It is a blue, cotton shirt. The shirt belonged to my 　(1)　 David. On his birthday before he left college, his mother bought him the shirt. 　(2)　 I gave him free use of my bike, he let me wear the shirt, occasionally. 

We shared the shirt, and as days 　(3)　, we shared more of our 　(4)　. David was in school by scholarships and grants (助学金). He 　(5)　 to keep his scholarships, because without even one of them, he would have to 　(6)　 and back on the farm. And in David's home, there was always only enough money to cover the expense. His father died when he was twelve. 

　(7) David also talked about his father. Usually it was late at night, in the dorm just before bed, and the 　(8)　 always ended with tears that flowed from a river of memories and 　(9)　: memories of a father suffering from 　(10)　 at a time when his son was just a teenager; longings for opportunities to cure his father's disease. Because disease does not understand the 　(11)　 between father and son. Nor does(do) 　(12)　 care. 

Time passed and we had to say 　(13)　 to each other. After lots of hugging, and words of thanks, we eventually 　(14)　. It was on my 　(15)　 trip upstairs to our dorm that I saw a package on my bed. I 　(16)　 the wrapping paper. It was the blue cotton shirt in a box with a card 　(17)　 to it, reading: 

Thomas, I can't thank you enough for your 　(18)　. This has been tough years and you have been 　(19)　 a friend. Thank you for listening. Thanks for everything. 

David

I pushed aside the note, with 　(20)　 tears dropping on the shirt. 

I still have the shirt today, though it has faded and wrinkled with age.

It was at a concert that I happened to find David.He was holding his head at a strange __  (1)  __as if he were staring down at something.Then the truth struck me.He was blind.The last thing he remembers __  (2)  __was his daughter being born.Then the world went __  (3)  __.

Bad luck is no stranger to this 44-year-old man.His mother died of cancer，and his weak father had to __  (4)  __11-year-old David to the care of the state.

Things seemed always to go from bad to __  (5)  __.Two years ago，his beloved guide dog pulled him out of the __  (6)  __of a truck.David was not hurt.The dog __  (7)  __.

But David does not feel sorry for himself.“These are just little obstacles (障碍)you have to __  (8)  __in your life，”he said.

He has to make a daily two-hour trip to his working place—the X-ray department of an__  (9)  __ room.

It was a hard job to __  (10)  __.Before he got it，David was determined to escape the workshop run by the Lighthouse，an organization __  (11)  __ to help blind people.He wanted a job of developing X-ray film，something __  (12)  __，not just he，must do in the dark，including people with __  (13)  __eyesight.The Lighthouse called many hospitals，with no result，__  (14)  __they offered to pay his first three monthsˈ salary.

David works alone in a dark room that __  (15)  __ of chemicals.He cannot wear gloves.__  (16)  __，he could not feel.Since this is an emergency room，lives can be put __  (17)  __or out of danger.His directress says she trusts him 100 percent.

He makes $ 20,000 a year.But his motivation(动机)goes __  (18)  __money.“By working，I can actualize my own __  (19)  __.Thatˈs the most important！”he said.

What a shining example for us to __  (20)  __！

The Depression was still going on, but I was in good spirits. I was going to graduate from elementary school, yet my mother   __  (1)  __   dressed me in shorts. Most of my classmates had given up   __  (2)  __   shorts. For the graduation ceremony, all the boys were   __  (3)  __   to dress the same way—white shirts and dark-blue wool pants.

I waited a week before I told my mother. I   __  (4)  __   Iˈd better break the news to her as gently as I could.

“Mum，” I said, “about   __  (5)  __   …”

“Yes？” she answered.

“Theyˈre going to give me the first-prize medal，” I said.

She looked   __  (6)  _   her shoulder at me and smiled. “Thatˈs wonderful, babe. Dad and I will both be there, and weˈll be the __  (7)  __   parents in the place.”

She must have seen by the look on my face that   __  (8)  __   was wrong. She turned her back and said, “So？”

“So, I have to get   __  (9)  __   pants，” I said.

“Babe, we donˈt have the   __  (10)  __   for new pants right now，” she said very quietly. “You know that.”

“OK，” I burst out. “Then I wonˈt go to graduation. Plus, Iˈm   __  (11)  __   away from home！” 

The following Saturday, when my mother said, “Letˈs go shopping，” I knew she had   __  (12)  __   the problem. We walked a short way and stopped at a place I had never   __  (13)  __   before. My mother said, “ __  (14)  __   here.” She entered a storefront that looked like a   __  (15)  __. She came out about ten minutes later, and we went to the pants store. I was holding the new pants   __  (16)  __  under my arm when my mother went to pay for them. I saw her   __  (17)  __   a tiny brown envelope from her purse. There were four   __  (18)  __   new one-dollar bills inside.

About halfway home, I   __  (19)  __   down at my motherˈs hands. It was then that I saw the wedding ring that had always circled her ring finger was   __  (20)  __   there.

The library is one of the most popular places at a western university.Students turn to it for research，conversations about class，and many other services.

Compared with Chinese libraries，college libraries in the US and UK tend to offer more resources.A postgraduate at Yale University can borrow as many as 225 books at a time.

In addition to borrowing books，there are online and electronic resources.These include a database search of popular and academic material，such as LexisNexis Academic，which offers items from newspapers and magazines.

