Jenna, a popular girl from Westwood Middle School, had graduated first in her class and was ready for new1 in high school.

However, high school was different. In the first week, Jenna went to tryouts{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(选拔赛) for cheerleaders{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(啦啦队队员). She was competing against very talented girls, and she knew it would be2 for her to be selected. Two hours later, the3 read a list of the girls for a second tryout. Her heart was down as the list ended without her name. Feeling4 , she walked home carrying her schoolbag full of homework.

Arriving home, she started with maths. She had always been a5 maths student, but now she was struggling. She moved on to English and history, and was happy to find that she didn't have any trouble with those subjects. Feeling better, she decided not to6 maths for the time being.

The next day Jenna went to see Mrs Biden about being on the school7 . Mrs Biden wasn't as8 as Jenna. "I'm sorry, but we have enough9 for the newspaper already. Come back next year and we'll talk then." Jenna smiled10 and left. "Why is high school so11 ?" she sighed.

Later in maths class, Jenna devoted herself to figuring out the problems that had given her so much12 . By the end of class, she understood how to get them right. As she gathered her books, Jenna decided she'd continue to try to fit in at her new school. She wasn't sure if she'd13 , but she knew she had to try. High school was just as her mum had said, "You will feel like a small fish in a big pond14 a big fish in a small pond. The challenge is to become the15 fish you can be."

For most people having things stolen feels like an offence. Robbie Pruitt admitted that he got1 when he discovered the theft of his mountain bike last September. But soon enough, his2 took a turn.

After letting go of his anger and frustration, he found himself on a road to sympathy3 .

For Pruitt, a keen bicyclist, the first thing to do was4 his stolen bike. But when he went bike shopping, he found few available, which got him thinking: What if the5 of bikes was Covid-19 related, and what if the person who'd taken his bike really needed6 to get to work?

With that thought in mind, Pruitt7 a plan and posted it on the community website. He8 to repair bikes free of charge for anyone who needed it. He also asked for unwanted bikes, which he would repair—again9 . And then he would donate them to folks who could truly use them but didn't have the 10 to buy one.

The day the post went live, Pruitt received thirty11 bicycles. Then came more than 50012 for detailed information. By the end of 2022, Pruitt had repaired more than 140 for donation or to be13 to their owners.

Pruitt tries to give his donations to families that are14 struggling. Upon satisfying a material need, he has provided an opportunity for kids in his neighborhood to learn how to15 their own bikes.

In addition to16 skills, Pruitt's lessons teach teamwork, encourage self-worth, and promote feelings of community.17 , the kids have gained a sense of accomplishment.

"It's a really great18 for kids," said a neighbor in an interview with the local newspaper. "Pruitt is certainly providing a19 , but it's not just the bikes. It's the relationships in the community. It's the20 he can make on people."

Table Talk

As we got out of the car, our son announced, "Phones stay in the car."

"Why do you always have to tell us that?" complained our fifteen-year-old grandson.

Our son's wife winked at us and then explained, "We have a family1 that no one may bring anything electronic to the table."

We 2 our phones in the car. Even though the restaurant was filled with families, there was little noise. All I heard were a few quiet conversations and the ding of forks on plates. The 3 unnerved me. I looked around. Everyone, even the young kids, was 4 at some kind of screen. 

The silence was broken when the six of us sat down, and started talking. The waitress stood patiently and waited for our orders. When our food came, we continued to chat. 

An elderly couple at the next table were finishing their dinners and conversing quietly. I noticed that they shot us a few glances, and wondered if our constant chatter was annoying them. 

After the dessert, my son signaled the waitress for the check. She hesitated when she brought the black folder to our table. My son opened the black folder — it was5 . "You forgot the check," he told her.

"There isn't one. Someone else6 your bill — and the tip too." she said with a giggle (咯咯笑).

"Why?" asked our son, his wife and myself at once.

"They loved it that no one was connected." she continued. "They loved watching you guys7 . The old lady went on and on about how nice it was to see a family eating and talking instead of looking at ‘electric games'."

For a moment, everyone at our table was at a loss for8 . Then we all started talking at once. My son's voice rose above the others. "Where are they? We want to thank them."

"They left after you ordered dessert," the waitress replied.

We spent the next fifteen minutes discussing this goodness and camp up with a 9 . Next time we see a family eating at a restaurant 10 looking at anything electronic, we'll pay it forward, just like what happened to us.

