One day, a lady bought some bath soaps from a shop. When she opened one of the packets, she found that it had no soap; it was just an empty wrapper! She made a 1 against the factory and got her money back with a successful claim. That being 2, there was a task before the management of the soap factory. How had this happened? How could they3 that the incident would not occur again?

    After a detailed 4, it was discovered that during the 5 of wrapping, it so6 that one or two wrappers did get through without any soap in them! There was no way to 7 the difference between a full wrapper and an empty one. The process of handling each one separately for this purpose seemed to be very difficult. So, the technical 8 was given the job of finding a method to 9 the problem. The man prepared a detailed report and suggested setting up a computer-based system that would weigh and scan each bar, for the empty packs could not be 10 by a normal x-ray machine.

    The management heard him out and passed the 11 to release some money to buy the new machinery that he had asked for . An 12 worker said, “Excuse me, Sir, 13 my rudeness, but I have a 14 that will cost a tiny amount of what you are planning to spend.”

    The management 15 in the beginning. But 16, they heard him out and agreed to try out his suggestion. The next day, the worker brought a strong industrial fan. He put it at an angle near the 17 belt, on which the packed soap bars were coming through, and 18it on. The few empty wrappers that came through got 19 by the fan! A simple solution for a 20 problem!

    This proves that the educated do not have a patent on good ideas.

    There once was a king in a faraway country. One day, he decided to1a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of2So many artists 3The king looked at all the pictures4there were only two he really liked, and he had to 5between them. One picture was of a6lake. The lake was a perfect mirror with peaceful huge mountains all around it. Above was a 7sky with light white clouds. All who 8this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

    The other picture had9too. But these were not flat at all. Above was a (an)10 sky, from which rain fell heavily and in which lightning played 11Down the side of the mountain was a waterfall with loud sound. This did not look 12at all.

    But when the king looked 13he saw behind the waterfall a small tree 14in a crack (缝隙) in the rock. In the tree a mother bird had 15her comfortable home. There, with the current of angry water, the mother bird was 16her hungry children in the nest, taking no attention to the 17things around them — in perfect peace.

    Which picture do you think18the prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why?

    “Because” said the king, “peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise,19 or hard work. Peace means although noisy things are around you, you20keep calm in the heart. That is the real meaning of peace.”

    My dad is my hero because he is brave, skilled，and respectful. I know many people say their dads are their heroes, but my dad 1 me about becoming a man, which is 2 important for a young boy.

    Respect goes a long way with my dad, as does patience. As a(n) 3 ，my dad must  4 people every day, some of whom are nice and some are not. Either way, he 5  his well-mannered attitude.

    Dad is not afraid of many things, or if he is, he doesn't tell me 6  he wants to seem tough. He may not be a big guy but since he works with his 7 all day, he is very strong. Dad works outdoors in all kinds of 8 but the worst thing he has to do is 9up and work in an attic (顶楼) in the middle of the summer. Trust me. That is the 10 place you will experience as an electrician and when you come back11, what is in your lungs will make you12for hours.

    My dad and I have a very good 13. We talk about almost everything. We go hunting, fishing, and everything a dad and son would do. My dad and I enjoy hiking 14 because it gives us time outdoors together and there is nothing like that. He has15 and taught me everything I need to know about16.

    I am17  to be the son of Mike C., and would not have it any other way. People come up to me all the time to18me I have a good dad. It makes me feel 19 that a lot of people think so 20 of him. He is a good teacher of my life and would do anything for me. This is why my father is my hero.

    I used to believe in the American Dream, which meant a job, a mortgage (按揭), credit cards, and success. I wanted it and worked toward it like everyone else, all of us 1 chasing the same thing.

    One year, through a series of unhappy events, it all fell 2. I found myself homeless and 3. I had my truck and $ 56. I 4 the countryside for some place I could rent for the 5 possible amount. I came upon a shabby house four miles up a winding mountain road over the Potomac River in West Virginia. It was 6, full of broken glass and rubbish. I found the owner, rented it, and 7 a corner to camp in.

    The locals knew nothing about me, 8 slowly, they started teaching me the 9 of being a neighbor. They dropped off blankets, candles, and tools, and began sticking around to 10. They started to teach me a belief in a 11 American Dream – not the one of individual achievement but of 12 .

    What I had believed in, all those things I thought were 13for a civilized life, were nonexistent in this place. Up on the 14 , my most valuable possessions were my 15 with my neighbors.

    Four years later, I moved back into 16. I saw many people were having a really hard time, 17 their jobs and homes. I managed to rent a big enough house to 18 a handful of people. There are four of us now in the house, but over time I've had nine people come in and move on to other places. We'd all be in 19 if we hadn't banded together.

    The American Dream I believe in now is a shared one. It's not so much about what I can get for myself; it's about 20 we can all survive together.

    Hello, everyone. It's my honor to recommend (推荐) Educator of the year. I'm sure everyone has a(an) 1 teacher that they will be able to 2 for years to come. There is one famous teacher that everyone wants to have in our middle school—Ms. Sullivan, whose 3you must often hear at school. Ms. Sullivan does a lot of things to make herself 4.

    First of all, she has great enthusiasm for her 5. She teaches many different classes—Language Arts Enrichment, Writing for Publication and Reader's Theater, though most teachers in middle school only teach one 6, such as Math, Social Studies, Science, etc. Ms. Sullivan is also responsible for 7 the school play. Every year she devotes her time into 8 an amazing school play. Luckily I have been a part of it and 9 it so much!

    In addition, Ms. Sullivan always shows her students that she 10 us, whether in our study or in life. Some teachers teach us the lessons in a strict way, 11 Ms. Sullivan shows us that she is always 12 like a friend. In writing classes, she makes us have a group discussion first, which I think is a good way to 13 our creative ideas. Then she lets us 14 write our stories at our own speed. She 15 everything we write and gives us a(an) 16 opinion about it. We are getting more 17 writing a composition, and no longer consider it hard work. Most importantly, she also makes each of her classes 18.

    19, I think Ms. Sullivan should be Educator of the Year. Even if she doesn't get the 20, she still deserves our respect and love!

    I grew up as the "baby" of my family. I was the 1 of three sons. My brothers were five and seven years older than me. They 2 with most of the chores (杂务) around the house, while I spent most of my time riding my bike, 3 basketball in the yard, and etc. To say I was a bit 4 wouldn't be unreasonable. I spent my childhood with all the fun and none of the 5.

    By the time I entered my early teens, however, my 6 had moved out of our home. My dad was badly 7 and became disabled. We had 8 a mountain top house heated by a wood stove (火炉) with only well water to drink. I soon 9 myself then doing more 10 than I had ever done before. I 11 our garden and mowed our lawn (割草) in the summer. In the fall I carried wood to keep us 12 in the winter months to come. And all year round I carried 13 containers of water from a mountain spring back to our house.

    At first I grumbled and 14 to myself. After a while, though, I began to find 15 in helping my parents that I 16 so much. I sang to myself when I cut wood and 17 while I carried water. I 18 found myself helping my mom with the dinner dishes and cleaning. I started to 19 something that I would carry with me the rest of my life too: When your work is done in 20, it isn't work.