It was 4 o'clock in the morning, when I received the phone call.

  “This is the emergency room calling and your son was just 1 in with severe burns on his face, neck and arms. We have called for a(n)2 and are going to fly him to the burn unit in Seattle.” Seattle was 350 miles from his college, so we knew immediately this was 3.

    The doctor described the 4, which caused the burns. At 6 am, our son and his friends decided to barbecue hamburgers in the courtyard of their apartment. When they 5 the charcoal(木炭), it burst into flames because they had sprayed too much gasoline. The flames 6 my son's shirt tail and shot from his waist to well over his head.

      7, one of the boys who was quick—minded grasped my son and 8 him on the grass. While it saved his life, it was not in 9 to save him from severe burns and the terrible scars.

    After he 10 from the treatments, the doctors told him they would not do plastic surgery(整容) for 6 months 11 it takes that long for the skin to stop wrinkling(起皱). So, he had to return to college with scars typical of severe burns.

    When I was a child, my mother told my sister，who had a 10-inch very  12 scar on her arm, “Nancy，if you ignore the scar, other people will ignore it. It does not mean they will not 13 it, but it means it will not matter to them if it doesn't matter to you.

     I 14 this wisdom on to my son. He took my advice to 15 and returned to school with his head held high—glad he was alive.

By the end of the six-month waiting period, he decided that the scars did not 16. So he made the 17 to give up any plastic surgery.

    We all have “scars” that we believe 18 people to keep away from us. And we spend a lot of time thinking that if only we looked differently, or dressed differently, people would like us better. But you see, people will only judge you by your looks or your clothes if you are judging yourself by these same19 standards. Put your imperfections out of your mind and concentrate on what you value 20 yourself, and your beauty will shine through.

Inspiration

    “Mama, when I grow up, I'm going to be one of those!” I said this after seeing the Capital Dancing Company perform when I was three. It was the first time that my1 took on a vivid form and acted as something important to start my training. As I grew older and was 2to more, my interests in the world of dance 3 varied but that little girl's dream of someday becoming a 4 in the company never left me. In the summer of 2005 when I was 18, I received the phone call which made that dream a 5I became a member of the company6 back to 1925.

    As I look back on that day now, it surely 7 any sense of reality. I believe I stayed in a state of pleasant disbelief8 I was halfway through rehearsals (排练) on my first day. I never actually9 to get the job. After being offered the position, I was completely10I remember shaking with excitement.

    Though I was absolutely thrilled with the change, it did not come without its fair share of 11. Through the strict rehearsal period of dancing six days a week, I found it vital to 12 up the material fast with every last bit of concentration. It is that extreme 13 to detail (细节) and stress on practice that set us 14.To then follow those high-energy rehearsals 15 a busy show schedule of up to five performances a day, I discovered a new 16 of the words “hard work.” What I thought was my physical 17 were pushed much further than I thought 18I learned to make each performance better than the last.

    Today, when I look at the unbelievable company that I have the great19 of being a part of, not only as a member, but as a dance captain, I see a 20 that has inspired not only generations of little girls but a splendid company that continues to develop and grow and inspires people every day to follow their dreams.

    Sarah Hott had fought against weight all her life, and when she had trouble walking down the school aisle（过道）for her ride to work, she knew she had to 1.

    “I was 2 Reader's Digest, and the people in an article seemed so 3.” said the 43-year-old teaching assistant. She decided to try the 21-day 4. She first 5 healthy food and good habits, and then went on to 6 18 pounds in three weeks, then 73 pounds in eight months. Then chores（工作）aren't 7 anymore for her.

    “Last year, my 8 hurt so bad that I couldn't climb on a chair to change a light bulb,” Sarah said. “Now I feel 9.” “Best of all.” she 10. “my three daughters love to play Frisbee（弗里斯比飞盘）and swim, and I can 11 them now.”

    Recently, the students in Sarah's class brought “Ms Sarah” a special 12 for her birthday. But the kids didn't provide her with cakes 13 rich calories and much sugar. 14, they brought her favorite parfait（冻糕）.

    Sarah's success has 15 her friends to start the diet. “A few weeks ago, I took a friend to go food shopping for the plan.” Her 16 was fell at home, too. She called her husband “a potato chip connoisseur（行家）”, 17 almonds（杏仁）in front of the television.

