When I was in primary school, I got into a major argument with a boy in my class. I can't      (1)  what it was about, but I have never forgotten the      (2)  I learned that day.

    I was     (3)  that I was right and he was wrong-and he was sure that I was wrong and he was right. The     (4)  decided to teach us a very important lesson. She    (5)  both of us up to the     (6)  of the class and     (7)  him on one side of her desk and me on     (8)  . In the middle of her desk was a large, round object. I could     (9)  see that it was black. She asked the boy what     (10)  the object was. “White,” he answered.

    I couldn't believe he said the object was white,     (11)  it was obviously black! Another     (12)  started between my classmate and me, this     (13)  about the color of the object.

    The teacher told me to go to stand where the boy was standing and told him to come to stand where I had been. We changed     (14)  , and now she asked me what the color of the object was. I     (15)  answer, “White.” It was an object with two     (16)  colored sides, and from his side it was white.     (17)     from my side was the color black.

    My teacher taught me a very important lesson that day: You must    (18)  in the other person's

shoes and look at the      (19)  through their eyes in order to      (20)  understand their view.

One afternoon，my son Adam asked me，“Are all people the same even if they are different in color？”

I thought for a minute，and then I said，“Iˈll explain，__  (1)  __you can just wait until we make a quick __  (2)  __at the grocery store.I have something __  (3)  __ to show you.”

At the grocery store，we__  (4)  __some apples—red，green and yellow ones.Back home，I told Adam，“Itˈs time to __  (5)  __your question.”I put one apple of each __  (6)  __ on the table.Then I looked at Adam，who had a __  (7)  __look on his face.

“People are like apples.They come in all __  (8)  __colors，shapes and sizes.On the __  (9)  __，some of the apples may not __  (10)  __look as delicious as the others.”As I was talking，Adam was __  (11)  __each one carefully.

Then ，I took each of the apples and peeled(削皮)them，__  (12)  __them back on the table，but __  (13)  __a different place.

“Okay，Adam，tell me which is which.”

He said，“I __  (14)  __tell.They all look the same now.”“Take a bite of __  (15)  __.See if that helps you __  (16)  __which one is which.”

He took __  (17)  __，and then a huge smile came across his face.“People are __  (18)  __like apples! They are all different，but once you __  (19)  __the outside，theyˈre pretty much the same on the inside.”

He totally __  (20)  __it.I didnˈt need to say or do anything else.

As a teenager，I was very sensitive and always lacking in confidence.I felt I was always letting people __  (1)  __.I was disobedient(逆反的)outside，but I wanted to be loved inside.

Once I left home to get a free __  (2)  __ to California with my friend Penelope.The trip wasnˈt __  (3)  __，and I met a lot of difficulties.There were many times I didnˈt feel safe.One situation __  (4)  __ kept me grateful for still being alive.When I returned home，I was __  (5)  __，not so sure of myself any longer.

I was happy to return to my __  (6)  __again.But then I noticed that Penelope，who was staying with us，was __  (7)  __my clothes.And my family seemed to like her better than me.I wondered if I would be __  (8)  __if I werenˈt there.I told my mom，and she explained that though Penelope was a lovely girl，no one could __  (9)  __me.I pointed out，“She is more patient and is neater than I have __  (10)  __ been.”My mom said these were wonderful __  (11)  __，but I was the only person who could fill my __  (12)  __.She made me realize that even with my __  (13)  __，and there were many，I was a loved member of the __  (14)  __who couldnˈt be taken place of.

I became a seeker，wanting to find out who I was and __  (15)  __made me unique.My view of myself was __  (16)  __.I wanted a solid base to __  (17)  __from.I started to resist pressure to act in ways that I didnˈt like any more，and I was __  (18)  __ by who I really was.I __  (19)  __ to feel much more sure that no one can ever take my place.

Each of us holds a (n)__  (20)  __place in the world.You are special，no matter what others say or what you may think.So forget about being replaced .You canˈt be.

At the beginning of this century, medical scientists made an interesting discovery; we are built not just of flesh and blood but also of time. They were  (1)  to show that we all have “a body clock”  (2)  us, which controls the  (3)  and fall of our body energies,  (4)  us different from one day one to the next.

The   (5)  of “a body clock” should not be too  (6)  since the lives of most living things are controlled  (7)   the 24 hour night-and-day cycle. We feel  (8)  and fall asleep at night and become   (9)  and energetic during the day. If the 24 hour-cycle is  (10)  , most people experience unpleasant  (11)   . For example, people who are not  (12)   to working at night can find that  (13)   of sleep causes them to  (14)  badly at work.

