Maggie was assigned to a public school in the middle of the year, and the headmaster asked her to teach Class 4-B right away. She heard that the former teacher had 1 suddenly, but the headmaster didn't tell her 2. All he told her was that this was a class of  “3 students”.    

    First day, she walked into the classroom, spitballs (纸团) 4 through the air, feet on desks, the noise deafening. She walked to the front of the classroom and 5 the attendance book(考勤簿). Next to 20 names on the list were IQ scores: 140,141...160. “Oh,” she thought to herself, “6 they are so high-spirited. These children have exceptional IQs.” She 7 and brought them to order, 8 that she could teach such high-quality students.       

    At first Maggie found the students 9 to turn in work, and that assignments that were handed in were done 10, full of mistakes. She spoke to everyone, “ With your IQ, I  11 nothing short of (除…之外) the best work from you.”       

    The whole term Maggie continually 12 them of their responsibility to use all the extra intelligence God had given them. Things began to 13. The children worked hard. Their work was creative and excellent. At the end of the term, the headmaster 14 Maggie into his office. “What magic have you done to these kids? ” He asked 15. “Their work has surpassed (超过) all the regular classes.” “It is just 16. They're smarter than regular students! You said yourself they are special students.” Maggie was 17. “I said they are special because they are the special need students—behavioral disordered.” “Then why are their IQs so 18 on the attendance sheet?” Maggie pulled out the sheet and passed it to the headmaster. “Those aren't their IQs. Those are their locker 19 at the gym. Sorry, Ms. Maggie, your kids are not geniuses(天才).” Maggie paused a bit, and smiled, “If someone 20 himself to be a genius, he will become one. I'm teaching them as geniuses again next year.”      

    When I was in Grade 6, I knew a girl. She 1 to point out my shortcomings and always said I was very thin, I wasn't a good student, and so on. I tried not to care what she said. 2 , I became very 3 in the end. I cried and ran to Daddy.

    Daddy asked, “Are the things she says true or not? Lisa, didn't you ever 4 what you're really like? Well, you now have that girl's 5 . Go and make a 6 of everything she said and 7 the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”

    To my 8 , I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn't 9 (like being very thin), 10 a good number I could and suddenly I11to change. For the first time I got a clear 12 of myself.

    I brought the list back to Daddy. He 13 to take it. “That's just for you,” he said. “You know better than anyone else the 14  about yourself. But you have to learn to 15 . Don't just close your ears in anger, feeling 16 . When something said about you is true, you'll find it will be 17 to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your duty. Don't 18 your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you think is 19 .”

    In my life, this is the best 20 that Daddy has given me.

    That summer,Luke had been my closest companion for five years.We get lots of1in our area during the summer season.Many forests are badly2by fire each year.That hot summer,not far from our shelter,a forest3 fire.It was July,and there had been a heat wave going on for three days.Luke rushed toward the forest where the fire was sending out a4heat.There was no longer any hope at that moment to wait for Luke to come back to the5. In fact,I was waiting for firefighters to tell me that he had6in the forest.Suddenly,a fireman burst into my office and7me that my log Luke had succeeded in saving four kittens who had been8by the flames.According to the fireman,Luke seized the kittens,one by one moving them to a9place.

    I immediately10the fireman to the forest to pick up the rescued kittens.11we got to the scene of the incident,we saw that Luke was not there.Then we heard the12of a dog barking in the forest.I13the barks as Luke's.The fireman followed the14of the dog until they found him barking loudly by the side of an injured fireman who was lying on the ground and15waiting for rescue.

    Thanks to Luke,four kittens and a fireman were saved.That day,I was very proud of Luke for his two heroic 16.Luke showed much compassion（同情心）for both animals like him and for a human being who was trying to put out the fire with his colleagues.Truth to be told,my17was immeasurable.

    I paid a visit to the fireman in his house accompanied by my lovely Luke.What a18scene it was when the fireman hugged Luke tightly to his chest!"One thousand thanks,Luke,for saving my life,"the fireman said.