Although books and articles are the items that students ask for most frequently，some libraries provide audio and video recordings，maps and sheet music(活页乐谱)．At some schools，teachers and tutors put electronic copies of their teaching PPTs on the library web to give easier access for students.

Another useful service in western college libraries is the Interlibrary Loan.This allows a student at one school to borrow books from another school.The loan request is made through the studentˈs college library，which gets the book，gives it to the user，and arranges for its return.

Technology has brought more services to students and has made libraries attractive.Some universities have services for students to send messages through the computer or mobile texts to ask the library staff for information.

Earlier this year，Harvard University introduced a new Scan and Deliver service，allowing students to make requests for parts of books and articles.Requests made through the system are handled by library staff.The student receives an e-mail with an Internet link to the scanned pages.The service is free and all material comes within four days.

It used to be that libraries didnˈt allow food or drinks.But that rule is changing and many of them now contain a café so students can spend as much time as they want in the library.

Actually，some US university libraries are now all-night affairs，or have at least one study room open all night.

For most people, running one full marathon is quite challenging, but for 37-year-old Rob Young, it is merely a short warm-up. This British man 　(1)　370 marathons last year, which meant that he ran 　(2)　one marathon per day. 

It all 　(3)　as a bet with his wife on a Sunday morning when they watched the TV coverage of the London Marathon in April 2014. In fact, Young had been 　(4)　 to sitting comfortably on a sofa watching TV rather than going out for a walk. Obviously, he wasn't very interested in running at the time, and he even considered it 　(5)　. 

When his wife 　(6)　 him by saying that he couldn't run marathons at all, even if he tired. Young felt this had 　(7)　 him badly, so he replied that he would 　(8)　her some money if he couldn't run. 

The next morning, he 　(9)　at 3:30 am, printed out the route, and completed one marathon before work. He felt so good that he 　(10)　doing it every day, and had run the 　(11)　 equivalent to 10 marathons during that week. 

Before long, Young was addicted to running. He 　(12) all of last year's 365 days running marathons. Since January, 2015, Young has completed several　(13)　. He won the Trans-American Footrace, a 6-month long competition, with a 　(14)　 time of 322 hours and 10 minutes. He 　(15)　the world record for the world's longest run without sleep. 

Having 　(16)　so much already, Young now hopes to use his running to test the 　(17)　 of human endurance. “I'd like to find something that's challenging,” he said. “I'd like to 　(18)　the Arctic Circle and the North Pole. There is only a certain time of the year when people have　(19)　 to do it, but I will try.” 

He added, “For me, nothing is 　(20)　. It's only a test.” 

The wedding took place in a Birmingham hotel. The bride and her father arrived in a new black American sports car. Her father looked nervous and uncomfortable in front of the cameras. The bride wore a silk wedding dress. She smiled nervously at the waiting photographers and went to a room on the first floor where she met her future husband for the first time.

   Carla Germaine and Greg Gordell were the winners of a radio station’s competition. The aim of the competition was to find two strangers prepared to marry without having met each other. Miss Germaine, 23, is a model. Mr Cordell, 27, is a TV salesman. They were among the two hundred people who entered for a peculiar “experiment” organized by BMRB radio in Birmingham,England. Greg and Carla were among eight finalists who were interviewed live on radio. They took a lie detector (测谎仪) test and the station also spoke to their friends and family about their personalities. The competition judges included an astrologer (占星家) who declared that they were suited.

   The couple celebrated their wedding with a wedding breakfast and a party for 100 guests in the evening, but not everyone shared the joy. Miss Germaine’s mother looked anxious throughout the wedding and Mr Gordell’s parents are reported to be less than delighted.

   Organization, including the marriage guidance service Relate, have criticized the marriage. As one person put it, “We have enough problems getting young people to take marriage seriously without this. Marriage should always be about love.”

   The couple are now on aCaribbeanhoneymoon followed by journalists. Their other prizes include a year’s free use of a wonderful apartment in the center of Birmingham, and a car. But will it last?

When I was a child of seven years old，my aunt filled my pocket with some money.Being __  (1)  __in the sound of a whistle in the hands of another boy，I went at once to a shop and __  (2)  __all my money for one.I then came home，and __  (3)  __all over the house.I was much pleased with my whistle，but __  (4)  __all the family.

When I told my brothers and sisters the __  (5)  __ I had made，they said I had given four times as much as the whistle was __  (6)  __.They laughed at me so that I cried.Thinking about the matter gave me more __  (7)  __than pleasure that the whistle gave me.

That，__  (8)  __，influenced me afterwards.Often，when I was __  (9)  __ to buy __  (10)  __I did not need，I said to myself，“Donˈt give much for the whistle.”Then I __  (11)  __ my money.__  (12)  __I grew up and __  (13)  __ the actions of people，I found many people who gave “too much for the whistle”．

If I knew a person who gave up __  (14)  __living，all the pleasure of doing good to __  (15)  __，and the joys of friendship，for the sake of gathering wealth，I said，“Poor man，you __  (16)  __too dear for the whistle.”

If I saw someone who had expensive cars and large houses，__  (17)  __which he had run into debt，I said，“Alas！He has paid dear for his whistle.”

__  (18)  __，the miseries of mankind are __  (19)  __due to their __  (20)  __a false value on things—giving too much for their whistles.