The journey my daughter Cathy has had with her swimming is as long as it is beautiful.

    Cathy suffered some terrible 1her early childhood. After years of regular treatment, she 2 became healthy.

    Two years ago, while Cathy was watching the Olympics, a dream came into her sweet little head—to be a swimmer. Last summer,she wanted to3 out local swim team. She practiced hard and finally 4 it. The team practice, 5 was a rough start. She coughed and choked and could hardly 6 her first few weeks. Hearing her coughing bitterly one night, I decided to7 her from it all. But Cathy woke me up early next morning, wearing her swim suit 8 to go! I told her she shouldn't swim after a whole night's coughing, but she refused to 9 and insisted she go.

From that day on, Cathy kept swimming and didn't 10 a single practice. She had a 11 intention within herself to be the best she could be. My ten-year-old was growing and changing right before my eyes, into this 12 human being with a passion and a mission. There were moments of 13 of course: often she would be the last swimmer in the race. It was difficult for Cathy to accept that she wasn't a 14—ever. But that didn't stop her from trying.

      Then came the final awards ceremony at the end of the year. Cathy didn't expect any award but was still there to  15 her friends and praise their accomplishments. As the ceremony was nearing the end, I suddenly heard the head coach 16, “The highest honor goes to Cathy!” Looking around, he continued, “Cathy has inspired us with her  17 and enthusiasm.  18 skills and talents bring great success, the most valuable asset(财富)one can hold is the heart.”

     It was the greatest  19 of my daughter's life. With all she had been 20 in her ten years, this was the hour of true triumph(成功).

    I was six years old. It was Halloween. The school was having its annual Halloween parade(游行) to 1 it. All the kids would march a few 2 through the neighborhood.

    “Just buy him a costume,” my father said. “ It doesn't cost much.”

    But no, my mother decided, 3 it was my first parade, she would 4 me a costume: the mummy(木乃伊), my favorite scary character.

    She 5 white rags(布片) and old towels and wound them 6 me, holding them in place with safety pins. Then she arranged the rags with toilet paper and tape. It took a long time, but I was still 7 enough to see the result. When she finished, I could 8 wait to look in the9 I was a mummy! I moved back and forth in front of it 10.

    “Oh, you're very scary.” my mother said.

    She drove me to school. We started our parade. The more I walked, the 11. the rags got. Then, about two blocks out, it began to 12 The next thing I knew was that the toilet paper was beginning to dissolve (溶解).13 the rags became even looser and fell to my ankles, wrists, and neck and you could see my undershirt and under pants, which made me extremely 14.

    “Look at Charley!” the other kids screamed. They were 15. I was burning red. I wanted to escape, but where did you go in the middle of a parade?

    When we 16 reached the schoolyard, I was all wet, with a mess of rags and toilet paper pieces. The parents were waiting there with 17, starting to take photos of us. I saw my mother first. As she spotted me, she 18 her hand to her mouth. I burst into19.

    “You20 my life!” I cried.

    At the age of sixteen, I went on my first volunteer project with Dad in West Virginia. The family 1 was living in a trailer (拖车) that was in 2 condition. A crew had been working on it for two weeks, but one problem after another3.

    We decided the only4 was to build a new 5. The family was6 Tuesday that week, we began to7the bedrooms for the family's three boys. Josh, Eric and Ryan8 toys and other gadgets (小玩意) that children usually9 we were astonished when Josh responded, “ I just warn a 10”.

    The boys had 11slept in a bed! They were accustomed to plastic mats. That night we decided that beds would be the perfect12. As we 13 the frames of the beds together, Erie ran into the house to watch us. Too dirty to enter his room, he observed with wide-eyed 14 from the doorway.

    As my Dad 15 one of the pillows into a pillowcase (枕套), Erie asked, “What is that?” Dad told him it was a pillow. “What do you do with it?” Eric continued to ask. “16 you sleep, you put your head on it” I answered softly. Tears came to my eyes as I 17 Eric the pillow. “Oh…that's18” he said, hugging it tightly .

    Now, when my sister or I start to ask for something that seems very19 Dad gently asks,” Do you have a 20?” We know exactly what he means.

    When I was a little girl, I remember that when my dad was repairing something, every time he asked me to 1 the hammer, just so we would have a time for a 2 with each other. I 3 saw my dad drinking or taking a night out with the boys, all he did after 4 was taking care of his family.

    I 5 and left home for college and since then, my dad had been calling me every Sunday morning, no matter what. And when several 6 later I bought a house, my dad was 7 it by himself for three days in the 80°F summer heat. All he 8 was to hold his paint brush and talk to him. But I was too 9 in those days, I did not find any time for a conversation with my dad.

