There once was a king in a faraway country. One day, he decided to1a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of 2 So many artists 3 The king looked at all the pictures.4 there were only two he really liked, and he had to 5between them. One picture was of a 6 lake. The lake was a perfect mirror with peaceful huge mountains all around it. Above was a 7 sky with light white clouds. All who 8 this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

    The other picture had 9too. But these were not flat at all. Above was a (an)10 sky, from which rain fell heavily and in which lightning played11 Down the side of the mountain was a waterfall with loud sound. This did not look12 at all.

    But when the king looked 13 he saw behind the waterfall a small tree 14 in a crack (缝隙) in the rock. In the tree a mother bird had 15 her comfortable home. There, with the flow of angry water, the mother bird was 16 her hungry children in the nest, taking no attention to the 17things around them — in perfect peace.

    Which picture do you think18 the prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why?

     “Because” said the king, “peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise,19 or hard work. Peace means although noisy things are around you, you 20 keep calm in the heart. That is the real meaning of peace.”

    I was a reporter of an evening paper in London.  One day I was 1 to write a few articles on begging in London.  It was then that all my adventures 2 I decided that the best 3 of collecting facts for my articles is that I would become a beggar myself for just one day.  At one time 4 I was an actor, of course, I had 5 all the skills of make-up and I now made good use of them.  I painted my face and 6 my upper lip on an ugly twist (扭曲).  Red hair and shabby (破旧的)clothes were the only other things 7 I then 8 myself in one of the busiest streets.  I pretended to be a beggar.  At home that night I was9 to find that I had received more than a pound.

    Well, you can imagine how 10 it was to settle down to work hard on the 11 at two pounds a week, 12 I knew that I could make as much as that in a single day! I gave13 my job, though my14 was hurt.  I had 15 advantages. My 16 of make-up helped me a great deal and my clever answers quickly made me 17 a public character.  All day and every day, the money 18 into my cap.  I usually received at least two pounds in a day.  In the end I 19 buy a large house in the country.  Nobody had any idea where my money really came from.  My dear wife knew that I had business in London: That was 20.

    In 1993, Greg Mortenson travelled to northern Pakistan to climb K2, the world's second highest mountain. Instead of reaching the top, he became so1that he had to come down. Some porters took him home to Korphe, their village, and 2him.

    While he was recovering, Greg3the village children writing their lessons outside in the dirt. The village had no4 and couldn't pay $l a day for a teacher. Greg decided to pay the village back by raising money to build a school and5a teacher.

    Back home in Montana, Greg wrote many6to celebrities（名人）and business people.7, he received just one reply and one check for $100. Then he wrote 16 grant proposals（补助金申请）— all were8. Finally he started9his things, but only raised $2,000.

    Then an elementary school class in Wisconsin10a project called Pennies for Pakistan. They11$623 in pennies to CAI — Central Asia Institute, founded by Greg. After that, adults began to take a(n)12in his project.13, Greg raised $12,000 and in 1996, CAI14its first project — the school in Korphe.

    Over two decades, CAI's15have expanded into other areas of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan, many of them too dangerous or remote for other organizations to reach. CAI has16the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Hundreds of new requests for17still cross the organization's desks every day. It looks forward to18these future projects, because Greg and CAI truly19the surest path to peace is through20. With education they can change the world, one child at a time.

    A 35-year-old Australian mother makes around $58,000 a year by hugging total strangers. Jessica O'Neill started her 1 job six months ago. "As human beings, one thing we often 2 in our daily lives is physical touch. Without it, we can fall into depression and other mental health problems. To satisfy this 3, I've become a professional worker in hugging treatment," said Jessica.

    Jessica claims that her hugs can 4 those who are suffering from loneliness, depression, or low self-confidence. Originally, Jessica was a masseuse (女按摩师), a quite 5 profession. She notices that when she 6 her customers during treatments, they dropped their guards and 7 her more. "I could see their 8 melt away. Then I could get to their heart and do what I can to 9 them," Jessica said. "Everyone has a totally different story. But the most common 10 are loneliness, depression and anxiety. They all just have that desire to 11 with someone. I believe my hug helps me and my 12 connect on a spiritual level."

