I visited Egypt for the first time in April this year.   41  I spent only 3 days in Sinai, it left me a   42  impression. Away from famous tourist spots ofCairoandLuxoron the mainland, Mount Sinai proved that Egypt’s attractions are not only   43  to pyramids. Sinai is known for its desert landscape, where rocks and sand  44  the scenery and little life seems to    45 inits deadly dry environment.

   With excitement, I   46  my climb on my own at midnight, hoping to catch sight of the  47  over the desert. Bathed in the glow of a full moon, there was a peaceful hush(安静) that surrounded the mountain. Only the sound of the wind   48  me during the four-hour climb, but I  49  felt horrible. The landscape was rocky, but the path was  50  enough and well-trodden (常到的) by tourists over the years.

   Halfway up the mountain, I    51  agroup of 30 Muslims who were making their way to the top as part of their pilgrimage(朝圣). We    52 inEnglish and I found out that most of them were in their thirties or forties, and expressed a strong determination to do the climb for their  53 .

   Before sunrise, I reached the summit, but it was far too  54  for me to stay outside waiting,  55  I was wearing 3 thick clothes. By the time I made the   56  hike up to the peak, I realized to my   57  that it was filled with 100 other people. I managed to find a good   58   among the rocky ground as the sky 59 . Then a hush came over the mountains and everyone stopped   60 . The sun burst out from the horizon.

Year after year my brothers，sister and I would lie in bed awake on Christmas morning. We were just   (1)  to hear my father’s voice saying it was all right to   (2)    .

The professor stood before his class of 30 senior biology students, about to pass out the final exam. “I have been privileged to be yourthis semester, and I know how hard you all have worked to for this test. I also know most of you are to medical school next fall,” he said to them.

  “I am well aware of how much you are under to keep your GPAs up, and because I know you are allof understanding this material, I am prepared to an automatic B to anyone who wouldnot to take the final.”

  The relief was audible(听得见的) as a number of students jumped up tothe professor and departed from class. The professor looked at the handful of students who , and offered again, “Any other takers? This is your last.” One more student decided to

  Seven students remained. The professor closed the door and took attendance. Then hethe papers. There were two sentences typed on the:

  “, you have just received an A in this class. Keep believing in yourself.”

  I had a professor who gave a test like that. It may seem like the easy of grading exams, but it’s a that any teacher in any discipline(治学严谨) could and should give. Students who don’t have  in what they’ve learned are B students at best.

  The same isfor students of real life. The A students are those who believe in what they’re doing they’ve learned from both successes and failures.

 A poor girl was selling flowers in the street   (1)   Christmas Eve. Her parents were ill, so she   (2)   get money for food. It was very cold. The girl felt cold and hungry. She stopped   (3)   a beautiful house. The girl knocked   (4)   the door and a man came out. She asked   (5)   he needed some flowers. The man said he didn't want   (6)   . She left the house and felt tired. She sat down at the   (7)   of a tall wall. She looked   (8)   the flowers. The flowers   (9)   very nice. She suddenly had an unusual feeling. She felt she became light,   (10)   slowly she began to fly into the sky. She   (11)   higher and higher and at last she found herself on the clouds. A group of people were coming to meet her. At the head of them   (12)   her granny. She welcomed her and asked her why she didn't   (13)   .The girl told her that she had to   (14)   to get money became her parents were badly ill. Granny told her   (15)   and gave her lots of beautiful clothes and delicious food. The girl laughed   (16)   .

   It snowed   (17)   that night. The girl died   (18)   a smile on her face.    (19)   , people in the beautiful house began to sing Christmas songs and   (20)   .

I spent two months with an American family last year when I studied in America．It is said，“The best house is in the，the best wife is in Japan，and the best food is in China．”So I took   (1)   and pleasure to   (2)  “the best food”for my American family．Each day，regardless of my poor skill of cooking，I performed（表演）my play in   (3)   way：changing the dishes’color，the meat’s type or the soup’s style（风味）．Thus，my American friends could discover the   (4)   of eating Chinese food．Because of my“  (5)  ”job，I was often rewarded（奖励）by their   (6)   of appreciation such as “very tasty”，“excellent”, etc．But the joke was here：yesterday，I cooked Sichuan－style  (7)  for dinner．I was   (8)   at my achievement（成就）．When all the family members arrived at the table，they first looked   (9)   at the fish，then looked at me．“Why do all the fish have their   (10)  ？”they asked，“It’s horrible!”Horrible or beautiful？I don’t know．But I   (11)   know that fish heads are   (12)  . The head is the best part of fish；in  (13)   only the respectable guest can have the special   (14)  of enjoying it．  

      Another   (15)   thing is：the American friends often said to me“   (16)   ”as they   (17)   fruits or other things．According to Chinese tradition，I would simply smile in answer to their kindness   (18)   actually helping myself to any of the food．  (19)  ，I said“help yourself”to them whenever I brought home fruits．Dear me，no matter how much or how often I brought home food，as long as it was nice to their taste，they   (20)   hesitated（犹豫）to use their hands to“help themselves”until all was finished．

Life’s ups and downs provide windows of opportunity to determine your values and goals. Think of using all obstacles as stepping stones to build the life you want.

