Evelyn Glennie was the first lady of solo percussion in Scotland. In an interview, she talked about how she became a percussion soloist (打击乐器独奏演员) in spite of her disability.

    “Early on I decided not to allow the 1  of others to stop me from becoming a musician. I grew up on a farm in northeast Scotland and began 2  piano lessons when I was eight. The older I got, the more my passion (酷爱) for music grew. But I also began to gradually lose my 3  . Doctors concluded that the nerve damage was the 4  and by age twelve, I was completely deaf. But my love for music never 5  me.

    “My 6  was to become a percussion soloist, even though there were none at that time. To perform, I 7  to hear music differently from others. I play in my stocking feet and can 8  the pitch of a note (音调高低) by the vibrations (振动). I feel through my body and through my 9  . My entire sound world exists by making use of almost every 10  that I have.

    “I was 11  to be assessed as a musician, not as a deaf musician, and I applied to the famous Royal Academy of Music in London. No other deaf student had 12  this before and some teachers 13  my admission. Based on my performance, I was 14 admitted and went to 15  with the academy's highest honors.

    “After that, I established(使立足) myself as the first full-time solo percussionist. I 16  and arranged a lot of musical compositions since 17  had been written specially for solo percussionists.

    “I have been a soloist for over ten years. 18  the doctor thought I was totally deaf, it didn't 19  that my passion couldn't be realized. I would encourage people not to allow themselves to be 20  by others. Follow your passion; follow your heart, they will lead you to the place you want to go.”

    In 1895, when he was 52, my grandpa, Dennis Fitzpatrick Sr. , had a young man's dream. He1 to own land and build a barn(谷仓) and house on it. In order to2 the dream, he left Hubbardston, Michigan and went to north to Slabtown. In the place, there was 80-acre wasted land with 3 fence(篱笆) and big bushes everywhere. Grandpa walked around the land, dreaming of the day when he would 4it into green meadow(牧场). where there are fields of crops, wandering 5, a big barn and a new house.

    He 6 there and started working. In the summer, a 4-acre field 7 a lot of crops and in the fall, he started working on a new8, carrying stones from a mile away. After the bam completed, a new house was started. By the age of 82, his dream had 9 30 years after he started.

    But by the 1990s the barn was in bad need of 10 or it would fall apart. So we worked to make it as strong as before. During the past years, it had 11 family, gathering, wedding reception, neighborhood parties 12 music and dancing, Christmas ball and more.

    Grandpa is gone now, but his 13 is still with us. Now I, his great-grandson, 14 the land that he cleared. All seven of my 15 live on or within a mile of the farm. Grandpa's dream so long ago—green meadow, fields of crops and a big barn—is now 16by his many descendants(子孙) more than a17later.

    Grandpa taught us very 18 lessons. It is never too late to 19 If you have one, work at it 20and you'll turn it into reality.

    Singing or listening to music during math class is usually not accepted. However, in Kurt's classroom, it's not the1 . Kurt is a math teacher in a high school. This former hip-hop artist is using his 2 background to make math a lot easier and less 3 for his students.

    As a child, he had difficulty 4 math. However, as he grew older, he realized that it wasn't completely his 5 and that the traditional education system just doesn't work for all the students. So he decided to come up with a new 6 which would make kids more interested in school. Finally a good idea 7 him.

    With the help of some friends, Kurt 8 60-second math tracks（跑道）. They are given a(an) 9 name, like “Van Guard” and she 10 multiplication tables（乘法表）to hip-hop beats. He also encourages dancing during class, 11 it helps the children get into the mood（情绪）and 12 them in their learning. So far, Kurt has only invented musical materials for the multiplications, but the13 have been so positive that he is now working on new learning materials.

    Even since Kurt 14 hip-hop into the classroom, he has had 15 trouble during class. And attendance（出勤率）is always at 100% and the students' grades have gone up greatly. What's more, the kids 16 love learning math now.

