Bert Manson, 82, slowly opened his eyes and turned to face the clock on the bedside table. It was 8:23 a.m. He felt 1. The time was nothing to him. He had nothing to do all day. He lay on the bed, 2 to the cars on the highway and the shouts of the children running to school.

After a while, Bert3 got out of bed and asked himself the same questions as he did every morning: Would he fall today? If so, would anyone come? How long would he 4? Would he die? He looked out of the window into the street below. “And who would 5?”he spoke quietly.

After Bert's wife died a year ago, his son and daughter said they would visit once a week. But the last time was months ago. On the phone, they always had a(n) 6: too busy at work; the children are 7; bad weather; no time. Nobody seemed to have any time…except for Bert. He8 his granddaughters. He loved it when Mandy and Ruth came to visit. They brought him candy and 9.

He walked toa chair near the bedroom door 10. He rested for a moment before continuing in small steps to the bathroom.

Fishing with Grandpa

    One day, my grandfather went fishing, and let me go with him. He handed the rod (钓竿) to me, held my 1 and taught me how to throw my line into the water. Our bobbers floated (浮标漂浮着) together as we sat there, hoping for a bite. The sun 2 us. We sat and talked, “I remember when I could sit here and watch the fish 3 in the water,” he said. “Sometimes, they'd jump out and 4beside me. I didn't need a rod and bait (饵) at that moment.” “We have to be 5,” he continued, “The fish may come or they may not. It doesn't matter. We're out in the 6. It's a beautiful day. We're lucky to have the warmth of the sun. If it had rained, we wouldn't be here. ” He sat against a tree. “Yes, it's a 7 day,” he said. I watched our dobbers. 8 fish pulled them under that day. It didn't matter. I was with Grandpa. I felt grown up. Just being with him was special. He was well loved by everyone and I wanted to 9 him when I grew up. He'd worked hard all his life for what little he had, but he could still find time to laugh. He was a relaxing man. In the short time we had together, he 10 me many things: how to hold a rod, the value of a good time, the value of a good friend, respect for my elders, and the importance of working hard and living harder. The list is long.

    Before graduating college, Jackie began to look for a job. She aimed at a famous company, but the 1for such jobs was very strong. The company Jackie chose planned to employ only one person, but more than twenty people applied for the job. 2 , Jackie was one of the three people invited for the final interview. The interview was very   3. The interviewer asked just a few questions and it was all over in less than 10 minutes. Then the interviewer said to them," All of you are very good. Please go home and 4our response. "

    Three days later, Jackie received a message saying she would not be    5the job. She felt deeply disappointed. That evening, however, she received another 6. This time it said that she got the job.

    Jackie later found out that the first message sent to her phone was part of the interview--a 7 to see if she was suitable for the job. All the three people received the 8text, but only Jackie's reply 9 the company. Of the three, one did not reply. The other said "goodbye" and Jackie said "thank you". This reply showed that Jackie was a/an 10person, so the company offered her the job.

    Whenever the sun dropped and the blue sky came up, my father and I used to climb the mountain near my house. 1 together, my father and I used to have a lot of conversations through which I 2 lessons from his experiences. He always told me, "You should have goals like climbing the mountain." Without the mountains-climbing 3 we both enjoyed, we couldn't have enough time 4 together because my father was very busy. I 5 got a lot from mountain-climbing.

    Once we climbed a very 6 mountain. It was so challenging for me 7 I was only ten years old. During 8 first few hours of climbing, I enjoyed the flowers and trees, and the birds' singing, but as time 9, I got a pain in both of my legs, I wanted to give up 10. In fact, I hated it at the moment, but my father said to me, "You can always see a beautiful sky at the top of the 11, but you can't see it 12 you reach the top. Only there at the top, can you see all of the nice things, just like 13 life."

    At that time, I was too young to understand his words. But 14 after that, I get new hope and confidence. I found 15 standing at the top of the sky, which was as clear as crystal(水晶)

    When I was a teenager growing up in France, I wanted to leave school and have my own life. The only way I could 1 this was to work in the local paper factory in my town, or get married. I was very nervous when I told my 2I wanted to leave school. I thought he would say, "3. You are going to college." I was very 4 when he said, "OK. Let's go to the paper factory."

    Two days later, 5 took me to the factory. I imagined everyone to be friends 6 together and having fun. I even imagined there would be music and singing. I 7 I had watched too many movies as a teenager.

    When we 8 the factory gates, my father spoke to the guard(门卫) and one minute later we were 9. I walked around the factory looking at the building, the workers, and listening to the noise.  It was 10. I ran back to my father and said, "I want to go home."

    He asked me, "What do you think of the 11?"

    "Too bad," I answered.

    "And marriage is even 12!" he said.

   I went back to school the next day thinking about studying hard13 I could get into a good college. I 14 studying English so I decided to major in（主修） languages at college. Thanks to my father and our 15to the paper factory, I now work at the United Nations and my father is very proud of me. I married a very good man and my life is much better than it would have been working in the factory!