I got aboard and sat down in my seat．It was going to be a long flight． Around me were some  1  "Where are you headed?" I asked．

       "Lakes Air Base．We'll be there for special training, and then to the front．"

After about an hour, an announcement was made that box lunches were  2  for five dollars． The journey would be several hours, and I decided to buy one．

        As I 3  for my wallet, I heard a soldier ask his fellows if he would buy lunch．"No, that seems a lot of money for just a box lunch．" I looked around at the other soldiers. 4  were buying lunch．I walked to the back of the plane and  5 the flight attendant a fifty-dollar bill．

        "Take a lunch to all those soldiers．" I said．She seized my arms tightly．Her eyes wet with tears, she  6  me, " My son is a soldier in the front．．．it's almost like you are doing it for him．"

       Picking up ten boxes, she headed to the soldiers．

       After eating, on my way to the rest room I was  7  by a man．"I saw 8 you did and I want to be part of it．" With this, he handed me twenty-five dollars．

       Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming, looking at the seat numbers  9  he walked．When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his10  , and said, "I want to  11  your hand．" I stood and took his hand．With a loud voice he said, "I was a soldier．12 , someone bought me a lunch．It was such an act of  13  that I never forgot．" I was a little bit  14   when applause rang out from all of the passengers．These soldiers were giving their all for our country．I could only give them a couple of meals．

       Later, when I walked to the front of the plane to stretch my legs, a man  15  another twenty-five dollars in my hand．

When we 16  , I gathered my belongings and started to leave．A man stopped me, put something in my pocket, and walked away 17 a word．Another twenty-five dollars! Seeing the soldiers  18  at the terminal, I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars．As I walked  19  to my car, I prayed for their safe  20  .

    One night, when I was eight , my mother gently asked me a question I would never forget. “Sweetie, my company wants to  1me but needs me to work in Brazil. This is like your teacher telling that you've done 2 and allowing you to skip a grade(跳级), but you'll have to 3 your friends. Would you say yes to your teacher?” She gave me a hug and asked me to think about it. I was puzzled. The question kept me 4 for the rest of the night I had said “yes” but for the first time, I realized the5decisions adults had to make.

    For almost four years, my mother would call us from Brazil every day. Every evening I'd 6 wait for the phone to ring and then tell her every detail of my day. A phone call, however, could never replace her 7and it was difficult not to feel lonely at times.

    During my fourth-grade Christmas break, we flew to Rio to visit her. Looking at her large 8 apartment, I became 9 how lonely my mother must have been in Brazil herself. It was then10 I started to appreciate the tough choices she had to make on 11 family and work. 12difficult decisions, she used to tell me, you wouldn't know whether you make the right choice, but you could always make the best out of the situation, with passion and a 13attitude.

    Back home , I 14 myself that what my mother could do, I could, too. If she 15  to live in Rio all by herself, I, too, could learn to be 16 . I learn how to take care of myself and set high but achievable17.

    My mother is now back with us. But I will never forget what the 18 has really taught me. Sacrifices 19 in the end. The separation between us has proved to be 20 for me.

The Change of Bossy (好指挥人的) Lily

    I am a helpful person. However, my classmates used to call me “Bossy Lily”.

    One day, the class shouted again, “Bossy Lily, bossy Lily!” My teacher, Ms. Flora sent me to sit in the 1 for a while to quiet the class. I didn't understand why the class got 2 when I tried to show Mike how to handle the record player. I was only trying to 3 I also couldn't understand why the teacher had sent me to the corner. I was taught to always help my 4if they didn't know something. I thought the class was 5 in their judgment of me. I thought the teacher was wrong in 6 with them.

    When everyone was excused for break, Ms. Flora kept me in. I 7 I was in serious trouble, but I still didn't understand how my 8 could have caused the teacher to react like this.

