1．

I will never forget the day--- September 10^th 2009, when my class went on a field trip to the beach and I had so much fun. When we returned to school, my teacher told me to go to the headmaster’s office. When I got into the office, I saw a police officer. Suddenly, I realized something was wrong. The police officer told me what had happened and we went to pick my sister up. After that, we went to the hospital and waited. Time went slowly. Finally, we got to see our mother. It was terrible.

On the next day, the headmaster came and told my two teachers what had happened. I was taking a test that day. I knew it had something to do with my mother. I kept thinking that she either died or had gotten better. How I wished that she had gotten better. When my teacher took me outside, my sister ran up to me. She started crying, “She’s gone, Terresa, mommy’s gone. She’s dead.” I couldn’t believe it. We jumped into the car and drove straight to the hospital. Most of my family were there. The silence was terrible. I knew I had to say goodbye.

Today when I look back, I still miss my mother very much, but I know that I will live. My mother was a strong mother, who had the biggest heart. She was an angel walking on the earth. I will always remember her as a living. When someone is asked who their hero is, they usually say someone famous, like Michael Jordan or Britney Spears. When someone asks me who my hero is, I tell them, my mother. My mother lives everyday. That is what makes her a true hero.

2．

B

Courtney was just 15 years old when she joined a team of space researchers．Those scientists landed NaSa’s robot，Spirit，on the planet Mars．But this was neither Courtney’s first nor her last adventure in space research．When she was in fifth grade，Courtney had already decided to spend her life“exploring the mysteries of the universe．”She checked out space books from her library，studied hard in math and science classes，and later，attended United States Space Camp in A labama．   

Then Courtney entered a contest to become part of the Student Astronaut program run by a group called the Planetary Society．After a lot of hard work，interviews，and months of waiting．Courtney found out that she was one of 16 students who made it—out of 500 entered．

Courtney and fellow student astronaut Rafael Morozowski，a 16-year-old from Brazil，were at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California with NASA scientists when Spirit reached Mars．

“The most exciting part of the thing occurred late at night on January3，2004，when we received signals indicating that Spirit had landed successfully, ”Courtney says．“I joined the rest of the scientists in jumping up and cheering．”

Courtney and Rafael spent seven nights working with and learning from the NASA scientists. (They worked at night because that was daying on Mars．)They studied the photographs that Spirit was sending to Earth of Gusev Crater on Mars．They spoke to television reporters at NASA press conferences and attended meetings in which the NASA team named the rocks and hills that Spirit was finding．

When Courtney was 17 years old，she went to work for NASA as a student intern at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland．With two NASA scientists，Courtney plans to study astrophysics or planetary science at Princeton University，then return to work at NASA．She encourages other kids and teens to follow their dreams of getting involved with space research．

3．

When I was six, Dad brought home a dog one day, who was called “Brownie”. My brothers and I all loved Brownie and did different things with her. One of us would walk her, another would feed her, then there were baths, playing catch and many other games. Brownie, in return, loved each and every one of us. One thing that most touched my heart was that she would go to whoever was sick and just be with them. We always felt better when she was around.

One day, as I was getting her food, she chewed up(咬破)one of Dad’s shoes, which had to be thrown away in the end. I knew Dad would be mad and I had to let her know what she did was wrong. When I looked at her and said, “Bad girl,” she looked down at the ground and then went and hid. I saw a tear in her eyes.

Brownie turned out to be more than just our family pet. She went everywhere with us. People would stop and ask if they could pat her. Of course she’d let anyone pat her. She was just the most lovable dog. There were many times when we’d be out walking and a small child would come over and pull on her hair. she never barked(吠) or tried to get away. Funny thing is that she would smile. This frightened people because they thought she was showing her teeth. Far from the truth, she loved everyone.

Now many years have passed since Brownie died of old age. I still miss days when she was with us.

