When I was in Grade 6, I knew a girl. She 1 to point out my shortcomings and always said I was very thin, I wasn't a good student, and so on. I tried not to care what she said. 2 , I became very 3 in the end. I cried and ran to Daddy.

    Daddy asked, “Are the things she says true or not? Lisa, didn't you ever 4 what you're really like? Well, you now have that girl's 5 . Go and make a 6 of everything she said and 7 the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”

    To my 8 , I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn't 9 (like being very thin), 10 a good number I could and suddenly I11to change. For the first time I got a clear 12 of myself.

    I brought the list back to Daddy. He 13 to take it. “That's just for you,” he said. “You know better than anyone else the 14  about yourself. But you have to learn to 15 . Don't just close your ears in anger, feeling 16 . When something said about you is true, you'll find it will be 17 to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your duty. Don't 18 your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you think is 19 .”

    In my life, this is the best 20 that Daddy has given me.

    People from every corner1into the streets that Christmas Eve. "Frosty the Snowman," and "Jingle Bells"2in stores; on the pavements, the street singers performed happily. Everyone was3by someone else, delighted and cheerful. I was alone.

    As one of 8 kids of a Brazilian family, brought up in America's crowded apartment, I'd spent several years searching for aloneness. Now4 at 27, a college student after the5with my girlfriend, every cell inside me wanted to be alone6not at Christmas. My family had returned to Brazil and my friends were7with their own lives. Dusk was approaching, and the fact that I had to return to my8home made me sad. Lights from windows blinked , and I hoped someone would 9from one of those homes to invite me inside with a Christmas tree decorated with shiny fake snow and beautiful10.

    At a market, I felt more11when people were buying lots of goods, which12the gifts we received as children in my mind. I missed my family and wanted to cry for wanting to be alone and for having achieved it.

Outside the church, a manger(小耶稣) had been set up . I stood silently watching the 13 some of people were crossing themselves,14.As I walked home, I realized that leaving Brazil was still a painful experience as I struggled with15 I had become in 15 years in America. I16 the losses, but for the first time, I recognized what I'd gained. I was independent17and healthy. My life was still ahead, full of18

    Sometimes the best gift is the one that you give yourself. That Christmas, I gave myself19for what I'd obtained up to now and promise to go forward. It is the best gift I've ever got, the one that I most20.

    Mr. Gray travelled a lot on business: He sold machines of different kinds to farmers.

    He had a big car, and usually 1 driving it long distances, but he was quite satisfied to go by 2 sometimes too, especially when the 3 was bad. He was a little afraid of driving in rain or snow, and it was 4 tiring to sit comfortably in a train and to look out of the window without being worried about how 5was going to get to the next place.

    One of Mr. Gray's problems was often 6 to stay when he reached some small place in the country. He did not 7 great comfort and wonderful food, but he found it annoying (使恼火) when he was given a cold room, and there was no hot water or food after a long and 8 day.

    Late 9 winter evening, Mr. Gray arrived at a small railway station. The 10 by train that day had not been at all interesting, and Mr. Gray was cold and tired and 11. He was looking forward to a simple 12 satisfying meal by a brightly burning fire，and then a hot bath and comfortable bed.13 he was walking to the taxi rank, he said to a local man who was also 14 there. “As this is my first visit to this 15of the country and I was in too much of a hurry to 16 about hotels before l left home, I would very much like to know17 you have here.”

    The local man answered, “We have 18 .”

    “And which would you19 me to go to?”Mr. Gray asked him.

    The local man thought for a while and then answered, “Well, it's like this: Whichever one you go to, you'll be20 you didn't go to the other.”

    MacArthur's love for sailing dates back to when she was just 4 years old, when she first got the opportunity to have a try on a boat. "It kind of 1 me that this boat had everything we needed to take us anywhere in the world. And as a child,that opened up everything and made me feel the greatest sense of 2 ， " she explained.

    This experience 3 a passion within MacArthur that she wanted to sail around the world. Growing up in the countryside, she had no idea how to 4 it. However, she knew that was what she wanted to do at some stage. So she acquired knowledge and 5 for years to seek her dream in sailing. Having merely potatoes and beans every day for eight years, she 6 could afford the right equipment. By reaching such 7 goals and asking technical questions about 8, MacArthur felt as though she was getting 9 to her ambition.

    "The impossible could be possible and 10 high is not necessarily such a crazy thing to do." she said. And it seems that MacArthur's 11 to become a sailor went beyond her expectations. At the age of 24, she started to 12 media attention after winning the second place in the Vendee Globe, a single­handed non­stop yacht (帆船)race that went around the world.

    Four years later, MacArthur chose to sail for 71 days and 14 hours, 13 more than 26_,000 miles. This led to her scoring a new record. 14 this record has since been surpassed (超过), MacArthur is still considered as Britain's most successful offshore racer.

    So when you know where you're going, you can actually get there—even if it seems 15!

    When we saw a programme on TV about a Christmas trip to Lapland, we knew our four children would love it. 1 them on any holiday is costly, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime 2 for our family.

    In October, we got the children to write Christmas 3 to Santa. They thought it was a bit soon but were 4 just how many letters Santa receives, so getting in early would make sure that he would read them.

    Our departure day arrived in mid-December. There was an explosion of excitement as we parked and 5 our suitcases onto a trolley (手推车) and the children realized we were 6going on a plane. The excitement built as we 7.

    It was all worth it. The look on their faces as we 8 in Rovaniemi, Finland, was 9. Four days of total magic followed. We took sleigh rides, 10 snow mobiles (雪地摩托) and patted reindeer. On our fourth day we finally ‘found' Santa, who had a genuine, thick white 11. His home was 12 from floor to ceiling with Christmas parcels, which was every child's dream.

    If that wasn't 13, he held four hand-written letters that our children immediately 14. Santa said, "So, you must be Thomas, Lucy, Alice and Philip and you've come all the way from England just to see me!" He turned to one of the towers of wrapped presents, 15 up and carefully withdrew four parcels. Each of them received a personally addressed 16 signed 'With love from Father Christmas' and inside was 17 what they'd asked for in their letters.

    Those four days in Lapland will 18 forever the most memorable of our lives. Our four children, now aged between 32 and 38, still talk about that 19 as the most wonderful Christmas ever where childhood magic came to 20.

    Donald lived in three different foster homes and changed schools with each move. The experience left him 1and often dropping out of school, making Donald lose all 2for school. Then he 3 Mr. Felipe, the CIS site coordinator (协调员) at his school.

    Mr. Felipe 4 developed a plan to meet Donald's needs. He 5 school supplies and clothes for Donald and encouraged him to join the schools karate (空手道) program. After months of working with Mr. Felipe, Donald's 6 changed. He became more 7and optimistic. He 8 making friends at school and building 9 with his teachers and classmates. Meanwhile, his grades 10 as well.

    "My mom has 11 that my attitude has changed a lot, and my grades are much better too. I like to come to the CIS classroom because it is 12 to be here. Mr. Felipe gives us snacks and provides school supplies for us. We work in the garden and we get the 13 we need to study and do our homework. I feel happy and motivated when I come to this 14."

    For Donald, Mr. Felipe is the person who changed his life. "I was in foster care when I was 4-5 years old and was 15 from my brother for part of the time. I'm back with my family now and happy to have them in my 16," said Donald. "But I still 17 that time and the bad depression I felt. At school, art and football helped me forget and let it all 18. It is Mr. Felipe who helped me when I was 19. Because of him I became more serious about 20 and work in general. "