Emergency on the Mountain

    Ana was a 12-year-old girl living in the mountain. Her 1 was to become a village nurse like Leta, her neighbor. She spent almost all her spare time reading the2 book by herself.

    This morning, Leta went to Santiago to 3 a short-term training class by a group of volunteer doctors for first aiders to learn medical skills. Before she left, Ana begged Leta to take her along but Leta4saying that Ana was too5to learn anything important.

    Ana was very6 this morning, so she decided to wander around to refresh herself. On the hillside, she saw Rafi standing on a donkey's bare back，some kids around him. Rafi was only 13, but he was always doing something to get 7“No wonder adults don't8 kids with anything important”, Ana said to herself. She had just turned away 9she heard a few screams and Rafi fell off the donkey. Ana ran to where Rafi was lying and 10 that one of his legs bent a little sideways between the knee and the ankle and that all the other kids were 11 not knowing what to do. She 12 what the first-aid book said about13legs.

    “Vin!” Ana called to one of the boys.

    “Go and get Rafi's mama and find someone with a truck.”

    She turned14 the other kids. “Give me your shirts. We need something to15his leg with so it doesn't move around.”

Ana found a strong，straight stick，which she'd use to 16 his leg. She carefully wrapped the boys' shirts around his leg and the stick. When Ana was done, Rafi came back to himself. Ana17 comforted him until Rafi's mama came over.

    Behind her was a neighbor in a pickup truck. They lifted Rafi into the truck, then 18 down the dusty hillside toward the hospital.

    The next day, Leta came to Ana's home. “I heard what you did,” Leta said. “You kept your head in a/an19. That's an important skill.” Ana's face burned.

    “Now, listen. The volunteer doctors are coming here tomorrow with vaccines (疫苗). We need some extra 20.Can you help?”

    Ana didn't hesitate. “I would love to and I'll bring my first-aid book.” Ana said excitedly.

    On the night of the play, Jack was at the theatre early and he was already dressed in a suit of policeman's clothes long1the end of the first scene. He certainly looked the part all right, he thought as he2himself in the mirror.

    Then he suddenly felt nervous. After all, it was his first time to3a part in a play. 4could he face all those people watching the play? He put his head in his hands and tried to5his lines（台词）, but nothing6to his mind.

    A knock on the door made him look7. He was to go on stage（舞台） in the second scene. "Have I 8my part and ruined（破坏）the play for everybody？" he thought to himself. But9was only the manager.  She10how nervous he was and11he should stand near the stage12he could watch and follow the play. It was a good13of getting rid of his nervousness, she said. She was right; it seemed to 14. In fact the more he watched the play, the15he felt himself part of it.

    At last the16came for him to appear on the stage.  But suddenly the manager came to him again, 17worried as she placed a hand on his arm to18him back. "Has anything gone19？" Jack asked. "I'm afraid you're going to be20, " she said. "They've jumped three pages of the play and have missed your part out completely. "

    When I first met my new parrot, Chico, his wings had been cut short and he was stuck on the earth just like us humans. When the weather turned nice, I would take Chico outside. I 1 him on a branch of a tree, hoping to make him happier. At first he seemed confused. He walked back and forth on the branch looking 2 . He didn't even flap his wings in an/a 3  to fly. Somehow he knew he was incapable.

    One day Chico got especially excited. He paced back and forth and made an 4 amount of noise. Then all of a sudden he stopped and let out an even louder scream. He started 5 flapping his wings for the first time ever—then he lifted off the 6 like a space shuttle! I was amazed and 7. Little did I know his feathers had been growing back, and Chico had been waiting until the moment was ripe for 8!

    Two days later Chico returned. First I tried to 9 him back with food, but he would not come near me. Then I took his 10 and put it away—still he would not come. Finally, I made him a firm promise that I would let him out every day if the weather was nice as long as he did come back. 11, he flew onto my shoulder.

    From that day on, whenever the weather was good I would let him 12 early and he would fly around and be back before dark. The routine lasted for two months 13 suddenly Chico became 14. The vet said that he had been infected with a disease from the pigeons in the 15. Within a few days he died.

    I was very sad. The 16 crossed my mind that if I had not set him free to fly, he would be still alive. But what 17 is there in being a bird if you can't fly?

