Mickey was a nice, cheerful, optimistic boy. No one could remember ever having seen him 1; it seemed he didn't 2whatever people said to him. Even his teachers admired his good 3. It was so unusual that a story was going around that Mickey's 4 must be due to some special secret. They asked Mickey so much that he 5 his favorite teacher, Mr. Anthony, to tea one afternoon. When they had finished, Mickey 6 Mr. Anthony around the house. When Mickey opened his bedroom door, the teacher 7. The huge wall was a unique collage (拼贴画) of thousands of colors and shapes! It was the loveliest decoration Mr. Anthony had ever 8.

"Some people at school think that I 9 think badly of anyone," Mickey started to explain, "and that 10 at all bothers me, but that's not true at all. I'm just like anyone else. I used to get angrier than all the other kids. 11 years ago, with the help of my parents, I started a small collage. With every little piece I stuck on I added some bad thought or act."

It was 12. The teacher looked closely at the wall. In each one of the small 13 he could read "fool", "silly", "idiot", "pain" , and a thousand other 14 things.

"This is how I started 15 all my bad times into an opportunity to 16 to my collage. Now I like the collage so much that, each time someone makes me angry, I couldn't be17. They've given me a new piece for my work of 18."

    That day, the teacher was impressed by Mickey's 19 to have an optimistic character. Without telling anyone, Mr. Anthony 20 his own collage and he would often recommend it to his students.

    It has always been my dream to attend college. When I was younger, I would watch TV shows with college students having lots of 1.It looked like a great experience－going to parties,2with

    friends and letting the good times 3 When I entered high school, however, I started learning the real4 of college－to get a good education and a well-paid job. Therefore, with a passion for success in life, I expressed my 5about attending university to my parents. They were6I'd chosen the path, but were disappointed because they couldn't 7the cost. Upset and stressed, I started looking for 8to pay myself.

    My search for money began online. I went to every free scholarship search engine and spent up to five hours each day looking for scholarships I 9for. It was hard, but I knew it would10When I'd found almost all the scholarships I could apply for, I11them by deadline, which  gave me a way to prioritize my schedule. After12 everything, it was time to fill out the applications. Despite the amounts, ranging from＄100 to ＄40,000, I took each scholarship13because together they would fund my goal. With this in my mind, the hardest part began: writing the essays. To 14my writing, I asked friends, relatives and teachers to15over my work. Now I've won16scholarships and can attend college for free.

    The scholarship search truly made me a17person. I learned the importance of setting a(n)18 and accomplishing it.19 I did have to read several rejection letters, those made me stronger. I'm thrilled I had the opportunity to learn more about my20to succeed no matter what difficulties got in my way.

    It began years ago, after Mom had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. As her symptom 1, I often had a hard time figuring out what was real and what wasn't in her2. One day I was helping her find some pants that fitted, and she was 3 them on and looking in the mirror. Suddenly she turned and said,4 to her reflection in the mirror, “Well, I like her. She is always really nice to me.”

    It caught me so off guard. There we were doing 5 things, and suddenly she was talking about her reflection as if it were another person. How should I 6? I looked closely, as if there was going to be someone else in that mirror, saying, “Great. I am so glad she's 7to you.”

    Though still in 8 I knew there was no point bringing someone with Alzheimer's back to 9It wasn't, until later that I could 10 that the lady in the mirror was real to Mom.

    Another time I walked in, finding Mom 11 I was going to leave when Mom woke up. “Hi Mom, it's me, Molly, your daughter.” Since Mom may or may not 12 me when we meet, I always identify myself to her.

    That day she remembered me. She 13 my arm slightly and said, “Hi, honey. Come here, I want you to meet someone 14 she leaves.” And so I was reintroduced to the lady in the mirror. I 15 her as if someone were really there, and that was 16for Mom.