    One Sunday 10 we had a telephone talk as usual, I noticed that my dad had 11 some things that we discussed 12. I was in a hurry, so our conversation was 13. Few hours later that day came a call. My father was in a hospital with an aneurysm(动脉瘤). 14 I bought a ticket for a flight and 15 I was thinking about all 16 occasions(场合) to have a talk with my dad.

    By the time I17 at the hospital, my father had passed away. Now it was he who did not have 18 for a conversation with me. After his death I19 much more about him, and even more about myself. All he ever asked me was my time. And now he has all my20every single day.

     For a long time, I thought a present and a gift were no different. I grew up in a household where presents 1 special occasions, say there were always presents for Christmas and our birthdays.

     So when I married Gary who did not give presents on a 2 basis, I had to make an adjustment. Gary did not wholly avoid gift-giving, though. 3 noticing how many hours I spend on the 4. he brought home a shoulder pad (垫肩）for the telephone receiver. But mostly, he 5 holidays, let alone shop for earrings to 6 to me showing his affection.

    I tried to change Kim 7. I bought books for his birthdays and knitted him hats and sweaters for Christmas. 8I began to tell him what I wanted, giving 9 instructions, but got nowhere.

    Last year when the snowstorm 10 our town and he was on business, I used his present—road scraper (铲土机)to11 both our drive and our neighbor's, thinking how12 earrings would have been. Gary had wisely chosen not the thing I 13, but the thing that he knew I would need.

    I 14 began to understand the difference between a present and a gift. A present is just a thing. But a gift is broader and often cannot be 15. It is a small act of kindness, the 16to bend to another's needs, the sacrifice of time and effort.17 is a gift. Any expression of it, freely given, is a(n) 18 from the heart that is immeasurably better than a present.

    My insistence on presents must have seemed to Gary a lack of 19 for the gifts he had been giving all along, but he never stopped giving them.

    Gary will be home this Christmas, but I don't 20 a present. I already have the greatest gift.

We met Bailey 5 yeas ago. He was a standard poodle (髦毛小狗) born on Valentine's day in 2020, and came to us in a small blue box. His previous owner posted the news online and we adopted him. Our only request was that he behave calmly and be able to put up with the pushing and hugging of our eight-year-old daughter and six-year-old son. 

We were a sweet family: me, my husband, our children Angela and Tony. But for years. I'd felt that we wouldn't be truly whole if we didn't have a dog. Also, my husband worked for a commercial company and traveled around 200 days a year. and I knew that having a large animal sleeping by the door made me feel safer. 

The last piece of our purzle fell into place when we opened the box. With his dark hair and smart eyes, Bailey was beautiful. He was so small that he could fit in the palm of my hand, his big paws (爪子) resting at his sides. He was a little scared, too. As I pulled him close, I felt his heart racing, and 1 wondered if we had done the right thing by taking him away from his mother. But it was too late. Angela and Tony were already arguing about who would carry him and who had the right to bathe him. 

Over the following months, we spent countless hours watching Bailey play with his toys or roll around on the living room floor. Like most poodles, he was smart. He quickly mastered house-training and never chewed (咀) on our furniture or shoes. He considered himself one of us. 

One night we were sleeping in the bedroom when I heard some strange noise. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

At that time, Bailey ran towards me. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

A. I thought it was Bailey running and hitting something, so I kept lying in the bed and made an attempt to fall asleep again. However, the noise became louder and louder, which had already annoyed me. Quickly l got up from my bed. I opened the door and found Bailey running around the living room, trying to let all the things fall down. These abnormal behaviors really made me confused and a little afraid.

B. He firmly grabbed my trousers and pulled me to the kitchen. As I approached the kitchen could obviously smell a strong burning smell and immediately knew what had happened. When¹ aw the fierce fire in the kitchen, I dashed into my children's room like an arrow(前), waking them up at my maximum voice. Rushing out of the house together with my family. I called 911 and asked our neighbors for help at the same time. Fortunately both my family and my house were saved Thanks to our smart Bailey, we did escape from death.

C. Angela and Tony completed the delicious breakfast and they could not wait to bring it to me who slept in the room. Their father praised their hard-earned work with his thumb up, informing them that I was sleeping on the second floor. To my surprise, their hand-made food was so delicious that l would never forget it. Obviously. what they had done for me would be rooted in memory.

D. I nodded with a smile and encouraged the children to get started. Quickly. Angela volunteered to get the big box of com and prepared to make popcorn. At the same time, Tony. my smart boy. went to buy some paper bags. I ran to Bailey's home to invite him. Not surprisingly. Bailey was amazed at this great project and couldn't wait to come. To our delight, the popcorn they made looked great and tasted delicious. Finally. they packed the sweet popcorn in the paper bags together. Laughter and happiness filled this house.