I think that sleeping is perhaps the most comfortable thing in the world. While 1, I will do nothing but close my eyes, leaving all the trouble behind. However, I2 get up early almost every morning.

    My class begins at 8:00 am, but the teacher asks us to arrive at the school before 7:15 am, so we will have3time to prepare for the classes. If you are 4, then you will lose one point. And when you lose 105, your parents' visit to school will be a must. Though I think it's 6 to arrive so early, I still don't want to lose any points.

    One morning, my alarm clock7to work. I8with a start(吃惊) and found that it was already 7:00. I had lost two points that week, that is to say, I would lose three points in a9. My teacher said that he 10me to be late that morning. And my friends joked that my 11was coming soon. I finally  12to do something to change this. I bought a new alarm clock. It sings songs on time every morning 13 I turn it off.

    The new alarm clock is perfect for a lazy cat like me. The first time I 14it, I was able to get up at 6:00 the next morning. Proud of 15 I took a deep breath and found that the air in the early morning is surprisingly 16 I read some English books, 17that morning is really fit for reading English. I hadn't realized 18 that morning is so wonderful.

    “Life is 19a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get,” just as Forrest Gump said. Sometimes if you make a 20, you may find that things will end up with the better.

    People from every corner flooded into the streets that Christmas Eve. "Frosty the Snowman," and "Jingle Bells" 1 in stores; on the pavements, the street singers performed happily. Everyone, was 2 by someone else, delighted and cheerful. I was alone.

    As one of 8 kids of a Brazilian family, brought up in America's crowded apartment, I'd spent several years searching for aloneness. Now, 3, at 27, a college student after the 4 with my girlfriend, every cell inside me wanted to be alone, 5 not at Christmas. My family had 6 to Brazil and my friends were 7 with their own lives. Dusk was approaching, and the fact that I had to return to my 8 home made me sad. Lights from windows blinked, and I hoped someone would 9 from one of those homes to invite me inside with a Christmas tree decorated with shiny fake snow and 10presents.

    At a market, I felt more 11 when people were buying lots of goods, which 12 the gifts we received as children in my mind. I missed my family and wanted to cry for wanting to be alone and for having achieved it.

    Outside the church , a manger (小耶稣) had been set 13. I stood with others watching the scene, some of them 14 themselves, praying. As I walked home, I realized that leaving Brazil was still a 15experience as I struggled with whatI had become in 15 years in America. I'd mourned the 16, but for the first time, I recognized what I'd gained. I was independent, 17 and healthy. My life was still ahead, full of18.

    Sometimes the best gift is the one that you give yourself. That Christmas, I gave myself 19 for what I'd obtained up to now and promise to go forward. It is the best gift I've ever got, the one that I most 20.

    On a recent trip to California, I was introduced to Smile Cards. I promised myself to 1 an act of kindness before I left California. I 2 thinking about it but I didn't know what to do.

    I reached the airport and the 3 was about to begin when I saw an ice-cream store. I went in and told the guy at the store that I 4 to do an act of kindness. The guy, named Jose, looked confused. 5 I explained I had just attended a conference, where I was told Smile Cards and 6 to do an act of kindness. Jose showed 7. I told Jose, “Whoever is your next 8 , treat them to some ice-cream and then give them this Smile Card.” Jose 9 read the card and agreed with a smile that was both grateful and 10 at the same time.

    Since this was my first time, I wanted to know the 11 of the receiver. “Jose, I have to catch a 12, but here is my cell phone number. Would you be 13 enough to call me and tell me the person's reaction?” He 14 .

    I went to my gate, and as I was about to board, Jose 15. “I did the act of kindness. The person was very 16, and asked me to express thanks to the person who paid for them!” I again thanked Jose and boarded the flight feeling 17.

    I really want to 18 this practice of kindness. I am a professor and I love my work 19 it makes a difference in the lives of others. And now, I realize that I can do that everywhere. The whole world is my 20.

