A Leap （跳跃）to Honor

    Leapirg on a narrow balance beam( 平衡木) is not easy. But Lola Water. a 13-year-old gymnast is an expert at it.

    To perfect her skills. Lola1 for four hours a day, five days a week. At the slate championships in March，she finished seventh  out of 16 girts. That's especially impressive. 2she is legaly blind, horn  with a rare  condition that causes her eyes to shift (转移)canstantly. She often sees double and can't3 how far away things  are.

    When she was little, her mom 4 even though she couldn't5, she was fearless. So her mom signed her up for gymnastics when she was three. She loved the 6 right away and gymnastics became her favorite.

    Though  learning gymnastics has been  more7for her than for some of  her tournaments( 锦际赛). she has never quit(放弃). She doesn't let her8 stop her from doing anything that she warts to. She likes the  determination (决心）it takes to do the sport. Her biggest 9 is the balance beam. Because she has double vision, she often sees two beams. She must use her sense of touch to help her during her routine. Sometimes she even clones her eyes. "You have to10your mind that it'll take you where you want to go”, says Lola.

    To be a top-level gymmast, one must be brave The beam is probably the most 11 for anyone because it's only four inches wide At the state competition, Lob didn 't12the beam, In fact, she got an 8.1 out of 10 一 her highest scone yet.

    Lola doesn't want to be 13, differently from the other girls un her team, At the competitions, the judges don't know about her vision14. She doesn't tell them, because she doesn't think they need to know. Her mom is amazed by her 15altitude.

    Loda never thinks about16. She is presently at level 7 while the highest is level 10 in gymnastics.  Her17is to reach level 9.She says she wants to be a gymnastics coach 1018what she s learned to other kids when she grew up.

    Lola is 19of all her hard work and  success. She says it has helped her overcome problems in her life

    Outside gymnastics, too. Her 20for others is “just believe yourself ”.

    “We have visitors this morning,” Ms. Myers told Class 5. “A journalist and a photographer from the newspaper are doing an article about our new school1. And some of you will be in the photo.”

    The kids were2, except for Brad. He knew he wouldn't be in the photo. Brad was small. Kids were always making jokes about how3he was.

    “They won't put Brad in the photo,” John said. “You'd need a magnifying glass（放大镜）to see him.” The other kids 4. Brad grinned (smiled widely), even though John's comment was rude. He5grinned when people made jokes like that. He figured they didn't mean to hurt his feeling.

    The newspaper people6half an hour later. The journalist was called Tegan and the photographer was a short, fit-looking guy named Rick. Tegan7to the class about how a journalist had to8clear sentences and paragraphs, and then Rick told them about some amazing9he'd taken. Once he had to hang on a rope from a cliff(悬崖) to take shots of a10.

    “I could be a photographer,” thought Brad. I'm not afraid of11. I wouldn't weigh much on a rope, either.

    “Any questions you want to ask our12?” said Ms. Myers.

    Brad put his hand up. “Rick? What things don't you like to photograph?”

    “13are tricky,” Rick said. “Once I had to photograph a mother duck that was looking after a baby duck. She thought I was trying to14the baby duck, so she started hitting me with her wings. Picking on a little guy like me!”

    Class 5 laughed again, and Brad grinned, too. It's OK when you make jokes about15, he thought. It was jokes from other people that could hurt.

Time to take photos. Rick said, “I'll have them.” pointing to 6 kids, Brad16. Brad could hardly believe it.

    In the hall, Rick put them in front of the new library's big painting of stars and planets and books. “It's big, eh?” he said. “We'll get you guys to17in front of it, so it looks even bigger.”

    “Is that why you picked Brad?” called one of the Class 5 kids. “So it looks really big?”

Some people laughed. Brad started to grin, as he usually did.18Rick shook his head. “No way,” he said. “I picked him because he's got a19two miles long.”

    He looked at Brad and said, “Plus, this guy is20inside, where it matters. Right, mate?”

This time, Brad spoke before he could think. “Inside, I'm three miles long.”

    Class 5 laughed again. But Brad knew that they were laughing with him, not at him.

    I was a person who always felt desperate（绝望）before. Months ago my mom 1 from a serious disease and had an operation on her brain. I felt the whole world falling down and I had no 2 what I could do to help her to reduce her 3. Whenever I was alone, tears welled up in my eyes.

    Last month I 4 a valuable watch, which was an 18-year-old birthday gift from my dad. I couldn't sleep for several nights for the reason that I felt5about the loss.

    There have been many 6 like these in my life. I could never know what to do with such tough matters 7 I read If You Have A Lemon, Make A Lemonade by American author Dale Carnegie.

    "When the wise man is handed a lemon, he says, 'What 8 can I get from this? How can I 9 my situation? How can I turn this lemon into a lemonade?' " he wrote.

