A group of graduates got together to visit their old university professor.

The conversation soon turned into complaints about 1 in work and life. To offer his 2 coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and 3 with a large pot of coffee and a 4 of cups—plastic, glass, metal, porcelain (陶瓷), crystal, some plain-looking, some beautiful. The professor told his students to 5 themselves to hot coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said, “lf you have 6, all the nice-looking expensive cups have been 7, leaving behind the plain and 8 ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the 9 of your problems and stress.”

    The professor continued, “Believe that the cup itself adds no 10 to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases it even 11 what we drink. What all of you 12 wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went 13 the best cups.”

    Now 14 this: life is the coffee; the jobs, money, and 15 in society are the cups. 16 are just tools to hold and contain life, and the different types of cups we have don't decide, nor 17 the quality of life. If we concentrate only on the cups, we will 18 to enjoy the coffee in it. So don't let the cups 19 you enjoy the coffee instead." At these words, the graduates looked at each other in 20 embarrassment.

阅读下面短文，从短文后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中， 选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

    My friend Samuel, who is a good runner, and I ran a 5K race last weekend. It was my first organized1. “You run ahead,” I said at the starting line. “You2?” he asked. “Go!” I said. “I'll see you at the3”

    Samuel took off, strong and full of energy. My4 hit the ground in a familiar pattern, and I5 it to the half-way point. My legs started to6 and my back hurt. 7, I wanted to give up but my spirit told me not to. I started to think I should have8 a shorter goal as the great distance was too much for me. I began to9 deciding to run the 5K race. I thought about all this while running. The road seemed very10.

    11 I ran along, my feet felt like lead(铅). It seemed as if I would 12 make it. I was so tired that I couldn't move a step further. I tried to13 myself by sayings. Some words appeared in my mind. They were “Do 14 by halves” and “To persevere(坚持) means victory”. They were 15 and they filled me with fresh energy. Anyway, I wouldn't quit. I 16 along. I eventually saw the white tent by the finishing line.

    Samuel was at the finishing line. When I 17 at the end, he put his arm around my shoulders and18 his hand for a high-five.

    I realized that19 you never give up, the goal you set can be reached. Above all, you just have to be20 and take one step at a time.

    It was an unforgettable experience. We sat in a boat waiting for Ofai. He was swimming under water. There were many beautiful shells at the bottom. If he could ever find some and bring them 1, he would make a lot of money. It was a good and fast way to become rich. My uncle Harry was with us to take care of us. Suddenly I saw Ofai 2 his arms. Then I could see a large shark fish 3 under the water. All at once I was 4 and held my breath.

    “A shark!” cried my uncle. An anxious expression suddenly 5 on his face. He was thinking of how to save Ofai. We 6 at my uncle and waited for him to take7.

    The fish came near. Now we could see him better. He was of a yellow-brown color and as big as our boat. What could we do to help Ofai? He had been under water for more than an hour. So by now he must be very 8 and it was difficult for him to swim fast enough to 9 the trouble. Thinking that Ofai's life was at great risk, my uncle could 10 it no longer. Without 11 he took his knife and jumped into the water. Down he went after the man-eating fish. The shark was 12 straight for Ofai. Then, suddenly, the fish turned. My uncle's strong arm had 13 the knife deep into the side of the great fish. The water turned red as blood ran from the shark.

    Now Ofai had time to reach the top. At last he was safe in the boat. But the fish was 14. He turned to 15 the man who had hurt him. As he swam to my uncle, he opened his great mouth. Again the knife went forward. This time it cut deep into the shark's nose.

    For a minute the shark lay 16. Now Uncle was able to swim to the top. Ofai quickly pulled him into the boat. It wasn't long before the shark came to 17. He hit the boat with such a hard 18 that the sides were almost pushed in. We rowed as hard as possible and finally we were safe on the seashore.

    It was my uncle's 19 and ability that saved Ofai and all of us. We learned a lesson from this experience that courage 20 everything in time of great danger. We will always keep this experience in mind.

