was the oldest son in the Clark family,7 of my origin and a dedicated student busy applying to colleges. Without even telling my parents, I applied to Harvard. I didn't think I had much chance of getting in,8I wanted to try. So I was riding around being Mr Cool Rock Musician half of the time, and the other half I was focused on family and 9 goals. I was running on parallel 10

    When the group won a city wide Battle of the Bands, things heated up. My band mates had stars in their eyes - we might be able to make it big. However, I began to feel 11 I realized I was on quite different tracks: I 12 was becoming two people,13 identities back and forth depending on who I was with. I had to make an option. As I considered my 14 my parents' words were right there, helping me to see that my dreams weren't about signing a record deal, letting my hair grow, and living in a tour bus. So I 15 out. My bandmasters were 16. They thought I was crazy to withdraw 17the peak of real success. But however successful that band got, I knew it wasn't in line with my 18 with my feeling of what I was 19 to do, with who I was - it simply wasn't me.

    In that instant and in many others throughout my life, my parent's advice has helped me recenter and 20 I could remember who I was - the hopes and dreams I carried.

    Long ago there was a poor farmer in Russia. He had been very 1 with everything he had. However, when he found his elder brother was 2 than him, he felt disappointed. So he 3 hard about how he could also be richer. Finally he got an idea. He started to spend less money on food and clothes to 4 some money to buy more land. Once he had enough money, he started 5for land.

    He 6 that on the neighboring land, there were some nomads (游牧民) living there. He bought some gifts and went to 7 their head. He presented the gifts to the head and told him the 8 of his visit. The head welcomed him, accepted the gifts and agreed to his 9 to get the land. The head told him that he could have the land 10 giving him anything. He can take as much land as he could 11 by walking through the land before sunset. He should start in the morning and whatever distance he could travel during the 12, he could have it.

    The farmer became very 13 when he heard this offer. Now he could have lots of 14 without paying anything. He came 15 the next morning and started running, not walking, 16 he could cover the largest area. To reach his goal, he neither ate food, nor drank water, nor had any rest. He just continued 17. Without eating, or drinking, or resting he just got very 18. When he came back to the head in the evening, he 19 right on the spot. Sadly his son buried him in a piece of land about 6 x 4 feet.

    Don't be greedy (贪婪的) or you will 20 everything finally.

    People in the world sometimes are affected by natural disasters. When Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, Reader's Digest wrote about impressive rescues. The spirit of serving can be incredibly 1. Here is a story from Annalysa Longworth, a survivor of Hurricane Maria, in her own 2 .

    “The total 36 hours of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico was 3 the scariest event we've ever gone through. Our house sits on the north-west coast of Rinc6n. In the 4 , over 100 mph winds changed direction causing a great amount of water flooding our 5 . The only place left dry and safe was our kitchen floor, where we were 6 to ride out the rest of the storm. It has been 50 days since the 7 , and we are still without power and water. During our regular afternoon showers, we are glad to 8 rainwater but are quickly reminded of the people living without roofs, and how 9 it must be for them. Our emotions are consistently in a state of 10.

    Recently, our good friends told us about a video interview they were doing with Watts of Love, a solar light company. The company generously gave us a headlamp for our personal 11 and a box with 50 headlamps to distribute throughout our town. Rincón was completely blacked out, so making a simple walk through a parking lot to our car is 12 . We used to rush to get things done before 13 , but now I continue daily chores in the dark. What 14 our lives most was being able to share this gift with others. We 15 the lamps house by house to the people in the mountains who needed them most, as even batteries and candles are 16there. Even though 17 have come slowly, people have been out of work and can't afford to 18 their electric bill. I'11 always be 19 to Watts of Love for allowing us to pay it forward and be witnesses to the smiles that 20 can bring. ”

    Tears clouded my eyes as I stood in our washing room, holding Brett's jeans and shirt full of burn holes.

    Tired and defeated, I 1 to the floor. The clothes were just one more thing Brett had 2. He often got almost everything in the house out of 3. Many windows in our house needed repair due to his breaking 4 to steal money when he chose to live on the street. Yet none of this could 5 the emotional damage Brett had done to our once quiet home.

    Brett came to live with us when he was 12 years old. During the next few years I had dealt with Brett as 6 as possible, but inside I was shouting, "I don't want him in my house another day, Lord! I just can't 7 him!" Having wiped my tears, I continued 8 him as before.

    When Brett was nearly 18, he landed again in Juvenile Hall (少管所). After that, my husband and I had to send Brett to a boarding school for helping 9 teens.

    At the 10  ceremony, each graduate held a white rose to give to the person who had 11 the most to him or her.

    Brett spoke 12 to his parents and then spoke to me, "You did so much. You were always there. No matter what my mom and dad, I was their 13. But you, although 14 enough by me, always 15 me such love. And I want you to know I love you for it."

    16, I stood as Brett placed the white rose in my hand and hugged me 17.

    At that moment, tears 18 in my eyes again, this time not for disappointment but for 19. Although I had struggled with silent 20 toward my stepson, Brett had seen only my actions. Love is action. We may not always have positive feelings about certain people in our lives, but we can love them.

    Hello, everyone. It's my honor to recommend (推荐) Educator of the year. I'm sure everyone has a(an) 1 teacher that they will be able to 2 for years to come. There is one famous teacher that everyone wants to have in our middle school—Ms. Sullivan, whose 3you must often hear at school. Ms. Sullivan does a lot of things to make herself 4.

    First of all, she has great enthusiasm for her 5. She teaches many different classes—Language Arts Enrichment, Writing for Publication and Reader's Theater, though most teachers in middle school only teach one 6, such as Math, Social Studies, Science, etc. Ms. Sullivan is also responsible for 7 the school play. Every year she devotes her time into 8 an amazing school play. Luckily I have been a part of it and 9 it so much!

    In addition, Ms. Sullivan always shows her students that she 10 us, whether in our study or in life. Some teachers teach us the lessons in a strict way, 11 Ms. Sullivan shows us that she is always 12 like a friend. In writing classes, she makes us have a group discussion first, which I think is a good way to 13 our creative ideas. Then she lets us 14 write our stories at our own speed. She 15 everything we write and gives us a(an) 16 opinion about it. We are getting more 17 writing a composition, and no longer consider it hard work. Most importantly, she also makes each of her classes 18.

    19, I think Ms. Sullivan should be Educator of the Year. Even if she doesn't get the 20, she still deserves our respect and love!

Growing roots

When I was growing up. I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn't look like any doctor I'd 1 known. When Dr. Gibbs wasn't 2 lives, he was planting trees.

The good doctor had some 3 theories on planting trees. He believed in "No pains, no gains". He never 4 his new trees, which was 5 many people. He thought that watering plants spoiled (宠坏) them, and that if you want strong trees, you have to make things 6 for them. He, talked about how watering trees 7 shallow roots, and how trees that weren't watered had to grow deep roots in 8 of water. I came to understand that he meant deep roots were to be 9. The lack of water seemed to 10 the trees in ways comfort and ease never could.

I used to 11 for my sons that their lives will be easy. But 12 I've been thinking that it's time to13 my prayer. I know my children are going to meet14and I'm praying they will be strong. The prayer for comfort is seldom met. What we need to do is to pray for deep roots, so when the winds blow, they won't be 15 away.