Across the street from where we live, there stands a big hospital. To earn some money, we rented the rooms upstairs to patients. One evening, there was a(n) 1 at the door. I opened it and saw a short old man who was hardly 2 than my eight-year-old son. But the worst thing was his face—it was 3 ugly. He told me he'd been 4 a room since that noon but no one seemed to have one. For a moment I hesitated, not 5 to rent him a room, but his next words convinced me. He said,“I could 6 on this chair. My bus leaves early in the morning." I told him we would find him a 7.

    It wasn't a long time before I found that this old man had a 8 heart in that tiny body. He fished for a living to 9 his daughter, his daughter's children, and her disabled husband. He didn't tell it by way of complaint. Instead, he was 10 that no pain was caused by his disease and that he still had strength to keep going. At 11, we put a camp cot(吊床) in my children's room for him.12 he left the next morning, he asked, “Could I please come back and 13 when I see the doctor next time? Grown-ups are bothered by my 14, but children don't seem to 15. ”I told him he was welcome to come again.

    On his next trip, he brought a big fish and a bag of the largest oysters（牡蛎）I had ever seen. Other times we received 16 in the mail. There were oysters, fish or some fresh vegetables. 17 how little money he had and that he must walk three miles to 18 these made these gifts much more precious. And from him we 19 what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good 20gratitude.

    On his 67th birthday, Dad had a heart attack. He was1he survived. But something 2him had died. His passion for life was gone. He refused the doctor's3 and his bitter attitude made every visitor 4 Dad was left alone.

    I asked Dad to come and live on our small farm5the fresh air would do him good. A week later, I 6the invitation. He criticized everything here. Frustrated, I decided something had to be done.

    One day I read an article saying several depressed patients' attitudes had 7dramatically (显著地)when given dogs. That afternoon I drove to the animal shelter, where a pointer's eyes caught my attention. They watched me8.

    A staff member said: “He's been here for two weeks with nothing heard. His time is 9tomorrow.”

    I turned to the man in horror. “You mean to 10him?”

    “Madam, he said coldly. “We don't have 11for every unclaimed dog. The pointer's calm brown eyes12my decision. “I'll take him, ”I said.

    On arriving home, I took the dog to Dad's room. “Look what I got you! ”I said 13

    Dad frowned and murmured. “I don't want it”. Then, suddenly, the pointer 14from my grasp. He sat down in front of Dad.

    Dad's anger 15and soon he was hugging the animal.

    It was the beginning of a16Dad named the pointer Cheyenne. Together they spent long hours walking down country roads and relaxing on the banks of streams.

    Dad's 17faded, and he and Cheyenne befriended each other. Then, one night two years later, Cheyenne rushed into my bedroom as if telling something. Running into Dad's room, I found he had18.

    Two days later, my grief 19when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside Dad's bed. While burying him near their favorite stream, I silently 20the dog for restoring Dad's peace of mind.

    One of the most exciting archaeological discoveries(考古发现) in history was made in November 1922, when Howard Carter was1 in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. After many months of digging, he finally2 an unknown grave.

    3with his friend Lord Carnarvon, who was providing the money for his work, Carter entered the4 tomb. At first there was5, because the tomb was6, and it was clear that it had been robbed (盗窃) at some time in the past. 7, one of the workers eventually found a small stairway that led down to another door that had not been 8.

    Carter went down the dark staircase, walking 9 in case there were any traps (陷阱). As he opened the 10, Lord Carnarvon asked if he could see anything. He replied, “Yes, 11things.” It was clear at once that they had discovered what they had been 12. The tomb of King Tutankhamen was full of treasures of13value. There were over 5,000 objects of silver, gold and precious stones which had been there 14 for thousands of years.

    Lord Carnarvon's 15at discovering the treasures did not last long. Many of the local people were afraid of16 the kings' tombs, and believed that the kings would punish anyone who17 them. Lord Carnarvon had paid little attention to these18, but only a few weeks later, he19 fell ill and died; at the exact time of his death, all the lights in Cairo went out all of a sudden, and far away in England, his dog also20 .

    The day that I will always remember is when I ran my first 10km.While putting my toe on the starting 1, I felt my heart drop to my stomach. However, I would 2 my heart, because in running, when you run out of your 3, you just run with your heart.