    One winter, when I was eight, my father and I took a ride to Aunt Sally's house. Halfway back home, the car 1 to shake and slow down. Dad 2 that the car had a flat tire. To make   3 worse, we were stuck in the middle of a snowstorm. I could hear the 4 in my dad's voice as he said, "we could only use a Christmas miracle right now.” I remember how much I 5 that old red car, mainly because the radio didn't work. Actually, 6 really worked in that car, but 7, Dad got his miracle- the heater began to operate and we were very 8 that we wouldn't freeze to death. We 9 there for someone to come along and help us out.

    The cold wind started blowing in 10 the little space in the door and the window. It whistled and moaned and 11 me very much. From the wind, I could 12 the pine tree in the air, tied to the roof of the car. Dad and I both began searching for some 13 to clog(堵塞) that thin space to14the cold out. As I 15 my jacket pocket, I realized there was a piece of folded paper in it. I pulled it out, 16 to realize that it was the words of the carol(颂歌), Hallelujah. I had a sudden 17 to sing, so I began to sing it. Dad also 18 me now and then. By the time I sang Hallelujah after the second verse, the winds had 19. As we sang, " and every breath we drew was Hallelujah", we heard a 20 honk (喇叭声) coming from behind us. It was my uncle Mitch coming our way with help.

Be Happy

    Twenty years ago I was living in Seattle and going through hard times. To my 1 I was driving a school bus to make ends meet although I had a Masters degree. I had been through five interviews with a company and one day they called to say I did not get the job. I went to the bus bay like a zombie(僵尸))of 2.

    Later that afternoon, I had an inner wave, like a scream, "why has my life become so 3?" Immediately after the scream I pulled the bus over to 4a little girl who handed me an earring saying I should keep it in case somebody got back for it. The earring5"BE HAPPY"

    I got angry but then it hit me. I had been putting all of my energies into what was wrong with my life rather than what was right. I should be grateful for what I had. I decided to make a list of 50 things I was 6 for.

    At first it was hard, then it got 7. One night there was a phone call for me from a 8 who was a manager at a large 9. She asked me if I would do a one-day lesson for her 200 hospital workers. I said yes and 10 my job as a driver.

    My day with the hospital workers went very 11. I got a standing ovation(热烈鼓掌)and many more days of 12. To this day I know that it was because I changed attitude 13 gratitude.

    I spent the next year conducting training workshops and then decided to go back to Scotland where I had lived 14. One month later I met my wonderful English wife and best friend of 15 years now. We live in a small beautiful cottage.

    "The only attitude is gratitude" has been my motto for 15 now and yes, it completely changed my life.

    Many people tend to bring electronic products when travelling, including me. Last year I just ruined my summer vacation by bringing along a modern convenience: the iPad.

    Instead of looking at nature, I 1 my e-mail. Instead of reading great novels, I stuck to reading 2 newspapers each morning. And that was the problem: I was acting 3

    I were still in the office. My body was on vacation but my 4 wasn't.

    So this year I made up my mind to try something 5: getting away from the Internet. I knew it wouldn't be easy, 6 I'm not good at self-control. But I was 7. I started by 8 the iPad to my wife. Then, a stroke of luck: The mobile phone 9at our cabin was worse than in the past. I was trapped in a small circle and 10to carry out my plan. Largely 11from e-mail and my favorite newspaper websites, I had little way to12 the world. I had no 13 but to do what I had planned to do all along: read books.

    With determination and the strong support of my wife, I succeeded in my vacation struggle 14 the Internet. I finally 15 that it was me, of course, not the iPad, that was the 16.

    I knew I had 17 when we passed a Starbucks and my wife asked if I wanted to stop to use the Wi-Fi. "Don't need it," I said. 18, as we return to work, a test begins: Can I 19 when I'm back at work? I had no intention of 20 my iPad completely. But I hope to resist the temptation (抵抗诱惑) to use it every five minutes.