I'm sitting at the airport watching people in the last minutes before their loved ones arrive or depart.

    A woman is running in circles trying to gather family members together for a 1 . When the final moment comes before 2, she wraps her arms around her son, giving him a 3 hug that should protect him until she 4 .

    I sit with a book in my hands, waiting for my turn to leave, 5 because the ones I love have a different 6 from mine.

    I think of other departures and arrivals. I 7 seeing my daughter. I wrapped myself around her as if she'd been 8 . That year she was in her first year at university, coming home for the first time.

    Today my flight is two hours late. When my flight is 9 called, I gather my book and luggage. 10 there is no one to see me off, I do not 11  to see where I have come from. 12, I think of my husband at work 13 if I have left yet.

    As I head towards the plane, I find myself 14  yet another arrival and departure. That year, my 91-year-old grandfather died. After returning from his funeral, I arrived at the airport 15. My husband of only a year was waiting at the gate to take me in his arms. Because of my tears, 16 was looking at us, but I didn't 17.

    Life needs the important 18  all the time. I wish that all the people who went on a 19 could come back to find someone 20 them. I also wish they could leave with someone to see them off.

My Hero

    What does it mean to be a hero? I think a hero is someone who goes out of his way to make others happy. My hero is Mr. Wright, my chorus(合唱队) teacher.

    When I was 12 years old, my grandparents passed away. I was really close to them, and losing them was the hardest thing I've ever had to 1through. I couldn't eat, sleep, or think; I felt like I couldn't even breathe. It was as if my whole world had fallen down from under me, and I2into this huge hole of depression(抑郁).

    3I was battling depression, I was determined to make my high school years the best of my life. It was difficult to be 4, but I had to try. I joined Women's Choir. Mr. Wright was the choral director and he was so funny that the first day, I just knew I had made the best 5of my life.

    As the year progressed, I loved the chorus more and more. I began to smile again and really enjoy 6.

    Then one day that all changed. My friends—or those that I thought were my friends—started talking about me behind my back. I was 7, and I sat by myself. Mr. Wright came over and asked what was wrong. The look in his eyes told me that I could 8him. Trying hard to 9back tears, I told him the whole story.

    When I finished, he nodded and told me,“If you never learn anything from me, learn this: No one is worth 10your joy.”What Mr. Wright said really 11a chord(心弦) in my heart. He12cared about me and what was going on. I'll never be able to thank him enough, because he not only saved me but has13every day of my life since. Any time I feel like giving 14, I remember Mr. Wright's words and push forward.

    I'm proud to say that I 15my depression, and I'm now a senior. I'm still a 16of chorus, and now I'm also in the best choir at my school.

    Mr. Wright is a hero 17everyone he meets. He cares about every single person who walks through his door, and he loves what he does more than any other teacher I've known. That's 18he deserves to be Educator of the Year. He deserves the 19not just this year but every year.

    I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet you, Mr. Wright. You are an 20teacher, and I hope you realize that. You're my hero.

    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 met my art teacher Ms. J in the seventh grade and she changed me.

In her first class, she encouraged us to1what art meant. During discussion on facial structure and paintings, she2the “golden ratio (黄金比例)”, a beauty standard and explained how Davinci applied it to his works to ensure they were visually3.

    I couldn't help but think if my4had been measured against the "golden ratio," my score would have been5

    I was born with a facial disfigurement( 缺陷)and my face looked6. After regular appointments with7, my face was changed many times with little improvement. I8seeing myself in the mirror.

    People's strange tones, curious expressions kept telling me that I was9. Worse still, my photo appeared in a magazine with big letter "Face similar to work of Picasso" right below. I felt10

    I told Ms. J about my11and how my face was compared to Picasso's painting.

    "Art isn't about what you see but about what you12." She comforted me and told me that our13appearances were our signatures that we left in the world, which set us14and made us beautiful. And then she showed me a picture of an old man with long white hair. "You see, Davinci doesn't look too pretty, but his works15beauty on us." she added.

    I was struck by her words, and I wondered16I had never thought this way.

     "Being compared to Picasso may seem like a shame, but it's a(n)17.You are unique and you are a masterpiece."

    Today, when I look18the mirror, I will remember the words of my teacher, "beauty is subjective" and I get to know my appearance is my19.

    It takes me years to20that beauty is more than a cold calculation.

On October 13, a small plane flying to Chile accidentally crashed into a mountain in the Andes. How some of the passengers 1 to live is one of the greatest survival stories ever told. 

The survivors stayed inside the remains of the plane, using seat covers for blankets, and waited for a 2 that never came. Days turned into weeks. It was urgent to find a way to 3 . Three of the passengers—Canessa, Parrado, and Vizintin volunteered to 4 through the mountains to search for help. When they left, each man wore5 clothes: three pairs of socks, a plastic bag around each foot to keep the water out, boots, four pairs of trousers and four sweaters. Many of the clothes came from those who died in the crash. The three men 6 that they would survive and bring back help. 

For part of the first day, they were glad to make some 7 . But as the land and weather changed, climbing became 8 . After several days, they reached what they thought was the top. They had imagined this moment for days. On the other side of the top, they hoped, would be a valley leading down and out of the mountains. However, they saw the same snow-covered tops. All hope wasn't 9 . Although they were still in the middle of the mountains, Parrado 10 two low tops far away that didn't have snow. If they got there, they would be out of the Andes. 

Within the following days, they walked towards the two low tops. Little by little, the landscape began to change. Snow 11 completely, and flowers were everywhere. "This is the valley," Canessa said. "This is the way out." Then things of humanity started to appear—a few cans on the ground, some farm animals in a field. By December 21, the extremely

12 men made it to the town of Los Maitenes, and a rescue team was sent immediately to search for the survivors who were still high in the Andes. 

Finally all of the remaining survivors were 13 . The memories of the crash in the Andes would be with them forever, but for now, their terrible 14 was over. They had made it out—15 . 

All students have bad times. What do they usually do when they get into trouble?

My mom is like my friend. I talk about everything to her. Whenever I have some trouble, I can get good advice from her. I have another good friend — my diary. It knows all my secrets. Talking with my two friends always makes me feel better. 

 —— Linda

Laughing helps me when I'm upset. I usually watch funny movies and TV shows. I also love spending my hard time with my best friend Dave. He is humorous and always makes me laugh. 

 —— Peter

Every time I feel bad, I go climbing alone. The study says exercising can help cheer one up (精神振奋). And the beautiful view at the top of the mountain makes me forget all my troubles. Sometimes I shout at the mountain top. It feels fantastic. 

 —— John