Have you ever eaten a dandelion (蒲公英)? Me neither. Have you ever blown it to make a wish? Me, too.
"Time to pick dandelions, Athena, "Mum opened the car door and I entered with a 1. My hometown is in Greece (希腊), where dandelions are 2 on the menu. But I didn't eat dandelions. Why did I have to 3 them with my family every spring?
Then I said goodbye to my new friend Brigid, whose family had 4 moved in our neighborhood in New York. I was 5 Brigid didn't ask where we were going. Nobody in America ate dandelions. I always worried that 6 would notice us picking dandelions.
We 7 into a wild field. Hundreds of lively yellow flowers appeared everywhere. Then we stopped our car. Dad went over to cut dandelions and put them in his bag. But I just hid in the book. "8 do we cat dandelions? "I asked. "The best food in the world. "Dad answered, shaking a handful of greens. 9 we were ready to leave, we had enough dandelions. On the way home, Mum and Dad talked about hosting a dinner party for the new neighbors to try our 10 Greek food.
The night of the party, Brigid arrived with her parents. Mum served 11 different。Greek foods. Our guests ate everything. Finally came the dandelions. "Wait!" I said to Brigid. But it was too 12. "You ate the dandelions! "I told her. We both 13, and she ate another bite. "14, "she said.
Mum was smiling at us. After dinner. Brigid and I went to the backyard and lay on the grass. The stars reminded me of dandelions in the soft field. I closed my eyes and made a 15: to be as open-minded as my family and my new friend.
Ashley was outspoken, fashionable, and the "Queen Bee" in my school.
I looked up to her and idolized her. I listened to the music she listened to, wore the clothes she wore. I even took art class though I had really wanted to take theatre. I finally fitted in 1 group.
One day, I skipped out of my last class a few minutes early to
2 seats for our group at the dining hall. Concentrating on my homework, I didn't notice they had sat down behind me. Before I could say a word, I realized what they were 3.
I listened silently. "She's such a loser," one girl said.
Another girl added, "Ashley, she 4 follows you, trying to copy you."
"I wish she would leave us alone. We were in the same summer school and now she thinks we're best friends." The once familiar voice sounded so 5 and strange.
I was mortified. My hands were shaking. I couldn't help crying 6. I felt heart—broken for the very first time. How did this happen? I 7 we were friends.
I ran home. My mother just held me while I sobbed for hours. The advice she gave was so 8, and I had heard it a million times. "Just be yourself and people will like you for 9you are." This time it became so profound. Then and there I 10 to find myself back. That was exactly—what I did.
Over the next month, I went through a lot of 11. I bought new clothes that I wanted to wear. I no longer went to art class 12 them, and took theatre. I began making new friends. I developed my own 13 and never again followed the crowd.
I had an amazing school year. 14 I look back, I think it was the year when I discovered the person I was going to be. Despite the pain I felt that day, it was a 15 they had given me.
Charlie Chaplin's parents separated a year after his birth in 1889. He lived with his mother and elder brother in a flat in London.
Mrs. Chaplin managed to 1 her children on her own with the money she made as a singer. 2, their economic (经济的) situation changed when she became ill with laryngitis(喉炎) in 1894. Instead of resting her 3 until it got better, Mrs. Chaplin kept on singing. Her voice got weaker and weaker and she began to find it 4 to find well-paid work.
One evening Charlie happened to be in the theatre 5 his mother singing on stage. Suddenly, her voice 6. She tried to finish the song, but the audience (观众) began to whistle and got angry. Mrs. Chaplin could not continue any longer and walked 7 the stage crying.
The stage manager knew he had to do something quickly to 8 the embarrassing situation. He remembered Charlie once sang at a party. He 9 took Charlie by the hand to the stage. After a brief introduction, he left Charlie to please the audience.
Charlie began to sing and dance in front of hundreds of people. The audience enjoyed the 10 very much and began to throw money. 11 Charlie saw this, he immediately stopped singing and announced to the audience that first he would 12 the money and then he would finish the song. The audience found this announcement especially 13 and started to throw even more money onto the stage.
Charlie felt perfectly at home on stage. He did not feel 14 at all and danced and sang more songs to the audience. To his amazement, there was more 15 and more money throwing.
That night was Charlie's first public performance on the stage and his mother's last.
Katy Sullivan is an actress, an athlete (运动员), and a person who also refuses to accept the words no or I can't.
She was born without the lower half of her 1 and has worn prosthetic (假体) ones all her life. She grew up in Alabama, US and had a(n) 2 childhood. She kept up with her sisters and brothers at the gym and the swimming pool. She feels lucky 3 her family treated her in just the same way as the other members.
When a person is born without legs, there are plenty of things that are 4 to do. But Katy believed she could 5 anything. So she chose two jobs that are difficult, 6 with both legs. As a teenager, she once saw a good movie. Before it was 7, Katy had made her mind up to be a(n) 8.
She did a degree in theater and then moved to Los Angeles, where she has played 9 in theater, television and movies. She has a positive (积极的) view of life. She thinks that if you believe 10 can do something, you should 11 it. So when Katy's friend asked her 12 she'd like to try running, she said "yes". She was given a pair of running legs and she 13 her new life.
Katy was the first person in the world with two prosthetic legs to 14 running as a competitive sport. She entered the final of the 100 meters in the 2012 London Paralympics.
Katy's family, friends, and fans look up to her as an 15 of someone who has overcome her difficulty and achieved her dreams.
