I used to hate being called upon in class mainly because I didn't like attention drawn to myself. And 1otherwise assigned（指定）a seat by the teacher, I always  2to sit at the back of the classroom.

All this 3after I joined a sports team. It began when a teacher suggested I try out for the basketball team. At first I thought it was a crazy 4because I didn't have a good sense of balance, nor did I have the 5to keep pace with the others on the team and they would tease me. But for the teacher who kept insisting on my " 6for it", I wouldn't have decided to give it a try.

Getting up the courage to go to the tryouts was only the 7 of it! When I first started 8the practice sessions, I didn't even know the rules of the game, much 9what I was doing. Sometimes I'd get 10and take a shot at the wrong direction—which made me feel really stupid. 11, I wasn't the only one "new" at the game, so I decided to 12 on learning the game, do my best at each practice session, and not be too hard on myself for the things I didn't 13"just yet".

I practiced and practiced. Soon I knew the 14and the "moves". Being part of a team was fun and motivating. Very soon the competitive 15in me was winning over my lack of confidence. With time, I learned how to play and made friends in the 16 — friends who respected my efforts to work hard and be a team player. I never had so much fun!

With my 17self-confidence comes more praise from teachers and classmates. I have gone from " 18" in the back of the classroom and not wanting to call attention to myself, 19raising my hand— even when I sometimes wasn't and not 100 percent 20I had the right answer. Now I have more self-confidence in myself.

    Having been walking in the snow for 2 hours, Little Buddy was really tired and frustrated. The way home seemed1each step a struggle. For fall every little distance that Buddy gained, he seemed to fall back even further, pushed by the rising wind and his own2 When Buddy had to go uphill, he looked with3at the long distance remaining and thought he wasn't going to make it. His legs had been pushing through almost-waist-high4for hours, and all he wanted to do was to 5down, to end this terrible journey and close his eyes.

    Suddenly, there was someone6him. A large man was looking down at Buddy, smiling at him7 Buddy, should have heard the sound of the man's boots crunching(使……发出嘎吱嘎吱声)the snow8he'd walked up from behind. But, there hadn't been a9.

    Buddy stared at the10.Who was he? There was a scarf hiding most of his face, but11Buddy felt no fear of him. The man said nothing. He simply picked Buddy up, lifted him over his12set Buddy on his shoulders and began to13.

    Buddy told the man where he14.As they approached the house, the stranger 15and looked Buddy in the eye. Buddy16and the man silently lowered his head and helped Buddy17off his shoulders. Buddy was so happy that he immediately knocked at the door. When Buddy18the man and wanted to thank him, he had already19Buddy could only see20in the snow and a dim(模糊的)view of his back.

    Many people spend their New Year's Eve getting dressed up and dancing their way to midnight. My brother and I decided to do things a bit1.

    We each filled a backpack with clothes, shoes and other things and headed out to the 2. The first person we saw was a 15-16-year-old boy picking up 3 plastic bottles on the train platform（站台）. We called him over and started up a(n)4. We had a look at his 5 and noticed he had 6 fingernails（手指甲）. We explained that it was 7 to keep short nails and then we 8 cutting them for him. When we were 9 we offered him some chocolate candies, which made him look at us 10. We talked to him some more and began 11 some of the chocolate ourselves. Finally, he 12 took the chocolate himself and then began telling us his 13.

    His name was Raju. After his mother died, his father remarried. Unable to 14 his stepmother（继母）, Raju ran away from 15 and has been living on the streets for 3 years, collecting and 16 empty plastic bottles.

    When we met Raju, he wasn't wearing any 17. One quick look into our backpacks and we18 what we were looking for-a pair of Nike shoes. When we dressed him in them-Raju's eyes were full of19. “These shoes are so great. Nothing will hurt my 20 .Thank you so much!” Touched by our actions, he joined us as we walked around and looked for those in need.