    This true story of love and compassion shows us that pets are loving,caring and compassionate.We should love and19them.Little animals can do20things for humans.

    "There once was a beggar who loved to hear himself sing.He lived1a dustbin next to a supermarket.He had the most amazing voice.No one would listen to him,2.Cats and dogs would come to sing along.All animals would come to hear this sound.No3though.His4audience were the animals.Even without people to sing to.the man was filled with5for he loved his voice.

    Then one day,a little girl was on her way to the supermarket.The man was singing one of his favorite songs.The little girl6him and wondered what that noise was.She began7around every corner until she found him. The girl's eyes began to grow wide as she saw the man in his8clothes.She asked him to sing,with no9of danger in her voice.This shocked the man.He sang for the girl with joy in his eyes.Although it was nice to be 10to sing,it was also nice to have an audience.He sang until they heard the girl's mother11for her.The girl quickly said12and ran off.

    The girl returned the next day and asked him to sing.13he sang for the little girl.After a few songs,she left14the call of her mother.She came the day after,with an older woman.This was the girl's15.She did not seem to mind being led behind a16dustbin.The girl asked the beggar to sing.The man sang his heart out for the17of them to hear.The mother's frown began to18and a smile began to appear.The days after were full of cheerful singing and the audience of two19,they would bring more people to listen.The beggar continued to sing until he could not sing anymore.20he loved his voice anymore.

    Zigfried, a little mouse, blew his breath on the frosty window of the farmhouse and rubbed it to see the outside. Still nobody came. Maybe today, he thought 1. It was only a few days before Christmas and he was watching for a miracle (奇迹).

    This farmhouse had been 2 too long. It needed a family. Zigfried's 3 made a noise. He realized that he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. He jumped from the windowsill (窗沿), grabbed a 4 from his home, and went next door to Farmer Mike's.

    Farmer Mike's house had been a great place for the little mouse 5 the farmer married a wife who had a cat. Zigfried 6 when he thought of it. He looked around cautiously as he 7 into the room where grain was stored and was quite 8 as he filled his bag with wheat. He was turning to leave when suddenly he 9 a hot breath about his ear. His heart beat  10 , and without thinking he started to run and luckily 11 the cat's paws (爪子).

    The next afternoon Zigfried heard some good news: a 12 family would be moving into the farmhouse soon. Zigfried's granny would arrive on Christmas Eve to 13 with him. He hoped that the family would come before his granny came. Before long, a car came 14 the road leading to the house, with butter sandwiches, cheese and chocolate.

    Zigfried's Christmas miracle did arrive!

    The house came 15 the next few days. Zigfried 16 every single hour of them. 17, the day before Christmas when he was drinking hot chocolate with a 18 smile at the door of his home, he heard the 19of the children of the family about what they might get for Christmas. What? A cat? The 20 froze on his face； his mouth fell wide open. After a long while, he at last found his voice: “Hey! Whose Christmas miracle is this?”

    Eddie has lots of hobbies, but he loves baseball best. So it is his 1sport. Eddie plays baseball on a team every year in the spring. He loves to go to baseball2.

    Every day when it is3 Eddie's father throws a baseball to Eddie in the backyard. This is the time of day that Eddie 4best. He enjoys spending time with his father and he loves practicing baseball.

    Eddie 5baseball cards throughout the year. He and his father visit the 6and buy cards for Eddie's collection. Eddie spends hours with his baseball cards. He arranges them in different 7and trades them with other baseball 8

    One day, Eddie's father came home with two tickets to 9the Atlanta Braves play the next Saturday. Eddie was so10He counted down the days on the calendar.

    Finally it was the day of the game. Eddie and his father 11 to Atlanta early in the morning. Before they watched the match, they 12 the Braves' museum at the stadium and saw a short movie 13the history of the Atlanta Braves. Eddie enjoyed seeing the museum.

    They ate14at the stadium, and soon it was time for the game.