    Jessica says the majority of her customers are 13, but she has a surprising number of female customers14Despite many people thinking she must be 15 for doing such work, Jessica is confident that she's made the right 16 "It's so much more rewarding than just working as a masseuse. I feel like it's what I was put on this Earth 17," said Jessica. In today's digital age, many people are lonelier than ever before. For people whose lives 18 physical interaction, hugging therapy can have an apparent effect on their mental health."

    "Interestingly, although the hugging 19 has been around for a short while, we've actually covered several 20 businesses in the last few years."

I'm standing on Rio's beach, one of the most famous 1 of sand. In this lively, multicultural country, the beach is not just a place;it's a state of mind—a way of thinking and living. 

Every Brazilian has his or her own ideas of the perfect beach, 2 to tell you where to find it. I'm happy to take their advice but my ultimate goal is to find my own dream beach. First, I go to Prainha's beach 3 by a row of perfect palm trees, moving softly in the ocean breeze. Its beauty is magnificent-its perfect graceful lines are like something in a 4 . But for me, it's somewhat too perfect. I am searching for something a bit 5 . 

I continue my search heading north to a legendary beach: Jeri. As an international destination, it attracts visitors from Tokyo to Toronto. Luckily, Jeri hasn't been 6 by tourists mostly because of its isolated(偏远的)location—at least five hours from any airport. I take a beach buggy(沙地车), driving for three hours. The boats lie on their sides while nets 7 to dry on lines between fishermen's houses. Peaceful and beautiful! How can it possibly get any better? I 8 . 

My final stop is the islands of Fernando, 9 a few hundred kilometers out in the Atlantic. They once were used as a prison and later by the army. Today, they are a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, 10 with birds and sea life. The beach there is a perfect 11 of sand, sea, and sky. The water is pale blue and warm, alive with colorful fish, 12 , and other marine life; the sand is the color of 13 . In the rocks and strong winds that 14 come in from the Atlantic, there is the wilderness I was seeking. Finally, I've found the beach of my dreams. I 15 my toes in the sand deeply and imagine I can hold on to this place forever.

Growing up in a suburban neighborhood in the Northeastern United States, the advent of springtime didn't hold much significance for me. While it did bring a week-long respite from school, the focus was more on the vacation aspect than the season itself.

For the children in my community, spring was largely an overlooked period. The year was divided into two primary seasons: winter, which offered the thrill of ice skating, sledding, and constructing snow forts; and summer, which allowed us to fully enjoy the beach located a short distance from my home. Spring and autumn were merely transitional periods, marking the countdown to the more exciting seasons.

It's true that as I matured, spring began to hold a certain charm for me, as suggested by the poetic line, "In the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love," penned by Alfred Lord Tennyson. However, my fascination was more with the romantic notions associated with the season rather than the season itself.

In essence, spring was not a season I paid much heed to... until my journey to China. After spending roughly three months in Beijing, my first Spring Festival made its presence known in an undeniable way. The sporadic fireworks throughout the day and night were a clear indication, but what truly struck me was the apparent absence of the usual hustle and bustle in the city.

The usual throngs of people, streams of vehicles, and the general city noise seemed to have vanished. This mystery was resolved upon my return to work. My colleagues enlightened me that it is customary for Chinese people to travel, if necessary, to reunite with their families during the Spring Festival. Many residents of Beijing are not originally from the capital.

Furthermore, I was introduced to a fascinating aspect of the Spring Festival that continues to astonish me. Regardless of when the holiday commences, there is an almost instantaneous and perceptible improvement in the weather. Spring truly makes its entrance.

The ancient Chinese ability to devise a system that could consistently and accurately herald the change of seasons, year after year, is beyond my comprehension. Yet, they managed to achieve this remarkable feat.