Mr Jackson was blind from birth. He owned a fruit 1 on a very busy street. 2 he was visually disabled, he ran his business pretty handsomely. He could see nothing and he could only 3 the things within his reach. 4 he was able to handle it and was content with everything he had.

    One day his son came to him. He told Mr Jackson in 5 that he read in the newspaper of a 6 who could operate on his eyes and allow him to see. The father and son traveled to the doctor and paid for the 7.

    After the operation, the doctor asked Mr Jackson, “What is the first thing you are 8 to see when I take the bandages off?” He replied, “I really want to see my beautiful 9 on my stand!”

    The doctor and the son 10 Mr Jackson down to the busy street where his fruit stand had been located for so many years. The doctor 11 unwrapped the bandages 12 he could lay his eyes on the beautiful fruit! Mr Jackson was so full of 13 that he could finally see his life's work—taking care of his fruit! After a few hours of 14 his beautiful fruit stand, he looked down the street both ways and saw there were quite a few fruit stands in both directions. He looked 15 the street and saw many other fruit stands. He spent so much time looking at other people's fruit stands and 16 the competition. Soon his own business 17.

    From Mr Jackson's failure, we should know that everyone is a 18 individual with different fingerprints, DNA and thinking. What we need to do is just be ourselves and 19 everyone else to be who they are. Mind our own business and we should never be afraid of 20.

    Life is a series of choices and we can't always foresee the consequences.

    Harry Saleen, an obese man with too much money and power, faced a(n)1 Outside his office waited his personal2, bringing him the important news about the3medicine that could save his life. On the other side of the world, one of his engineers waited for his decision on an important4of business.

    His secretary asked him5she could bring the doctor in. The billionaire businessman made his6 “No. let the fool wait,” answered Saleen, “business comes first.”7the health problem caused by his huge weight, he was still8about making money. He raised a9finger, and one of his staffs10to switch on a large television set.

    On the screen appeared his engineer. They talked by satellite directly to each other although they were thousands of miles11 “It's all ready to explode, Mr. Saleen”, he said, “Just one12” His engineer was standing above Pakan Valley in South America. A few months ago, it had been a rainforest. Then Saleen's men came, cutting down all the valuable trees and13the villagers to move out.14the valley, a dam had been built. This would provide power for the factories that Saleen planned to build in that area. The factories would bring him great15. He saw no reason to delay. He ordered the engineer to press the button. There, in the valley, a cloud of dust rose, followed by a dull explosion. A large river changed its16and water flooded into the valley.

    “Good, that's that. Now, get that doctor in here” he17

The doctor came in with a worried look and started to examine his18patient. “You are doing very well, Mr. Saleen. The only medicine is saving your life. But the difficulty is getting more of it.”

    “Can you get more? Money is no problem.” Saleen said. “Tell me what you need and we'll get it.”

    The medicine was made of a plant, which is19. There is only one place in the world where the plant grows.”

    “Where?” asked the businessman,20.

    The doctor smiled. “Well, luckily, the plant comes from one of the lands you own, sir. It comes from a place in South America, known as Pakan Valley.”

One afternoon, I was walking with Evan on the second floor. I talked on and on and Evan walked 1in front of me. As we turned a corner, Evan 2me and said the ten words. "Why are you talking to me? I'm not your friend." Those were the exact words he said to me that day. I stood there 3. He kept walking and never looked back. I4 to my next class with tears coming up in my eyes.

    We 5 spoke to each other after that. I 6 into a shell, like a turtle, to hide from the world. For the rest of my time in middle school, I didn't 7 myself to get close to anyone. I push away most of my friends8 being hurt again. I avoided unnecessary9.

    It wasn't until high school that I was able to 10my head out of my shell and begin 11people again. But even today, I am still 12 in choosing who I open up to. It takes me a very long time to warm up to 13.

    I was twelve then. I was too trusting and I took what Evan said 14. Maybe he was having a bad day15 maybe I was talking too much. In my view, what he said to me that day 16 the course of my life, but if weren't for that 17, I wouldn't have met my best friends in high school.