The game was exciting. Eddie tried to 15every move the players made16he watched carefully and practiced a lot, he might just be on one of those baseball cards some day!

    17the game, Eddie and his father drove home. They talked about the game. They talked about which 18were the best, and which 19 were the most exciting. Eddie went to sleep that night still 20of baseball. His dreams were filled with images from his very special day.

    University was a new experience for me. I had grown up in a small seaside town in the south of England, and suddenly I was 1 together with people of my age from all over the country. People were speaking in 2 that I had only ever heard on TV, and sometimes using words that I had 3 heard before.

    I had only been at university for about a week when I 4 David Pitman, from Blackburn in the north of England. We 5 that we both played tennis, and arranged to meet up one afternoon for a 6.

    I went to the sports hall at the time we'd 7, and went into the changing rooms. David was already there, and I could see that he wasn't very 8. He was searching anxiously for something inside his bag. He looked up at me as I 9.

    “I've 10 my keks,” he said. “You haven't got any, have you?” 11 I had no idea what he was talking about. Tennis balls? Shorts? Trainers? What? I said: “Sorry?” David repeated: “Have you got any 12 keks with you?”

    Of course, I could have asked him what the word meant, 13 I was too embarrassed (尴尬的) and didn't want to offend (冒犯) him. David saw the 14 on my face, and said: “You know — keks. Shorts. Tennis shorts.”

    Now I 15, and luckily, I did have some 16 in my bag. I lent them to him, we 17, and he won. Then we went to get a 18. The woman at the canteen asked me what I wanted. “I'd like a Black Beauty, please,” I said. (Where I 19, that's cola and ice cream.) “What on earth is that?” said the woman. I 20 knew how she felt.

    Cleverness is a gift while kindness is a choice. Gifts are easy – they're given after all. Choice can be 1.”

    I got the idea to start Amazon 16 years ago. I came across the fact 2 the Internet usage was growing at 2,300 percent per year. I'd never seen or heard of anything that grew 3 fast, and the idea of building an online 4 with millions of titles was very exciting to me. I had just turned 30 years old, and I 5 for a year. I told my wife MacKenzie that I wanted to 6 my job and go to do this crazy thing that probably wouldn't work since most start-ups don't, and I wasn't sure 7 to expect. MacKenzie told me I 8go for it. As a young boy, I'd been a garage inventor. I'd always wanted to be a(an) 9, and she wanted me to follow my passion.

    I was working at a financial firm in New York City with a bunch of very 10 people, and I had a brilliant boss that I much admired. I went to my boss and told him I wanted to start a company selling books 11. He took me on a long walk in Central Park,12 carefully to me, and finally said, “That sounds like a really good idea, 13 it would be an even better idea for someone who didn't already have a good job.” That logic 14 to me, and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours 15 making a final decision. Seen in that light, it really was a(an) difficult 16, but finally, I decided I had to give it a shot. I didn't think I'd regret trying and failing. And I suspected I would always be haunted （纠缠）by a decision to not17at all.

    After much consideration, I took the less 18 path to follow my 19, and I'm proud of that choice. For all of us, in the end, we are our 20.

    I was broke after the bankruptcy(破产) of my company and before that, my marriage also came to an end, which may be the hardest truth to me.

    Suddenly, I got 1 lost. That "one can start from nothing" thing was much like nonsense. It was never easy! So I chose to 2 myself at home. Unexpectedly, my mom came to my 3 and took me to the hospital.

    After my 4, she paid for my exercise class in a gym just to 5 my mind.

    One day, my mom was driving me back from 6. We were talking. All was well. The 7 slowly went on. And she said, smiling, "By the way, today's my birthday. No one 8 me so I thought I should just say so."

    I went 9.

    She laughed. A laugh so 10! I wanted to cry. She hadn't had a proper birthday celebration in twenty years.

