On a hot summer day in America, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. He dived into the cool water, Not 1that as he swam towards the middle of the lake, a crocodile (鳄鱼) was swimming toward him.

      His mother 2was looking out of the window and saw the two as they got closer and closer. In great 3 , she ran toward the water, 4 to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became5 and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. 6   , it was too late. Just as he reached her, the  7  reached him. From the shore, the mother  8 her little boy by the arms just as the crocodile snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war (拔河) between the 9  The crocodile was much 10  than the mother, but the mother wouldn't  11   . A farmer 12 to drive by, heard their screams, raced from his truck, took aim and  13  the crocodile.

    14 , after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His 15 were extremely scarred(留下疤痕) by the attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches(抓痕) where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.

       The newspaper reporter, who  16  the boy, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his legs. And then, with obvious  17 , he said to the reporter, “But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them 18 my Mom wouldn't let go.”

Never judge another person's 19 , because you don't know 20they were made.

    Many years ago, there was an emperor(皇帝). One day he told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and 1 as much land area as he liked, he would give him the area of land he had covered.2 enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and 3 as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could.

    He 4 riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. Even when he was 5or tired, he did not stop 6he wanted to cover as much area as possible. When he at last covered a large amount of land, he was exhausted and was 7. Then he asked himself, “Why did I 8myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only 9 a very small area to 10myself.”

    The above story is 11 to the journey of our 12. We push ourselves very hard every day to make more 13, to gain power or recognition. We neglect(疏忽，忘记) our 14, time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding 15and the things we love to do. One day 16 we look back, we will 17that we don't really need that much, 18 then we cannot turn back time for what we have 19

    Life is not about making money. Life is definitely(肯定地) not about work! Work is only 20 to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauty and pleasures of life.

    Zigfried, a little mouse, blew his breath on the frosty window of the farmhouse and rubbed it to see the outside. Still nobody came. Maybe today, he thought 1. It was only a few days before Christmas and he was watching for a miracle (奇迹).

    This farmhouse had been 2 too long. It needed a family. Zigfried's 3 made a noise. He realized that he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. He jumped from the windowsill (窗沿), grabbed a 4 from his home, and went next door to Farmer Mike's.

    Farmer Mike's house had been a great place for the little mouse 5 the farmer married a wife who had a cat. Zigfried 6 when he thought of it. He looked around cautiously as he 7 into the room where grain was stored and was quite 8 as he filled his bag with wheat. He was turning to leave when suddenly he 9 a hot breath about his ear. His heart beat  10 , and without thinking he started to run and luckily 11 the cat's paws (爪子).

    The next afternoon Zigfried heard some good news: a 12 family would be moving into the farmhouse soon. Zigfried's granny would arrive on Christmas Eve to 13 with him. He hoped that the family would come before his granny came. Before long, a car came 14 the road leading to the house, with butter sandwiches, cheese and chocolate.

    Zigfried's Christmas miracle did arrive!

    The house came 15 the next few days. Zigfried 16 every single hour of them. 17, the day before Christmas when he was drinking hot chocolate with a 18 smile at the door of his home, he heard the 19of the children of the family about what they might get for Christmas. What? A cat? The 20 froze on his face； his mouth fell wide open. After a long while, he at last found his voice: “Hey! Whose Christmas miracle is this?”

    I was really nervous this year because I was in a new class. It1me that I didn't know anyone in the class, But 2I didn't know anyone. I had the 3to do something I love- people watching.

    The girl sitting behind me was always laughing and talking happily. She was one of the very few people who made any4 to acknowledge me.

    At the end of the year, we were5to do a big open-ended project where the6were basically to read something, then watch something related to it, and then7a presentation based on what we learned.

    On the presentation day, that girl8 in front of the class, and told everyone how she had read about eating disorders, because she herself had9with one. As it was too difficult for her to talk about it10, she had made a movie, where she had11some people about their eating disorders and how they had felt and12them eventually. After the presentation, almost13was in tears. Several people commented on how 14she was to stand up and talk about it, and how strong she was to have got over the disorder.

    I never15she would have a problem like that because she always seemed16. Her courage to talk about something so17in public and her strength to get through her difficulties have18me. I've also learned how difficult it is to19people. You never know what type of person someone is just by20for a term.

One afternoon, I was walking with Evan on the second floor. I talked on and on and Evan walked 1in front of me. As we turned a corner, Evan 2me and said the ten words. "Why are you talking to me? I'm not your friend." Those were the exact words he said to me that day. I stood there 3. He kept walking and never looked back. I4 to my next class with tears coming up in my eyes.

    We 5 spoke to each other after that. I 6 into a shell, like a turtle, to hide from the world. For the rest of my time in middle school, I didn't 7 myself to get close to anyone. I push away most of my friends8 being hurt again. I avoided unnecessary9.

    It wasn't until high school that I was able to 10my head out of my shell and begin 11people again. But even today, I am still 12 in choosing who I open up to. It takes me a very long time to warm up to 13.

    I was twelve then. I was too trusting and I took what Evan said 14. Maybe he was having a bad day15 maybe I was talking too much. In my view, what he said to me that day 16 the course of my life, but if weren't for that 17, I wouldn't have met my best friends in high school.

    I understand that, in middle school, we were all young. I've been able to 18 all the people who bullied me, but for some 19 I can't seem to forgive Evan. Those words that day hurt me more than anything. I believe that one day I'll be 20enough to forgive Evan too. But right now I'm still that twelve-year-old running down the hall with tears filled with his eyes.

    No one is born a winner. People make themselves into winners by their own 1.

    I learned this lesson from a(n) 2 many years ago. I took the head 3job at a school in Baxley, Georgia. It was a small school with a weak football program.

    It was a tradition for the school's old team to play against the 4 team at the end of spring practice. The old team had no coach, and they didn't even practice to 5the game. Being the coach of the new team, I was excited because I knew we were going to win, but to my disappointment we were defeated. I couldn't 6 I had got into such a situation. Thinking hard about it, I came to 7 that my team might not be the number one team in Georgia, but they were 8me. I had to change my 9about their ability and potential.

    I started doing anything I could to help them build a little 10. Most important, I began to treat them like 11. That summer, when the other teams enjoyed their 12, we met every day and 13passing and kicking the football.

    Six months after suffering our 14on the spring practice field, we won our first game and our second, and continued to 15. Finally, we faced the number one team in the state. I felt that it would be a 16for us even if we lost the game. But that wasn't what happened. My boys beat the best team in Georgia, giving me one of the greatest 17of my life！

    From the experience I learnt a lot about how the attitude of the leader can 18 the members of a team. Instead of seeing my boys as losers, I pushed and19them. I helped them to see themselves 20, and they built themselves into winners.

    Winners are made, but born.