In May 2001, I found a job in New York at the World Trade Center. On September 11, 2001, I arrived at my building at around 8:30 a.m. I was about to go up when I decided to get a coffee first. I went to my favorite coffee place even though it was two blocks east from my office. As I was waiting in line with other officer workers, I heard a loud sound. Before I could join the others outside to see what was going on, the first plane had already hit my office building. We stared in disbelief at the black smoke rising above the burning building. I felt lucky to be alive.

    Kobe Bryant was born in August 23, 1978. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} He began his career at the age of 18 when he became the youngest player in history to be drafted out of high school.

    As the most successful Shooting Guard after Michael Jordan, in 2006 he once scored 81 points at a single game. In 2008, he got the MVP award, and led Lakers back to the top. It was the 20th year for Bryant to play for the Lakers. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} But in recent years, he missed a lot of games because of injuries.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} So it was a largely ceremonial(仪式的) season for Bryant to say goodbye to all his fans. Every game he played had a large crowd. Many people wanted to see him play once more.

   On Wednesday, April 14th, Kobe Bryant played his final game. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} A lot of famous players and people came to the Staples Center in Los Angeles to watch his performance. Fans even signed a big goodbye message for him at the sports center. Also, lots of people watched the game on TV and the Internet.

   This season, the Lakers were not a good team. They only won 17 of 82 games. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} He scored 60 points to help Los Angeles defeat Utah, 101 to 96. He finished his playing career with over 33,000 points. That makes him third on the all-time scoring list.

A group of graduates got together to visit their old university professor. During the visit, the conversation soon turned into complaints about 1 in work and life. Offering his 2 coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and 3 with a large pot of coffee and a variety of cups — porcelain(陶瓷), plastic, glass, crystal(水晶), some beautiful, some expensive, some 4 — telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When each of the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said, "If you have 5 , all the nice-looking expensive cups have been 6 , leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. It is 7 for you to want only the best for yourselves, but that is the 8 of your problems and stress."

"It is clear that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases 9 hides what we drink."

"10 all of you really want is coffee, not the cup, 11  most of you just went for the best cups. And then you looked to see what cups others picked."

Now consider this: 12 is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. 13 are just tools to hold and contain life, and the type of cups we pick has nothing to do with the life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we 14 to enjoy the coffee. Value the coffee, not the cups! Don't let the cups 15 you. Enjoy the coffee instead.

I love traveling. I've been to many cities in China and Sanya is my favorite. Last Spring Festival, instead of visiting {#blank#}1{#/blank#} and friends, we decided to pay a visit to Sanya.

 We left for Sanya as soon as our holiday began. We really enjoyed ourselves there. We played on the beach and {#blank#}2{#/blank#} fireworks.

 Then we went to Nanshan Temple. A large {#blank#}3{#/blank#}of people visited it every day. According to the local(当地的) {#blank#}4{#/blank#}people should eat rice cakes during the Spring Festival, so we went to a local restaurant. Its rice cakes {#blank#}5{#/blank#}good and tasted delicious. We didn't return until our holiday was about to be over.

 Want some advice? Keep in mind that the best time to visit Sanya is from December to January in the dry season when the weather isn't too hot.

My parents always told me that I couldn't dance, because it was a girl's sport. But I never gave up my 1  of becoming a dancing star. I practised secretly, learning from books, movies, and shows. However, without my parents' support, that dream seemed impossible to reach. 

One summer, my little sister Maggie was going to dance lessons. I immediately asked 2  parents for permission(允许) to take her to the lessons. What a 3  chance to learn dancing!

One afternoon, I was practising a new dance in my room when Maggie walked 4 . 

"What's the matter, Maggie?"I stopped 5 . 

"Denis, you are a great dancer! Can you help me?"

"What is it?"I wondered. 

"There'll be a dancing performance in my school, 6  the boys think I'm slow, and non e of them wants to be my partner. 7  you dance with me for it?" She looked at me anxiously. 

"You can be a good dancer!"I encouraged her. "Let's show those people that they have been 8  for months. " We 9  every evening, hiding from my parents. I was having a fantastic time and 10  Maggie improved a lot. 

Finally came the big day. I became 11  when I heard my parents would come to watch the performance. As the 12  began, I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. We moved perfectly, shining with pride. From the cheering of the crowd, I was sure our dance was a big 13 . 

My heart was beating wildly when I saw my 14  coming towards me. He put his hand on my shoulder, "Well done, son. Though it is hard for me to admit it, you really looked like you belonged to this stage(舞台). Go for it and make us proud. "

I'd been 15  this moment for so long. I knew that the road ahead wasn't going to be easy, but I wouldn't give up. I wanted nothing more in life than to dance.