    She 11 again, "It's OK. It's a little thing. But do you know what the 12 truth is? That is, love is one sided, most of the time. That's 13 most people want love but not the responsibility(责任) it14. Parents take all that responsibility. They take it 15. I promise you. They'll take it to their grave, even if they16 get it back."

    I bowed my head.

    She continued, "When you were 17, I was as heartbroken as you, if not more heartbroken 18 you. When you were killing yourself, you were 19 my body. I would always like to be tortured by the one-sided love. Very much! But I just expect you to become 20. Much braver."

There Really Was a Santa Claus

    Ann worked for a big company. One of the duties of her 1 was to go to the post office every day and 2 the company mail. One day in December, she 3 a beggar making himself up as a Santa Claus 4 on the corner of the street. Each day she 5 her coins and dropped them in his bowl. He would smile and 6 her a Merry Christmas.

    At night the temperature dropped below 0℃, but the Santa Clause 7 stood in the cold wind. 8 she dropped her coins into his bowl, she handed him a pair of gloves.

    A week later, a(n) 9 Santa Claus was standing there. "What happened to the other Santa Claus?" she asked. He told her, "He's very 10 today." She prayed for his health.

    Later that day, a colleague came into her office 11. "I don't know what I'm going to do." "What's wrong?" she asked. "It's my ex-husband," her colleague 12, "I don't have any money to buy my boys anything for Christmas, 13 my ex-husband refuses to send money to them. It breaks my heart that they won't have anything this year." The lady 14 her colleague, "I'm sure everything will 15. It's Christmas. Believe in miracles(奇迹)."

    That evening, she told her husband about her colleague's 16, "I know we don't have much money to 17, but I'd like to give her fifty or a hundred dollars. We'll just get ourselves less this year. Last year we couldn't 18 to buy anything for ourselves but we still had a wonderful Christmas." Her husband smiled, "Give her one hundred dollars. She needs it more than we do."

    She reached up and held him. Warmth spread 19 her body. He held her and realized that 20 really was a Santa Claus — and he had married her!

    The rosebushes were finally in full bloom on that spring morning.

    The sight of roses always brings to1Wanda's childhood memories. Then the family had no 2to buy extra things, so even a tired rose was something to 3 .

    Currently, to have a backyard full of different roses is pure 4. And her husband, Dale, devotedly 5the roses. 6that she loves the very first blooms, he picked some on this particular morning.

    But as Dale returned, he came across a neighbor who had7 for a quick visit. As the woman turned to go, Dale generously gave the 8 to her. And even though their visitor 9 she didn't want to take them, she was10 assured(确信)that the flowers were hers to keep.

    Seeing her precious first blooms go out the door11Wanda with regret, and a bit of 12. She knew it was "better to give than to receive." 13, she wished she could have kept the roses for herself.

    Later that day, the couple headed to the post office, where Wanda waited outside in the car.

    Then, without14, an older woman suddenly appeared at the open window, and gave her a bunch of fresh roses! "These are for you. They're my first blooms this spring."

    Completely 15, Wanda thanked the woman and16 for a moment to breathe in the rich fragrance. When she looked back, the mysterious visitor was gone.

That special17changed Wanda. It made her understand the true meaning of18gifts. Now, she always19her first blooms to others, as a(n)20that someone is thinking of them.

    Next week, strangers with a truck will take away everything we own, except the clothes on our backs, the car we will drive, and as much stuff as we can pack into it.

    It's called 1. Some people do it often. For others, like me, it's a 2experience. In all my adult years, I've moved only three times.

    My first 3 and I moved into our first house with a bed, our clothes and a few gifts. That was many years ago. Over the years, I 4 that house with three children, a few dogs and enough stuff to 5 the ceiling.

    Then the kids grew up, I lost my husband to cancer, and I began to learn about 6.

    First, I let go of the 7 of being in contro1. Life isn't about being in charge of what 8, it's about being in charge of what we do with it.

Next, I let go of 9 the things I care most about, like keeping in touch with the people that 10 the most to me.