4． In the twilight，we begin the journey together down the endless sandy beach．As nightfall sweeps across the sky，the sudden darkness catches me by surprise and she becomes only a hazy （模糊的） figure in the black．I do not have to look to know she is still there walking beside me．That sweet，comforting scent that only a mother can wear，a smell that a child will never forget silently assured me．It reminds me of my childhood days and I can barely see two figures in the dark．Slowly the shadows take shape，and transform into a woman and a girl of five years of age．Scenery appears from the dark corners and a simple house comes into view．
The rich blue sky spreads itself broadly behind it．It is all clear now and I carefully watch them playing in the small backyard，beneath a towering mango tree．A homemade swing formed from a piece of white painted wood and two thick ropes hangs on the branches．The little girl slowly pushes herself on the swing．Singing happily，she gazes at her surroundings with large，innocent eyes．Moving around her，the woman sweeps up the fallen leaves．Suddenly the girl cries out to her mother and with a smile，she stops sweeping and carefully pulls the swing back，then gives it a great push．The little girl's face lights up in delight and her long，black hair floats behind her．I watch the scene in bittersweet memory，and the longing to return to my childhood days overcomes me．Gently，the scene disappears and the sea brings me back to the dark beach with the waves pounding in my ears．
The sky becomes hazy and I see the same woman and a thirteen-year old girl in the black distance．The clouds slowly disappear and they are sitting outside in the cool night on a wooden porch talking quietly． I cannot hear．It is as if I am watching a silent movie．The woman makes a movement as if to take the girl's hand and point out constellations（星座） in the beautiful sky above them．The girl jerks（甩开） her hand away，embarrassed．Ignorantly，she fails to notice the woman's face gazing at her in disappointment．Looking down，the girl is absorbed in arranging the flowers into different patterns on the brown wood．The woman is staring eagerly at the girl，trying to make conversation，and using her hands to gesture．Yet the girl never once looks up，never says more than a few words．I watch helplessly，as the woman feels more and more frustrated and hopeless．Unaware of her mother's feelings，the girl continues to shut her out．Suddenly，the woman stands，throws her hands down at the girl and enters the house in tears．I watch with shame the events taking place before me，and wish desperately that I could change them．
In the moonlight upon the sand，I realize our two sets of footprints have begun to separate with the slightly larger ones up towards the dry sandy hill，and the smaller ones down towards the sea water．Neither pair of footprints intended to drift apart，it is just how the journey goes．The beach fades as a new scene appears．Beneath my feet，the soft sand is replaced by a cold white floor．Bright lights shine on me from the ceiling，and soon I feel sweat dripping down my face．The line begins to move．
"Time to go．"I whisper．She does not say a word，but smiles a watery smile and holds my hand tightly．Slowly she lets go，but I continue to cling to her hand，desperate in the moment．The excited emotions I had felt a week ago were gone，and only the sick feeling of leaving home existed．We look at each other，and in that gaze，a thousand words pass between us．I drop her hand and wrap my arms around her back tightly，giving her a long squeeze．Unwillingly，we tear apart and I head slowly down the long corridor，looking back once，twice，to see if she is still standing there，watching me．I smile as my eyes fill with tears，and turn the corner．
Everything blurs（变模糊），and I shake my head to clear the haziness．I am lost in the cool sea breeze．Looking up at her，I feel the desire to run and wrap my arms around her legs as I once used to．I long for her to walk beside me，my companion along our journey once again．Staring at her turned head expectantly，she turns and catches my eye and holds the gaze for a long time in pure silence．Giving a gentle smile，she walks down toward me．Together，we continue our journey to the end of the beach，her footprints and mine．

5．

A

Driving to the airport in the early morning, I felt excited. Although l was heading abroad for  my first time alone, I felt cheerful and enthusiastic. l was spending the summer in Paris While looking for more interesting things to do besides sleeping and eating ,I found programs for learning languages abroad, and jumped at the chance to study French in this city known for its art,  fashion. food, and culture. As I arrived at the airport where l would leave my family, I still felt only great happiness.  l excitedly made my way through security, leaving my loved ones behind
    My connecting flight was in Frankfurt. Germany, 14 hours from Denver. Sitting in a  crowded plane watching bad movies couldnˈt dampen my excitement.  When the woman next to  me asked me where l was going, I happily answered and was pleased to note a tone of jealousy in  her response
    But when I arrived in Frankfurt, fear and anxiety began to set in  Being in an enormous, busy building in a country where I could not speak the language was frightening, hut as I found  my way ,I gained confidence. When I boarded the second plane and discovered that the flight was less than an hour,1 was filled with excitement as I thought of how l would manage in a country with a  new language.
   When I stepped on the ground of Paris for the first time,1 was extremely happy and excited. I gathered my bags and joined the crowd of people waiting for friends and family.  I  quickly had my first experience trying to communicate in a language that I had only practiced in  school. As I left the airport,  I looked for familiar monuments I had read about,  but the landscape looked very ordinary
Then, with one sharp turn, the Eiffel Tower came into view, and l was finally in Paris

6． When I was in junior high school, I was really a bad boy. My history teacher — Mr Oven criticized me a lot because I was naughty in his class. By the end of the first semester, I’d had enough of his words and had decided that I would get my revenge on him. 
   The opportunity arose one morning when Mr. Oven was called to the office for a certain reason. While Mr. Oven left, my company Billy and I grabbed Mr. Oven’s lunch bag from under his desk. I opened his sandwich and placed a bug in between the two slices of bread. We put it back and closed it. To keep it in memory, Billy took photos of the whole process. We laughed for weeks over this. 
   Well, it all went south during Thanksgiving break. Billy’s Mother found the pictures in his room, and demanded that he should tell her where these pictures were from. Billy told his  mother the whole story, and Mr. Oven was informed. Not only was I punished from school for two weeks, but also I was kicked off the football and basketball team. Before I could return to sch ool, I had to turn in a 1000-word essay on what I did and why I did that. I really felt embarrassed every time I saw Mr. Oven in the hallway for the rest of the school yea r. I felt a little regret that Mr. Oven left our school the next year.