    Sarah makes some changes for her own 18. She changes the master19 by using Haifa banana and half a cup of apple juice. “I 20 the diet food in the fridge and cat them with a spoon.” she said. Now Sarah is trying to change her diet plan in many different ways and encouraging more and more people around her to join her plan.

    Lana sat next to Grandma. She enjoyed looking at the old photo album. "Who is this?" she asked, 1 at a picture. It was of a small girl with a wild 2. She had a big gap (豁口) between her front teeth.

    "That is your mother when she was about your 3. We thought her front teeth would never come," said Grandma.

    Lana laughed. "She 4 funny with those teeth 5."

    "Yes, she did," smiled Grandma.

    "Did the tooth fairy take her teeth too?" asked Lana.

    "We liked to pretend she did," said Grandma. "She put the 6 under her pillow and went to sleep. The next morning there would be a coin in that place."

    "What really 7to the teeth?" asked Lana.

    "Well," said Grandma. "Maybe I shouldn't tell you this, but I kept 8."

    "You did?" asked Lana. "Why?"

    "They helped remind 9 of your mother and her sisters10they were growing up," said Grandma.

    "Do you 11 have them?" asked Lana.

    "I have not 12 of them for a long time," said Grandma. "I would have to 13."

    Lana jumped 14 from her chair. "Can we look now?"

    Grandma 15 and led her to the kitchen. She 16 one of the upper cabinets and began to 17. She pulled out a box of bandages and many bottles of medicine. There was even a jar of seeds.

    "I do not think they are here," she began to say. "No, wait. Here they are!" Grandma 18the bottle in the air and the teeth clinked inside.

    They 19 at the kitchen table. Grandma poured out the 20 onto a plate.

    Experts say boredom is good for kids. It forces them to be creative, 1 their imaginations, and helps them discover new things. A(n) 2 in point is 13-year-old Luke Thrill from Dubuque, Iowa.

    Luke was 3 of playing video games and riding his bike, so he decided to build a tiny house in his backyard instead. He made money from cutting lawns (草坪) and 4 exchanged some services, such as gaining the help of an electrical engineer 5 sweeping his garage. Luke also 6 spare materials from his grandmother's house and other 7 materials from his neighbors for some of the windows and the door.

    The 89-square-foot home cost $1, 500 to build and 8 18 months. Inside there's a kitchenette, a back sitting room, a table and a mounted (镶嵌的) TV, and an upstairs bedroom can be easily 9 by stairway.

    Although Luke did the 10 and learned how to do all the work, he had his father's 11 throughout the project. Greg Thrill was very happy that his son learned to stay on 12 and deal with grown-ups. 13, he had some simple rules when Luke 14 the house: "You 15 the money. You build it. And you own it."

    Luke is now in love with 16. He has a YouTube channel and hopes to 17 other kids to start building. 18, he wants to build a bigger tiny house to live in, but for now, he 19 in his new home a few nights a week, does homework there, and uses it to take a 20 from his twin brother.

    Almost everything was fantastic in the nature camp except for a girl, Elizabeth. When I saw her sitting alone in the hot sun at lunch, I asked her to eat with us under a(n) 1 tree. However, Elizabeth refused my kind 2. When we invited her to play volleyball with us, Elizabeth 3 our invitation, too. After a few more 4 refusals like that, I decided to stay away from Elizabeth.

    It 5 that we were going on a nature 6 and that our instructor paired everyone up with a partner. Guess who my partner turned out to be. It was Elizabeth!

    "What do you like to do 7?" I asked, trying to make small 8 as we started out. "I like to 9 in peace and quiet," Elizabeth 10. So we had the quietest and most peaceful hike in the world 11 we saw a bird. "I think his wing is hurt. Poor little bird," Elizabeth said 12. "He might be taking a rest over there." I said. Elizabeth nodded. Then she whispered, "But what if he's in 13, like my granddad?" "Your granddad?" I said. "He 14 and broke his leg the day the camp started. He's 15 in hospital and is in so much pain," Elizabeth explained. I noticed she was 16. "I'm sorry for what I have done. For some reason, whenever I get really sad, I act 17 and want to be alone," she added.

    "I get it," I said. "I don't always know how to 18 it when I'm feeling down, either." "Thanks," she said, wiping off her tears.

    After that, Elizabeth seemed to get along well with us, and I think she actually 19 the last few days of the camp.

    Next time, if someone is unfriendly, give him a second 20. Maybe he's going through a tough time.