    I am glad she loves her17 because she sees herself as a kind being. This is yet another18 my mother has taught me: We should love ourselves and others with the kind of 19 my mom has for her lady in the mirror, even though she doesn't know she is seeing herself, my beautiful, loving, and 20 Mom.

    I sat down at my desk and tried to focus on my studies. In just seven more days, finals would be over and all the students in my college 1 would be leaving to   go home-2 me. I would be moving 3 to another dormitory for the Christmas break.

    I had no 4. I was a student from Pennsylvania attending college in Utah and my family of ten couldn't 5 to pay for my ticket home. The only 6 I was even able to attend college was that I had received several scholarships.

    I started at the white snow dancing through the air. This would be my 7 Christmas away from home. I felt so 8 that I could weep. 9 I swallowed down the ache that was rising in my throat, my phone rang suddenly. I reached over and picked it 10.

    “Hello?”

    “Hi, Teddi. This is Elsie.” What was my boss from high school grocery job 11 me for? “All the workers here 12 that you weren't able to make it home this year.13 we bought you a ticket. You're coming home!”

    I screamed.

    Fifteen minutes later I was off the14and jumping up and down for 15. Neighbors came over to see what the 16 was all about.

    “I'm going home for Christmas! My17 at my high school job bought me a ticket!” I told them.

    Christmas 18, I was awoken by laughs and screams of joy. The smell of roasting turkey and the wrapping paper（包装纸）that grew higher and higher filled me with love and 19. The kindness of some special fiends 20 me to have the best Christmas ever.

Miracles（奇迹）come in moments

    The scene of this minor miracle 1 in the living room of my house under an old, broken ceiling fan（吊扇）with a little glass angel hanging from its pull string（挂绳）.

    My youngest son has a severe form of autism（自闭症）. 2 he is in his twenties now he still has the mind of a small 3. He speaks only a few words. He is always 4 in his own world. Most of the time he is happy but there are also times when he can be terribly 5. He will cry for no 6 that I can see. He will even hit himself. It always hurts me to see him suffer this way 7 when there is little I can do to help.

    This morning was particularly trying for him. He 8 on and off for an hour. Finally he 9. I was still feeling stressed, however, and wearily sat down at my computer to see if I could get a little work done.

    As I was turning it 10, though, I heard my son 11 for the first time all day. I turned my head and saw him 12 directly under the glass angel hanging from our ceiling fan. The light from our house lamps seemed to shine and sparkle all around him like a halo（光环）. His eyes sparkled too as the little 13 swung gently above his head. He laughed again and 14 at me.

    At that moment my heart opened. I could see that the miracle was 15 me that my son was more than his autism. I saw the 16 and light of his spirit and knew he was here for a(n) 17. My eyes watered and I feel 18 for this minor miracle and gentle reminder of his love for all of us.

    Miracles are all around us, but we 19 always see them with our eyes. We often have to see them with our 20. Keep your heart open to them then. And let yourself be the miracle you are meant to be!

Iˈve always loved the ocean. In the {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (seven) grade, I started volunteering at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. I was upset to learn that many sea animals eat plastic garbage, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (think)it is food. 

I decided to do something {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (educate) people about this problem. I held presentations at schools to teach kids about plastic waste. I wanted to reach businesses too. I decided that if I learned of a company{#blank#}4{#/blank#} used a lot of plastic, Iˈd send it an email urging it to cut back. 

One day, I saw a commercial for a health-care company. People in the ad were using plastic straws （吸管）. I found the contact information of the company{#blank#}5{#/blank#} emailed its president. I told him how {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (harm) plastic could be to the environment and asked him to consider using more eco-friendly options. I was so{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (excite) when he wrote back to me. He said he would make sure that the company cut its use of plastic straws in half. 

I kept going. Whenever I heard of businesses using plastic, Iˈd send an email. One of the biggest companies I wrote to {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (be) Alaska Airlines Paris. A company{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (represent) wrote back and told me the airline was switching over{#blank#}10{#/blank#}plastic to paper cups on all of its 1, 200 daily flights.