    I let go of the people whose 11 are about anger or hatred, and tried instead to 12 myself with those who shine with 13.

    Finally, I let go of being alone—I remarried. I 14 moved to a new city with my new husband, and after that move, I15 I'd stop collecting meaningless things. But 12 years later, here I am, still learning about letting go.

    We'll all move someday from this 16 to the next, but we won't need a truck to do it. We'll take 17 with us and leave behind a(n) 18 of the life we lived, the mistakes we 19 , and all the love and kindness we tried to show.

    That memory might not be a treasure, but if we're20 , someone will keep it and hold it close and never let it go.

    Years after graduation, I tried to maintain the little bit of French I learned in school, but eventually I was 1 that new languages are best learned when young and our ability to learn 2 with age.

    However, before my 50th birthday, I signed up for French classes and was 3 in the class for basic level. Contrary to my 4 that learning a new language was tough, I was 5 by the number of students learning French as a third, or even fourth language when I first 6 my class.

    Still, I found it was really 7 that certain linguistic（语言学的）abilities decline with age. 8 I'd always regarded myself as a quick learner, that was no longer the 9.

    I absorbed new vocabulary very10. What I learned one week before seemed to 11 away as soon as I learned the next skill. I 12 the same words and language structures in the dictionary again and again.

Despite the 13, I make it and can listen to the news in French and catch 90 percent of it on the first 14. I can catch up a conversation that doesn't go too fast.

    Who knows what I might still 15? I've learned so much beyond grammar and vocabulary. I meet people from around the world and all walks of life（各行各业的）who have the 16to make fools of themselves to learn something new. I've been taught by inspirational teachers from many corners of the world. Listening to the news as it is 17 to the people of France, I have a newer understanding of how something can look 18 different from another perspective. I've learned a language is not just a set of 19, but a way of thinking. But above all, I've learned it is never too 20 to learn something.

    It has been one of the deadliest climbing seasons on Everest, with at least 10 deaths. And at least some seem to have been 1.

    The problem hasn't beenavalanches(雪崩), blizzards or high winds. Experienced climbers and industry leaders 2 too many people on the mountain, in general, and too many inexperienced climbers, in particular.

    Fly-by-night adventure companies are taking up untrained climbers who pose a risk to everyone on the mountain. And the Nepalese government, 3 for every climbing dollar it can get, has issued more permits than Everest can safely 4, some experienced mountaineers say.

    Add to that Everest's unmatched 5 to a growing body of thrill-seekers the world over. And the fact that Nepal, one of Asians poorest nations and the site of most Everest climbs, has a long record of bad regulations and mismanagement.

    To reach the peak, climbers 6 every pound of equipment they can and take with them just enough cans of compressed oxygen to make it to the top and back down. It is hard to think straight at that altitude(海拔).

    According to the climbers, some of the deaths this year were caused by people getting held up in the long lines on the last 1,000 feet or so of the climb, unable to get up and down fast enough to 7 their oxygen supply. Others were simply not fit enough to be on the mountain 8.

    Nepal has no 9 rules about who can climb Everest, and experienced climbers say that is a direct reason for 10. "You have to reach certain standards to do the Ironman," said Alan Arnett, a remarkable Everest climber. "But you don't have to 11 to climb the highest mountain in the world? What's wrong with this picture?"

    The last time 10 or more people died on Everest was in 2015, during an avalanche. By some measures, the Everest machine has only gotten more out of 12. Last year, experienced climbers, insurance companies and news organizations 13 a far-reaching scheme by guides, helicopter companies and hospitals to trick millions of dollars from insurance companies byevacuating(疏散) climbers with 14 signs of altitude sickness.

    Despite all the problems, this year the Nepali government issued a record number of permits, 381, as part of a bigger 15 to commercialize the mountain. Climbers say the permit numbers have been going up steadily each year and that this year the traffic jams were heavier than ever.

    Afraid to have a start, I was walking slowly into my first school in America. I had1a long distance from India in order to join parents, who had been here for three years, hoping America would help my future. My father decided that I would go to school here, so I2a local high school in my new town.