    "What an excellent thing is knowledge," said a sharp-looking, talkative man to one who was 1 older than himself. "Knowledge is an 2 thing, as everyone can see,"3  he. "My boys know more at six and seven years old than I did at twelve. They can read all sorts of books, and 4 on all sorts of subjects. The world is a great deal wiser than it used to be. Everybody knows 5 of everything now. Do you not think, sir, that knowledge is an excellent thing?" " 6  , sir," replied the old man in surprise, looking 7 in manner, "that depends 8 upon the use it is applied. It may be a blessing or a curse(诅咒）. Knowledge is only an 9 of power, and power may be bad, 10 a good thing" "That is what I can't understand," said the 11 little man. "How can power be a bad thing?"

    "I will tell you" calmly replied the old man and thus he went on: "When the power of a horse is under control, the animal is 12in bearing burden, drawing loads, and carrying his master, but 13 that power is out of control, the horse 14 his bridle (缰绳），dashes to pieces the carriage that he draws, or throws his 15. " "I see!" said the little man.

    "When the ship is operated alright, the sail that she 16 enables her sooner to get into port, but if operated 17 ,the more sails she carries, the further she will go out of her course" "I see!" said the little man, " I clearly see! "

    "Well then，"18the old man, "if you see these things clearly, I hope you can see, too, that knowledge, to be good thing, must be rightly applied. God's grace in the heart will make the knowledge of the head a blessing but 19 this, it may 20 to us no better than a curse." "I see! I see! " said the little man, "I see! "

    When Mom pulled in the driveway, Grandpa Joe was weeding his garden. He stood up and 1 us with wide-open arms. In his muddy gloves and jeans, he looked2 like the well-dressed grandfather I remembered. The super professional bank president who loved numbers had retired(退休) and let his hair run3. I wasn't4 him to look so different.

    After the hugs and kisses, Grandpa couldn't5 to show off his garden, pointing out his almost-ripe tomatoes and 6 about the rabbits eating his lettuce. The man who had been 7 for ages with interest rates(利率) now cared only about gardening.

    Once Mom was gone for business, Grandpa8 me and said, "Now, Anthony, if I remember 9, you like pasta(意大利面) with pesto sauce." I eagerly nodded. "That's perfect!" Grandpa said. "We'll make some."

    We10 some vegetables from the garden, and then drove 15 miles to the nearest grocery, where Grandpa bought cheese and nuts. On the drive home Grandpa asked, "What's the11 of having a grandpa if he never makes you a big home-cooked meal?"

    Then Grandpa showed me how to 12 eggs with flour to make pasta and then how to prepare the sauce. When everything was ready, he proudly 13 me a large plate of pasta. I 14 a forkful into my mouth and it was just15.

    "So," Grandpa said, his eyes16, "what do you think?"

Before answering, I thought about our 17. The garden, the shopping, the 18 "I… I… love it, Grandpa!" I said.

    Then his face broke19 a smile so warm that I was sure I hadn't told him a20.

    On a cold winter evening, I was walking home alone, when suddenly came screams (呼喊声) from behind some tress. 1, I slowed down to listen, and 2 that what I was hearing were the sounds of a fight. A woman was being attack (袭击) not far from where I 3.

    "Should I go to help her?" I thought. I was worried about my own 4, and I regretted having suddenly decided to take a new way home that night. "What if I am 5 too? Shouldn't I just 6 to the nearest phone and call the police?" But already the girl's 7were growing weaker. I knew it was time for me to act fast because I could not 8 the life of this unknown woman, 9 it meant risking my own life.

    I am not a 10 man. I didn't know where I found the 11 and physical strength (体力), but once I had finally 12 to help the girl, I changed suddenly. I ran behind the bushes and 13 the attacker off the woman. Struggling, we fell to the ground, where we fought for a few minutes 14 the man jumped up and ran away.

    15 heavily, I came up to the girl, who was crying. In the 16, I could not see her clearly, but I could certainly 17 her shock. Not wanting to frighten her any further, I spoke to her from a distance.

    "It's OK," I said 18. "The man ran away. You're safe now." There was a long stop and then I heard the words, said in both wonder and 19. "Dad, is that you?" And then, from behind the tree, stepped my youngest 20, Katherine.