As we passed the Eaton's Department store's window, we stopped as usual to gaze and do our bit of dreaming. My mother set her eyes on a red dress1 it long.

    As we continued down the street, mother turned2for one more look. “My goodness! They'd display something a person could use!”

    Christmas was3and the red dress was soon forgotten. Mother was not the one who4items that were not practical. Father5liked to splurge(放纵)whenever the budget(预算)allowed. He'd get blamed for his occasional splurging, but it was all done with the best6.

    On our last trip to town before Christmas, mother suddenly said in surprise, “Would you just look at that!” She pointed7as Dad drove past Eaton's.

    “That big red dress is gone,” she said in8“It's actually gone.” I was certain to feel a bit of yearning(渴望)in her9.

    I'll never forget that Christmas morning. I watched Mother tearing the paper off a large box that read, “Eaton's Finest Enamel Dishpan”. “Oh Frank,” she10in surprise, “just what I wanted!” Dad was sitting in his chair with a huge11on his face.

    “Only a12wouldn't give a priceless wife like mine exactly what she wants for Christmas, “Dad laughed and winked(递眼色)at me, confirming his 13and my heart filled with more love for my father than it could hold!

    Mother opened the14 With trembling hands she touched the elegant material of Big Red.

    “Oh my goodness!” her eyes were15tears. “Oh Frank. You shouldn't have” came her weak attempt at16

    “Oh, never mind that! Let's see if it17he laughed, helping her put on the wonderful dress. Mother completely 18into another person.

I watched surprisedly19by the happiness in my parents I had 20noticed before. “You look beautiful,” my dad whispered to my mom—and she surely did!

    Seven years ago, I began accompanying my father to the local market to sell vegetables we harvested from our farm. At the beginning , I did what I could to1him while I also communicated with other participants in the market.

    As time went by, I increasingly2the craft of gardening,3I began planting a garden of my own to4a seller myself. The market soon became my5for many summers to come. The sellers in the market were6and more than willing to share their gardening experience. Many sellers were the new generation of farmers and acquired knowledge through the experience of their7. The years I participated in the market helped me grow, taught me many new skills and opened doors to success I8imagined.

    Responsibility came rather quickly as I 9to manage my own gardening business. There was a huge of work being self10. I had to do everything by myself. I learned that self-discipline(自我约束) and time management were important in order to11a productive garden. Rising 12in the morning at 4 a. m. to arrive at the market with my13produce ensured I would be there to greet early 14 .

    The market opened a door of opportunity I never dreamed of. It15me to make a profit to start a greenhouse business. It is a(n)16feeling when I see the seeds come out and raise them as they continue to17until they are ready for sale. I've learned18because it is impossible to rush Mother Nature! It takes time and work to make the plants grow and become mature. It is not an overnight19. Several weeks are required for the plants to be ready, but the 20is worth all the time I spend and all work I do.

    Eight-year-old Landen Johnson, from Lincolnton, North Carolina, suffers from a rare disease. It is thought to have just 28 patients 1.

    At only three-feet tall and 2 less than his three-year-old sister Hannah Grace, Landen is 3 to grow just another 4 at best in his lifetime. Although on the road to 5, Landen is taking a cocktail of medications (鸡尾酒疗法) and has to go to hospital three times a week, with doctors saying it will be months before he is fully 6.

    7 Landen likely facing the challenges of a little person in the future, his parents believe his brave, outgoing 8 will benefit him. His father Luke, 34, said, "I expect to see him 9 a lot in his adult life, especially as 10 as he is and as wide open as he is. He can do anything he wants to do." Speaking of his 11, Landen's mother Amanda, 32, said, "He wears a size 3T clothes, which are the size for boys aged three and he has to have an 12 waist. He is eight years old and he is almost about the same size as his three-year-old sister."

    Although Landen's parents worry about their son's 13, they believe it will be 14, with Luke saying, "I 15 his strength through everything he has been through. We wish Landen would live a 16, full and healthy life. We're going to challenge him and 17 him to do anything he feels like doing even though he is going to be smaller and he may have more health challenges, he doesn't have to 18 himself. He is teaching me a lot about faith and he has taught me a lot about what it 19 to be strong, even when he feel so 20 sometimes.

    During my second year at the city college, I was told that the education department was offering a "free" course, called Thinking Chess, for three credits.

    I 1 the idea of taking the class because, after all, who doesn't want to 2 a few dollars? More than that, I'd always wanted to learn chess. And, even if I weren't 3 enough about free credits, news about our 4 was appealing enough to me. He was an international grandmaster, which 5 I would be learning from one of the game's 6. I could hardly wait to 7 him.

    Maurice Ashley was kind and smart, a former graduate returning to teach, and this 8was no game for him; he meant business. In his introduction, he made it 9 that our credits would be hard-earned. In order to 10 the class, among other criteria, we had to write a paper on how we plan to 11 what we would learn in class to our future professions and, 12, to our lives. I managed to get an A in that 13 and learned life lessons that have served me well beyond the 14.

    Ten years after my chess class with Ashley, I'm still putting to use what he 15 me: "The absolute most important 16 that you learn when you play chess is how to make good 17. On every single move you have to 18 a situation, process what your opponent (对手) is doing and 19 the best move from among all your options." These words still ring true today in my 20 as a journalist.

The Palace Museum，known as the Forbidden City, is the {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (large) and most well {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (reserve) imperial (皇帝的) residence in China today. It is divided into an outer and an inner court with a rectan­gular shape, 960 meters long from north to south and 750 meters in {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (wide) from east to west. It has a splendid history since the Ming Dynasty, and it {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (rebuild) and repaired many times in the past. I was so excited to visit it {#blank#}5{#/blank#} my family last summer vacation. After we passed through the Front Gate, a lot of palaces appeared. The tour guide told us there were almost 8, 700 rooms in the Palace Museum. During the Ming Dynasty, construction began in 1406. {#blank#}6{#/blank#} took 14 years to build the Forbidden City. I was {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (real) surprised that the workers could build it so well {#blank#}8{#/blank#} even today it is not out of style. I could not remember all the names of the buildings，but I took hundreds of beautiful {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (photo) on the way. I think I will never forget the {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (amaze) trip I had in Beijing, China and I will go there next time with my friends. 

Zach Conti, who is a student in Eastern Michigan University and joined the football team as a walk-on (临时队员) in 2020, has worked at several part-time jobs to pay for his education. Now he won't have to anymore.

"Football is something I really love, so ever since I got to school, I've had to do whatever it takes to stay here and stay in a good position with my studies and football," Conti said. "I have to do many jobs, but when you really want something, you won't feel bored."

While Conti's teammates would see him going to or coming back to work, they were very supportive. But Conti still had trouble paying for his education and his mother's medical bills. He was planning on leaving the university.

Brian Dooley, who would get a scholarship, couldn't see that happen and decided to help his teammate. He told head coach Chris Creighton about the thing. Creighton went to see if an additional scholarship could be given out. The school allowed the team to give out five scholarships and another one was not allowed. Then Dooley went to the coach with a special request.

"Brian Dooley comes into my office," Creighton said during a team meeting on August 3. "And he says, ‘Coach, Conti should get a scholarship. And I've talked this over with my family. And if there's a way to make this happen, I am willing to give up my scholarship as a gift to Conti.'" That's when Dooley walked over to Conti and handed him an envelope with the scholarship inside.

Dooley explained the reason for helping his teammate "I did it because I've seen Conti grow over the long time. It would be a great pity if he walked away from something that he loves. He works so hard. In my eyes, he should get it 100 percent."