When I was a boy we used to live across the road from a big hill. When snow would   (1)  , my two brothers would grab their sleds（雪橇）and   (2)   over for the hill for a day of fun. I remember watching them with   (3)   because I was too small to go sledding. Finally, one winter I was thought   (4)   enough and joined my brothers as they   (5)   their sleds up the long hill and prepared to ride down it.

    The first few trips I rode with one of my brothers and had the   (6)   of my life. It was so exciting   (7)   the wind whip across my face as I flew down the hillside. Near the end of the day I was overjoyed too when my oldest brother decided to let me try riding the sled all   (8)  . I climbed on it full of   (9)   and laid on my stomach. Then with one big   (10)   my brother sent me zooming down the   (11)   hillside. I was doing pretty well too   (12)   I hit an old stump（树桩）hidden by the snow and went off   (13)  ，straight towards one of those big Oak trees. At the last possible second I rolled off and the sled crashed into the   (14)  . I could hear my brothers running down the hill   (15)  , “You have to steer（掌舵）! You have to steer!”

      (16)  , that wasn’t the last time I failed to steer when some   (17)   knocked me off course in my life. Many times problems, troubles, and my own failings have sent me crashing into the trees of   (18)  , frustration, and despair. I am learning that life isn’t always   (19)   sledding. It’s up to me to steer   (20)  .