    Kurt wants to 17 the traditional way of teaching, but he's not saying that it doesn't work. It just doesn't work for 18, because not all students learn in the same way. He only 19 to show that we need to keep a(an) open mind when it 20 children's education.

    The life of George Washington was well-known for punctuality. For him, being on time was a way of showing  1 for others, and he  2 to be treated with the same level of respect  3.

    Once Washington asked a man to bring some  4 he was interested in buying at five in the morning.  5, the man arrived fifteen minutes late. Washington's groom（马夫）told the man that the general had been  6 there at five, but had now moved on to other business. Washington said that he wouldn't be able to  7 the horses again until the following week. The man left with his horses, feeling a deep sense of  8.

    When he told Congress（国会议员）that he'd meet with them at noon, he could almost always be found walking into the meeting room just as the clock was  9 twelve.

    Washington's punctuality extended to his 10 as well. He ate dinner each day at 11 four o'clock. When he 12 members of Congress to dine with him, and they 13 late, they were often  14 to find the president halfway done with his meal or even leaving the table. To his shocked, late  15 he would say, "We are punctual here. My cook never asks whether the guests have arrived, but whether the hour has  16."

    And when Washington's secretary arrived late for a meeting, and blamed his  17 for his lateness, Washington quietly replied, "Then you must get another watch, or I another  18."

    Washington, one of the most respected presidents in American history, is a good example to us all. Today, punctuality is still a(n) 19 part of the character of a nice person. So next time when you are struggling with arriving  20, think of these stories about the punctual president.

    I became a gardener when I was twelve. My early 1 of gardening may not have come from my love for nature. It was to 2 my parents.

    At that time we had a big yard in which a beautiful maple tree stood. But my mother often looked with 3 at this work of natural art. Those golden leaves seemed like tons of rubbish to her, something else to 4. Seeing the neighbors busy with gardening, my father even thought it a waste of time.

    At that age, I always did something 5 to whatever my parents did! If gardening were something they found 6, I would plant a garden!

    I planted some lily seeds in the yard. But they failed to 7, I continued to plant sunflower seeds and roses. Wild 8 joy, I found the first rose bloom (开花). One by one, the flowers bloomed their heads off. 9, I was touched by this land of wonder.

    10, my parents showed no interest in my garden. My father even 11at me because he found it was 12 to move around my garden to the driveway. To my mother's 13, I put in her vase my real roses which in her eyes were simply weeds 14 flowers.

    Regardless of their 15, I kept on planting my garden and 16 to enjoy the pleasure of gardening. Plants make such good companions: they breathe, they bloom, they 17 to care and love.

    It has been many years since I made my first garden out of my desire to 18 my parents. Today I become known as Mrs. Green thumbs (手指), teaching gardening and hosting a gardening show, which makes my parents feel very 19. And now I could say it my affection for 20 that makes me a real gardener.

    A girl complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her.

Without a 1, the father took his daughter to the kitchen. He filled three pots with 2 and placed each on a high 3. In one he placed carrots, in the second eggs, and in the last coffee beans. The daughter sucked her teeth and waited 4, wondering what he was doing. In about twenty minutes the father turned off the heat. He 5 the carrots and eggs out and placed them in two plates. Then he poured the coffee into a cup.

    He asked 6, "Darling, what do you see?"

    "Carrots, eggs, and coffee." she replied.

    He asked her to 7 the carrots. She did and said they were 8. Then he asked her to take an egg and 9 it. After pulling off the shell, she 10 the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to drink the coffee. She 11, as she tasted its rich aroma (芳香).

    "What does it 12, Father?" She asked.

    He explained that each of them had 13 the same adversity (困境), boiling water, but each reacted 14. The carrot went in strong and hard but it turned soft and 15. The egg had been fragile, but after sitting through the boiling water its 16 became hardened. The coffee beans were 17, however, after they were in the boiling water, they had 18 the water.

    "Which are you?" Father asked his daughter. She was then wordless as if 19 in thought.

    When adversity knocks on your door, how do you 20? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?