Dad was not only my best friend, but my compass (指南针). While he was alive, he1 me with his actions and advice. He taught me one important 2: “Believe in yourself.”

    If there was one phrase my dad 3liked to hear, it was “I can't.” He never got to finish high school and 4 two jobs to support his large family, 5 he never complained. Through education and years of hard work, my dad became an excellent journalist.

    When I was in high school, I had a 6time with math. He tried to help me, but I 7 struggled. So my math teacher suggested I meet with him at 7:00 each morning before school for 8 help. I told Dad, “That's9! I'm tired! I can't do that!” He replied, “You're doing it. I'll send you to school.” Every morning at 6:45, we'd leave the10. Despite (尽管) working 12 hours every day, Dad never once11 driving me to school.

    After months of12, I was facing the final exam. I was so13. On the day of the final, my dad hugged me and said, “Luke, 14yourself. You can do it.” His words made me realize I needed to trust in my15 and in the hours of work I'd 16. When I got my17 proudly, the first person I called was my father. He cried, “Yes! You deserved it!”

    Even now, whenever I18 that a task is too much for me, I think back to that exam. No matter how 19something is, if you're willing to work, you can succeed. I'm forever20 to Dad for that lesson.

    It was an unforgettable experience. We sat in a boat waiting for Ofai. He was swimming under water. There were many beautiful shells at the bottom. If he could ever find some and bring them 1, he would make a lot of money. It was a good and fast way to become rich. My uncle Harry was with us to take care of us. Suddenly I saw Ofai 2 his arms. Then I could see a large shark fish 3 under the water. All at once I was 4 and held my breath.

    “A shark!” cried my uncle. An anxious expression suddenly 5 on his face. He was thinking of how to save Ofai. We 6 at my uncle and waited for him to take7.

    The fish came near. Now we could see him better. He was of a yellow-brown color and as big as our boat. What could we do to help Ofai? He had been under water for more than an hour. So by now he must be very 8 and it was difficult for him to swim fast enough to 9 the trouble. Thinking that Ofai's life was at great risk, my uncle could 10 it no longer. Without 11 he took his knife and jumped into the water. Down he went after the man-eating fish. The shark was 12 straight for Ofai. Then, suddenly, the fish turned. My uncle's strong arm had 13 the knife deep into the side of the great fish. The water turned red as blood ran from the shark.

    Now Ofai had time to reach the top. At last he was safe in the boat. But the fish was 14. He turned to 15 the man who had hurt him. As he swam to my uncle, he opened his great mouth. Again the knife went forward. This time it cut deep into the shark's nose.

    For a minute the shark lay 16. Now Uncle was able to swim to the top. Ofai quickly pulled him into the boat. It wasn't long before the shark came to 17. He hit the boat with such a hard 18 that the sides were almost pushed in. We rowed as hard as possible and finally we were safe on the seashore.

    It was my uncle's 19 and ability that saved Ofai and all of us. We learned a lesson from this experience that courage 20 everything in time of great danger. We will always keep this experience in mind.

    A family of Iraqis live in my neighborhood. The 1 of the family, Ali, served as a(n) 2 for the American Forces for ten years.

    3 the Americans were withdrawing they gave my friend's family visas to come to  4. They didn't give them 5 else. Ali came to the USA. He was able to get two of his sons out of Iraq and they got jobs at Walmart and ATT. They have 6 English skills and are college educated.

    My friend Ali is in his 7 and had worked as an English interpreter much of his life. He had worked for some very important international companies 8 business in the Middle East. But here in America he is just an old Muslim man 9 to get a job.

    We became friends when my dog got 10 from the dog park and 11 a cat into his yard. I tried to help him get a job by making phone calls for him and help him 12 some of the American culture. A year later, he finally got a job as a security 13 for a shopping center.

    I am very 14 of his wife and daughters-in-law. I haven't done much for them except try to be a good 15. When his second American grandson was 16 I took a box of oranges and my smile to 17 the new baby.

    I've tried to be empathetic(有同感) to a family in a place completely different from 18they knew as home. They are 19 to be here and to live in safety and comfort. I am happy that they are 20 in a world where so many are not.

