Sarah lived on a farm with her family. She was   (1)   to learn to track, to identify each person and where they were going by the marks they left on the ground. And if her father couldn’t teach her, she’d teach herself.

To the   (2)   of her family, she borrowed all their   (3)   and taught herself to recognize everyone’s footprints in the sand. More than once her father came outside shouting, “Sarah, bring me   (4)   my boots. ”

Sarah developed the habit of walking around with her eyes fixed on the ground,  (5)   the comings and goings of every   (6)   in the place.

She also developed the annoying habit of   (7)   everyone. What were you doing down at the dam, Jack? You’re not   (8)   to play there.” “Did you find what you were   (9)   in the garage, Auntie?” and “Who was the stranger visiting today wearing size ten boots, Mum?”

After she’d   (10)   every pair of shoes that everyone   (11)   , she turned to the farm’s animals. By this time   (12)   her victims had to admit,   (13)   , that she was good.

Her best   (14)   came one evening when she said the horse’s front foot was   (15)  .Her father said that the horse was   (16)   fine.Sarah   (17)   that its hoof(蹄)had a split.Sarah’s father   (18)   the horse’s hoof.

“You’re   (19)   . The hoof is split. How did you know?”

“You can see it in its   (20)   . ’’ Sarah moved the horse away. “Look, it’s plain in the sand.’’

“If you can tell it has a split hoof from that sand, you’re pretty good,” said her father.

Hundreds of people have formed impressions of you through that little device(装置)on your desk. And they’ve never actually   (1)  you. Everything they know about you   (2)  through this device, sometimes from hundreds of miles away.   (3)  they feel they can know you   (4)  from the sound of your voice. That’s how powerful the   (5)  is.

  Powerful, yes, but not always   (6)  . For years I dealt with my travel agent only by phone. Rani, my faceless agent whom I’d never met   (7)  , got me rock-bottom prices on airfares, cars, and hotels. But her cold voice really    (8)  me. I sometimes wished to  (9)  another agent.

  One morning, I had to   (10)  an immediate flight home for a family emergency. I ran into Rani’s office   (11)  . The woman sitting at the desk,   (12)  my madness, sympathetically jumped up. She gave me a   (13)  smile, nodded while listening patiently, and then printed out the   (14)  immediately. “What a wonderful lady!” I thought.

  Rushing out   (15)  I called out over my shoulder, “By the way, what’s your name?” “I’m Rani,” she said. I turned around and saw a   (16)  woman with a big smile on her face waving to wish me a safe trip. I was   (17)  ! Why had I thought she was cold? Rani was, well, so  (18)  .

  Sitting back in the car on the way to the airport, I figured it all out. Rani’s   (19)  ---her warm smile, her nods, her ‘I’m here for you’   (20)  ---were all silent signals that didn’t travel through wires.

 For long, a little boy was wondering why his desk pal could rank 1^st in the class, whereas he himself failed to: he only ranked 21^st. So he asked his morn, "Morn, am I more ____  (1)  ____ than others? I feel I am as careful as him but how come I always ___  (2)  ___?" Hearing the words, Morn was ___  (3)  ___ that her son's self-esteem was now being ____  (4)  ___ by the ranking system. She went ____  (5)  ___, not knowing how to explain.

   In another test, the son ranked 17^th, __  (6)  ___ his pal remained 1^st. Back home, he ___  (7)  ___ the same question. Morn really wanted to inform her son that intelligence ___  (8)  ___. However, was this the answer that her son was __  (9)  ___ curious about? Thank goodness she did not open her mouth.

   There were times she wanted to say, "You are too lazy. You are not as hard-working as others..." but she stopped when thinking of her son was ___  (10)  __ from the pains of unsatisfied grades and rankings. She thought it cruel to add additional __  (11)  __ on his son and was trying to find out a perfect answer.

   Time passing swiftly, the son finished primary school. ___  (12)  ___ studying harder and harder, he was still unable to __  (13)  __ with his pal. To show her pride of him, Mom decided to take him to the sea. During the trip, she __  (14)  __ to give out an answer. Sitting on the __  (15)  ___, she pointed to the front and said, "Do you see the seabirds over there? When the __  (16)  __ come near, little birds can rise quickly while 'clumsy'(笨拙的) sea-gulls would take more time to complete the process. ___  (17)  __, have you noticed birds that finally fly across the endless __  (18)  __ are none other than 'clumsy' sea-gulls?"