  (15)   the daily cycle of sleeping and  (16)  , we also have other cycles which  (17)  longer than one day. Most of us would   (18)  that we feel good on some days and not so good on  (19)   ; sometimes our ideas seem to flow and at other times, they  (20)  ​do not exist.

I used to believe politeness was a thing of the past, but I had to change my thinking after my experience in a happening coffee place with two of my grown-up daughters. The place was  (1)  so we had to climb a  (2)  and steep(陡的) flight of stairs in order to find an empty table. After  (3)  coffee and snacks, we were going down the stairs one by one, leaving hardly any  (4)  for another person to either climb up or come down.

Just as I was in the middle of my way down,a gentleman  (5)  the restaurant through the main entrance,which was right  (6)  the staircase. I was sure I would be   (7)  roughly by this man who would want to go up in a hurry. I kept coming down as fast as I could,   (8)  the banister(扶手). My  (9)  were already down, looking up at me  (10)  , hoping I would reach them  (11)  the stranger started up the stairs, knowing I was a nervous sort. Nearly reaching them, I  (12)  the man still standing near the  (13)  . I reached my daughters and passed the  (14)  at the entrance door which he  (15)  holding open.

Looking back on this matter, all three of us felt  (16)  that we did not even thank the  (17)  gentleman who was actually holding the door open for us ladies to  (18)  through before going up. Such well-mannered people are hard to find these days, when jostling(推撞) and pushing is  (19)  in our advanced but aggressive(好斗的) society. The gentleman in the coffee place restored my faith in human  (20)  .

I remember the first day when I saw Sally playing basketball. I watched in wonder as she struggled her way through the crowd of boys on the playground. She seemed so  (1)  , but she managed to shoot jump shots just over their heads and into the net. The boys always tried to stop her     (2)  nobody could.

I began to notice Sally at other times, basketball in hand, playing  (3)  . She practiced dribbling (运球）and  (4)  over and over.

       One day I asked Sally why she  (5)  so much. Without a moment of hesitation she said, “I want to go to college. The only way I can go is to get a  (6)  . I’m going to play college basketball and I want to be the best one. I believe that if I am  (7)  enough，I will get one. My father has told me that if the dream is big enough，the facts don’t  (8)  . ”

       I  (9)  her through those junior high years and into high school. Every week, she led her team to  (10)   . One day in her senior year, I saw her sitting on the grass, her head  (11)  her arms. Slowly and quietly, I  (12)  and sat down beside her. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Oh，nothing,” came a soft reply, “I am just too short. ” The  (13)  told her that at 165 cm she would probably never play for a top team一still less she would be  (14)  a scholarship--so she should stop dreaming about college.

       I felt she was extremely  (15)  . I asked her if she had talked to her dad about it yet. She told me that her father said those coaches were  (16)  . They didn’t understand the _    (17)  of a dream.

       The next year, Sally was seen by a college basketball coach after a big game. She was  (18)  offered a scholarship and  (19)  to the college team. She was going to get the college education that she had  (20)  and worked toward for all those years. 

       It’s true： if the dream is big enough, the facts don’t count. 

It was the district sports meet . My foot still hadn’t healed（痊愈）from a（n）  (1)  injury .I had  (2)   whether or not I should attend the meet . But there I was ,  (3)   for the 3,000-meter run .

       “ Ready … set … ” The gun popped and we were off . The other girls rushed  (4)  me . I felt  (5)  as I fell farther and farther behind .

       “ Hooray ! ” shouted the crowd . It was the loudest  (6)  I had ever heard at a meet . The first-place runner was two laps（圈）ahead of me when she crossed the finish line .

“ Maybe I should  (7)  , ” I thought as I moved on .  (8)  , I decided to keep going . During the last two laps , I ran  (9)  and decided not to   (10)   in track next year . It wouldn’t be worth it ,  (11)  my foot did heal .

       When I finished , I heard a cheer—  (12)   than the one I’d heard earlier . I turned around and  (13)  , the boys were preparing for their race . “ They must be cheering for the boys . ”I was leaving   (14)   several girls came up to me . “ Wow , you’ve got courage ! ” one of them told me .

“ Courage ? I just   (15)  a race ! ” I thought .

“ I would have given up on the first lap , ” said another girl . “ We were cheering for you . Did you hear us ? ”

       Suddenly I regained  (16)   . I decided to  (17)   track next year . I realized strength and courage aren’t always  (18)  in medals and victories , but in the  (19)  we overcome（战胜）. The strongest people are not always the people who win ,  (20)  the people who don’t give up when they lose .