    That day the 4 was cool and fresh, and my courage had 5. The race was about to start. Bang! The 6 of the starting gun ran into the air. I took off running, 7 like the wind. I knew it would be a really great 8 for me. In the first four miles, I felt like a cheetah (猎豹). I felt 9 and forceful in my pace.

    Then came the fifth mile. My legs 10 like jelly(果冻), and I could feel fire burning in my lungs, “keep 11!” the thought ran through my head. Now was the time I had to run with my 12. I had to win although I didn't know whether I would 13 it. My body really wanted to 14, but my heart told me not to. I think it's the 15 thing about running. The real run starts when you want to 16.

I saw the finishing line and I felt like an Olympic 17 who was about to win the race. I had 18 been happier, and felt proud too when I had my 19 put around my neck. As the saying goes, “Running is the greatest metaphor (比喻) for life, 20 you get out of it what you put into it.”

    Lori was suspended (暂停)from school for having cigarettes in her locker. She told her dad, "I don't know how they got there! I was just putting them in my pocket to take them to the principal when a teacher 1 and sent me to the office." Dad had a hard time 2 that Lori didn't know how the cigarettes got into her locker, 3 only she had the key. He also found it hard to believe that she was putting them in her pocket to take them to the principal. He felt disappointed that Lori would 4 to him because they had always been such a close and loving 5. He was also worried that she was beginning to 6 her life by getting involved in smoking, drinking, and drugs.

    Dad felt like 7 and punishing and letting her know how disappointed he was.

    8 , he decided to look for the positive. It is never difficult to find, if you are willing to look for it. As he got into Lori's 9 he could understand that she was probably having a tough time deciding how to 10 with family values and still be part of the crowd. He also realized that the only reason Lori would lie to him would be because she loved him so much that she wouldn't want to disappoint him.

    With this 11 , Dad approached Lori. Instead of scolding and punishing, he kindly said, "Lori, I'll bet it is really difficult trying to 12 how to stick up for what you believe and yet not be called a 13 by your friends.

    Lori felt such 14 as she said, "Yes, it is."

    Dad went on, "And I'll bet that if you would ever lie to us, it would be because you love us so much that you wouldn't want to disappoint us." Lori got tears in her eyes and could only nod in 15. Dad added, "Lori, we would be disappointed if you did something that would 16 you. But if you don't know that you can always tell us anything, then we aren't doing a good enough job in letting you know how much we love you — 17Lori gave her dad a big 18 , and they just held each other for a while.

    They never did directly discuss the problem of smoking and lying. Over a year has gone by, and Lori seems to delight in letting her mom and dad know every time she 19 the temptation(诱惑)to do something contrary to her 20. She also feels proud that she is influencing her friends to stick up for their belief.

    I've always taught piano lessons in my spare time. Over the years I found that children have 1 musical abilities. Although I've taught some gifted   students, I've also met so-called "musically 2" pupils. One such student is Robby.

    Robby was already 11 years old when his mother sent him for his first 3 lesson. I prefer that students begin at an earlier age. I 4 it to Robby, but he said it had always been his mother's 5 to hear him play the piano. So I took him as a student.

    6 Robby tried very hard, he didn't have the basic sense of music. However, he 7 and he would always say, "My mom's going to hear me play some day." But it seemed 8, and I was disappointed by his slow progress. Then one day Robby didn't come. He 9 me his mother was sick. I was glad that he stopped coming, since he was really a bad 10 for my teaching!

    Several weeks later I was 11 my students for the music show when Robby came and said, "Miss Handorf, I've wanted to play." I don't know what made me 12 him to do that. Maybe it was his 13 that touched me.

The night for the show came. It went well. Then Robby came up on stage. I was 14 when he said he had chosen one of the most difficult pieces of Mozart. But I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys. They 15 danced on the keys. He played so well that everyone was 16excitedly.

    In tears I 17 up to stage. "Oh, Robby! How would you do it?" "Well, Miss Handorf, I 18 practicing at home. Remember I told you my mom was sick? In fact she had cancer and passed away this morning. And she was born 19, she could never hear me play the piano, but tonight was the first time she ever heard me. I wanted to make it 20."