Once, some fish lived in a pond. One evening, some fishermen passed by the pond and saw the fish. "This pond is full of fish!" They told each other excitedly. "We must come back tomorrow morning and catch them!" they said.

    When the oldest fish heard this, he was troubled. He called the other fish together and said," Did you hear what the fishermen said? We must leave this pond at once. The fishermen will return tomorrow and kill us all!" The second oldest fish agreed. But the youngest fish laughed.  He said," We have lived in this pond all our lives, and no fisherman has ever come here. Why should these men return? I am not going anywhere-my luck will keep me safe."

    The oldest fish left the pond that evening with his family. The second oldest fish saw the fishermen coming the next morning and left the pond with all his family at once. The youngest fish didn't want to leave even then.

    The fishermen caught and killed all the fish left in the pond.

    The first fish that saw trouble ahead and acted before it arrived and the fish who acted as soon as trouble came-both survived. But the fish that only depended on luck and did nothing at all died. It is also the same in life.

    I arrived at my mother's home for our Monday family dinner. The smells of food flew over from the kitchen. Mother was pulling out quilt(被子) after quilt from the boxes, proudly showing me their beauties. She was preparing for a quilt show at the Elmhurst Church. When we began to fold and put them back into the boxes, I noticed something at the bottom of one box. I pulled it out. "What is this?" I asked.

"Oh?" Morn said, "That's Mama's quilt."

    I spread the quilt. It looked as if a group of school children had pieced it together; irregular designs, childish pictures, a crooked line on the right.

    "Grandmother made this?" I said, surprised. My grandmother was a master at making quilts. This certainly didn't look like any of the quilts she had made.

    "Yes, right before she died. I brought it home with me last year and made some changes," she said. "I'm still working on it. See, this is what I've done so far. "

    I looked at it more closely. She had made straight a crooked line. At the center of the quilt, she had stitched(缝) a piece of cloth with these words: "My mother made many quilts. She didn't get all lines straight. But I think this is beautiful. I want to see it finished. Her last quilt. "

    "Oh, this is so nice, Mom," I said. It occurred to me(突然想起) that by completing my grandmother's quilt, my mother was honoring her own mother. I realized, too, that I held in my hands a family treasure. It started with the loving hands of one woman, and continued with the loving hands of another.

    Every day in all kinds of weather, many thousands of men and women like jogging. Why has jogging slowly for long distance become so1? Because jogging makes the heart stronger and helps people2 weight. It can also help them feel3 about themselves.

    Donald Robbins is a forty-two office worker, weighing about over 150 kg. He began jogging a few years ago because he felt he was too4. At first he could only5 about 100 yards. Two years later, he ran in a marathon race over twenty-six miles. Many joggers, like Donald Robbins, feel that if they can succeed in jogging, they can also succeed in6 things.

    Should you jog too? If you do, be sure to ask your doctor for7 Jogging may be too much exercise for you. Does jogging cost much? No, it actually costs almost8 But it is very important to have a good pair of shoes that were made especially for jogging.

    How fast should you go? Jog with a friend and talk to each other as you run. If you have difficulty in9 you are going too fast.

    How far should you go? Remember not to go too far or too soon. In fact, you should walk and do not run for the first few times. Then do some short jogs, but no more than "hat you can do10. After that, increase your distance a quarter or half mile every two weeks or so.

Everyone keeps some important {#blank#}1{#/blank#}and events in mind. I remember very clearly the day when my younger sister was born (出生). It was a(n) {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Saturday in December, and it was snowing. My mother went to the hospital with my father. I stayed home with Aunt Shelly. We {#blank#}3{#/blank#}the room and made the bed for the new baby. And then I made a snowman outside and called it Baby.

There was still no news by dinner time. In the beginning, we were very worried. Aunt Shelly and I both sat {#blank#}4{#/blank#}by the phone. At around 9:15 p.m., suddenly, the phone ring broke the {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. My father said it was a beautiful girl. They named her Emma.

We were very excited to {#blank#}6{#/blank#}the news.

The next day, I got up early before the sun rose because I couldn't wait to see Emma. We made {#blank#}7{#/blank#}way to the hospital because it was hard to walk on the {#blank#}8{#/blank#}road. When we arrived at the hospital, I saw Emma was {#blank#}9{#/blank#}in Mom's arms. She looked so small but really lovely. When I took her hands for the first time, I realized what it meant to be an elder brother—I would protect (保护) her and never let anybody {#blank#}10{#/blank#}her. That's what I have done in the past ten years. And I will keep on doing it in the future.

An artist(画家) went to a beautiful part of the country for a holiday and stayed with a farmer. Every day he went out with his paints(颜料) and brushes (画笔) and painted till evening. When it got dark, he went back to the farm and had a good dinner before he went to bed.

At the end of his holiday, he wanted to pay the farmer, but the farmer said, "No, I don't want money. But give me one of your paintings(画作). What's money? In a week it will run out, but your painting will still be here."

The artist was very happy and thanked the farmer for saying such kind words about his paintings. The farmer smiled and answered,"It's not that. I have

a son in London. He wants to become an artist. When he comes home next month,I'll show him your painting, and he will not want to be an artist any more, I think."

Irwin Corey was a 1 American film actor. Ho 2 a beggar(乞丐) once and often walked in the streets of Manhattan. He wore old and 3 clothes. He was very thin and seemed to be weak, looking like a poor homeless old man.

He begged for 4 in a special way. He only asked for some change(零钱) from passing drivers, and then he gave the driver a free copy of the newspaper he bought. Each time he asked for money, he was always smiling and also told 5 to the drivers. The drivers thought him kind and humorous, so they never let him go empty- handed.

6 all the money he begged was coins, he still made lots of money at the end of the day. Irwin Corey had been begging for money for many years. However, he didn't spend 7 of the money he had asked for. Every time the money was up to a certain 8 , he donated(捐赠) it to a charity. For 17 years, he donated all his hard- earned money to the charity.

He was not short of money. He lived in a S 3.5 million big house. He was not a beggar,  9 ." On the one hand, I just want to help people in need. On the other hand, begging can make me feel not 10 , as my wife had passed away," he said.