When I was 8 years old, I once decided to run away from home. With my suitcase 1 and some sandwiches in a bag, I started for the front door and said to Mom, “I'm leaving.”

    “If you want to 2, that's all right,” she said. “But you came into this home without anything and you can leave the same way.” I 3 my suitcase and sandwiches on the floor heavily and started for the door again.

    “Wait a minute,” Mom said. “I want your 4 back. You didn't wear anything when you arrived.” This really angered me. I tore my clothes off—shoes, socks, underwear and all—and 5, “Can I go now?” “Yes,” Mom answered, “but once you close that door, don't expect to come back.”

    I was so 6 that I slammed (砰地关上) the door and stepped out on the front porch. 7 I realized that I was outside, with nothing on. Then I noticed that down the street, two neighbor girls were walking toward our house. I ran to 8 behind a big tree in our yard at once. After a while, I was 9 the girls had passed by. I dashed to the front door and banged on it loudly.

    “Who's there?” I heard.

    “It's Billy! Let me in!”

    The voice behind the 10 answered, “Billy doesn't live here anymore. He ran away from home.” Glancing behind me to see if anyone else was coming, I begged, “Aw, c'mon, Mom! I'm 11 your son. Let me in!”

    The door inched open and Mom's smiling face appeared. “Did you change your 12 about running away?” she asked.

    “What's for supper?” I answered. 

    Whatever misfortune you face, just hold up your head and face it with a smile! I got to know this from a musical soul.

    The other day I was feeling quite1, having just been laid off from my job. With so many2to pay, I was wondering what was going to happen to my family.

    I got off the bus when I heard piano music and3rising above the noise of the traffic. I walked a bit slower, trying to find out where it was coming from. Through the4I saw a young lady sitting at a piano with a box next to her.

    She was singing songs about love and her sweet voice5me a bit. Then I stood there watching her playing, thinking that it must take6to perform on her own in front of hundreds of people she didn't know.

    She might have felt my7for she occasionally looked in my direction.

    By now I was telling myself that I could at least tell her how good she sounded. I walked8and put some money in her box and she expressed her thanks with a smile on her face.

    I asked her9, “Why are you playing the piano in the middle of this crowded place?”

    She explained to me that she sees so many10people in the world that she is trying to relieve the pain by11motivational music.

    Instead of continuing my way home, I said to her, “I have been going through a12time lately, but you've made me13again.”

    “I'm happy that I could be14to you,” she replied. “Why are you so sad?”

    I told her my story and said, “I'm not so15about what to do….”

    “You see, here's the16,” she responded. “When you were walking, your head was down.” She looked me in the eyes and went on, “Don't look defeated, because17comes in different ways and if your head is down you might never see it. You should18more… lift your head up.”

    I was really19by what she said! I did hold my head up and soon got through the difficult time.

    So20in trouble, just face it bravely and you are sure to overcome your difficulty sooner or later.

    Experts say boredom is good for kids. It forces them to be creative, 1their imaginations and helps them discover new things. A (n)2in point is 13-year-old Luke Thill from Dubuque, Iowa.

    Luke was3of playing video games and riding his bike, so he decided to build a tiny house in his backyard instead. He made money from cutting lawns(草坪)and4exchanged some services, such as gaining the help of an electrical engineer5sweeping his garage. Luke also6spare materials from his grandmother's house and other7materials from his neighbors for some of the windows and the door.

    The 89-square—foot home cost $1,500 to build and 818 months. Inside there's a kitchenette, a back sitting room, a table and a mounted(镶嵌的)TV, and an upstairs bedroom can be easily9by stairway.

    Although Luke did the10and learned how to do all the work, he had his father's11throughout the project. Greg Thill was very happy that his son learned to stay on12and deal with grown-ups.13 ， he had some simple rules when Luke14the house: “You 15the money. You build it. And you own it."

    Luke is now in love with 16. He has a YouTube channel and hopes to 17other kids to start building.18, he wants to build a bigger tiny house to live in, but for now, he19in his new home a few nights a week, does homework there, and uses it to take a20from his twin brother.