    With3on one hand and fear on the other, I arrived at the classroom. Everyone's eyes were on me as I entered the classroom. Without paying attention to them, I went straight to the4and asked if it was the right class. With a5voice, he answered, "Yes." His voice comforted me a little. He gave me a(n)6called "course requirements", which I would never get in India. Then he asked me to7where I would sit. I chose the8closest to the door instead of the corner where all of the boys were sitting. I didn't9want to pick a seat. In India, we had10seats, so I never needed to worry about that. I spent the rest of the class taking notes from the11produced by the overhead projector (投影仪).

    12it was my first day, I was confused which hallway to use, but I13to get to my classes without asking anyone. I was very confused about when I would have14. It was nooa I went to my next class and the bell rang as I entered. I went through the15process of asking the teacher if I was in the right class. Feeling surprised, she said, "That is the lunch bell." I felt a little 16. Without another word, I headed for the17.

    At the end of the day, I was on my way to the bus stop. I realized that all the18corned like the obstacle I had to19to reach my goal. I20my bus and sat down inside happily. I said to myself: Today isn't so bad.

    When a mom attended school to help her disabled son, her son and the school thanked her in the sweetest way. It wasn't until after his college years that Marty became disabled after 1 down stairs. When her son 2 to get his MBA, Judy O'Connor attended every class with him to help him write and 3. Every day, Judy would sit by Marty in class, taking notes to make sure of 4 specific requests, raising her hand so he could answer questions, and silently filling in his 5 on test days. "After a little while, we found that working together we could 6 a great deal," Marty says.

    On graduation day at Chapman University, Judy was dressed in black to mix in with the other 7. Little did she know she'd soon be the center of 8. When Marty's name was called, his mom helped 9 him to the front of the stage, 10 for a picture with Marty as he received his diploma. Over the loudspeaker, an 11 was made in a voice 12 with happy tears: The university was giving Judy an honorary (荣誉的)MBA." A lump came to my throat. I was proud of my son and 13 to be honored," says Judy.

    The mother and the son had joked that Judy was putting in enough work to earn her own 14. To Marty, there was no question that his mom, a retired elementary school teacher with a business degree, had 15 earned her honorary MBA.

    Perhaps just as important, Judy gave Marty 16. Life as Marty knew it before the 17 may have changed, but he encourages anyone in a 18 situation to keep up hope. "Just keep an open mind, 19 you can make your diversity into your advantage and take challenges as a(n) 20 for growth in your life," he says.

    At the mid­May in 2018, the 69 year­old amputee(被截肢者) Xia Boyu finally stood proud on two artificial legs on the peak of Mount Qomolangma, a symbol showcasing to the world the power of1.

    More than 40 years ago, Xia2 both of his feet to frost bite after lending his sleeping bag to a team member during the trip to climb Mount Qomolangma.

    Even though artificial legs were not 3 in China at the time, Xia strongly 4that he would one day fulfill his 5 dream and so, before that day came, the best thing to do was to6 himself by training constantly. Three years later he finally got his new legs, which enabled him to 7 his sports career.

    However, fate once again took a 8 turn when he was in his 40s. In 1993, illness developed on the stumps(残肢) on his legs, which required 9 third of his lower legs be amputated. Three years after that, he was diagnosed with lymph cancer.

    Over the years, Xia never gave up his dream of climbing Mount Qomolangma. 10 to his final successful climb in 2018, he had tried four other times to climb to the summit, but each time Lady Luck gave him the 11.

    The last time he 12 his dream was in 2016. The then 67­year­old was only 94 meters from the summit, but a snow storm 13 his way. Taking his team members' 14 into consideration, Xia made the 15 decision to go back.

    On May 14, Xia felt 16 and a strong sense of fulfillment 17 in him, standing on the peak of the highest mountain in the world.

