Thirteen years ago, my sister, a very beautiful girl, was born. _1_, we were later told that this little girl, who was three and a half months premature（早产的）, would only have 14 days on the earth. It's hard to understand what kind of 2you have when you find out that you're losing something that you don't even know.

    As time went on, the number of days kept growing, which gave us hope. When the doctors said that we could take her home, that was when reality（现实）hit. We had no 3_.

    I am from a small town with small hospitals, but when you don't have money, you just don't have it. My mother tried for days to get the money, but nothing _4 each time. A caseworker was doing her best. It's5that it almost felt as if we had to 6a baby from the hospital.

    One day the caseworker walked into her boss's office to try again. As she walked out. Feeling 7again, out of nowhere a man walked up to her. He 8her a bag of money and said, “Please give this to the lady in need, so she can take her daughter home.” She looked 9_at her hand with tears in her eyes. As she looked up to thank him, he was gone. They searched all over that hospital and he was nowhere to be found.

    Thanks to the guy that I will 10_ know, we could take that beautiful baby girl home, and celebrate her 13^th birthday yesterday. I am thankful to this man and feel that his act of kindness should be shared with everyone.

The Shirt of a Happy Man

    Once upon a time, in a rich and beautiful country, there lived an unhappy king. He slept 1and didn't feel like eating. The queen and his people worried about him very much. One day, a doctor was called in to examine the king. But he couldn't find 2 with his body. It was all in his mind. He said the king needed the shirt of a happy person to wear. Then the prime minister, the king's banker and the palace singer were called to the palace. But they all had3worries. They weren't happy, either. The prime minister thought many people were trying to 4, then he would lose his power. The banker was afraid 5 his money. The singer said he couldn't get freedom because he always worried about being followed by 6.

    7, the king's top general was told to go out and find a happy man in three days' time.

    Two days passed, the general still couldn't find a happy man. Everyone had their own problems, Just as he was about to give up, he saw a poor man8happily on the street. The general didn't understand why the poor man was so happy, though he seemed to have 9 power, money or fame. So he went up to the poor man and asked him about the reason. The poor man said he was happy because he had everything he wanted, and he didn't want to have what he couldn't have. Hearing this, the general was excited. The poor man was the Happy Man. So he asked the poor man to give his shirt10the king. "Shirt?" said the poor man in surprise, “I don't own any shirts!”

    When you meet Esther Okade, she seems really like a 110-year-old child. She loves dressing up as Elsa from Frozen（《冰雪奇缘》）,2 Barbie toys and going to the park or shopping. But what makes the British youngster stand out is the3that she's also a university student.

    Esther, from Walsall, a town of the UK, is one of the country's4college student. The talented 10-year-old girl5the Open University in January this year and is already top of the class.

    It's so interesting. she says. It was super easy. My mom taught me6a nice way.

She adds, I want to finish the7in two years. I want to have my own bank by time I'm fifteen years old8I like numbers and I like people and banking is a great way to help people.

    And when people think her parents have9her into starting university early, Ester disagrees. Esther10wanted to start when she was seven. But her mom thought she was too young. After three years of11, mother Efe agreed to take the idea at last.

Esther's mother noticed her daughter's natural ability for12shortly after she began homeschooling her when Esther was only three.13, Esther's parents took her into a private school. But after a few short weeks, Esther cried out in tears and she said, I don't want to go back to that school. They14don't let me talk!

    In the UK, you do not have to start school until you are five. Education is not compulsory（义务的）until that age so I thought OK, and15will be doing little things at home until then.

    Maybe by the time she's five she will change her mind. said Esther's mother.

    Frank was a very talkative boy, He never saw a new thing without asking a lot of questions about it. His mother was very kind and1. When it was proper to answer his questions, she would do so.

    The first time Frank saw an hourglass, he was very much2, but he did not know what it was. His mother3, "An hourglass is made in the shape of the figure 8. The sand is put in one end, and runs

4 a small hole in the middle. The sand put into the glass will go through5 an hour."

    Frank watched the little stream of sand. He was impatient, because it would not run faster." Let me 6 it, Mother," he said. "It is lazy, and will never get through."

    "Oh yes, it will, my son," said his mother. "The sand moves 7 ， but it moves all the time. When you look at the clock, you will find the same. 8 you are playing, the sand is running, grain by grain, and the hands of the 9 are moving, second by second. At night, the sand in the hourglass has run through twelve times. The hour hand of the clock has moved all around 10 great face. This is because they keep working every 11 . They do not stop to think how much they have to do, and 12 it will take them to do it."

    Later, Frank's mother wanted him to learn a poem, but he said," Mom, I13"His mother said," Study all the time.14 care about the time it will take. You will be able to say it very soon.

    Frank followed his mother's 15. He studied line after line, and in one hour and a half he knew the poem perfectly.

I used to hate scary films. I didn't understand 1 some people wanted to scare 2 on purpose. But now I love them. Sometimes I watch them by myself; sometimes I watch them with my sister. 3, I will have a cushion(靠垫) nearby to 4 my face especially for bad parts, but I still enjoy watching them. As a 5, I have to watch something "happy" afterwards to take my mind off them,

    Watching scary films is 6 going on a roller coaster(过山车). Many people ride it for the 7 that comes from being scared without actually being in 8. As I am truly scared of the roller coaster, watching scary films is my way of 9 this. And it is interesting, especially 10 it is a film you haven't seen before. You can try and 11 what's going to happen.

    12 I saw a film called The Strangers by myself. In the film, a group of people with scary masks(面具) attacked(攻击) a couple's house. 13 some reason I had to keep stopping the video and doing 14 else, like checking e mails or reading a bit of my book. It took me five hours to finish seeing the film. It's hard to believe, isn't it?

    Scary films make me 15 but excited, I know I will continue to scare myself.

    My parents used to tell me how important school was for me, but I didn't think so. I paid little attention to it. But one thing let me finally 1  what my parents meant.

    One day, when I 2 a mobile phone store, I saw an advertisement on its door. It was hiring new workers!

    "Sir, are you hiring people?" I went 3 the shop and asked. "Yes, but you should be the man who we need," the manager answered. He looked at me for a few 4 from head to foot. "Do you have a high school diploma(文凭)?" 5 he, "Or do you have any work experience?"

    I felt so ashamed and 6 that I didn't know what to say, so I just turned around and left.

    I could not fall asleep that night, and I thought a lot about my 7. "I must go to school or I can't do anything without a good education," I 8 to myself silently. I never went back to the store again 9 I finished my study and got a diploma.

    10 looked the same when I returned to the store: the same people and the same design. However, compared with last time, I had more 11. The manager told me they needed new 12. So it was a great chance for me.

    I 13 my diploma to the manager. He looked at it and said, "Great, you are in."

    Now I am still working in the same store. With this experience, I always 14 people to attend school. Education helps you have a bright future. Now I am not worried about my future because I'm still 15 in my spare time.