I have a blind friend who lives in New York City.1we have never met face to face, we still 2each other frequently. She is a 3lady and has become like a sister to me. Her 4and enthusiastic letters always 5my spirits and the inspiring poems she shares with the world always bring a 6to my face. She is all the more 7due to the fact that she lost her 8halfway through her life. She had to 9her career and relearn to do everything that most of us take for granted. Many would have given up after such a 10but not her.11, she started a glorious new life full of award winning volunteer work. Her12are full of teaching English to new immigrants, giving comfort to 13hearts, writing, serving her religious community, and helping others in 14way she can.

    The light of my friend's example is a beacon (灯塔) that I try to15as well. Whenever I feel too16in my own life I look at the challenges that she has 17in hers. She may have lost her sight but she 18lost her soul. She knows that the eyes that really see are the eyes of the heart, and she does her best every day to follow the 19vision that they give to her. I am sure too that their eyes of the angels watching over her are always filled with tears of20and that their faces are always full of shining smile.

    I grew up in a small town. My father1chickens and ran a construction company. I was210 years old when my dad gave me the3of feeding the chickens and4up the stable（笼子）. He believed it was5for me to have those jobs to6responsibility. Then, when I was 22, I found a job in Natchbill at a country music club7the Natchbill Palace, I washed8and cooked from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm and then9to sing until 2:00 in the morning. It wasn't long before I became known10a singing cook.

    I had been rejected so many times by record11that it was hard not to be discouraged. One night, a12executive(主管) from a company named Warner Brothers Records came to hear me sing. When the show was13, we sat down and talked and after she left, I said to14it was one more rejection. A few weeks later, my manager received a phone call—Waner Brothers15to sign me to a record deal.16after, I release(发行) my first record in June 1986. It17over 2 million copies.

    My best efforts had gone into every job I've ever held. It was the18of responsibility that made me feel like a man. Knowing that I had done my19filled me with pride. I still feel that way today, even though I have become a well-known20.

    My first-grade teacher, Mr. Gunderson, once told my class a story. A father is killed in a car accident and the son is 1 hurt. But when the boy arrives at the 2, the doctor on duty says, "I can't 3 surgery on this patient. This is my son!" Mr. Gunderson asked, "Who is the doctor?" Hands went up and my classmates shouted out 4, but they didn't arrive at the correct answer. Mr. Gunderson didn't let me 5 because he knew it would be very easy for me to understand that the surgeon was the boy's 6. I suppose that Mr. Gunderson's 7 would be a lot easier for today's first-graders.

    Being a doctor at that time, my mother was considered very 8 because female doctors were rare then. 9, to my sister and me, she was and is just Mom. When we were kids, we came home from school to a 10, who watched us until our parents came home. Mom took Friday off so she could spend more time with us, and we could tell that she felt 11 about not being home more often.

    My younger sister and I 12 at a fairly young age that this was Mom's weak spot, and we 13 it mercilessly whenever we wanted a new toy or snacks. I wish I had 14 doing that the first time Mom told me about one of her 15 who had died, but I'm sure I didn't. I can't imagine what it's like to spend all day taking care of other people's 16 children, some of whom are not going to 17 it, and then come home to find that your own kids are acting like that. We were just like 18 brats (顽童) then. I suppose she could have found our guilty weak spots to make us 19, but she never did. I think I'd better 20 her for that.

    Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a famous concert. After they were seated, the mother1a friend and walked over to greet her. Seizing the2to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy got up and explored his way3a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE (禁止进入)". When the lights became less bright and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her4and discovered that the child was missing.

    Suddenly, the curtains5and the lights focused on the stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard,6Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

    At that moment, the great piano master, Paderewski,7on the stage, quickly went to the piano and8in the boy's ear, "Don't9. Keep playing."

    Then, leaning (倾斜) over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began10in a bass (低音的) part. Soon his right arm reached11to the other side of the child and he added a beautiful piece of music.12, the old master and the boy13a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative14.

    That's the way it is in life.15we can complete on our own is16noteworthy (值得注目的). We try our best, but the17aren't exactly graceful or flowing music.18when we put our trust in the hands of greater power, our life can be truly beautiful.

    The next time you set19to create great performances, listen carefully. You can hear the20of the master whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing."

Sharifkhuja has loved Chinese movies and culture since childhood. His father is also a huge fan of China. Before his {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(graduate)from high school, Sharifkhuja's father suggested that he learn Chinese and go to China in the future.Having studied Chinese for two years in Tajikistan, Sharifkhuja finally came to China {#blank#}2{#/blank#} ( pursue) his dream.

After five years in China, Chinese language and calligraphy {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(become) a part of his life. In his first calligraphy class，Sharifkhuja said that writing with brushes was {#blank#}4{#/blank#}amazing experience, which could help him feel the spirits of Chinese culture. Besides，{#blank#}5{#/blank#} he enjoys most is traditional Chinese music. Sharifkhuja is willing to share his experience in China with his family and friends and introduce Tajik culture to his Chinese pals.

{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(stay) in China for many years, he hopes to work in the embassy(大使馆) {#blank#}7{#/blank#} a cultural bridge between the two countries. Meanwhile, he also {#blank#}8{#/blank#} ( plan) to return home as a Chinese teacher because {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(employ) the skills he acquired in China to improve the education of his motherland is one of his dreams.

However, no matter what Sharifkhuja chooses, his future will be {#blank#}10{#/blank#}( close ) related to Chinese.

 "Mommy!"I called over my shoulder. "Grace is here!" Our neighbor, Grace, stood on our front door holding a cardboard box. 

It took Mom a few minutes to get to the front door. At forty-two, her health wasn't good. She smiled at our next-door neighbor. "Come in and have a cup of coffee." "I can't stay, Nancy," Grace answered. "I just thought you all might be able to use some of this food. We get more at those giveaways than we can use." I felt relieved that Grace couldn't stay. She was friendly enough, but she and her husband drank a lot and they were given to loud arguments late at night. Sometimes, the police had to come and break up the fights. I was a little frightened of them. Grace placed the box on the kitchen table. Mom, who was not the sentimental type, got tears in her eyes."Grace! We can't take this."

Dad wandered in from the bedroom where he had been napping. He wasn't dealing very well with the unemployment at the processing plant. "We don't accept charity," he said. "Now, Jim," said Grace, "this is no time for your pride. You have two little girls and a sick wife to think of. This isn't charity. It's one neighbor helping another." I stood a little distance from the grownups, looking into each of their faces, wondering what was going to happen next. "I thank you kindly," Dad said at last.

When she was gone, we examined the contents of the box. It wasn't what we were used to. Mom smiled and said, "This will get us through for a couple of weeks." The gesture from Grace confused me because she wasn't family, or close friends with us. Even though I didn't like most of the food in that box, I knew there was something significant about this woman's generosity. She didn't have much to give, but she gave what she had at a time when our family needed help.