Last summer my son, Eric, left for university in another country. Our once lively house became quiet and 1. I missed him so much that I started sending him messages on the phone, mainly to say 2 or to give him a word of warning.
One of my messages says, "So you told me you 3 your credit card (信用卡). If you don't try hard to mend your careless ways, one day you'll 4 and find your brain missing."
I did get Eric's messages, but most of them were about 5. They were no different from the notes he used to leave 6 the white board when he was at home.
"I bought a new pair of shoes. They cost me $90. Please help!"
"Money is running short 7 I've bought some books for my research paper. Help me please!"
8, however, Eric begins to send me all kinds of articles: some funny, some touching and some worth 9. He says they will help me understand young men better and keep up with the times.
I read the articles slowly, like a 10 student, with mixed feelings as well-my kid, who followed me around not long ago, has now become my 11!
So I write back, "I've read all those articles. I'll take 12 as a loving son's expectations towards his mother. He must be thinking that his mother is still 13 enough to accept new things. That makes me feel proud. What we parents lack (缺乏) most is the ability to learn and 14, in both body and mind. Thank you, my son."
In this way we share ideas and 15 each other, with a gentle and beautiful language we seldom use. Every time I read those messages, I feel my heart filled with warmth.
My neighbor is a doctor. He and his wife are some of the 1 people I have ever met. A few years ago, we started this kind of "favor war "where one of us would do something kind for the other, such as 2 the driveway or building a shed, and next time the other would 3 to top it with another favor.
Yesterday morning there was about 2 or 3 feet of snow on the ground and I 4 he shoveled (铲) my driveway for me when I was out on a business trip last 5. So I took out my shovel and took care of both our sidewalks and driveways because it was my turn to do a favor 6. It took a while but I finished it and got into my car for work.
That night I got a 7 on my door, it was my neighbor. He immediately shook my hand and thanked me for shoveling 8 driveway and sidewalk, so that he was able to get to work earlier and 9 a boy.
"As soon as I started the car early this morning, a(n) 10 came through that a young boy in our neighborhood was seriously ill. 11, my partner and I were only about 2 minutes away, but the closest ambulance (救护车) 10 minutes," added he. "A young boy got to live his life 12 you did me the favor earlier this morning."
It wasn't too much 13 to shovel a driveway, but what I did got a young boy to see his family again, go back to school again and live his life again.
14 favor is too small. Even the smallest favor can make the biggest 15. One favor will always be followed by another.
A video showing a 12-year-old boy from Moche, Peru, doing his homework on the sidewalk, under a streetlight, has been watched several million times on Facebook after being 1 by local police.
Staff at the Moche police station first 2 Victor Martin late last month, while checking security cameras (监控摄像). They found a young boy sitting on the sidewalk by 3 at night. At first, they thought he was doing something bad, but later they realized he was 4 writing something in his notebook, taking advantage of the streetlight overhead. Moved by the boy's 5, the police shared the video on Facebook.
At the time of this writing, Victor's heartwarming and 6 heartbreaking story has spread all around the world. Local TV station 7 to find the boy and sat down with his mother to learn why he was doing his homework on the street instead of at home.
It turns out that the 12-year-old's family is so 8 that they couldn't pay for electricity (电), so they just depended on a 9 during the night. Unluckily, Victor Martin could 10 finish his homework before the sun went down, and recently he couldn't 11 the weak candlelight any more.
"One day, my son said 12 I continue with the candle, I will be crazy! I'd better go outside to finish my homework, "Rosa Angulo Cordoba told Panamericana TV. She 13 that Victor's neck would often become hard to move because of tilting (倾斜) his head to let the candlelight through.
Victor's mother said that although he 14 housework and takes care of the family sheep every day, the sixth grader takes 15 very seriously and gets good grades.
After school on Friday, I waited at the school gate lo walk home with Jemma, as usual. Then I saw 1 talking and laughing happily with some other girls. She glanced (瞥了一眼) at me and left me alone there I knew fight then that I had 2 my best friend.
At dinner, Mom asked. "Is Jemma coming by tomorrow?"
I shrugged (耸肩) and said nothing.
The next morning. Mom asked. "Today is 3. What are you and Jemma going to do?" I shrugged again. "4 is Jemma?"
Mom took a look at me. Them she said, "Will you take these magazines to Grandma, please?"
5 I walked down the street, a new girl in the neighborhood came towards me, smiling. But I just went 6 her.
Grandma welcomed me at the door with a warm hug.
Sitting on the sofa, I noticed a(an) 7 of kids in old-fashioned clothes on the table . Grandma pointed at a girl with short fair hair.
"That's Beth Lambert," she said. "My best friend. Until a week before we took this photo." I was 8 at that.
"Beth and I were best friends in school. We did everything 9. Then one day, she made new friends and said she didn't want to hang out with me anymore. Nothing hurt 10 that."
I didn't say anything. I couldn't. I knew I'd start 11 if I opened my mouth.
Grandma hugged me again. "Simone, sometimes friends grow 12. It might happen to anyone," she continued. "Then, see him?" Grandma's finger 13 to a boy with glasses in the photo. "He lived near me. When I was walking home by myself 14 this boy was, too, I said 'hello'. And we became friends."
"So, if we want to start a new friendship," she smiled. "One 15 is all it took."
As I was heading home, that new girl appeared again. I went towards her and spoke, "Hello."