On October 13, a small plane flying to Chile accidentally crashed into a mountain in the Andes. How some of the passengers 1 to live is one of the greatest survival stories ever told. 

The survivors stayed inside the remains of the plane, using seat covers for blankets, and waited for a 2 that never came. Days turned into weeks. It was urgent to find a way to 3 . Three of the passengers—Canessa, Parrado, and Vizintin volunteered to 4 through the mountains to search for help. When they left, each man wore5 clothes: three pairs of socks, a plastic bag around each foot to keep the water out, boots, four pairs of trousers and four sweaters. Many of the clothes came from those who died in the crash. The three men 6 that they would survive and bring back help. 

For part of the first day, they were glad to make some 7 . But as the land and weather changed, climbing became 8 . After several days, they reached what they thought was the top. They had imagined this moment for days. On the other side of the top, they hoped, would be a valley leading down and out of the mountains. However, they saw the same snow-covered tops. All hope wasn't 9 . Although they were still in the middle of the mountains, Parrado 10 two low tops far away that didn't have snow. If they got there, they would be out of the Andes. 

Within the following days, they walked towards the two low tops. Little by little, the landscape began to change. Snow 11 completely, and flowers were everywhere. "This is the valley," Canessa said. "This is the way out." Then things of humanity started to appear—a few cans on the ground, some farm animals in a field. By December 21, the extremely

12 men made it to the town of Los Maitenes, and a rescue team was sent immediately to search for the survivors who were still high in the Andes. 

Finally all of the remaining survivors were 13 . The memories of the crash in the Andes would be with them forever, but for now, their terrible 14 was over. They had made it out—15 . 

Rolland and Adeline are proud parents to nine beautiful children. Their youngest two, daughter Lanto, and son, Rindra, were both born with cleft lip（唇裂） conditions. In Madagascar, many families have never seen a cleft lip before, so it's a condition often greeted with fear and misfortune in some rural communities.

However, the news of Lanto and Rindra's cleft lip wasn't much of a shock for Rolland and Adeline because Rolland's cousin—a man in his fifties—had lived his entire adult life with an untreated cleft lip. Although seeing a relative with a cleft lip meant the family weren't fearful of the condition, they knew the negative impact an untreated cleft lip can have on a person's health and life. As any loving parents would, Rolland and Adeline wanted a better future for their children.

Rolland heard an advertisement on the radio about an Operation Smile surgical programme in Antsirabe, Madagascar. Finding out that Rindra and Lanto could have the cleft lip surgery they needed, for free, was a dream for the family. Unlike here in the UK, health services aren't free in many parts of the world, and the costs of treatment—or even travelling to reach medical facilities—are out of reach for most families.

When Rolland and his children arrived at the patient village, they were surprised to see so many other families in the same position. After a thorough medical evaluation by medical volunteers, Lanto was found to be fit enough for surgery, and later got the new smile her parents had dreamed of for her. But, for younger brother Rindra, the journey to a new smile would take a little longer.

Operation Smile has provided hundreds of thousands of safe surgeries for children withc left lip conditions worldwide. For more information about our work or to find out how you can help, visitwww.operationsmile.org .

The excitement that soccer awakens in a person is a universal feeling. That is why no one should feel left out of the1 , particularly at a2 match in a stadium (体育场), where there may not be a sports commentator (解说员) to3 the event. This can result in individuals with visual impairments (视觉障碍) not being included.

A4 man named Mike Kearney knows this all too well, but he luckily has a great friend. A5 video recorded Kearney's cousin Stephen Garcia describing a whole soccer match to him at the stadium—and both6 together after their team scored.

Kearney and Garcia are both Liverpool FC season ticket holders. "It's just our routine; it's what we do," Garcia said in an interview. "I7 him every goal kick, every corner, every throw-in. And obviously he knows when we score8 he gets a big hug, a big celebration." The man further9 that Kearney was told who10 the goal and how the play went, in addition to hearing the11 if the other team scored.

Moved by their love for the team, Liverpool FC12 the pair for the final game of the season. The team then documented their13 at the stadium, recording not only Garcia describing the action to Kearney, but also their heartwarming celebration of Liverpool FC's14 .

Later, Salah, one of the team's stars, gifted them team jerseys (运动套衫), signing Kearney's with, "To Mike, your 15 is an inspiration."