Sarah lived on a farm with her family. She was 1 to learn to track, to identify each person and where they were going by the marks they left on the ground. And if her father couldn't teach her, she'd teach herself.

    To the2of her family, she borrowed all their 3 and taught herself to recognize everyone's footprints in the sand. More than once her father came outside shouting, “Sarah, bring me 4 my boots. ”

    Sarah developed the habit of walking around with her eyes fixed on the ground, 5 the comings and goings of every 6in the place.

    She also developed the annoying habit of 7 everyone. What were you doing down at the dam, Jack? You're not 8to play there. ” “Did you find what you were 9 in the garage, Auntie?” and “Who was the stranger visiting today wearing size ten boots, Mum?”

    After she'd 10 every pair of shoes that everyone 11, she turned to the farm's animals. By this time 12 her victims had to admit, 13, that she was good.

    Her best 14came one evening when she said the horse's front foot was 15. Her father said that the horse was 16 fine. Sarah 17 that its hoof (蹄）had a split. Sarah's father 18 the horse's hoof.

    “You're 19. The hoof is split. How did you know?”

    “You can see it in its 20. " Sarah moved the horse away. “Look, it's plain in the sand. "

    “If you can tell it has a split hoof from that sand, you're pretty good,” said her father.

    There once was a king in a faraway country. One day, he decided to1a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of 2 So many artists 3 The king looked at all the pictures.4 there were only two he really liked, and he had to 5between them. One picture was of a 6 lake. The lake was a perfect mirror with peaceful huge mountains all around it. Above was a 7 sky with light white clouds. All who 8 this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

    The other picture had 9too. But these were not flat at all. Above was a (an)10 sky, from which rain fell heavily and in which lightning played11 Down the side of the mountain was a waterfall with loud sound. This did not look12 at all.

    But when the king looked 13 he saw behind the waterfall a small tree 14 in a crack (缝隙) in the rock. In the tree a mother bird had 15 her comfortable home. There, with the flow of angry water, the mother bird was 16 her hungry children in the nest, taking no attention to the 17things around them — in perfect peace.

    Which picture do you think18 the prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why?

     “Because” said the king, “peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise,19 or hard work. Peace means although noisy things are around you, you 20 keep calm in the heart. That is the real meaning of peace.”

    A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had loved a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well 1 it, he told him that was all he wanted.

    As 2 drew near, the young man expected 3 that his father had bought the car. Finally, on the morning of the special day, his father called him into his study. His father told him how 4 he was to have such a fine son, and how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped (包装好的) gift box. Curious, but a little bit5, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound (皮边的) Bible (圣经).

    Angrily, he raised his 6 to his father and said, “Is a Bible 7 you can give me with all your money?” He then stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.

    Many years 8 and the young man was very successful in business, but 9 his father was very old, he thought perhaps he 10 go to see him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. 11 he could make the arrangements , he received a telegram which 12 him of his father's death, and all the possessions (财产) left to him.

    13 arriving at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to 14 through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had 15 it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to 16. As he was reading, a car 17 dropped from the back of the Bible.

    How many times do we 18 blessings (祝福) because they are not wrapped as we expected? Do not spoil (搞糟) what you have by desiring (渴求) what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once 19 the things you hoped for. What may appear as bad fortune (运气) may 20 be the door that is just waiting to be opened.

    My parents always made extra Christmas specials for my sisters and me. Of course the big 1 was that my sisters and I would run down the stairs to see our Christmas tree surrounded by mountains of 2. We got bikes, microscopes, cameras, and 3 else a kid might want. They were great, though I didn't 4 appreciate all that my parents did. It was quite common for me to be trapped in 5 the endless gifts. As a result, I'm unable to remember everything I 6.

    As my husband Joe and I were ready to welcome our first child 7 the world, we thought about how to give Christmas gifts in advance. Finally we 8 the decision to set the three-gift 9 for our holiday celebrations. I had ever 10 about the idea in a few magazine articles. And I really liked how it made the 11 decide the things they truly wanted. Mostly, I loved the idea of 12 our holiday. I would see my kids get the same 13 of gifts. I expected a Christmas day when we could actually 14 each other's company, as well as the gifts and the spirit that our children were given.

    15 those ideas that Joe and I came up with before they were born, such as never letting them eat junk food, or 16 TV time to only one hour a day, the three-gift rule is one thing that 17 the test of time. We've done it each year since Tom was born 18 years ago, 18 it's actually done in the way that we had hoped. Joe and I are less 19 because we just need to focus on giving each child the top three things that they desire. And we find the kids do 20and enjoy the gifts.

    Many families usually take their children to travel during school breaks. But Julie and Tim Rivenbark planned a(n) 1 vacation with their two children―a one-year trip around the world. They plan to 2 30 countries in all.

    Right now, the four travellers are about halfway through their 3. Ms. Rivenbark says they are trying to see as much of the 4 as they can.

    Mr. Rivenbark says the family has 5 on ostrich (鸵鸟) birds, elephants, and camels. But, he says, one of the most 6 experiences of the trip has been meeting new people.

    “People have been 7 friendly and welcoming and love our kids and it's lovely to see them interacting (互动) with new people and their 8 to see our kids enjoying themselves in their country.”

    Eleven-year-old Tyler says he has enjoyed 9 about the people they have met. “I learned in Africa that people have very 10 lifestyles to those in America.” His sister Kara 11 that she liked Thai food.

    Ms. Rivenbark says that the trip is 12 the children a lot more than short visits would have. “I think that the longer we travel, the more 13 it has on how they see the world. I can see them 14 more than they can see themselves,” she said.

    It took the family a year to 15 for the trip. They had to sell their house and cars. Ms. Rivenbark 16 her job and her husband is using unpaid leave. They carry small bags 17lightweight clothing and whatever else they need. Ms. Rivenbark says she 18 being able to carry everything she needs on her back.

    Tyler and Kara each have iPads so they can communicate with teachers to stay 19 with their schoolwork. Tyler is also 20 a 365-day video blog.

    Two weeks earlier, my son, Ben, had got in touch .he'd moved to England with his mum when he was three and it had been 13 years since I'd 1seen him. So imagine my 2when he emailed me saying he wanted to come to visit me.

    I was 3 ! I arrived early at Byron Bay (海湾)where we were supposed to 4. The bay was 5 in sunshine, and there was a group of kayakers around 150m off the shore. Getting a little 6, I realized one kayak（皮划艇）was in7. "Something's not 8!" I took off my T-shirt and 9 into the water. I saw there were two instructors on board and a man lying across the middle. He was 10 violently. Linking arms with one of the instructors, I helped 11 the young man out of the water. He was unconscious and as I looked at his face, something 12 to me. Those brown eyes were very 13. "What's his name?" I asked the instructor. "Ben," he replied, and immediately I 14.That stranger was my son!

    The instructors called for an ambulance.15 , after a brief stay in hospital, Ben was well enough to be allowed to 16and later the family met up for dinner. We chatted about everything and then Ben 17 to me. "I just want to say thank you," he said, "You 18 my life!"

    I still can't believe what a 19it was. I'm just so glad I was there 20to help my son.