It's always been a dream for Alex to take a trip with her mother, but it was a death in the family that1made them both realize how precious life really is.

    “After losing my grandma, I2that neither I nor my mum will3be here, and that I can't4the right time to come,” the 27-year-old girl told The Huffington post.

    “After a week of5, my amazing mum and I are off to travel around the United States. We will be travelling from New York to Los Angeles interviewing6who are changing the world for the better and7the dream I had for a very long time: to travel together with my mother. I have taken a month off work and we are on our way.8are waiting!” Alex said.

    So in August，Alex and her 63-year-old retired mother，Halina, traveled to the United States for a three-week 9that took them from coast to coast.

    Alex is the10of Looking For Heroes, a social media project, in which she photographs many of the interesting people she meets with,11unique tidbits (花边新闻) of their life stories at the same time. The 12mother and daughter traveled across the nation, visiting cities13Knoxville, Tennessee, New York City, Los Angeles and Washington. Along the way they took photos 14 famous backdrops (背景) in each city, making some15memories.

    Meanwhile, Alex16much from her mother. Her mother often said “My  17to young people would be to learn new things, and what you have learned will be your biggest 18in life. With age you stop19about things that don't matter. With your priorities (优先) changing, 20and health become the most important.

    I woke up the other day to a phone call from a taxi driver. He had my friend's cell phone, and told me that my friend had1it in the cab the night before.

    It was a rainy2, which for cab drivers is a very busy time. The cab driver asked where he could3the cell phone off. I told him the cross4where I lived. I quickly got dressed and told him that I'd5him on the comer of the street.

    The driver drove all the 6from Queens to deliver the phone without 7. When I met up with him, I 8 and blessed him for having such a kind and beautiful9. I was so happy for my10because of this man's kindness! My friend had11 moved here and I could only imagine how 12 his cell phone was to him! I further asked the taxi driver if I could get his 13, so that my friend can thank him as well. He said my 14 and gratitude were all that he needed and drove off.

    I emailed my friend telling him I had his15and later that day I met up with him to tell him how I had16it. My friend said he couldn't believe such kindness should17in this big city. He told me he could not18to pay it forward.

    I was so 19 to see the kindness that happened early that morning. It just made my20!

    I'm Jessica. Roland, my father, was a carpenter. When I was just a baby, I was so weak and sick that I had been in and out of the 1 for a whole year. The doctors were not2 that I would live another year.

    Taking care of me was 3 so our family was deep in debt. My father saw no 4 at the end of this tunnel. Then one day he saw a(n) 5 in the newspaper: “Security guards 6. $100,000 a year.” Without any hesitation, he 7 the number. The line was busy, but he kept calling and 8 got through. He was worried that the jobs were all9 but they told him plenty of jobs were still available. And they would fly him to Iraq for his 10 in five days.

    My father 11 it was dangerous; he might get injured or killed, but the money was too good; 12, the family would have full medical benefits, which would 13 me to get the care I needed. He said if he 14 the first year, he would probably sign up for a second year.

    My mother was 15. She asked, “What if you get killed? What are we going to do16 you?”

    “You've got to think 17. Think about how well of we'll be in two or three years after I bring back all that money. This is the 18thing I could do for this family.” He said to my mom. Then my dear father19 to Iraq five days later.

    Roland, my beloved father, put all his heart to support our family just 20 he loved me, loved us.

    When my sister Diane began playing the violin, she was seven. How did she sound? Terrible. But she didn't 1. At twelve, she asked our parents if she could 2 a full­time music school. They said no. Actually, everyone agreed that my sister 3 talent.

    I was better at my 4. My teacher had told my parents that I had great 5. So my parents found the best piano teacher in the area to 6 me. But the only time he was 7 was Saturday afternoons at 3 p.m. Back then, I was 8 about the British TV show The Avengers, which was 9 every Saturday at 3 p.m.. I let nothing take up my The Avengers hour. So I 10 this amazing opportunity. Today, I don't even have a 11 in my house.

    My sister became an engineer, but she 12 stopped making music. When she was in her 40s, she switched her 13. She went back to college, got a(n) 14 in music education, and became a music teacher. She started kids off on their first instrument and gave them all the encouragement and support she never 15.

    Recently, she and a pianist pal (朋友) put on a recital. A big crowd of friends and family 16 for her. As she played, I looked around at the 17. Everyone was 18 enjoying the music. It occurred to me that I was the only person that remembered that a 7­year­old kid making those perfectly 19sounds and knew how far she had come, despite 20.

    Talent is important. But enthusiasm is even more important.

    In October, I told the eight-year-olds in my class about my plan. “I'd like all of you to do 1  jobs around the house to earn some money, ”I said.“ Then we'll 2  food for a Thanksgiving dinner for someone who might not have a nice dinner  3  .”

    Early in Thanksgiving week, the boys and girls arrived in the  4 , clutching their hard-earned money. I watched them running up and down, busily doing their 5  .At last we headed toward the checkout, pushing a  6  filled with turkey and all the trimmings(配料).Then someone spotted a “necessity” that sent them racing.

    “Flowers!' Kristine cried. The group 7 toward the holiday plants.

Stuck in the middle was a pot of purple mums. “She'11 like this one.” the children  8 , and put the purple plant into the cart.

    We finally 9 in front of a small bungalow in the woods. A slightly-built woman with a weary face came to the door to 10  us.

    My little group hurried to get the 11. As each box was carried in, the old woman oohed and aahed(欢天喜地)—much to her visitors' 12 .When Amy put the mums on the counter, the woman seemed surprised. She's 13 it was a bag of flour, I thought.

    We returned to the car. We could see the kitchen 14 .The woman inside waved15, then turned and walked 16the room, past the turkey, past the trimmings, straight to the 17. She put her face in their petals(花瓣).When she raised her head, there was a 18on her lips.

    The children were quiet. In that one brief moment, they had seen for themselves the 19 they possessed to make another's 20 better.

Nobel, who was born in Stockholm, is a great scientist famous for his dangerous experiments.

    Nobel studied in the US and then Russia between 1850 and 1859. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} As is known, bomb is dangerous to life, but Nobel was working under that condition. Once a big explosion in his lab completely destroyed the lab and caused some deaths. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} He received criticism and satire, but he proceeded with the work rather than losing heart. From 1860s to 1880s, Nobel made many achievements and his inventions were first used in building roads and digging tunnels. Most of the bombs were safer and more possible to be controlled. Even at the end of the 20th century, we still used his methods.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} He was quick to see industrial3openings for his scientific inventions and built up over 80 companies in 20 different countries. Indeed his greatness lay in his outstanding ability to combine the qualities of an original scientist with those of a forward-looking industrialist.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Seldom happy, he was always4searching for a meaning to life, and from his youth, he had taken a serious interest in literature and philosophy. His greatest wish, however, was to see an end to wars, and thus peace between nations, and he spent much time and money working for this cause. To follow his will, a fund was set up to encourage people to make great progress in physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, literature and peace. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. After his return, he started researching into bombs.

B. After that he had to experiment on a boat in a lake.

C. Everyone knows the story of his famous invention.

D. That's the Nobel Prize which means great honour to a scientist.

E. Nobel had many patents in Britain and other European countries.

F. Most of his theories have been tested and found to be true though some may sound strange.

G. But Nobel's main concern was never with making money or even with making scientific