   Now, the son no longer worries about his rankings, and no one would ___  (19)  __ his rankings in primary school, because, with the 1^st ranking, he is ___  (20)  ___ to Tsinghua University.

Megan Willams was head cheerleader, and a straight-A student. She was so ____  (1)  ____ that it made me want to ____  (2)  ____ her, but I couldn't because Megan was a really nice person. When I passed her in the hallway at school, she always smiled at me but rarely stopped to ____  (3)  ____. Her true friends were all ____  (4)  ____ the popular crowd.

   I saw Megan at the store one Saturday morning, she was all ____  (5)  ____.

   "Hi, Diane," she said. "How are you?"

   I smiled back. "I'm doing great."

   I ____  (6)  ____ at Megan's cart and found several bottles of hair conditioner.

Megan's hair was ____  (7)  ____ and I instantly decided to switch brands to use that of her brand.

   Later, I ____  (8)  ____ for my stuff and went out to my car. It was my brother's car, which was ____  (9)  ____ down to me ____  (10)  ____ he went away to college.

   I heard someone calling my name. It was Megan. "Diane, your car it's so pretty!"

   "You think my car is cute?" "Well, not the car itself, but the ____  (11)  ____."

   On one window were the ____  (12)  ____," I love you. "Another window said, "You are beautiful, "and a third read, "I believe in you."

   "That's so ____  (13)  ____," Megan said, "but I didn't know you had a boy friend."

   "Oh, I don't, "I said. "Then who ____  (14)  ____ on your car?" "My dad did, "I answered quietly.

   "Your dad did that? Your dad took ____  (15)  ____ to write on your car windows, just to, you know, make you feel good? My dad would never do that for me, "she said. "You are so ____  (16)  ____. I bet your mom's great too, right?"

   I nodded."Yeah. She bakes cookies and ____  (17)  ____ me with my home work and stuff."

   Megan sighed. "I'd give anything to have a ____  (18)  ____ like that."

   After that, Megan always wanted to come to my house. She seemed to love talking with my parents over a homemade dinner and playing board games with my family.

   "I was so ____  (19)  ____ of you, "she said, "People think I have this great life, but I have struggles too. Someday when I'm married, my kids are going to feel so ____  (20)  ____."

   Megan showed me that I was the lucky one after all.

When I moved into an empty dorm for the first time two years ago, I was certain of a few things. Firstly, I realized that I didn’t 　41　 anybody at the school. Secondly, I knew that I wanted to work hard at my lessons and 　42　 something useful. And thirdly, I wanted to have a good time with new classmates, without my parents around. 

The first 　43　 frightened me in the beginning. But that 　44　 quickly disappeared. It was the other two goals 　45　 ended up being my difficulties. I knew that it was 　46　 to devote enough time to class and to social services. But I wanted to 　47　 in both. I knew this would be a 　48　,but I didn’t realize how much until classes began. 

I got on well with the other girls who lived in my dorm.　49　,instead of finishing my homework 　50　 it was due, I went upstairs and had ice cream with my neighbour. I always finished it the next day between classes. I knew 　51　 wasn’t very good and the grade I 　52　 showed my lack of effort. 

I was 　53　 that I needed to find some sort of balance. 

So I created a schedule that would 　54　 my time up between going to class, doing homework, and relaxing. It seemed like a good idea,　55　 I was only able to 　56　 it for a few days. A schedule like that was too much pressure. 

So I tried another 　57　.Each week I made a list of everything I had to get done during that week. Then, under the list of things I had to get done, I 　58　 a list of things I could do if I had time. 

This is the method I have used since then. I’m glad that I’ve learned to 　59　 things and it has 　60　 prepare me for what is to come after graduation. 

It was the old lady's birthday. She got up early to be ready for the post. From the second floor flat she could see the postman when he came down the street, and a little boy, Johnnie, ____  (1)  ____ her letters from the ground floor on the rare ____  (2)  ____ when anything came.

   Today she was sure there would be something. Myra ____  (3)  ____ forget her mother's birthday, even if she ____  (4)  ____ wrote at other times. Of course Myra was busy, but ____  (5)  ____, Enid, the daughter the old lady loved most, died two years ago. Since then Myra had been to see her mother three times, but her husband, Harold, never.