Yesterday I was walking along a busy road when I noticed a young man standing near the pedestrian crossing, selling toys.

Usually I would   (1)   and hurry past such sellers before being approached to buy something. But I found this young man was  (2)  , so I stood for some time without crossing the street. I wanted to see   (3)  he sold his toys.

   (4)  , a young mother with a small child came by and the child was   (5)  by one of the toys in a large box that made a noise. The young mother asked for the  (6)  and it was charged only one dollar. She   (7)  a 10-dollar note from her purse and told the young man that she was giving him 10 dollars and wanted the   (8)  back. I was wondering how he was going to give it back. He told the young mother to put the money in the bag  (9)  his neck and take out   (10)   change he owed her. She then out her hand into the bag and took out the balance while I was  (11)   her like a hawk（鹰）.

I realized that this young man depended on   (12)  people not to cheat him. There was no   (13)  of him knowing if someone took out more than they should have done. I was so   (14)   by how this disabled man believed in people that I bought a toy from him I didn’t  (15)  at all.

He said it cost one dollar and I, too. told him that I had only a 10-dollar note. He told me to do the   (16)   thing. So I put my 10 dollars in his   (17)  . I put my hand in, but didn’t take any change. I hope he will find that he has more   (18)   than he should when he gets home. As I walked down the street, I saw another kid walking with his father,  (19)   I gave him the little toy. Then, I walked on, hoping that two people would have a   (20)  smile on their faces that day.

I am the only person who has reached senior middle school in my family.So，I am the “best-educated”．But I also used to be the most __  (1)  __because I never thought about my manners.As a busy __  (2)  __，I always come home from school late.When I get home at __  (3)  __，it is time for my meal.After eating，I go to school again.But one day，when I was ready to go to school after lunch as usual，Dad stopped me.“Could you __  (4)  __ me some time？”he asked，“Just one __  (5)  __.”I looked at the time and found I didnˈt have much time left.“OK，Dad，but please make it __  (6)  __.”“All right，I know you are __  (7)  __，so I will just ask you two questions.Could you __  (8)  __how many things you have done for our __  (9)  __？And，could you tell me how often you say hello to your family members when you get home？”

That day，when I was at __  (10)  __，I thought about the questions without understanding why Dad had __  (11)  __ asked them.Then，my friend，a girl from a rich family，asked me what was __  (12)  __me.I told her.After listening，she laughed.“Hey! Thatˈs nothing __  (13)  __！You know，I never do anything or say hello to anybody when I am at home，either.”Then she added，“As far as I know,90 percent of our __  (14)  __have never done these things.”Really？At that moment，I __  (15)  __why my dad had asked me those questions.It was because it is good __  (16)  __to say hello to your family.However，most of us students donˈt know，or even __  (17)  __this.How sad we are！I finally realized how I should answer my dadˈs questions.First，I would do all those things that are called good manners.Second，I would __  (18)  __my classmates to be aware of their manners as soon as possible.That night I told these things to Dad.“Good，”he said，“Better late than never.”The next afternoon，when I got home，I saw Mum in the kitchen cooking.“Hi，Mum，Iˈm __  (19)  __，”I said.She looked at me and gave me a big __  (20)  __.

I was walking towards my office when my colleague Philip stopped me.He __  (1)  __ me to Stephen，a young man who would take one of my classes.With a (n)__  (2)  __expression，Stephen asked if my class was going to be hard.I __  (3)  __ that he was afraid of failing __  (4)  __before the opening day of classes.When I told him it was a __  (5)  __in which students should recite a lot of facts，I saw his eyes getting __  (6)  __ with fear.

Then I remembered a Chinese __  (7)  __：“One bite at a time.”I told him to finish his work that way __  (8)  __finish all the work at a time.

Later I learned __  (9)  __ of Stephenˈs story.His family members who treated him badly kept __  (10)  __him that he was a failure.__  (11)  __he still kept at it and got his diploma(毕业证)．Now，faced with their __  (12)  __ attitude and doubt，he had enrolled(报名)in college.

Stephen didnˈt become an “A” student.__  (13)  __，he managed to pass most of his courses by __  (14)  __his studying into bite-sized parts.Slowly，he began to gain a lot of __  (15)  __and was brave to face difficulties.He was a great singer and he was __  (16)  __the school team.

Every time I saw him on campus he would say，“One bite at a time”．Whenever he introduced me to his friends on campus，he would __  (17)  __ that he was succeeding when he was __  (18)  __to be failing.His __  (19)  __，he said，was that he was practicing what I taught him __  (20)  __classes ever started.I asked for the answer and he said，“Take it one bite at a time”．