I used to hate being called upon in class mainly because I didn't like attention drawn to myself. And 1otherwise assigned（指定）a seat by the teacher, I always  2to sit at the back of the classroom.

All this 3after I joined a sports team. It began when a teacher suggested I try out for the basketball team. At first I thought it was a crazy 4because I didn't have a good sense of balance, nor did I have the 5to keep pace with the others on the team and they would tease me. But for the teacher who kept insisting on my " 6for it", I wouldn't have decided to give it a try.

Getting up the courage to go to the tryouts was only the 7 of it! When I first started 8the practice sessions, I didn't even know the rules of the game, much 9what I was doing. Sometimes I'd get 10and take a shot at the wrong direction—which made me feel really stupid. 11, I wasn't the only one "new" at the game, so I decided to 12 on learning the game, do my best at each practice session, and not be too hard on myself for the things I didn't 13"just yet".

I practiced and practiced. Soon I knew the 14and the "moves". Being part of a team was fun and motivating. Very soon the competitive 15in me was winning over my lack of confidence. With time, I learned how to play and made friends in the 16 — friends who respected my efforts to work hard and be a team player. I never had so much fun!

With my 17self-confidence comes more praise from teachers and classmates. I have gone from " 18" in the back of the classroom and not wanting to call attention to myself, 19raising my hand— even when I sometimes wasn't and not 100 percent 20I had the right answer. Now I have more self-confidence in myself.

    Many years ago, there was an emperor(皇帝). One day he told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and 1 as much land area as he liked, he would give him the area of land he had covered.2 enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and 3 as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could.

    He 4 riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. Even when he was 5or tired, he did not stop 6he wanted to cover as much area as possible. When he at last covered a large amount of land, he was exhausted and was 7. Then he asked himself, “Why did I 8myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only 9 a very small area to 10myself.”

    The above story is 11 to the journey of our 12. We push ourselves very hard every day to make more 13, to gain power or recognition. We neglect(疏忽，忘记) our 14, time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding 15and the things we love to do. One day 16 we look back, we will 17that we don't really need that much, 18 then we cannot turn back time for what we have 19

    Life is not about making money. Life is definitely(肯定地) not about work! Work is only 20 to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauty and pleasures of life.

    When my husband and I got married, he worked as a mechanic (机修工) from midnight to 8 a.m. However, I worked during the 1So as he came home from work each morning, I was getting ready to2.

    We had very little3 then, so when Valentine's Day(情人节) came around that first year, I knew we couldn't 4 anything for each other. After he left to go to work the night before Valentine's Day, I decided to5 and make a Valentine's Day card for him. I 6 wrote a poem on the front of the card. When he came home the next 7 I felt foolish as I handed him the card8 that he wouldn't laugh at it. When he had finished9 it, he slowly raised his head and looked at me. Then he reached down into his pocket. When he pulled his10out, he was holding11

    He told me that he had12 it for me during his lunch hour, but he had been 13to give it to me because he thought I might think it was14and that I might laugh at it.

    It was a small heart made out of aluminum (铝)15I had stayed up all night making him a valentine card, he had been cutting out a16 for me. I still have the aluminum heart, and I17 it in my desk. Every time I see it, all those 18come flooding back to me. Over the years, we've been able to buy each other very nice19 presents for Valentine's Day. But none has ever been as dear or20 as much as those handmade gifts made from our hearts the first year that we were married.

Joy to the World

    Lights, decorations and Christmas trees filled the stores. Many people were there   because Christmas was only two days 1.

    Thirteen-year-old Joy had just 2 her Christmas shopping. Joy went out of the store and 3 her classmate, Nick, the least 4 student in school, who wore strange clothing and had a face only a mother could love.

    "What are you doing for Christmas?" said Nick with a smile that showed all his yellow teeth.

    "I'm buying presents and having dinner with my 5 ," said Joy, trying to be polite. "What about you?"

    "My parents are away," he said. "I live with my uncle, who doesn't like me very much."

    Joy wasn't sure how to 6, so she said goodbye with an awkward(尴尬的) smile. She felt sorry for Nick since he must feel 7. But it wasn't really her problem.

    On Christmas Eve, Joy's family were busy around 8 for the holiday. Joy's parents were cooking in the kitchen. Joy was a child for holiday cheer, dancing around the house.

    After dinner, the family got into their car and 9to church for the Christmas Eve service. When they walked into the old building, they were 10 by the flow of beautiful songs. A man stood up with Bible and 11 the story Joy had learned on her mother's knee. It was about a baby named Jesus who came to live on Earth to help people who 12 him.

    Joy's thoughts kept turning back to Nick. It must be 13 to be lonely on Christmas, a day that celebrated God's Son coming to Earth. Tears started to run down her 14, but she brushed them away.

    Joy lay awake that night 15 everyone else was sleeping like a baby. She was thinking of ways to help Nick. 16 she heard parents get up, she jumped out of bed. She found them in the kitchen and told them about Nick. Then she asked, "Can we invite him 17 today?" "Sure," answered Joy's mother, who was always happy when 18 came. Her father smiled.

    When Joy called Nick later that day, he was excited. After getting his uncle's 19he joined them for dinner. To her surprise, Joy enjoyed spending time with him.

    Joy came to understand 20 Christmas cheer is a joy to Nick, even to the whole world.

A Story on an Island

    A ship was lost at sea and the only survivor was washed up on a small, inhabited (无人居住的) island. He prayed 1 for God to rescue him and for hours he just 2 at the horizon (地平线), waiting for a heaven-sent 3 but it never came.

    Then he decided to do something. 4 tired and upset, he 5 some branches and dry grass. Hours of hard work paid off and a little shelter was built. The "Robinson Crusoe" began his life on the island. Believe it or not, a couple of days going by, he 6 and it seemed not that hard.

    But then one day, after 7 for food, he arrived home to find his little shelter in flames and the 8 rolling up to the sky.

    The 9 had happened: everything was lost.

    "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried with 10 and anger.

    Early the next day, 11, he was awakened by the 12 of a ship that was coming near to the island. It had come to rescue him!

    "13 did you know that I was here?" he asked one of his rescuers.

    "We saw your smoke 14", they replied.

    It is easy to get 15 when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose 16, because God is at work in our lives, 17 when we are in pains and sufferings.

    Remember, next time your little 18 is burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that calls 19 the grace of God. For all the negative (消极的) things we have to say to ourselves, God has a/an 20 answer for it.

    I used to hate running. It seemed too hard, and expanding my comfort zone was not something I like. In fact, I wouldn't have become a runner if it weren't for my husband Charles. He had been a serious competitive 1 for many years. After our marriage, he wouldn't stop talking about how much he 2 it. So he picked it up again, and after about a year, I started to 3 him at the track. Just a few weeks later, Charles signed us 4 up for a five-kilometer race. I 5 about doing it because it was too soon.

    The 6 sent a signal. Thousands of runners pushed forward. The first kilometer was 7. I was already breathing heavily and painfully aware of the group of runners 8 me. Charles was trying to 9 me, to get me focused on something 10my discomfort.

    After another minute I saw the three-kilometer 11. "Painful" couldn't 12describe how I felt. And there was pain, so much pain. I rounded a 13, and saw both sides of the street 14 with people watching the race, all 15 the runners up. I tried to keep my 16 going. I knew that if I actually 17 this race I would have achieved something. So, I 18 up and went on.

    Finally I passed through the finish line. A volunteer put a medal around my neck. I 19 held my medal, walking to the post-race celebrations with Charles. My lungs and my 20 zone both expanded.