   The old lady was eighty today. She had put on her best dress. Perhaps—perhaps Myra might come. After all, eighty was a ____  (6)  ____ birthday, another decade lived or tolerated just as you chose to look at it. ____  (7)  ____ Myra did not come, she would send a present. The old lady was ____  (8)  ____ of that. Two spots of colour ____  (9)  ____ her cheeks. She was ____  (10)  ____ like a child. She would enjoy her day!

   Now, she stood by the window, ____  (11)  ____. The postman turned round the corner on his bicycle. Her heart beat ____  (12)  ____. Johnnie had seen him too and ran to the gate. Then clatter(咔哒声), clatter up the stairs. Johnnie knocked at her door. He had got her post — four envelopes. Three were unsealed cards from old friends. The fourth was sealed, in Myra's writing. The old lady felt a sharp pain of ____  (13)  ____. There was no parcel for her! Maybe the parcel was too large to come by letter post. That was it. It would come later by parcel post. She said to herself. She must be ____  (14)  ____.

   Almost ____  (15)  ____ she tore the envelope open. ____  (16)  ____ in the card was a piece of paper. Written on the card was a message under the printed Happy Birthday — Buy yourself something nice with the ____  (17)  ____, Myra and Harold. The cheque moved quickly to and fro in the air to the floor like a bird with a broken wing. Slowly the old lady ____  (18)  ____ to pick it up. Her present! Her ____  (19)  ____ present! With ____  (20)  ____ fingers she tore it into little bits.

I will never forget the night in 1946 when disaster and difficulty visited our home. My brother, George, came home from football practice and collapsed with a temperature of 40℃. After a(n) ____  (1)  ____, the doctor informed us that it was polio(小儿麻痹症). The doctor ____  (2)  ____ told George the truth. "I hate to tell you this, son" he said. "But the polio has taken such a bad influence ____  (3)  ____ you will probably never ____  (4)  ____. again without a limp(跛行), and your left arm will be useless."

   George had ____  (5)  ____ pictured himself as a championship wrestler. Barely able to speak, George ____  (6)  ____:"Doctor...", "Yes," said the doctor leaning over the bed. "What is it, my boy", "Go to hell!" said George in a voice filled with ____  (7)  ____. The doctor seemed shocked, but you see, Morn and Dad ____  (8)  ____ us that just like you would never let someone else come into your house with an axe and break up your furniture, you should never let a ____  (9)  ____ thought come into your mind and break up your ____  (10)  ____.

   The next day, the nurse walked into George's room to find him lying flat on his face peacefully. "What's going on?!" asked the ____  (11)  ____ nurse. "I'm walking." George ____  (12)  ____ replied. Sometimes it would take George 20 minutes just to get out of the chair, but he ____  (13)  ____ any offers of help.

   I remember seeing him ____  (14)  ____ a tennis ball with as much effort as a healthy man would need to lift a 100-pound barbell. I also remember seeing him, six months later, step out on the mat as captain of the ____  (15)  ____ team. No one had ever been known to ____  (16)  ____ so quickly or so completely from this disease. He had been through hell and he came out of it with a ____  (17)  ____ as strong as steel.

   George entered the world of show business and revolutionized television by creating and ____  (18)  ____ such shows as Laugh In and The American Comedy Awards. He also won an Emmy(爱美奖) for his production of Sammy Davis Jr's 60th Anniversary Celebration Special. ____  (19)  ____ challenges, George never ____  (20)  ____ and came back stronger. He had read that if one looks at the roadblocks, he isn't looking at the goal.

Always believe in yourself no matter what happens. It is the ____  (1)  ____ of life that is useful for everyone. I think that if people want to lead a happy life, they must believe in and ____  (2)  ____ themselves. You never realize how easy your life becomes until you have ____  (3)  ____. If you say I can do this, you are likely to finish the task that you ____  (4)  ____.