    I suddenly 10 that life is full of ups and downs, so I need to stay 11 all the time. Now when I think of my past, I wish I could have handled things 12. When my mom was fighting for 13, I should have held her hands in mine, telling her things would get better instead of 14 and crying.

    Several weeks ago, I participated in a campus singing competition. I didn't 15a prize. If I had not 16 this article, I would definitely have felt 17 again. But instead, I smiled after the competition. I was pleased that in the end I had got some stage 18Life is not just a bed of roses. There are thorns（刺）as well, but these thorns help us become19 and strong. When life 20 us a lemon, let's try to make a lemonade.

    Every time I look at my parents or even think of them, I feel proud of them. I especially admire their1of our coming to Singapore.

    Our native country was Yemen. Forced to2the war, we had to leave our home and all our3and go on a long boat journey to Singapore. At that time, I was six years old and the youngest of seven children. I thought I could have been such a4on my parents but they had always5I had everything l wanted. This6was not easy for my parents, but throughout it they thought of their children first. I was even told that they once ate only apple peels, 7the fruit part for me.

    Our journey to Singapore was not the last of our8.We were also faced with starting a life in Singapore with9. Of course, our beginning years were hard, living on just10food bought with food stamps and wearing second-hand clothes.11, my parents had to work very hard to build a better life. I would always12how my dad used to walk in the13hours to an English language school while my mom went to work. After a few years my dad went on to get a14in business and a better job. My mom got another job and our living status slowly began to15.

    Then, we moved out of the16apartment, leaving all the hard times behind, and moved into our house, starting our new life. Today we own three cars and two houses, and we live very 17. My parents' great18make me know that nothing is impossible, To this day they are 19by people they have inspired. I greatly admire my parents and therefore l would like to give them a sincere20for accomplishing their goals to give us a happy life.

    Angela used to fly. Using her 1 for wings, Angela would run faster than anyone. Now, she thought, I am  2  than everyone." She was the last to get off the school bus, with the help of walking sticks.

    "You 3be Angela!" a girl came to her, "I'm Laurie, your instructor. Are you ready to learn to ski? "

    "No." Angela answered, but still followed Laurie into the changing room. "I can understand how you feel." Before Angela said anything, Laurie4 her trousers and showed her left 5 leg. Angela's mouth dropped open. "Track 3 skiing(三板滑雪) was designed   6 people like us. If I can learn to ski, 7 can you." Laurie said. They put on regular ski, and used outriggers(支架) to 8.

    Laurie and Angela made their way to the  9 track. Angela spent the morning climbing and falling, sliding and falling, and turning and 10 . She felt disappointed and 11.

    "OK, last one try before lunch." Laurie said after they climbed up the hill once again. 12 Angela managed to follow Laurie down the small hill without falling. When she stopped beside Laurie  13  the bottom, she punched her fist in the air "Yes!"

    After lunch, they moved to a higher place. 14 down from the top, Angela felt 15 "1 can't go down that!" she cried.

    "Follow me!" Laurie 16, "You are doing great! Try to be Flying Angel again." "That was before I lost my leg  17 cancer." Angela whispered. "Trust 18 " Laurie said.

    Angela took a deep 19, then leaned forward, sped up, took turns and skied down the hill. Faster. Faster. It felt...like 20

    Our apartment has been hit by a "hurricane". Every bit of furniture is 1 with paper chains, scissors, tape and modeling clay. 2, I'm so exhausted tonight, recovering from a surgery.

    The phone rings—for the sixth time in less than an hour. We know it is my mother, again. A stroke claimed her brain, but not her life. She is troubled by a severe mental 3— She has no idea that she has 4 the things she is about to say a million times. Nor can she recall I had a 5.

    Each time she calls, I play a game with 6 called "How Good a Person Can I Be?" I've won five rounds of the game tonight; I am due for a 7 this time.

    "Mom!" I 8. "You are not being removed from your home! And we visited two days ago!" Silence. Then:

    "I was only calling to say hi." My mother continues, "Why are you yelling?"

    I sink into the couch, aware that my daughter is 9. She hears me scold my mother and lose my 10. I have not only failed at being a good person; I have failed at being a good 11 to my daughter.

    "Can I talk to Grandma Ellie?" My five-year-old 12 the phone. 13, I hand it over.

    Then, I hear my mother 14 through the receiver. "Sweetheart! How are you? Did you go to school today?"

    What magic is this? All she says is "Hi, Grandma," Out of the phone comes a waterfall of good 15. My mother tells her how much she loves her and how lovely her voice sounds.

    I am not tired or angry; I am 16 inside, watching my kindergartner 17 her fragile grandmother with such skillfulness. I'm fascinated by their 18.

    The mess in our apartment still 19 around me. I listen to my daughter whispering to her grandmother, caring for her with extreme 20.