One day I was riding on a crowded bus downtown to go to work when it rained suddenly. The windows of the bus were soon 1  and we couldn't see the outside. Everyone was in low spirits. I was sitting next to a man in a business suit and I paid little attention 2  we both got off at the same stop and walked to the same news-stand(报刊亭) to get a morning 3 .

    The man   4  the stand was obviously having a bad day. He was  5  and unsmiling as we bought our papers, which only  6 more gloom (郁闷) to my day. The businessman   7  my eyes and smiled brightly,  8  the news-stand owner for the paper and for being open on such a morning to 9 we were able to get our papers.

    As we went away, I asked this man why he was so  10  to the newsman when he didn't respond to his  11 of thanks and friendliness.The businessman smiled at me and said, “Why would I let someone else 12  what I say and what I feel?”

    We then  13 to go to our own work places. To this day, I still don't know who that businessman was, or where he worked.  14 , I know nothing about him. He appeared briefly in my life and disappeared just as 15  . But I've never forgotten the words he said and his   16   which seemed like a ray of light on a gloomy day.

    That was a good 25 years   17  , but the effect this had on my life has lasted. I have learnt that we cannot control people and   18  we are in, but we can always control our19 to them. That is, it is within our control and our 20 to make such positive decisions and thus to make a positive difference.

    Joe Simpson and Simon Yates were the first people to climb the West Face of the Siula Grande in the Andes mountains. They reached the top 1 ， but on their way back conditions were very 2. Joe fell and broke his leg. They both knew that if Simon3alone，he would probably get back 4. But Simon decided to risk his5and try to lower Joe down the mountain on a rope.

As they 6down，the weather got worse. Then another 7occurred. They couldn't see or hear each other and，8 ， Simon lowered his friend over the edge of a precipice（峭壁）. It was9 for Joe to climb back or for Simon to pull him up. Joe's 10 was pulling Simon slowly towards the precipice.11 ， after more than an hour in the dark and the icy cold，Simon had to 12. In tears，he cut the rope. Joe 13 into a huge crevasse（裂缝） in the ice below. He had no food or water and he was in terrible pain. He couldn't walk，but he 14to get out of the crevasse and started to 15 towards their camp，nearly ten kilometers 16.

    Simon had 17the camp at the foot of the mountain. He thought that Joe must be 18 ， but he didn't want to leave 19. Three days later，in the middle of the night，he heard Joe's voice. He couldn't 20 it. Joe was there，a few meters from their tent，still alive.

    I remember believing in Santa when I was a very young girl. However, as I grew older, I learned many 1 that “proved” his nonexistence. Always2by nature, I was determined to use 3to decide whether Santa Claus was 4.

    The first test5when I was 5, I decided that if I6all night on Christmas Eve, I could see if Santa really came down the chimney7 that was a useless8 I fell asleep that year, and when I woke up, I saw a 9 wrapped present under the10

    At the age of 7, I came up with another test to see if Santa was real. That year, I didn't send out my Christmas letter to Santa because I wanted 11for Christmas. But this turned into a plot. By then, I 12knew Santa wasn't real, but I wanted enough13to support this. That year was 14. Because on Christmas Eve, my mother dragged me to our local Wal-Mart led me around the toy section. I 15 to say a word, but did let my eyes16on a ballet set. I17that “Santa” wouldn't know what I wanted because he shouldn't be able to read my 18However, my mother would know everything that caught my eyes in the store. If I got the ballet set the next morning, I would have my evidence. On Christmas morning, there was the ballet set, sitting under the tree again.19I didn't use it much, my mother ended up returning it a few days later. She20 Santa was generous enough to leave a receipt. That was the end to my task to discover the existence of Santa.

    During World Space Week(October 4～10)，you may learn about some of the space's myths. One is: “The Great Wall of China is the only man­made object1from space with the naked eye.”

    You might be2of this claim, but it's not true. In fact, astronauts say that the Great Wall is just one of many man­made3can be seen from space. From an orbit 217 kilometres4the earth，it is5to see highways，airports，bridges, dams and even large6.

    Cities can even be seen clearly from the International Space Station ( ISS, 国际空间站)，7circles about 400 kilometres above the planet. “You can see the8pyramids from space with a pair of binoculars(双筒望远镜). They are a little difficult to9with just your eyes，” said Ed Lu, a US astronaut10the ISS.

