Jenna, a popular girl from Westwood Middle School, had graduated first in her class and was ready for new 1 in high school.

    2, high school was different. In the first week, Jenna went to tryouts (选拔赛) for cheerleaders (拉拉队队员). She was competing against very talented girls, and she knew it would be 3 for her to be selected. Two hours later, the 4 read a list of the girls for a second tryout. Her heart 5 as the list ended without her name. Feeling 6, she walked home carrying her schoolbag full of homework.

    Arriving home, she started with math. She had always been a good math student, but now she was 7. She moved on to English and history, and was 8 to find that she didn't have any trouble with those subjects. Feeling better, she decided not to 9 math for the time being.

    The next day Jenna went to see Mrs. Biden about being on the school 10. Mrs. Biden wasn't as 11 as Jenna. “I'm sorry, but we have enough 12 for the newspaper already. Come back next year and we'll talk then.” Jenna smiled 13 and left. “Why is high school so 14?” she sighed.

    Later in 15 class, Jenna devoted herself to figuring out the problems that had given her so much 16. 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 17 her new school. She wasn't sure if she'd succeed, but she knew she had to 18. High school was just as her mom had said: “You will feel like a small fish in a big pond 19 a big fish in a small pond. The challenge is to become the 20 fish you can be.”

    Sitting here, I go through my mom's old journals, reading them very differently from the first time I found them.

    It was a number of years ago, when I was twelve, I found 1 just lying around her 2 room.That day I read each line with growing 3 and horror.I couldn't believe that woman who fed me as a baby and read me fairy tales had written this.I will never forget the first line I read: “They all want to take me away and 4 me！”

    5 I thought of the other day, when she was 6 around the house.I was sitting at the dining room table with my grandmother, working on a five­thousand­piece puzzle (拼图) that takes a 7 to solve.Suddenly, the front door was violently thrown open.My mother ran in screaming at the top of her lungs.

    Then she ran into the room and shoved (推) our puzzle off the table, smashing it into the five thousand pieces we had 8.It scared me.9 ， something was 10 my mother.

    My 11 ended then, when the doctor told me she had hallucinations (幻想症).I started to understand that her illness wasn't something I could 12.That was when I realized that other kids always 13 she was different when they came over to play.

    I always wondered 14 I could do but there is no solution.But dealing with my mother has given me a different outlook on life.I try not to 15 my problems.If my mom starts making strange remarks, I leave the room and call someone.Just 16 is one of the best relaxing ways in the world.If there's no one to talk to, I 17 the violin or some other hobbies to forget about things for a time.

    As I think about the past, I see that Mom was 18an entire life.Thankfully, I haven't been.To me, each day is just one piece of the 19 ， one piece among the thousands we spend our lives putting together, hoping it won't 20.

My childhood memories involve sitting with my dad in his study every night. When he came home from work, he would put his 1items away: his watch, wallet, comb and car keys which would always 2the same spot on the table.

Dad's 3was jade green. He bought it when he married Mum, which made it two years older than I was. Every night, he would smile, and hand me the comb: "Be a good girl and help Daddy 4it, OK?"

I would excitedly turn the tap on, and brush it with a used toothbrush. When I 5returned it to Dad, he would smile at me, and place it on top of his wallet.

Two years later, I started primary school. That was6Dad's business wasn't doing so well, He didn't come home as 7as he used to, and when he did, it was always late and I'd already be in bed. So the uncomfortable silence between Dad and me 8.

Now 28, I've 9from college and got a job. One day last year, Dad came home early. I helped him carry his bags into his10. When I turned to leave, he said: "Hey, would you like to help me clean my comb? It's been a while since I 11cleaned it." I looked at him a while, then took the comb, and headed to the sink. It hit me then: why, as a child, helping my dad clean his comb was such a joy. That routine meant that my dad was home early to spend the evening with Mum and me. It meant a happy and loving family. With 12in my eyes, I brushed it with an old toothbrush.

When I 13the clean comb back to him, Dad looked at it, smiling, and then carefully put it on his wallet. But this time, I had noticed something different: Dad has 14. He has wrinkles next to his eyes when he smiles, yet his smile is still as 15as before.

When he was only six years old, my son was attracted by the beauty of ballet. Afterwards, when he showed 1 in learning to dance, the classmate who lived next door laughed. "Don't be silly," she said. "There are no boys in my 2 class." 

In fact, the neighbourhood friend wasn't the only person who didn't

3 his interest in dance. Including me, many family members and friends tried to 4 him by saying depressing words. "Boys don't dance." "Dancing is for girls." To stop his 5 , I enrolled him in swimming lessons and science camp. But he never lost enthusiasm for learning to dance, and it 6 when he watched dancers in Broadway shows.  

Finally, he got to have his dance and voice classes during high school. His goal was to 7 the school's chorus(合唱团), a group of 28 students that performed at various community events. The competition to become a 8 was fierce and my son's hard work paid off. He performed well as a member of the chorus and it 9 the way to his dance career.  

The summer after graduating from high school, my son designed dance for a group of students. How 10 I was on the final night of the play when the dancers thanked my son on the stage! 

During his first year of college, he was 11 a role in a national touring company. When my son asked if he should finish 12 first and then dance, I didn't 13 to give him my support, "No more

14 dreams. Go for it!" 

Several years later, he got a 15 to join his idol, an excellent dancer, in his tour of Sweet Charity. Over the years, my son has danced in many theatres, television and other musicals. Indeed, boys dance, too.  

I still remember that busy fall evening as I hurried with my eldest daughter, Athena, to get to her classroom on time for a parent-teacher night. We walked in and all 1 were on me. A few adults quickly quieted their kids' 2 . A classmate 3 my daughter, "What's wrong with your mom's 4 ?" Shocked, I started to explain my 5 , but my six-year-old daughter looked at him and said, "It's my mom's birthmark! Don't be rude!" I was extremely 6 of how she handled that situation. 

I was quite young when I realized I looked 7 . I always thought I would be alone because of birthmark, but I was lucky enough to meet my 8 who saw me for who I am inside. When I had my first daughter, I was overjoyed, but I began to 9 if the world would judge my children. 10 , my facial difference has 11 my children. My daughters get disinvited from birthday parties or certain kids are no longer friends with mine. 

When my kids were 12 , I explained how my special purple skin was rare, and we talked about acceptance and never 13 others on how they look. With time, both my daughters have become my strongest 14 : we see the world a little differently and with a kinder, more 15 heart.

Let's do something in our daily life for the environment and the earth.

An English teacher has introduced a play to her class.

Characters: Benny, Jerry, Susie, Grace

Time: One Sunday afternoon.

Place: By the river near their houses.

（The four teenagers have just finished the picnic. They are tidying up.）

Benny: Wow! That was a great picnic. I'm so full that I can hardly move.

Grace: That's no excuse for not tidying up, Benny. Come over here and help me pack（包装）up the leftover food. Jerry, please? And clean up the place.

Jerry: （Speaking unhappily to himself.）How can I always get the dirty and difficult jobs? It's not fair.

（Jerry throws a bit of water on the fire. Then he picks up the ashes（灰烬）with an old newspaper and wants to throw them into the long grass.）

Susie: （Sounding surprised）What are you doing, Jerry? That's d....

Jerry: Whoop...the paper has caught fire.

Susie: And the grass…Benny, Grace, help! Help!

（Benny and Grace come over quickly. They help put out the fire completely.）

Jerry: Oh, no. Oh, no! What have I done? 

Grace: You know that we should do everything carefully, don't you? 

Jerry: （With his head in his hands.）Yes. What have I done? What have I done?