A man was walking along the beach when he suddenly noticed some children dancing far away from him. "What on earth are they 1 on the beach?" he thought and quickly 2 towards them.

    He was surprised that a boy and a girl were not dancing but picking up the 3 on sands and throwing them back into the sea.

    "Excuse me, why are you 4 the starfishes back into the sea?" he asked.

    The children didn't 5 but continued picking up the starfishes and kept throwing them back into the sea.

    Don't you think it is a waste of your 6? There are hundreds of starfishes still lying around. 7 you can't keep this act all day long." the man talked to the two children with a smile.

    At last the elder boy replied, "Sir, you see it is very hot and the Sun will soon rise. Though my sister and I can't throw all the starfishes back into the 8, we are sure it is important to the ones we 9 in throwing. Would you like to join us? It would make a difference." The man 10 and said, "It certainly would," so he also picked up the starfishes and threw them into the sea.

    My mother told me that when I was born, I was the most beautiful baby in the world. Time passed, and I started to be a 1 and happy girl.

    Then, one day when I was five years old, my life 2 a lot. I had a high fever. The doctor gave me the wrong medicine 3 it brought me a lot of problems with my speech. So I couldn't speak. And the doctor told us I would 4 be able to speak well again or learn another language.

However, my mom couldn't believe I lost my speech. She sent me to a lot of teachers. 5, she found the right teacher, Nina, to help me make my dream come true. She was a very    6 person. She encouraged me and told me that I would speak again. The most amazing thing was that she taught me to read my 7. I remember that I spent hours in front of the mirror and tried to repeat every word that I said. Imagine losing your speech and having to learn 8 again. For me, it was like being hurt again. Yes, I was! I learned to talk and speak my mother language—Spanish.

    Now, I am studying English. I can't believe that I am learning another 9. But, I am! I am crying because 10 here makes me feel happy, and it makes me 11 when I remember what the doctor said to my mom,"12 will never be able to speak or learn another language."

I'll always remember the beautiful words my mom said to me 13 I was a child and began to learn to speak again." You are fighting in a war. Trust yourself and try your 14, and then you will get a beautiful medal for your success. You will achieve an impossible dream that people say you will never do. I believe 15 you, and you are my hero."

    Now when I am going to take every step in my studies and in my life, I try to think about my experience and be a thankful person.

阅读下面的短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的A、B、C三个选项中，选出一个最佳答案.

    There was a tree in my garden. One day, two birds came to the tree and built a house for their1 newborn babies.

    One morning, I was getting up when I 2the sound of the little birds. I ran out of my bedroom and found two babies eating food on the ground in the 3I thought they dropped off their house, so I decided to help them get back to their house. At that time, the 4bird and the mother bird came back. They brought some food for the third baby. They put it on the ground. 5 their third baby. To get the food, she had to fly to it. Although she was6, she was afraid of getting out of the house to eat it.

    To my 7. her parents just stood there and did nothing.

    After about ten8 the third baby bird didn't have any other choice. She slowly went to the border(边缘)of the house and began to9, She flew down from the house. Finally, she landed safely on the ground and found the food soon.

These birds taught us a lesson: If we want our food, we will have to learn to fly on 10.

    On 1 1st, Mike decided to play a joke on his friend. At lunchtime he said to Tom, "I think we're going to have a science test(测验) this afternoon."

    "A test?" said Tom. "Really?"

    "Yes, it's quite 2." said Mike. "When I was passing by Mr. Hill's room, he was talking with 3 teacher about test. I think there will 4 a science test this afternoon. Tell Bob and Kate about it."

    Later, Tom told Bob and Kate about the test. 5 almost all the students in Mr. Hill's science class knew about it. They quickly went into the classroom and began to 6.

    But not Mike. He was laughing to himself 7 his classmates. "That fools!" he thought. "April fools."

    When class began, Mr. Hill said to the students.

    "Class, we're going to have a test today."

    Mike was surprised. He could not 8 what to do.

    When Mr. Hill handed out the 9, the students began to write. But not Mike. He 10 think and think and think.

    It really was April Fools' Day for Mike.