7． Linda Evans was my best friend­­­—like the sister I never had, We did everything together: piano lessons, movies, swimming , horseback riding.
  When I was 13, my family moved away, Linda and I kept in touch through letters, and we saw each other on special times—like my wedding and Linda’s. Soon we were busy with children and moving to new homes, and we wrote less often. One day a card that I sent came back, stamped “Address Unknown”. I had no idea about how to find Linda.
  Over the years, I missed Linda very much, I wanted to share happiness of my children and then grandchildren, And I needed to share my sadness when my brother and then mother died, There was an empty place in my heart that only a friend like Linda could fill.
  One day, I was reading a newspaper when I noticed a photo of a young woman who looked very much like Linda and whose last name was Wagman—Linda’s married name. “There must be thousands of Wagmans.” I thought, but I still wrote to her.
  She called as soon as she got my letter, “Mrs, Tobin!” she said excitedly, “Linda Evans Wagman is my mother.” Minutes later I heard a voice that I recognized at once, even after 40 years. We laughed and cried and caught up on each other’s lives, Now the empty place in my heart is filled, And there’s one thing that Linda and I know for sure: we won’t lose each other again!

8．

Once an old man rose early to read each morning. His grandson wanted to be just like his grandfather, so tried to emulate him every way he could.

    One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa, I try to read just like you do, but I don’t understand most of it, and I forget whatever I do understand immediately I close the book. So what good is it for me to read?”

    The grandfather, who was putting coal on the fire, said, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.”

The boy did as told to, but the water leaked out before he could get the basket home.

The grandfather laughed, saying, “You’ll have to move a little faster.” This time he ran faster, but again the basket emptied. Out of breath, he decided it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket（桶）. But the grandfather said, “I want a basket of water instead of a bucket of water. You’re just not trying hard enough.”

The boy knew what he was trying to accomplish was impossible. However, he decided to show his grandfather a third time.

The boy dipped the basket into the river and ran as hard as he could. With the empty basket, he gasped（喘气说）, “See Grandpa? It’s useless!”

“So you think it useless?” the old man asked. “Then look at the basket.” To his surprise, the boy found it washed clean of the dirty coal stains and now clean inside and out.

“My child, that’s what happens when you read the book. You might not understand or remember everything, but the words will change you inside and out. That is the work of reading in our lives.”   

9．

  C

     Fifty years ago, the well-loved musician Bob Dylan play ed at the Newport Folk Festival and was widely booed  (嘘声).  The audience may have been unhappy but Dylan's performance helped change the direction of music and culture in the United States.

     The mid-1960s were a time of great change. One such place of change was the world of folk music. Bob Dylan became a symbol ofchange when he moved from acoustic (原声的)  to electric guitar.

    Rock music historian Elijah Wald has written a new book about the change.  It is called " Dylan Goes Electric. "

      “There was a moment in the early 1960s when you could look at the Billboard charts and seven

of the top 10 albums were folk records. And Joan Baez, Peter Paul and Mary, the Kingston Trio, all had huge, huge, huge number-one records. "

     And  then this happened: The "British Invasion" introduced the world to the Beatles and grew a huge fan base for rock music. That worried many folk musicians, says Elijah Wald.

    They hoped that Bob Dylan would come to the rescue.  However, a new Dylan sound came from the stage.

     Bob Dylan had gone electric, and the followers of folk music were not pleased.

    "When Dylan went electric, I think one of the issues was the feeling that - wait a minute,

 he's gone over to the enemy. "

     Folk lovers had looked to Bob Dylan to save their movement from rock and roll.  But, author

 Wald says Dylan felt differently about the music.

     " Dylan had always liked rock and roll and Dylan didn't think of rock and roll as stupid music. 

In fact, Dylan was a Beatles fan.  He later said that from the first time he heard the Beatles he

 knew "they were pointing to the direction where music had to go. "

      Beyond the music, Dylan's performance that night also marked a turn in American culture.

 

10．

   After the examination, the doctor told my parents my sight would get worse and that I would lose my sight finally. On the way home from hospital, no one said a word. One day, would I only imagine the scenery beyond the glass rather than see it?
    That September, I entered middle school. Most nights I had homework that included an armful of books to read. To keep up with other children, I took great trouble to finish the task. With my nose a couple of inches from the page, I was tired easily. What’s worse, after I had read several pages on my own, the words slipped off the page into inky pools.
    However, then I did not have audio books and electronic devices like kids do now. Instead, Mom volunteered to read out loud. Mom worked part-time, cleaned the house, cooked and spent time with Grandma. In spite of being so busy, she showed up in my room like clockwork. She put on her reading glasses. Mom always thought those glasses made her look old. To me, she looked like a teacher.
    In my room, Mom’s voice raced with the ticking of the clock. Being forced to focus on listening, I found a way to keep my marks up and compete with the other kids. When the teacher asked a question, I raised my hand with confidence. Teachers praised me for having a good memory. Reading removed my fear for my failing sight, reading also made me curious about other people’s challenges and how they managed. Though I could not use my eyes to fix on each passage, my mind lit up with every new book.
    True to what the doctor said, the worst came, but thanks to Mom, my sense of hearing now allows me to “see”. This was the most precious gift from a mother to her child.