    Who is a great person? To answer this question, we often think of someone 1, such as the South Africa hero Nelson Mandela or the NBA basketball star Kobe Bryant. But often a great person is2next to us—but we never see the greatness unless a difficult 3 comes up.

    In May, 2008, a high school girl in Beichuan, Sichuan, 4 a hero just next to her. When the earthquake hit, her school 5on top of the students. Just next to her was her classmate Li Anqiang. Li worked to move rocks to make 6for her. Before rescuers reached them,7, aftershocks brought down 8rubble(碎石) around them. Li's earlier efforts kept his classmate9 from danger, but the new rubble that fell on his legs crushed (压碎) them beyond 10.

    Today, Li is in a wheelchair; he is missing both of his legs, but he is not missing the good 11 that made him a hero during the earthquake. He still12 the sports he played before the earthquake, table tennis and basketball—and still13his hero, Kobe Bryant.

    Kobe Bryant, however, considers Li a hero. In reply to Li's 14  letter, Kobe praised Li as “a strong boy whose attitude toward15was amazing”. He encouraged Li in his love of basketball, telling Li that he looked cool in a photo of his 16a basketball from his wheelchair.

    So 17that we have great people next to us every day—in school, at work, on the bus. There may not be a 18 to show us who they are, but we can be sure they are19 . Who knows?  20 you are one yourself.

    I had seen my “old” friend working at our local Wal-Mart for several months. She always stopped to say hi, then1off saying she had to get back to work.

    Through our brief conversations, I discovered she had been down a pretty2road but somehow had remained a positive and cheerful3to life. She was living in an apartment building, which was4 for alcohol and drug problems, but that was all 5 she could afford. A few weeks later there was a fire at the apartment and all residents had to move. As she 6 said, it could be worse but ended with a positive point about her 7.

    I felt a pull in my heart to do something to help, because I had been in her 8 once or twice but my life had taken a turn for the 9.

    One day I had a few Christmas 10 in my car from work. I pulled one out and  11 it to her. I placed a gift of cash inside the card— more cash than I had ever given anyone but the 12 in my heart said, “Yes! Do it!” When my friend 13, I said, “Here is a card for you,” and we hugged. She opened it and tears came to her eyes.

    Seeing her happiness, I 14 figured out how I was 15 to help her. What she did next made me know I had done the right thing. She phoned me 16 to thank me again and said, “It was too much, so I 17 it with two other women at work who were not going to have Christmas gifts 18 their children either. I hope you don't 19.”

    My heart was filled with 20 knowing I had done something that was passed on right where it was meant to go.

Lily loved school. However, there was one class Lily worried about more than any other—art. She didn't know why she just wasn't any good at drawing, painting, or cutting.

Ms. Clay, the art teacher, stood at the front of the room. "Class, next Friday our school is going to have an art competition," she announced. Ms. Clay was a great teacher, and Lily liked her a lot. But this announcement made Lily nervous. "Everyone in the school will create a piece of artwork to show in the library. You can use the different types of artwork we have been studying." Ms. Clay was quite excited when she spoke while Lily found herself sinking lower in her chair.

Lily had the whole weekend to work on her project, but she could not think of anything to do. On Monday, Lily felt frightened, so after school Lily asked Ms. Clay if she could write an art paper instead of doing an art project.

"I understand this project scared you, Lily," Ms. Clay said. "Just remember, you can create any kind of art you want." Ms. Clay smiled at her. "Art is a person's way of expressing his or her feelings—it isn't always painting, drawing, or cutting. I know you will think of something very creative, and I can't wait to see it."

When Lily arrived home, she took out a piece of paper and a pencil. She remembered Ms. Clay's words. "Art is a person's way of expressing his or her feelings." Lily wrote the word "terrified" on her paper. She crumpled (揉皱) the paper and threw it to the side of her desk.

Then Lily stared at the crumpled ball. Suddenly an idea struck her.

Paragraph 1：

Why not create something out of crumpled paper?

Paragraph 2：

On Friday, Lily carefully carried her project into the library.