Every day I can watch a little girl 1 basketball from my kitchen window. One day I asked her why she practised so 2 . She said: “I would like to go to college. The only way is 3  a scholarship(奖学金). I like basketball and I want to be the 4 player in college. My dad told me: ‘If the dream is big enough, the facts don't count.' ” She  5 changed her mind. I watched her through those junior high years and into senior high school.

    One day before she graduated 6 high school, I saw her sitting on the grass 7 . I asked her what was wrong. She told me her coach said she was such a 8 girl that she couldn't be a good basketball player, so she should  9 dreaming about going to college. She was heartbroken and it 10 made me feel sad. Then she smiled and told me her father said that coach was wrong. He did not understand the power of dream. Her father said to her: “If you really want to 11 the scholarship of a good college, nothing but you 12 can stop your dream.”

    The next year, she and her team went to a big game. She 13 by a coach of a famous college team and was offered a scholarship to the 14 basketball team of their college. She was about to get the college education that she had dreamed 15 and worked towards for all those years.

    “If the dream is big enough, the facts don't count.” It is true.

    The Spring Festival is very important in China. People 1 it to welcome the coming of a new lunar(农历)year.

    It's the day before Spring Festival. Everyone 2 very happy. It's a happy time for Li Hai's family. Look! Li Hai's mother is 3 the yard. She wants to sweep away(扫除; 清除)4luck. Li Hai's father doesn't like white or green, and he thinks black isn't lucky, so he is painting(涂)the doors 5. Li Hai's sister is decorating the house with paper cutting(剪纸). Li Hai's brother is sitting in front of the television 6he is waiting for Wang Yuan. Wang Yuan is his favourite star.7is the boy? He is Li Hai's friend, Jack. He is helping Li Hai's grandmother 8 dumplings. Oh, where's Li Hai? I can't see 9. Wow, he's sending greetings to his 10teacher by e-mail. He likes English very much.

Meimei is a girl from a village far away.  It has been some months  1 she moved to the city.  She is a girl 2 studies hard.   3 she is also an honest girl, the government sent her to the local    junior high school.   4  the students here are warm and friendly, she still has difficulties at school, especially in English learning.  She felt  5 .   She sat in  6  at the English class.  She  7 to do group work, only watching others without a word.  Soon the teacher found this and asked her reason.  Meimei is such an 8 girl and she told the teacher what she thought.  She haven't learned 9  language before.  She 10 not speak English because she is afraid of making mistakes.  English is difficult 11 her ability.  Besides, she will not have chances to go to other countries.  The teacher  12  why we Chinese should learn English well.  For instance, English is a good tool to know the outside world.  The teacher also gave her some advice on 13 to learn English well, like previewing before class or singing English songs.  She has studied hard from then on.  Now Meimei can pronounce the words 14 .   The teacher 15 her change.  She hopes that Meimei can make great progress. 

 It just hadn't been a very good week. On Tuesday, Sam's father lost his job. Then on Wednesday, Sam mother got to know the cost of their apartment(公寓) was going up. Now it was Friday, and Sam receive( an invitation from Rosa to her birthday party.

 Sam knew Rosa from Adventure Club. He knew he would enjoy Rosa's party, but he didn't want to g without a gift. What could he possibly buy her with the little bit of money he had? Sam knew he couldn ask Mom or Dad for any money— not this week!

 Later that afternoon, Sam noticed a second-hand book sale going on. He went there and had a quic look. Two books caught his eye, The first was a cookbook of Puerto Rican foods, and the second was book about women explorers(探险者)"Rosa would like these," Sam thought, "but would it be ashamed to give her second-hand books for her birthday?"

 Sam decided that a second-hand gift was better than no gift at all. Besides, Rosa supported recycling in a big way. So, she would probably like it. With his last dollar, Sam bought the books and went home. He felt a little better.

 The party was on Saturday. Rosa opened all her gifts and thanked everyone for the nice things they had given her. She paused when she opened Sam's gift, which made him wonder if she liked the books, but nothing was said.

 When Sam got home, he opened his e-mail and found this note from Rosa.

Dear Sam,

Of all the gifts I received today, yours was the nicest. How did you know I would love a book about women explorers and a cookbook of Puerto Rican foods? Now I have something to read that will inspire me to follow my dream of becoming an adventurer, and I have a book that I can share with my grandmother. She is getting older and wants to be sure her granddaughter knows how to make the - wonderful foods of Puerto Rico. Thank you so much.

Love, Rosa..

 The week turned out to be a good one after all.

During the summer holiday, I ate too much fast food, so I was fat. I decided to make a change, so I became a 1 of a sports club. 

On the first day, I arrived at the club early and 2 with the coach, like running. My mum was surprised because I had never been 3 before and I didn't like sports. However, after three days, I didn't want to go there any more. 4 I was too tired to train. 

My mum was sad about it, but she told me a story. Twenty years ago, my mum was so 5 that she got ill easily. Then my grandfather took her to exercise. At first, she didn't want to do that after 6 a few days. But my grandfather always encouraged (鼓励) her and 7 different activities with her. Later, my mum enjoyed sports. Her body condition has been 8 now. After hearing this, I decided to go to the 9 again. My grandfather and my mother taught me the meaning of persistence(坚持). 

My mum was very happy with my change. 10 I knew that I needed to keep on to reach the goal(目标), just like"Where there is a will(意志), there is a way. "