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.

    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.

A Doll from Santa

    Alice's mother died when she was five years old. That year was 1925, and life was hard. Alice, who grew up to be my mother, told me that her family was too 1to even afford to give her a doll.

    One afternoon in December 1982, I was decorating the tree to prepare for the Christmas season. A young lady 2me with a sample of her handiwork: beautiful handmade 3. She was taking orders for Christmas. I decided to get one for my daughter, Katie, who was almost five years old. Then I had an idea. I asked the lady if she could make me a 4doll for my mother — one with gray hair and a pair of glasses: a grandmother doll.

    The doll maker felt that this idea was certainly 5and took it on as a creative challenge. So I placed my Christmas 6: two dolls, one blonde and one gray-haired for Christmas morning! Things really started to fall into place 7a friend had told me that his dad, who played Santa Claus in my area, would be willing to make a visit on Christmas morning to our home to 8my Katie her presents!

    Christmas Day arrived and at the planned time, 9did Santa Claus. Katie was delighted that Santa had come to see her at her 10house, the happiest I had ever seen her in her young life. My mother was enjoying watching her granddaughter's 11to the visit from this special guest. As Santa turned to leave, he looked once more into his bag and took out one more 12. As he asked who Alice was, my mother, surprised by her name being called, 13that she in fact was Alice. Santa handed her the gift, which was accompanied by a message card that read: For Alice,

    I was cleaning out my sleigh before my 14this year and came across this package that was supposed to be delivered on December 25, 1925. The present inside has 15, but I felt that you might 16wish to have it. Many apologies for the17of the gift.

    Love, Santa Claus

    My mother's reaction was one of the greatest deeply 18scenes I have ever witnessed. She couldn't speak but only gazed at the doll she had 19fifty-seven years as tears of joy running down her cheeks. That doll, given by “Santa”, made my mother the happiest “20” alive.

    What is intelligence anyway? When I was in the army I1 an intelligence test that all soldiers took, and, against2 of 100, scored 160.

    I had an auto-repair man once, who, on these intelligence tests, could not3 have scored more than 80. 4, when anything went wrong with my car I hurried to him and he always 5it.

    Well, then, suppose my auto-repair man6 questions for some intelligence tests. By every one of them I'd prove myself a7. In a world where I have to work with my8. I'd do poorly.

    Consider my auto-repair man9. He had a habit of telling10. One time he said, "Doc, a deaf-and-dumb man11some nails. Having entered a store, he put two fingers together on the counter and made 12 movements with the other hand. The clerk brought him a hammer. He13 his head and pointed to the two fingers he was hammering. The clerk14 him some nails. He picked out the right size and left. Well, Doc, the15 man who came in was blind. He wanted scissors (剪刀). 16 do you suppose he asked for them?" I lifted my right hand and made scissoring movements with my first two fingers. He burst out laughing and said, "Why, you fool, he used his 17 and asked for them. I've been18 that on all my customers today, but I knew 19 I'd catch you." "Why is that?" I asked. "Because you are so goddamned educated, Doc. I knew you couldn't be very 20."

    And I have an uneasy feeling he had something there.

    The young woman entered the pool where an injured dolphin was swimming. Despite her fear, she felt strong wearing her new leg.

    In her second grade, Maja 1 her cousin, Jasmina. After Jasmina's death, Maja swore she would honor the little girl by 2 with a dolphin, an animal that both girls   3. "Jasmina never got the chance to do it." says Maja, now 32, "so I 4 that someday I'd do it for her."

    In high school, Maja was 5 about sports. She even planned to become an athlete. 6, in 1993, during the civil war in her home country, a bomb 7 her left leg.

    After two years' treatment in the U.S., Maja 8 her first artificial leg. But because it didn't 9 well, walking for Maja was very painful. 10, she managed to graduate from a local high school. Then after receiving a 11 from Saint Francis University, she got a job at an insurance firm and 12 started her own company.

    To relax, Maja 13 often watch the dolphins play at an aquarium（水族馆）near her home. A young dolphin, Winter, who had lost its tail, caught her 14. One day, Maja happened to see trainers fitting Winter with a high-tech 15. When they were done, Winter swam freely in the water. Maja was 16. She managed to find the inventors of Winter's tail. Within ten days, she had a new leg which freed her of the 17 that had troubled her for almost 16 years.

    Now, Maja was ready to keep her 18. She went to the aquarium, lowered herself into the pool and held out a hand to Winter, who approached 19, then swam away. After a few minutes, the dolphin let Maja 20 its back. Finally, the two began to swim around the pool together.

    "Meow, meow, meow," is what I heard as I walked through the alley(小巷；胡同). I approached the noise and noticed a tail sticking out from under a piece of wood. Under the wood was a 1 black and white cat. I picked him up and 2 he must be freezing to death. I 3 home with the cat held in my jacket.

    My new best friend, who soon became known as Little Bit, received his name because he was almost 4 when I held him in my hands. He stood about five inches tall. Little Bit's small size had a great advantage - he 5 perfectly in the pocket of my jacket, which made 6 him everywhere very easy. Any time I was home, he wouldn't leave my 7. He was always eager to play with me. When I fell asleep at night, he would always 8 up around my head to ensure that I was warm.

    Unfortunately, I grew up. My teenage life 9 my relationship with Little Bit. I lived at such a fast pace that I stopped 10 time for him. My free time was spent with my friends instead. I would come in the house on my phone and not 11 him at all. His meows became an annoyance to me, but it wasn't his 12 that he wanted his best friend back.

    Time had caused a 13 to Little Bit. His body began 14 down and by the time I realized something was wrong with him, he had already lost his balance. He lay there and looked at me, and 15 this day I still remember the 16 look in his bright green eyes. I took him to the vet (兽医), but there was nothing he could do. The last time I 17 him he wasn't the same tiny cat I had found ten years before. Little Bit filled my arms and he was put to sleep that day.

    Little Bit's 18 made me realize how much he meant to me. He was always there for me when I needed him. I 19 our last years together and I feel sorry for not always being there for him. I will always 20 the special memories we made.