    "The key is to focus on your dreams, instead of the 18 you encounter along the way. I didn't regret anything that I had done and accepted everything that life had 19 me, but I never stopped fighting against 20," Xia said, stressing that fulfilling one's dream has nothing to do with age, disability or the thoughts or expectations of others, but a firm belief in yourself.

    It was a simple letter asking for a place to study at Scotland's oldest university which helped start a revolution in higher education. A 140-year-old letter  1 by a lady calling for her to be allowed to study 2 at St Andrews University has been discovered. Written by Sophia Jex-Blake in 1873, the seven-page document, which 3 the university to allow women to study medicine at the institution, was 4 yesterday on International Women's Day.

    The document was discovered 5 in the university archives (档案) by part-time history student Lis Smith, who is completing her PhD at St Andrews University. She said, "We knew that Sophia Jex-Blake and her supporters, in their effort to 6 university medical education for women, had written to the Senatus Academicus(校评议委员会) 7 to gain permission to attend classes there, 8 we didn't know documentary evidence existed. While 9 the archives for information about the university's higher certificate for women, I was astonished to 10 what must be the very letter Jex-Blake wrote".

    In the letter, Sophia and her supporters offered to hire teachers or build suitable buildings for a medical school. Although her letter was not 11, it finally 12 the establishment of the Ladies Literate in Arts at St Andrews, a distance-learning degree for women. The qualification gave women 13 to university education in the days 14 they were admitted as students. It was so popular that it 15 long after women were admitted as 16 students to St Andrews in 1892.

     Ms Jex-Blake went on to help 17 the London School of Medicine for Women in 1874. She was 18 by the University of Berne, where she was awarded a medical degree in January 1877.

    19, she moved back to Edinburgh and 20 her own practice.

More than a birthday dinner

The other day my daughter and I went out for dinner to celebrate her birthday. We went to a place she loves. The1is on top of a hill. And when we2, the sun was setting behind the mountains.

The kind waitress3us at the door and4that we would have to wait a very long time for our 5 because it was short-staffed. She said that it could be over an hour before we got our dishes. Well, we decided that we would 6 because she strongly advised that we should!

We stood outside7what to do next when the owner came out and8that we stay! So we went back in. The waitress was9We waited about an hour before we got our foods!

But do you know what? It was OK because we had tea and we enjoyed a great 10and a lot of laughs. In the end, the 11 was beautiful in so many ways. Everyone dining there knew that the owner and staff were struggling.

We were all facing this together and everyone seemed to be very 12   and appreciative. When we were leaving we gave the waitress a piece of Dove chocolate. Even before I could 13 to her what it was, she burst into 14! She explained that she was a high school student from overseas and was having a hard time 15 school and work and didn't have many friends.

As she held the Dove16to her heart, she said we had no idea how much it17to her. We were all in tears. Shortly afterwards, the cook came out to apologize for the18and we told him that everything was perfect. No apologies were19. In fact, we were so 20 for everything. It couldn't have been better!

The story I'm going to tell you happened two years ago when I was in high school in Poland. I came to school early on a sunny day,1I felt that there was something wrong. Students of my class were behaving2.

  I noticed that Tom was absent from school that day. Later, I3what happened. Tom had got sick and had lung cancer, a very serious disease. It was4for my friends and me. I couldn't believe that this had happened to him. He was so5and he was good at sports.

  Anyhow he had lung cancer, so he had to have a(n)6. It was successful. After that, he returned to school and felt very good. Twice a month he went back to the7for medical examinations just to make sure that everything was going well.

One day, the doctors noticed that the cancer had8to his brain. When I heard this 9, I felt like bursting into tears, "Why does this happen to him? It is not10. "

A lot of my friends11their faith and hope, and they even thought that there was no12for him to live, but they were wrong. Tom was eager to live, and he said: "No way, I'm not going to13. I will fight!"

The doctors performed another operation on his brain. The operation14well and now he feels great and everything is fine. From Tom's15, I learned that whatever happens in our lives, we can't give up or lose heart.