                                                                                                                                                       —— Marsha Sinetar

I guess we never truly know how tough we are until really tough times approach us and

our soul. Trials and difficulties are part of living, but sometimes those trials are so enormous that we can becomeand caught up in a web of inactivity.

I was diagnosed with colon cancer in June 2003. I was devastated, scared and certainly had sleepless nights praying to God forand to help me beat this thing., I took charge andout the best surgeon and oncologist I could find. I then double-checked their

with yet other physicians to make sure I was doing the right thing before I underwent major surgery. I had aoutcome from that surgery, and the pathologists indicated thatof the cancer had been removed. They told me that I had no worries, and to go and have a good life.

But the cancer did return in November of 2004, and I wasruined again. I endured another six-hour, followed by chemotherapy(化疗) treatments. It took me months to from these procedures. My body was so weak and I thought the chemo exhaustion would end, but I took one day at a time and I finally returned to my normal life again. I fought all of the negative thoughts I had during this time,that cancer was not going to take me.

I have been cancer-free for over four years now, buthad to undergo major spinal fusion(脊椎联合术) surgery, with the addition of plates and screws to hold my spinaland secure. But, hey, these are the medicalI have been dealt in my life, so I play them the best way I know how. I refused to be a inall of these health issues. Instead, I choose to be a winner. I truly believe these problems have made me a stronger and better personand they have  me to be a more compassionate for other people, especially those who are sick. And I certainly have a much deeper appreciation for life on a daily basis, and for the love andof my dear family.

Once upon a time, there lived two parent parrots. Every morning they flew out to   (1)   food for their two young birds. One day, a hunter   (2)   the young birds. The young birds   (3)   to free themselves from the hands of the hunter. One   (4)   from the hunter, while the other was taken in a cage by the hunter to his house. He gave it to his   (5)  .

The other parrot flew away and came to a place where some holy men lived. They did not   (6)   the young parrot, so it stayed there. It   (7)   their talk and learned to say a few words.

Several years later, a traveler was walking near the hunter’s hut(小屋). He sat near the hut, extremely   (8)  . He heard the parrot that lived there say, “  (9)  , why have you come here? I will cut your throat.” The traveler   (10)   got up and left the place in a hurry. Then he happened to reach the place where the other parrot lived. The parrot was sitting on a tree. Seeing the traveler, it said, “Welcome, traveler. Welcome to this hermitage(偏僻的寺院). We have a lot of good   (11)   in this forest, which looks sweet and delicious. Eat whatever you like. The holy men will   (12)   you well.”

The traveler was   (13)  . He couldn’t understand why this parrot was so polite   (14)   the other one was so rude. They were both parrots, after all.   (15)   it wasn’t strange. The parrot he met first lived with the hunter’s children who often spoke   (16)   words, while the parrot he met later had learned the   (17)   of holy people.

Our growing environment is of gr eat   (18)   It is the company that shapes our words and deeds. Good company helps us learn good things while bad company   (19)   the contrary. Therefore, choose the   (20)   people to grow up with.

A poor farmer had a friend who was famous for the wonderful apples he grew. One day, his friend

  (1)  him a young apple tree and told him to take it home and   (2)   it.

Seeing the gift, the farmer was very   (3)  , and he thought he would also have a lot of wonderful apples, but when he got home, he felt

  (4)  . He didn’t know   (5)   to plant it. He thought over and over and   (6)   every place he could think of.   (7)   he decided to plant the tree in his woods. There were many high trees with thick leaves in the woods. With those trees around no one else could   (8)   the young apple tree. He even felt proud of himself for finding so   (9)   a place for the apple tree. Every day he went to take care of the tree,   (10)  it. To his surprise and   (11)  , the apple tree didn’t grow as he   (12)  . It died without sunlight and good soil.

Later the friend asked the farmer why he had planted the tree in suc h a   (13)   place. “What’s the difference?” the farmer said angrily. “If I had planted the tree near the   (14)  , passers-by (行人)would have stolen the fruit. If I had planted the tree in one of my fields, my neighbors would have come at night and   (15)   some of the apples! If I had planted it near my house, my own children would have taken the   (16)  . No matter where I plant the tree, I can’t have   (17)   to enjoy the apples. So there is no difference where I planted it.”

“Yes,” said the friend. “But   (18)   someone could have enjoyed the fruit. Now you not only have robbed(抢夺) everyone of the fruit, but also have   (19)   a good apple tree! You don’t know the true meaning of ‘share’!”

We should learn to   (20)  in our life. The more you want to own something all by yourself, the less you get at last.