It was a dark day, one of depression, sorrow and anger. As I climbed out of the 1, after witnessing my time in the 100 yard freestyle, I did not feel like speaking to anyone. I saw the bright smiles of swimmers who had just 2 a best time. 3, I had failed. Or at least that is what I thought at the time.

    I was lying on my cool bed when an idea4my head. Success is the 5 to go from failure to failure without 6 your enthusiasm. At practice the next day, I told my swimming teammates about my goal time and they all either laughed or replied with a 7 similar response like, "You can't do it" or "Probably not". Believe it or not, these are the responses that made my goal 8.

    Finally came the day when I had to 9 to myself and others that with 10there is no limit to your achievements.

    With the starting gun 11, I dove with perfect form into the pool. I felt the cool water running 12 my back. I swam like a fish, bouncing off each 13 at the wall as if it was a spring board. On the 14 turn, I came back to the wall with every piece of strength I had. I 15 the final wall with my fingertips and knew that I had swum the 16 race.

    I had done it! I had achieved my best time! Joy filled my 17 like water does a cup. I saw the 18 on all of my friends' faces as I 19 out of the pool: their jaws dropped to the ground. I began to laugh and gave them thumbs up.

    I have 20 in life that having belief in yourself opens all gates. Never forget that anything the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.

    Tara and Lara were twins. Even their parents found it too hard to find the 1between them so the girls were2in different schools.

    Although they look the same, both the girls differ in3else. They don't have any common favorites. Lara is a night﹣bird and study all the night until she finishes.4, Tara is a morning bird; she used to5early in the morning. In addition, Lara wears light darker colors and modem outfits, while Tara likes light colors and6dresses.

    This wasn't the7with these twin girls. However, they8each other that the opposite one was wrong.

    While both sides have the advantages and disadvantages, the9continues. They fight mainly about10things all﹣day and during the study time. Their parents decided to11to their arguments.

    Lara and Tara blindfolded their12with a black ribbon. Their13brought them to the dining room. In the dining room, a big14was placed in the middle. Lara stood on one side of the board and Tara stood on the other side of the board. Both the ribbons were15. The girls were surprised to see a huge board in between them.

    Now, their father asked Lara, what is the color of the board？ She replied, "It is black!" Their mother asked Tara the same question. She replied, "It is white!"

    They began to argue. While Lara16strongly it was black, Tara was17it was white.

    Now, they were asked to18their places. They both were surprised and shocked. The board with Lara's side was painted black and Tara's was white, which was 19by them. They20that they were right on their own perspective only.

    I come from one of those families where you have to yell at the dinner table to get in a word. Everyone has a strong 1, and talks at the same time, and no one has a 2 leading to heated arguments. We often talk or even debate with each other on different topics. 3 a family like mine has made me more 4 about the world around me, making me tend to question anything anyone tells me. But it has also made me realize that I'm not a good listener. And when I say "listening", I'm not 5 to the nodding-your-head-and-6-answering-Uh-huh-or-Ooh-I-see variety. I mean the kind of listening where you find yourself deeply 7 with the person you're speaking with, when his story becomes so 8 that your world becomes less about you and more about him. No, I was never very good at that.

    I spent summer in South Africa two years ago. I worked for a good non-profit9 called Noah, which works 10 on behalf of children affected by AIDS. But 11 you asked me what I really did in South Africa, I'd tell you one thing: I listened, and I listened. Sometimes I 12, but mostly listened.

    And had I not spent two months 13, I might have missed the 14 moment when a quiet little girl at one of Noah's community centers, orphaned（孤儿）at the age of three, whispered after a long 15, "I love you."

    16 that summer, I knew how to hear. I could sit down with anyone and hear their 17 and nod and respond at the 18 time—but most of the time I was 19 about the next words out of my own mouth. Ever since my summer in South Africa, I have noticed that it's in those moments when my mouth is closed and my 20 is wide open that I've learned the most about other people, and perhaps about myself.

