Mum's Christmas Surprise

    Molly ran back home from school and dropped her schoolbag on the sofa. Then on the table she saw “Mum's Wish Book” – a mail order catalog（商品目录） from a gift shop. “Mum,” she said excitedly to herself, “this year you'll get the gloves you want!” Molly had walked a dog for a neighbor and saved her 1 all year to buy Mum the gloves.

    She opened “Mum's Wish Book” and hoped that she could find these 2 in it. Teas ran down her face when she saw the gloves in the catalog. Mum wouldn't buy them for herself, because the family had a 3 time on the farm. She once heard Mum say to Dad, “Maybe some day, I'll have the money to get them.”

    Molly ran out by the back door and went straight to the post office. There she carefully filled out the order form torn from the catalog.

    “I need to buy a stamp to 4 the form.” She said to Mr. Smith, the only worker in the post office.

    “Umm, a pair of gloves?” said Mr. Smith, as he passed a stamp to her.

    “Yes, It's a Christmas gift for Mum, but please don't tell her. It's our 5, OK?” Molly didn't realize how white Mr. Smith's beard was until that moment. In face, he reminded her of Santa Claus.

    As Molly walked back home, she decided to tell Dad her secret. “You've got to check the mailbox every day,” said Molly 6 to Dad. He nodded, with a big smile.

    Coming home from school every day, Molly peeked at （偷看） Dad when Mum wasn't 7, but every time he shook his head.

    On Christmas Eve, Dad came back from mailbox, still empty handed. Molly felt 8 when she went to bed, because she didn't have the gloves for Mum.

    Before Christmas dinner, as Mum took the apple pies out of the oven, Molly began 9 the table. Suddenly, they heard someone pulling up the driveway. From the window they saw Mr. Smith making his way to the door, with a box in his hand. Mr. Smith 10 Mum the box, “I believe this is yours.”

    Mum looked from Dad to Molly and opened the box. Her eyes lit up when she saw the gloves. “Oh, who bought these for me?” she asked.

    “Santa did,” said Molly smilingly.

    “Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!” Mr. Smith, with a loud laugh.

    It was Christmas that no one would ever forget.

    I lived in a poor family with my wonderful mother. She often told me that no matter how poor a person was, he could still afford a dream.

    My dream was athletics. When I was sixteen, I started playing baseball. I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and1anything that moved on the field.I was also2: my high school coach was John, who believed in me and taught me how to believe in myself. He taught me the difference 3having a dream and remaining true to that dream. One unusual4with Coach John changed my life forever.

    A friend helped me to find a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket for a new bike, new clothes and the5of saving for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to6up summer baseball and that meant I would have to tell John I wouldn't be playing.

    When I told John, he was7as I expected him to be. "You have your whole life to work," he said. "You don't have too many playing days in your life. You can't afford to waste them." I stood before him with my head8, trying to think of the9that would explain to him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his disappointment in me.

    "How much are you going to make at this job, son?" he asked. "3.5 dollars an hour," I replied.

    "Well," he asked, "Is $ 3.5 an hour the price of a dream?"

    That simple question made me understand the difference between wanting something right now and having a goal. I decided myself to play sports that summer and within the year I was taken on by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and was10 a $ 20 000 agreement. Two years later, I bought my mother the house of my dream!

Once upon a time, there lived a wise man. Everyone loved him. His son, however, was very lazy and did nothing all day.

The wise man was worried about his son's future. One day, he said to his son, "I want you to go to find some treasure（财宝）. I have drawn a map to guide you." Then he handed his son a bag. Inside the bag were clothes, some food, a little money and the map.

The son set. Out on his. Long journey the next day. He had to travel across forests, rivers and mountains. Along the way, he met a-lot of people. Some helped him with food, and some with a place to live. He also met robbers（强盗） who tried to rob him but failed. He saw changing landscapes（风景） and experienced different kinds of weather.

Finally, after a long year, he reached the place of treasure. He spent two days looking and digging for the treasure, but found nothing.

Feeling sad, he headed back to his home. On his way back, he experienced the same changing landscapes and seasons. Sometimes, he would stop to enjoy the beauty of nature. He also learned to hunt and make meals. He had to fix（修补） his own clothes and the tent himself. He was now able to tell time by the sun and protect（保护） himself from wild animals. He met the same people who had helped him earlier. This time, he stayed and helped them in order to repay them.

When he reached home, he said sorry to his father for not finding the treasure.

"There wasn't any treasure in the very first place, my son," the father answered with a smile. "But I think you have found your life's true meaning."

Tom came to his teacher and asked him, "Sir, I have a question. How many friends should a person have-one or many?"

"It is very simple," the teacher answered. "Get me that red apple from the highest branch（树枝）of the tree." Tom looked up and said, "It's too high! I can't reach it." "Ask a friend. Maybe he can help," the teacher suggested. Tom called another student and stood on his shoulders（肩膀）to reach the branch. "I still can't reach it, sir," said Tom sadly after the first try. "Don't you have more friends?" the teacher smiled. Tom asked more friends to come over. They stood on each other's shoulders, trying to make a human pyramid（金字塔）. But the apple was so high that they couldn't go higher and the pyramid fell. Tom still couldn't reach the apple. Then one of the friends went home, brought a ladder（梯子）and Tom finally picked the apple.

After getting the apple, the teacher asked, "So, do you understand how many friends a person needs?"

"Yes, I do," Tom said. "Many, so together we can work out any problem."

"Sounds good," the teacher said. "You need as many friends as you can. Among them, there will be at least one smart person who can think of a good idea, like getting a ladder!"

Last month, I caught a heavy cold. At first, I had a c{#blank#}1{#/blank#} . But I didn't go to see the doctor.  Two days later, I felt a{#blank#}2{#/blank#} all over. Finally, I went to see the doctor. The doctor said I was in bad health because of my bad living ways. Since t{#blank#}3{#/blank#} , I began doing exercise to form a good lifestyle.