    It was a dark day, one of depression, sorrow and anger. As I climbed out of the 1, after witnessing my time in the 100 yard freestyle, I did not feel like speaking to anyone. I saw the bright smiles of swimmers who had just 2 a best time. 3, I had failed. Or at least that is what I thought at the time.

    I was lying on my cool bed when an idea4my head. Success is the 5 to go from failure to failure without 6 your enthusiasm. At practice the next day, I told my swimming teammates about my goal time and they all either laughed or replied with a 7 similar response like, "You can't do it" or "Probably not". Believe it or not, these are the responses that made my goal 8.

    Finally came the day when I had to 9 to myself and others that with 10there is no limit to your achievements.

    With the starting gun 11, I dove with perfect form into the pool. I felt the cool water running 12 my back. I swam like a fish, bouncing off each 13 at the wall as if it was a spring board. On the 14 turn, I came back to the wall with every piece of strength I had. I 15 the final wall with my fingertips and knew that I had swum the 16 race.

    I had done it! I had achieved my best time! Joy filled my 17 like water does a cup. I saw the 18 on all of my friends' faces as I 19 out of the pool: their jaws dropped to the ground. I began to laugh and gave them thumbs up.

    I have 20 in life that having belief in yourself opens all gates. Never forget that anything the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.

    My mother once said her aim in life was to be capable of satisfying her desire to leave a personal legacy(遗产)in this world. Whatever was thrown to her life, she never 1. Her strength, her determination, her belief and values were her strongest qualities and she 2them with everything she did. She left us with many 3to share, whether they brought us bitter tears or delighted laughter.

    My mother's skills to make 4were endless. She showed great potential as an enterpriser(企业家) and a leader of vision. My mother dreamed of one day owning her own company but she 5believed in stability and worked the 69 am-5 pm job being a dental hygienist(牙科保健员)and eventually 7in the Health Insurance Industry 8her retirement. In daily life, she had amazing leadership skills and forward-looking ideas that made us 9that anything is possible if you have a dream.

    My mother's greatest accomplishment, besides 10her two daughters, was 11being able to receive her four-year degree in Science and Management. That accomplishment took many years to complete but her 12never faltered(变弱).She was truly a(n)13. Several years after receiving the degree, he became an author, another important 14made by her. Her first book called Red River Rising was published in 2002 and 15in 2006 a book called Reality in Rachel was published. My mother's 16to express her words, through her books and poetry,17many of us. She always seemed to know exactly what to 18with her touching words. It's a 19that she isn't here to write her story today but I pray I can 20her through my words.

"I'm going to play basketball, Daddy." Lauren flew into my arms when I came in from work. "That's 1 , honey," I replied naturally. I thought she meant outside the house—on the driveway. Into the kitchen, my wife Helen's silence indicated I had 2 something. After a while, she spoke slowly, "Lauren is joining the girls' high-school basketball team."

I 3 my girl's sportsmanlike courage, but 4 was still in my stomach. Lauren was only just 1.55m tall. 5 legs and a heavy body were surely a(n) 6 for her in playing basketball.

Finally, the game day arrived. Lauren and her teammates moved out. Their game faces seemed 7 to win. At first, though not playing, Lauren followed the movement on the court and 8 every play. I could even 9 her shout "No way!" when a referee made an unfair call against a teammate. Sitting on the sidelines, Lauren still enjoyed the game very much.

Suddenly, the announcer's voice boomed, "Number thirty-three, Lauren Wray, in." My heart 10 wildly. What if she got injured or other girls on the team made fun of her? But what I saw was that Lauren made every effort to keep pace with the others. Just before the end of the game, they 11 the ball to Lauren. She caught it. She shot. 12 she scored!

The audience began clapping and 13 . Lauren's brown eyes shone as she wiped her sweaty forehead. Lauren's uplifting spirits and impressive performance, wrapped in a small 14 , struck everyone greatly. I felt enormously 15 to have Lauren as my daughter.