Cali Scores a Goal

    It was the last game of the season. Cali had been playing soccer all summer. She really enjoyed 1 around with the other players in her blue uniform, chasing the black and white ball across the grassy field. As much as she tried, 2, Cali still had not scored one single goal.

    "Don't give up," said her coach. He showed Cali and her team how to pass the ball to each other and take shots at the goal. Cali was pretty good at passing the ball, but she couldn't kick the ball 3 the goalkeeper. She wondered if she should 4 soccer.

    "Don't give up," said her teammates. "You just need to keep trying and you will get 5 ." So Cali stayed on the team and did her best.

    "Don't give up," said Aunt Lisa. But it was half-time, and Cali was feeling 6 . She was trying! Every time she got a(an) 7 to kick the ball, it would go in the 8 direction or a player from the other team would take control of it.

    The break was over and the referee(裁判) blew her whistle to 9 the game again. The two 10 walked back onto the field, both 11 to win. Cali heard her aunt whisper in her ear. "Look for an opportunity to get the ball. You can do it."

    Cali took a deep breath. 12 she didn't get one goal all summer, she knew that she had tried her best. She dreamed she'd leave her team after the game was over. Suddenly, she was woken by some 13 that was the sweet, happy jingle of the ice cream truck. It was driving right beside the soccer field, playing its music loudly to attract 14 .

    The players on both teams turned to 15 at it. A few girls pointed to it and cheered. The soccer game had nearly stopped. Cali looked around and saw the soccer ball close by, 16 by the nearest player from the other team. Cali dashed over to the ball. She dribbled(带球) it between her feet, moving forward toward the net of the yellow team. By the time the other girls had 17 , Cali was positioned right in front of the net. The goalkeeper was 18 to one side, looking at the ice cream truck. She turned back 19 to guard the net as Cali kicked the ball hard.

    The keeper 20 out her gloved hand. The ball touched the tips of her fingers as it swooshed past, right into the net. "Goal!"

"I was born for soccer, just as Beethoven was born for music. " These words are exactly from Pele. He is considered the greatest soccer player who has had a huge influence on the 1 world. His great 2 are not the only reason why he is my hero, though. He is also very kind.

When I play soccer, I often think of Pele, and then I will become very 3. I like 4 videos of his games because I can learn from all his moves. I 5 his skills and want to be like him one day. He started playing soccer when he was very young and 6 his professional career at age 14. He had surprising speed and skills in ball 7 and seemed to be able to make the ball do as he wanted.

I dream of breaking Pele's records one day. He 8 the record of scoring (得分) the most goals in a career:1,283. When he was 17, he was the 9 scorer in a World Cup Final. Pele is the only 10 to have been in three World Cup winning teams (1958, 1962 and 1970) and was named "South American Player of the Year" in 1973. Every time the ball was at his feet, some surprising, record­breaking feat (壮举) was 11 to be made by Pele.

Pele is also famous for his 12 for others. He is a 13 person and gives money to organizations that 14 children around the world and social services in Brazil. 15 ， he is also a member of many charity fund raisers. When he travels, he 16 goes out of his way to help children.

Heroes are people we admire and want to 17. Ney Blanco de Oliveira, Pele's personal friend for more than 40 years, 18 Pele: "My friend Pele is not only the19 soccer player in the world, but also one of the kindest human beings that I have ever known." These are also the reasons why Pele is my 20.

I have a warm story to share with you. A school in San Francisco not only accepted a deaf student, but also {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (teach) the entire class sign language to allow them to better communicate with him. 

The moving story began in September last year {#blank#}2{#/blank#} a woman asked the primary school in her neighbourhood {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (accept) her six-year-old son, James, who has a hearing disability. The teacher, Lily, agreed almost immediately, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} on the first day of school, she noticed James {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (sit) all by himself, unable to communicate with any of his classmates. 

{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(determine) to find a way out, Lily tried developing a few signs of {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (she) own. But a parent of another child came up {#blank#}8{#/blank#} an even better idea—getting the whole class to learn sign language along with James. So they got a sign language teacher on board, and three months later, James was able to communicate {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (happy) with all his classmates about regular things like homework and {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (game).