I sat down at my desk and tried to focus on my studies. In just seven more days, finals would be over and all the students in my college 1 would be leaving to   go home-2 me. I would be moving 3 to another dormitory for the Christmas break.

    I had no 4. I was a student from Pennsylvania attending college in Utah and my family of ten couldn't 5 to pay for my ticket home. The only 6 I was even able to attend college was that I had received several scholarships.

    I started at the white snow dancing through the air. This would be my 7 Christmas away from home. I felt so 8 that I could weep. 9 I swallowed down the ache that was rising in my throat, my phone rang suddenly. I reached over and picked it 10.

    “Hello?”

    “Hi, Teddi. This is Elsie.” What was my boss from high school grocery job 11 me for? “All the workers here 12 that you weren't able to make it home this year.13 we bought you a ticket. You're coming home!”

    I screamed.

    Fifteen minutes later I was off the14and jumping up and down for 15. Neighbors came over to see what the 16 was all about.

    “I'm going home for Christmas! My17 at my high school job bought me a ticket!” I told them.

    Christmas 18, I was awoken by laughs and screams of joy. The smell of roasting turkey and the wrapping paper（包装纸）that grew higher and higher filled me with love and 19. The kindness of some special fiends 20 me to have the best Christmas ever.

    I still remember that the year when I started university. It was a very 1 time for me. Like many other new students I missed my mother's cooking and my friends, got quite homesick想家的 and 2 thought of leaving university and going home.

    The 3 time for many students was getting letters from home, and at first my mailbox was full. But 4 the letters gradually became fewer and finally the day came when I found my mailbox was 5. It made me feel quite miserable痛苦的. Then one day while I was waiting for the postman I saw that I had a postcard in my box. Happily I sat down to read it, 6 that it was from one of my friends. 7 it was 8 of a young woman called Annie and her new baby. I took the card back to my room, put it into my desk drawer and 9 all about it.

    Several days later, I 10 another postcard. This time it was about Antonio, Annie's cousin. Soon later, another card came and then another, 11 full of interesting information about people I had 12 met. I began to really look forward to them, 13 to see what the writer would 14 next. They made me feel 15 unhappy with my own life and I even began to smile. 16 while the cards 17 coming, I joined some societies and made some new friends. At last I was beginning to enjoy 18 life. The postcards had made me feel happy and helped me begin a new life so I 19 all the cards and even now bring them out 20 I feel miserable.

    When I think about what my hero means to me, I realize that most of my special memories and feelings toward my hero come from the little things he does every day. My hero is not a celebrity or such a recognizable face. My hero is not a national hero or a multi – millionaire. He has never saved me from a burning castle or an avalanche（雪崩）, but he does 1 me and tell me to have a good day. He is just an 2, quiet man, whom I honor.

    My dad is my hero because he is brave, skilled, and 3. I know many people say their dads are their heroes, but my dad teaches me about becoming a man, which is extremely important for a young boy.

    Respect goes a long way with my dad, as does patience. As a(n) 4, my dad must deal with people every day, some of whom are nice and some are not. Either way, he 5 his well-mannered attitude.

    Dad is not afraid of many things, or if he is, he doesn't tell me 6he wants to seem tough. He may not be a big guy but since he works with his 7 all day, he is very strong. Dad works outdoors in all kinds of 8 but the worst thing he has to do is 9 up and work in an attic (顶楼) in the middle of the summer. Trust me, this is the 10 place you will experience as an electrician and when you come back 11, what is in your lungs will make you 12 for hours.

    My dad and I have a very good 13. We talk about almost everything. We go hunting, fishing, and everything a dad and son would do. My dad and I enjoy 14 most because it gives us time outdoors together and there is nothing like that. He has 15 and taught me everything I need to know about 16.

    I am 17 to be the son of Mike C. , and would not have it any other way. People come up to me all the time to 18 me I have a good dad. It makes me feel 19 that a lot of people think so 20 of him. He is a good teacher of my life and would do anything for me. This is why my father is my hero.

    I guess I was spoiled at first. I was an only child, 1 by all relatives. Up until I was eight years old, life was 2. Then along came Grant and everything 3.

    Grant is my little brother. He was born a month earlier, so he needed a lot of extra 4. My parents still 5 me, but I was no longer the center of the universe. I was angry about the change. And at first, I was also 6 with Grant.

    Fortunately, Grants didn't cause any real 7 in his growth. Gradually, he developed the habit of 8 himself to me. My parents want me to be 9 to him, but I found him totally annoying. By the time I became a teenager, he was, at five, my shadow, 10 me around, copying my every move, and asking endless questions.

    Still, in spite of my unhappiness towards him, I began to 11 the time we spent together.

    As time went on, we developed connections and partnership, becoming more 12. Grant stopped asking to go along on dates with me, and I set aside time to go fishing with him. He cheered me on at my soccer games, and I 13 to coach his T-ball team. He became less 14 and more of a buddy. I became more patient, more able to 15 and more likely to accept the unconditional love he 16.

    Today I am happy to say that Grant and I are a 17. We have already 18 how he will come visit me when I am in college. It will be hard to be 19, but I know that we will always be close, if not in age or distance, we will be close in the long journey shared by 20.

    I was appointed to tend to this patient several weeks ago and began to grow closer to her. Communicating with her was1because everything she wanted to say to me had to be written on a notepad. As a nursing graduate, I was able to2her mind by observing even a slight 3 in a patient's facial expression.

    One day, when I was checking the patient, she4me on the shoulder to show me a note, "Do you think I could be let go5the hospital in a month to see my niece get married?" Taking her hand in mine, I told her that I could not6her, because I did not want to leave her a7sense of hope. 8, I made her believe that I would be there with her every step of the way on her journey toward9 Hearing that, the patient gave me a 10and a hug.

    Day by day, 1 built her11by walking around the floor with her. As I did this, I could see before my own eyes that her health was12improving and able to walk more steadily. On her last day in hospital, just before her niece's 13, she wrote me one last note, "I couldn't have done this14you; I love you." After kissing goodbye, I had a strong sense of achievement. I realized that moments like this were

    15I woke up early for16 in the hospital and spent long hours with her. I truly felt, and her17confirmed, that I was an18 part of this woman's recovery. My experience with this patient shows me that this career allows me to touch the19of people in ways that people in other20will never get to experience.

    Yuan Longping, a great Chinese agriculturalist, was born in a poor farmer's family in Qianyang, Hunan Province in 1930. He 1 from Southwest Agriculture College in 1953 and has since devoted himself to agricultural education and research. Since his graduation, 2 ways to grow more rice has been his life goal. As a young man, he saw the great need for 3 the rice output. At that time, hunger was a 4 problem in many parts of the countryside. Yuan Longping searched for a way to increase rice harvests without expanding the area of the fields. 5 his help, Chinese farmers now produce more rice and these increased harvests mean that 22% of the world's people 6 from just 7% of the farmland in the world. Yuan Longping, 7 considers himself a farmer, is now circulating his knowledge in some less developed countries to increase 8 rice harvests. Thanks to his research, the UN has more tools in the battle to rid the world of hunger. 9 his hybrid rice, farmers are producing harvests twice as large as before. Dr Yuan 10 5-million-yuan State Supreme Science and Technology Prize for his high hybrid rice species. This award is viewed as "Chinese Nobel Prize".

    About rice, he always has a dream…