    “With binoculars  you  can  also see  roads, harbours and even very large11in the ocean. From the moon, astronauts cannot12any man­made features on earth and the continents are very hard13. On Mars，the earth would appear to the naked eye as14but a bright 'star'. ”15what about the Great Wall? “You can see the Great Wall from space，”Lu said. “But it's a lot16than a lot of other objects. You can only see it in radar images，17in ordinary photographs.”

    No one knows who18the Great Wall story. The earliest reference to it comes in a book by a US writer Richard Halliburton，published in 1938. He wrote，“Astronomers say that the Great Wall is the only man­made thing on our planet visible to the human eye from the moon.”

    Halliburton's books19quite well during the first half of the 20th century. So，if he didn't20the story himself，he certainly spread it widely.

    For years, I followed the materialistic standards around me. I thought that without the purses, shoes, and all the other “1” things, I would not be as pretty, smart, or important as others of my age.

    As a freshman (新生) of my high school, I thought top social status could be gained by doing everything to 2. So I became a(n)3 and bought fake (伪造的) designer purses. I felt popular and important, and I4 it.

    But, my parents couldn't understand my strong 5to be someone just to 6 others. They tried endlessly to convince me that I was hurting myself,7 I wouldn't listen. I felt 8 with this way of my life until one day I looked at myself in the mirror and saw someone with makeup and the product-filled hair wasn't me. That person was 9.

    So I quit cheerleading and 10 swimming again, something I had loved for eight years before high school. I also attended my school's top vocal (声乐) performance group, and 11 myself whole-heartedly to community service.

    I wrote articles in my school newspaper that questioned the materialistic 12 of many students at my school. I started 13 my limits academically, which I14 considered less important than improving my social status.

    I found a new group of friends who15 me, unlike my old friends. I found I no longer needed to impress others materialistically. Starting over was 16. My classmates looked at me as if they didn't know me.

    I am to 17 the materialistic culture. I am confident, talented, and optimistic. I know who I am. I'm motivated to explore even more of my 18 as a student and a member of my community.

    I took one of the worst 19 in my life but I turned it around and 20 something beautiful——a life that fits me, with meaning and happiness.

A Wonderful Christmas Gift

    Ann and her mother had lived in a small cottage. Christmas was so close， and so was her birthday.

    Ann wished she could get a new 1with lace as a wonderful Christmas gift. All her friends would be getting new dresses.2Ann did not want to ask her Mom for that.  She knew how hard her mom worked to make both ends meet. Maybe she could make a3maybe Santa Claus would come， even though she knew that Santa Claus is just an imaginary character.

    It was not just gift that4Ann. It was her mother. Nowadays she was working overtime and looked pale and worn out.

    The days passed and soon it was Christmas Eve. In everyone's house， except Ann's ,a Christmas tree  adorned(装饰)the living room. In the5there hung the baked cakes and turkey. But6lovely was being cooked in Ann's house. Every child went to bed eagerly waiting for the lovely gifts that he or she would 7the next day. Ann went to bed with a8heart. She knew that there would be no gifts for her.

    Ann wished with her whole heart that at least this time she would get a gift from Santa Claus. Ann slowly drifted off to sleep. She dreamt of Santa riding in the snow on his reindeers.

    Ring.…Ring.…Ann jumped， hearing alarm.

    She suddenly remembered that it was Christmas morning. Without much hope she looked 9there were any gifts for her. Wonder of wonders! There lay a beautiful packet tied with a red ribbon.

    Ann excitedly opened the package. It was a pretty white dress with attractive lace. She 10the gift carefully to find out who gave it to her. Suddenly a small piece of paper fell out from it. Ann11started to read the note.

“Dear Ann ，

    This dress is given to you as a12 for being a good girl. Hope you continue to do good things and help your mother.

Your Loving friend ，

Santa Claus"

    Ann felt that there was something familiar about this note. She looked into the note carefully. Then it13 her. It was her mother who had worked overtime to save money to buy this expensive gift. Ann was happy 14words. She knew that she was the15girl to have such a wonderful mother as a wonderful Christmas gift.