     “Why am I here and not at break?” I asked Ms. Flora. The teacher didn't say a word.9 she placed a word puzzle in front of me. Surprised as I was, I got out my pencil and 10 to solve it. It was 11 with many words I didn't understand. I raised my hand for help, but Ms. Flora 12 me. I 13 with the word puzzle until I was about to give up. But I was not a quitter, so I stayed with the challenge. Soon I had solved the problem 14my own. I was so proud I did the puzzle by myself that I raised my hand high to get Ms. Flora's 15. Ms. Flora picked up the finished puzzle and 16.

    “I'm glad that you learned this important 17 from me.” I was 18. She hadn't done anything. Now she was taking the credit for my hard work!

    “Now perhaps you have learned to let other students make discoveries 19. After all, that is the fun of 20.”

    In that moment, I decided that I would never do anything that would cause them to call me “Bossy Lily” ever again.

    Yesterday, I posted a story and afterwards donated a little money after I read others' sad stories. Later, as I got into bed and completed my1 and self-examination on the day, I came to the realization that I was 2money. Wow! It was just a  3  to see this in myself.

    It is 4 enough that in the real world I have money in the bank but don't give away  5 . I don't have a lot of money,6 enough to pay my bills and help my daughters. Also I save some money for a 7 day. I know I could give more but 8  and fed some comfort in a little pile of money. I'm quite 9 to see in myself that it is hard to practice the beautiful 10 in the real world. The belief is that the needs of people 11 are more important than having a little pile of money to feel 12 with.

    So here I was doing the same 13  thing-saving but not giving away much money! With so many people waiting to be helped, it was pretty terrible for me to 14 how much I 15  seeing that little pile of money in my hands. I have already16 today that even if it is hard to give it all away in the real world, I am going to guarantee more17will come my way.

    There will always be enough money for me. I am not going to let 18 pile up anymore. I am going to give it away when I19 it because love is  20  what makes the world go round.

    Everybody seems to pay more attention to my little sister Lisa. I've 1 enough of this big-sister thing!

    So I decide to 2, with my favorite toys and other 3 like clothes. Mother 4 my running away. However, she's not as upset as she 5 be, "Are you going to Grandma's?" I can't believe she can even 6 this out. She's like a witch!

    I don't 7 her and go out. So 8 on my leaving, I'm unaware Mother is 9 me. Finally I get to Grandma's. 10 I even knock, the door opens. I realize Mother has 11 ahead.

    Mother comes in and sits down, patting her thigh (大腿), "Come here." I don't want to, but I'm hot and tired, so I 12 her thigh. She pushes my hair behind my ear and asks 13, "Dear, why have you left?" And it all comes out: "It's 14 and all the time with Lisa, I get into trouble..."

    Taking my face in her hands, Mum says, "I don't want you to be so 15. If it's hard for you, I'll call the orphanage and send her away tomorrow." I start to 16 and I beg her, "No. Don't send her away!" Seeming 17, Mother agrees.

    18, whenever we have a(n) 19, if I say, "Mum, Lisa's being mean to me!" Mum smiles, "You had your 20."

Ever since I entered YYHS, I have been struggling with the courses I take, in particular math. Although much effort has been put into math, I can't see any sign of improvement. Every day, I sit in the classroom, looking at the math teacher {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(困惑地). In a sense, I can {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(被称为) an idiot in learning math. Worse still, there are countless unknown fields {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(来探索) in my spare time. Last weekend, we took a math exam and scored only 78, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(这使我很受挫和绝望). YYHS, originally known as the Eighth School, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(属于) the list of first provincial key schools in Hubei province. {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(被包围) talented students here, I feel highly pressured all the time. At times, an idea pops up into my mind that I may as well {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(摆脱) this renowned school. How I wish I could learn in a relaxed atmosphere, where I can have my learning schedule {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(调整) a little bit {#blank#}9{#/blank#}（如果可能）. When I shared my idea with my parents the other day, they urged me to {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(抛弃) all my troubles and {#blank#}11{#/blank#}(留心) in each class. Without their support, I had to stay and commit myself to my work. Whatever challenge comes my way, I will face it bravely. Should I fail in the future, I can {#blank#}12{#/blank#}(接管) my family business. After all, just as the saying goes, "All roads lead to Rome."