    Before volunteering to teach in Tanzania, I not only learned local language and custom, but also learned the school I would teach in. So I thought I had good 1 before I stepped into my classroom. I was eager to teach them. First, I2myself to let the students know me. Then, I started to learn the students' names.

    Back in America, I would 3 learn the students' names because I had a special method. However, there as the students said their names, I soon realized that method became 4 . I only learned Glory's name on the first day 5 her constant smile and dimples(酒窝).

    In the following days, only one student asked questions in class while most were not 6 at all. In order to 7 a connection with them, I asked them to regularly write me a letter about their families or interest. When they were writing to me, I was like a 8to them. They regularly poured their thoughts and secrets to me. I learned Glory was sad about her mother's 9. She wished to see her again in heaven. As students 10 to me, I included their interest into my lessons. However, I11 to let most students participate in class activities regardless of my efforts. I was filled with12 .

    Then, one day, everything 13. In the class of that day, without much thinking, I asked Glory if her parents had dimples. Glory's eyes suddenly became 14. She said softly with tears in her eyes, "My mother had." Then all students' backs bent much lower and the class became more 15. My mind flashed to her letters about her mother. I continued speaking, not as an English teacher, but as someone who truly16 my student, "Glory, you have your mother's dimples. So whenever you smile, your mom is with you."

    She looked at me, smiled, then reached up and felt her dimples."17?" she asked. "Yes," I replied. She continued to  18 her cheeks. I added, "19your mom is gone, she will always be in those dimples." Hearing those words, many students felt 20. They began to love me and raise hands in class.

    As my husband, Doug, stood on the busy New York city street to stop a taxi, I tried to protect my daughter from the cold December wind and rain. I put my head down to kiss her 1 face.

    Frustrated and wet, my husband gave up his attempt to hail a taxi. I knew the feeling. Just after her first birthday, we were told our daughter Katie has a 2 brain illness. Since that moment, Doug and I felt like 3 in a marathon race where the finish line kept disappearing. We knew Katie was running out of 4. It had taken months before we finally had a name for the 5, but we were told only a few specialists in the world knew how to 6 it. Now, as we finally found a brilliant doctor to 7 our girl, we were in a strange city in the cold rain.

    Just at the moment, a middle-aged woman 8 and said, "Pardon me? May I offer you a(n) 9?"

    Before we could say 10, she continued, "It's really no 11 for me. Just get in."

    It was then that I noticed her thick Irish 12 which 13 me up like hot soup. We 14 said, "Thanks! Roosevelt Hospital, please," as we got in her car for the ride.

    "Are you going for the baby?" she asked us.

    I nodded my head, holding back my 15.

    At the hospital we 16 her a dozen times for the ride. As the woman hugged me, I noticed her face was 17 with tears. She promised to pray for us before she left.

    After three more visits to New York and two more 18 surgeries (手术), Katie is cured. But the voice of the Irish Angel still rang as a constant 19 of a tiny ray of light that appeared in our 20 days.

Richard Browning has been attracted by flight ever since his father took him into the hills to fly gliders (滑翔机). He has certainly been an adventurer. Richard took it upon himself to develop his own jet suit and began to experiment with some of his friends. He made quick progress. In 2017, he felt confident enough to start a company called Gravity Industries that could make jet suits. It took 15 months to develop the very first one. 

Five very small jet engines are built into the jet suit. These are powered by kerosene (煤油). Two engines are located on the pilot's arms and one is placed on the back. Each engine weighs less than two kilos and can produce22 kilos of thrust(推力). 

The pilot is able to control the direction and speed of the flight. He does this by small movements of the arms which require hours of practice. One wrong move and you could end up falling to the ground. 

Richard is not only in charge of his company; he is also the chief test pilot. He has spent hours and hours perfecting the correct moves to create a perfect flight. He was able to enter the Guinness Book of World Records in 2017 when he became the fastest man in a jet suit and flew at 51 kilometres per hour. Since then, he has presented his jet suit at 60 events in 20 different countries around the world. More recently, he flew alongside Brighton Pier on the south coast of England at 136 kilometres per hour! 

The objective of Richard's company has been to build a suit which members of the public can buy. The first went on sale in a department store in 2018 for f 340, 000. If you want to jet around your own hometown, it's time to start saving—or to work for Richard Browning.