Hi, my name is Dave. I'm 8 1 old. My birthday is 2 December 12th. I have 3 birthday party every year. Today I have my 4 birthday party. I get some gifts at the party. 5 are very good and I really like them. This 6 T-shirt is from my mother. Green is my 7 color. My mother buys me a pair of green 8, too. My father buys some 9 about history for me, because I like 10 best. I think these books 11 very interesting. My grandparents 12 I like playing basketball, 13 they buy me a basketball. I can 14 it with my friends after class. I'm very happy today.

    15 is your birthday, my friend? Do you have a party, too?

阅读下面的短文，掌握其大意，然后从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选择最佳选项。

A Little Coaching (指导)

    I always felt nervous at the running race. I was too thin to be an athlete. So when our class needed a 1 in the two mile race around the lake, I hoped nobody would notice me.

    I hid under a 2 when our teacher Bronto called the names of the runners. I got more nervous when I heard he called, “Noah! Where's Noah? He's in this race!”

    He saw me under the tree and shouted, “Noah, we 3 a boy to run the two mile race.” He pushed me to the starting line(线). I pleaded(恳求) with him. “I don't know the way around the lake!”

    “It's not a problem. Just 4 Craig and you'll know the way.” Bronto smiled. Craig was the fastest runner in our class. Then Bronto said, “For the last hundred meters, just throw your head back and run.”

    I stood next to Craig and trembled(颤抖). Then I heard the gun and sixteen of us started to run. I ran closely behind Craig.

    But gradually(逐步地), the distance(距离) between Craig and me became wider.

    It was 5 . I felt very tired. My energy was spent. I was about to give up. But then I looked ahead(向前) and 6 only three boys were in front of me. The crowd was shouting, but I could hear Bronto shouting, “Run!”

    I threw my head back and told my legs to go. I never looked ahead and I never looked back for those last hundred meters. I felt 7 . Nobody was telling me what I was, or what I wasn't. My legs were running a race against my brain and I was winning!

    I didn't know when I crossed the finish line. Bronto caught me and shouted, “You flew! You flew, man! 8 ! You passed two boys!”

    However, the best prize that I got was 9 . That year I discovered I could do a lot of things if I believe myself and put my energy into them.

    I never got to say 10 to Bronto right after the race. But later, I saw him over the lake. He was coaching another kid. I had no doubt that the kid was also going to win.

    Life is full of chances and challenges. For students, if we don't study hard, 1, we will fall 2 other students. At first, I didn't know 3 the word " exam" meant. Later, I knew an exam was a 4 of competition. In competitions, there were always 5 and losers. As I grew up, I got to know competitions well. In one's life, there must be competitions, so people could 6.

    Each time I saw children 7 games, and heard their laughter, I 8 I were that age again. However, I remembered my parents' words—You must work very hard 9 have a good future. So I 10 up my pen and began to study hard again.

    I was still not 11 what competitions really meant. One day, I was 12 an English-speaking competition. When I went to the stage, I saw other students looking at me kindly. I suddenly knew what the competition was. It was not as cruel 13 my teacher and parents told me. In fact, competitions were important and necessary.

    I learned a lot 14 what I experienced. Now I understand 15 about the world. Competitions are important for us all.

    One morning Mr. Green is driving 1the country and2a small bookshop. When he sees an old man3the side of the road, he stops his car and says to the old man, "I want 4to the Sun Bookshop. Do you know it?" "Yes, "the old man answers, "I 5 you the way. "He6Mr. Green's car, and they drive about twelve miles.7they come to a small house, the old man says, "Stop here. "Mr. Green stops and 8the house. "But this isn't a bookshop, "he says to the old man. "Right, "the old man answers, "This is my house. And I'll show you the way 9the bookshop. Turn around and go back nine miles10you'll see the bookshop. "

    Thirty engineers were working as a team in a company. They were young and eager to learn. The management decided to teach them about finding real solutions to problems

    One day, the team was called for a 1in a hall. They were quite surprised and all reached the hall holding various2. As they entered, they found a box placed in the center, full of flat balloons

    The manager asked everyone to pick a balloon and blow it up. Then they were asked to write their names on their respective(各自的)balloons 3so that the balloons wouldn't blow out. All tried, but not everyone was 4. Five balloons blew out due to pressure（压力）.

    Those who failed to mark their names on the balloons were 5 out of the game. As a result, 25 engineers came to the next level. All the balloons carrying their names were 6 and then put into a room, here and there.

    The engineers were told to pick the balloon with his or her name on. All the 25 engineers began to search for the respective balloons in a rush. It was almost 15 minutes but no one was able to 7 the right one. The second level of the game was over.

    Then came the final level, the engineers were asked to pick any balloon and give it to person named on the balloon. Within a couple of minutes, all balloons 8 the hands of the respective engineers.

    The manager announced this was the real solution to the problem. Many times in our life, sharing and helping others give us real solutions to problems.