    Chico made his first 18 for freedom on a late Monday afternoon in April. When will you make yours? You too can take a 19 when the conditions are right, knowing you too, in your own way, were built to fly. If you don't set yourself free, what will be the 20 of your life?

    A storm was coming, but Alex was too busy fixing her leg bandage to notice it. She said to herself, "Great. I 1 myself the week before Cross Country Running tryouts (锦标赛). I am so 2. Why did I think running through the forest would be a good idea in the first place?"

    After 3, Alex went to the kitchen and poured herself some lemonade. She opened the door to her 4 and sat down outside. "Every year, I work so hard and yet, I always 5," Alex said. This year, I was one spot away from Varsity(校队). The previous 6, I handed in my medical forms late…"

    Suddenly there was a flash of 7. It sounded like it's going to be a thunderstorm, Alex thought and 8 to head inside. She tried to 9 the door, only to find that she had locked herself out. 10, Alex shook the door handle 11 back and forth. As she took a quick step backwards, she lost her 12 and fell down. "Why me?" she yelled. "Why did this all happen to me?" Once Alex 13 to pull herself up, she sat silently on the staircase. As rapidly as the rain poured from the sky, so did the 14 stream down Alex's face. Alone and wet, Alex cried until all the 15and wetness of the day washed away. Finally, when she16crying, she looked up at a suddenly 17 image of her backyard. The air felt light and the sun shone through the clouds. 18 her leg still felt stiff, Alex tore off the 19 and stood up. "I will take part in the Cross Country this year and I will make Varsity," Alex 20 with a breath of inspiration, "Nothing will stop me."

    One winter, when I was eight, my father and I took a ride to Aunt Sally's house. Halfway back home, the car 1 to shake and slow down. Dad 2 that the car had a flat tire. To make   3 worse, we were stuck in the middle of a snowstorm. I could hear the 4 in my dad's voice as he said, "we could only use a Christmas miracle right now.” I remember how much I 5 that old red car, mainly because the radio didn't work. Actually, 6 really worked in that car, but 7, Dad got his miracle- the heater began to operate and we were very 8 that we wouldn't freeze to death. We 9 there for someone to come along and help us out.

    The cold wind started blowing in 10 the little space in the door and the window. It whistled and moaned and 11 me very much. From the wind, I could 12 the pine tree in the air, tied to the roof of the car. Dad and I both began searching for some 13 to clog(堵塞) that thin space to14the cold out. As I 15 my jacket pocket, I realized there was a piece of folded paper in it. I pulled it out, 16 to realize that it was the words of the carol(颂歌), Hallelujah. I had a sudden 17 to sing, so I began to sing it. Dad also 18 me now and then. By the time I sang Hallelujah after the second verse, the winds had 19. As we sang, " and every breath we drew was Hallelujah", we heard a 20 honk (喇叭声) coming from behind us. It was my uncle Mitch coming our way with help.

Achenyo soon arrived at the water's edge with her pot, and she found a huge surprise. The river was 1 ! In its place was a blanket of dark green leaves and lavender-colored (淡紫色的) flowers.

"Oh no!" Achenyo heard the adults crying, "They've 2 again!" It seemed Mama wouldn't have water to mix the dyes (染料) for her weaving.

Last year, the rainy season had brought a(n) 3 of water hyacinths (水葫芦). The plants had covered the river and left no 4 to dip a pot. Every day, people had to walk into the water and clear enough plants to get water.

What a shame to 5 such pretty flowers, Achenyo thought as she 6 the plants with others and threw them on the riverbank. Then, she had an idea. Carrying the plants under her arm, she got Mama's water and ran home 7 .

"Mama, will you teach me to weave?" asked Achenyo. Mama laughed. It was her wish to pass on the 8 to her daughter. But looking at the thick stalks, she was 9 . Achenyo showed her how difficult it was to break and begged 10 Mama said yes. Then they wove together every day after school. It was 11 weaving the stalks into different shapes, but she was 12 .

One afternoon, Achenyo held up her finished work to Mama. It was neatly woven and well decorated. "What a nice mat!" They showed it to their neighbours, who were 13 and began to use the stalks to make things. By the end of the rainy season, the 14 no longer thought of the plant as an invader, but a 15 .