In the dining room of my grandfather's house stood a big grandfather's clock. The table was always 1with wonderful food and 2as the main part. And always that grandfather's clock stood like a trusted old family 3, sharing our happiness.

    As I was a child, the old clock 4 me. I watched and listened to it during meals. I5how at different times of the day, even more wonderful to me was what my grandfather did each day. He never let that clock wind down and 6. He even showed us how to use the key to wind(上发条) the clock. Year after year, the clock became a part of my 7, a part of my heart. The clock stayed with my grandfather until he passed away.

    Several days after my grandfather died, I entered the dining room, with tears flowing8. My grandmother gave me the clock and the key. I opened the clock door with my 9 hand. Then slowly, gently, I entered the key and wound the clock. It began with tick – tock, tick – tock ,10 of the clock was breathed into the dining room, into house and into my 11. In the movement of the hands of the clock, my grandfather 12 again .

    China has made big progress in running competitions! The young1Su Bingtian made history on Sunday by becoming the2Asian athlete to appear in the men's 100m final at the world athletics championships.

    As the3man in China, Su was born in a4family in Guangdong in 1989. His parents were both farmers and had a lot of work to do on the farm every day. So Su often helped them with housework at home. Though his study was not very good, he was5at running than many other boys in his class. He6this kind of sport very much, so he practised running as often as possible. In 2004, Su started to take part in different competitions and has won many prizes since then. And this year, he managed to finish 100 metres in 9.99 7. That was the best result in Asia. His dream8! When he heard the news, he could not believe9ears.

    Though Su is famous now, he never behaves arrogantly. Instead, he still works hard10he wants to have a better chance of winning! I believe there is a lesson there.

    During my second year of nursing school，our teacher gave us a test.I was a hard﹣working student and I did well1all the subjects.I finished the questions 2until I read the last one，"What is the first name of  the woman3cleans the school？"

    Of course this was only a joke.I saw4 cleaning woman every day.She is short and about 60 years old.

    She has dark hair.5 how would I know her name？I have never talked with her before.In fact，I've never even thought about6to her!I stared at my paper.7 guilty I felt! Finally，I handed in my paper，but the last question 8.

    Before the class ended，one student asked the teacher9the last question would count into our grade.

    "Of course，"the teacher said，"In your life，you will meet10 people.It's important for you 11 them.They deserve（值得）your attention and care，even if all you do is just 12 hello."I'll never forget that lesson.Everyone deserves our attention and we13 try to get to know all the people who work and live around us.That was14 lesson of my life.Later that day，I 15that the cleaning woman's name was Dorothy.

    One night a man came to my house. He told me. "There is a family with eight 1. They don't have anything to eat." After I asked him where the family was. I took some 2 with me and left.

    When I finally got to that family, I 3 those little children were so hungry that they could not 4 anything. There was no sadness in their eyes, just the deep pain of hunger. I gave the food to the mother. She took half of it, and then went out. When she 5, I asked her, "Where did you go?" She gave me this simple 6, "To my neighbours'. They are also 7!"

    I was not surprised that she gave the food to others, because poor people are always very 8. But I was surprised that she knew her 9 were hungry when she was also in need of food. Usually, when we are in trouble or in danger, we always 10 ourselves first, and we have no time for others.

    I did very badly at school. My headmaster thought I was1and when I was 14, he said, "You are2going to be anything but a failure."

    After five years of3jobs, I fell in love with a very nice middle— class girl. It was the best4that could have happened to me. I decided to do something positive with my life because I wanted to prove to her what people said about me was5, especially her mother, who had said to me, "You have failed at everything you have ever done.” So I tried hard with my6and went to college. My first novel7while I was at college.

    After college I taught during the8in high schools and attended evening classes at London University, where I got a9in history. I became a lecturer at a college and was thinking of giving up that job to write full time when I was offered a part— time job at Leeds University. I began to feel proud of myself—it was a working— class boy who had left school early, now teaching at the university.

    My writing career(生涯)10when I realized my own style. Now I am rich and famous, have been on TV, and met lots of film stars. But what does it mean? I just wish all the people that have put me down had said, "I believe in you. You will succeed.

    "I can't believe what I'm hearing!" I thought to myself. Jeff was the last candidate (候选人) for president of Students' Union. My best friend Tony came to me and said, "I'm 1, Mike. I really thought you should be 2."

    Later that day, I happened to pass Jeff in the dining room. I offered him a polite " 3" and walked to my usual table. To my surprise, Jeff put his plate beside mine.

    "I'm, er-I'm just wondering 4 you would…consider coming to work on my team," he said 5. "You are really smart, and you would be a great manager."

    "I don't think so," I replied, feeling 6.

    "Well, if you change your mind, we are meeting tomorrow," he said before moving to 7 table.

    All that night, I thought about the offer from Jeff. Maybe being a part of the election process (选举过程) would give me a chance to make important changes at our school. I 8 to join them.

    My first goal was to 9 an attractive advertisement. Within a few days, we designed a10 with Jeff's pictures showing him in a number of activities. No one could walk through any hallway without passing Jeff's smiling face.

    My next step was to 11 which new activities students would like to have at our school. Many of them wanted a chess club and a volleyball team. With the information I had collected, Jeff met with the headmaster. The headmaster 12 to add these activities to our school program.

    With my help, Jeff and our ideas were well received at school.

    An eighth grader said, "It'll be like attending a new school with Jeff as president."

    Hearing these words made my heart filled with 13. I had wanted to become president of Student Council to make a difference. I achieved that and more by working as a member of Jeff's team. He became the most popular candidate and I was a large part of his 14. The fact that it has made a(n) 15 in other people's lives is the real prize. What a great feeling!