   I have already ____  (5)  ____ with having trust in myself many times in my life. When I was nine, I began ____  (6)  ____ piano lessons. I fought with the task such as completing a(n) ____  (7)  ____ on the piano. I remembered that I got very ____  (8)  ____ at that time because 1 had to play a song at a recital (演奏会)which was ____  (9)  ____ soon. I had a piece that I needed to memorize. Coming home with a feeling of frustration and poor attitude, I was ____  (10)  ____ about accomplishing this task. I sat at my piano and told myself that I would never get it ____  (11)  ____. I couldn't help crying. My mother came to me and ____  (12)  ____ me. She said, "Whatever you do, you should say I can. ____  (13)  ____ when you believe you can is nothing difficult for you." Mother's ____  (14)  ____ showed me an important life lesson. I did end up finishing the piece and the recital went ____  (15)  ____. The important point is that you can accomplish anything you want to do if you believe yourself and ____  (16)  ____ your best.

   Now, when I become ____  (17)  ____ in realizing the goal in life, I never give it up or think that I cannot do it. Always beginning with a ____  (18)  ____ attitude, I sit down and tell myself that I can accomplish my goal if I put my ____  (19)  ____ to it. I realize that I should have this attitude in everything I do. ____  (20)  ____ that you can accomplish anything you take pains to do.

A pastor (牧师) had been on a long flight between church conferences. After a while, a calm voice said, “We shall not be serving the drinks at this time as we are expecting a little turbulence (漩涡). Please be   (1)   your seat belt is fastened.”

As the pastor looked   (2)   the aircraft, it became obvious that many of the passengers were becoming a bit   (3)  . Later, the voice said, “We are so sorry that we are unable to   (4)   the meal at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us.”

Lightning   (5)   the darkening skies, and within moments that great   (6)   was like a cork (软木塞) moving around   (7)   an ocean. One moment the airplane was   (8)  on terrific currents of air; the next, it dropped as if it were about to crash. All the passengers were upset and scared. Some were praying. The   (9)   seemed terrible and many were wondering if they would   (10)   it through the storm.

Then, I suddenly saw a little girl. Apparently the storm meant   (11)   to her. She was reading a book and everything within her small world was   (12)   and orderly. Sometimes she closed her eyes, then she would   (13)   again; then she would straighten her legs, but worry and fear were not in her   (14)  . All the adults were scared half to   (15)  , but the great child wasn’t afraid at all.

The pastor could hardly believe his eyes. When the plane finally   (16)   its destination, he asked why she had not been afraid. The child replied, “Because my Daddy’s the   (17)  , and he’s flying the plane to take me home.”

There are many kinds of storms that   (18)   us, such as physical, mental, financial, … Many storms can easily and quickly darken our skies and   (19)  our plane into uncontrollable movement.

Let us   (20)  : Our Father is the pilot. He is in control and taking us home. So don’t worry!

A Deed a Day

It was a busy day as usual. I was making sandwiches and balancing the phone between my shoulder and chin. The washing machine sounded as my husband walked in with our daughters. We had only about twenty minutes to eat   (1)  we had to take the girls to their next activity. My husband seemed a bit   (2)  that dinner was not on the table.

That night, I had a heavy  (3)  , thinking we were becoming taskmasters on an assembly line (流水线). We had become too   (4)   in our own tasks and not very considerate towards those around us. We needed to do   (5)   to bring back some meaning into our lives. It needed to be something that would   (6)   our own agendas and energize us toward the common good.

I bought a notebook, named it “Our Deed Diary” and held a family meeting. I told my family I wanted us all to think about doing a   (7)   for others every day. It could be for each other or for people outside our home. And we all needed to write it down in the notebook.

I thought one deed a day was too easy. However, it was   (8)   harder than it seemed because it had to be something   (9)   what we had already done. Sending birthday cards to people we already sent cards to every year would not   (10)  .

We had a rough   (11)  . On some days, someone would forget to   (12)  a good deed, while on other days, we would forget to write our good deeds in the diary. After a few weeks though, I found myself waking up in the morning trying to   (13)   what good deed I could do for someone that day. My daughters began to rush to me after school to  (14)  me the good deed they had done.

Now, after a year, I am happy to say that it is making a(n)   (15)  in our lives. Instead of always   (16)  what the day will bring for us, we think about what we can do for someone else.

Who would have thought that trying to do a simple kindness a day would be so   (17)  ? I feel my daughters have felt inner joy that you can only   (18)  by giving to someone else from your heart. The best thing is that you feel so   (19)  great about doing something for someone else; you don't even look for or expect anything in   (20)  . So, when someone does return the favor, it is an enormous and positive bonus.