    I understand that, in middle school, we were all young. I've been able to 18 all the people who bullied me, but for some 19 I can't seem to forgive Evan. Those words that day hurt me more than anything. I believe that one day I'll be 20enough to forgive Evan too. But right now I'm still that twelve-year-old running down the hall with tears filled with his eyes.

    In the fall of 1985, I was a bright-eyed girl heading off to Howard University, aiming at a legal career and dreaming of sitting on a Supreme Court bench somewhere. Twenty-one years later I am still a bright-eyed 1but one with quite a2 story to tell.

    My grandma, an amazing woman,3from college at the age of 65. She was the first in our family to reach that 4. But one year after I started college, she 5cancer. I made the choice to stop learning at college to 6her. It meant that school and my personal dream would have to7.

    Then I got married with another dream: building my 8with adopted and biological (亲生的)ones. In 1999, we adopted our first son. To lay eyes on him was9— and very exciting. A year later came our second adopted boy. Then 10son No. 3. In 2003, I 11birth to another boy.

    You can imagine how 12occupied I became, raising four boys under the age of 8! Our home was a complete zoo — a joyous zoo. Not surprisingly, I 13did make it back to college full-time. But I never gave up on the dream, either. I 14 only one choice: to find a way. That 15taking as few as one class each semester.

    The hardest part was feeling16 about the time I spent away from the boys. They often wanted me to stay home with them. There certainly were times I wanted to17, but I knew I should set an example for them to follow through the rest of their lives.

    In 2007, I finished my study in the University of North Carolina. It took me over 21 years to 18my college degree!

    I am not19, just single-minded. It always struck me that when you're looking at a big challenge from the outside it looks huge, but when you're inside, it just seems normal. Everything you want won't arrive in your life in a day. It's a20 . Remember: little steps add up to big dreams.

    The year I went to college was a very difficult transition(过渡期)for me.  1is probably true with many people, I got quite homesick and2thought about going home.

    Although the3time for many students is getting4from home, my mailbox was frequently 5. One day when I went to the mailbox, there was a postcard6out at me. I sat down to read it, 7a note from someone back home. 8I became increasingly puzzled as9postcards were like this：It was a full news report about a woman named Mabel and her newborn baby. I took the card back to my room and10about it.

    Several days later I11another postcard, this one12news about Maybelline, Mabel's cousin. Soon after, another card arrived and then another, 13full of news of different people. I began to 14 look forward to the next one, 15to see what this author would come up with16. I was never17.

    Finally, the cards18coming, right about the time I had begun to feel19about college life. They had been such a happy distraction(调剂)that I have20all the postcards and still bring them out to read whenever I need a lift.

    Have you ever seen a miracle happen? Two winters ago, I did. It was 1 that day. The road was covered with snow.

    I asked my mom if we could go to our neighbor's hill and take my dog, Buddy. She said, "Sure. 2 don't go any farther than that." After a while, we walked over to another hill by a pond (池塘) not far away. Then suddenly I saw Buddy walk out onto the ice. I was 3 when he walked to the middle of the pond. The 4 was thin there.

    We 5 Buddy, but he didn't listen. Then 6 the ice broke, and my dog 7 into the water. I asked my friend if I should go in and get him out. She said, "NO!" 8, I ran to my house to tell my mom. It was 9 for me to run on the snowy ground. I was tired, but I had to 10 Buddy.

    When my mom heard what 11, she said, "Get in the car." When we got there, she told me to run home 12 and get her phone. But back at the pond, my mom 13 to get Buddy out of the water and fell in.

    14, my friend saw it happen. She ran to a neighbor's house for help. Soon they got my mom out of the water, but Buddy was still 15 for his life. The fire department (部门) put a ladder (梯子) out onto the ice to get him, but it didn't 16. I was back again by then, and someone said I should 17 inside the neighbor's house. It didn't look 18 for Buddy. I went inside and 19 and hoped for a miracle.

    Then, my uncle walked into the house with Buddy in his arms! I was so 20, I hugged Buddy and thanked the firefighters (消防员).