A group of boys stood around a tree. "What a tall tree!" they said to each other, "It would be1to climb to the top!”
The group of boys then decided to play a game to2 who could climb to the top of the tree first. Their mothers were sitting not far away, looking on at their3as they played.
One of the climbers was an 8-year-old boy named David. He was the shortest child in the group4thought he would win.
Then the game started. All of the boys tried their best to climb as high as they could. Although the other boys climbed faster than David in the beginning, he5 the top of the tree fastest in the end.
His mother was6 She asked him, "David, how did you reach the top of the tree so7?"
It was easy, "David said, The other children. 8 looking down as they climbed. When they realized how high they were, they were afraid of9I, however, looked only up. When I saw how close I was, I kept going higher and higher10I reached the top."
It is true in life that if we just keep going forward without looking back, we are more likely to reach our goals.
Xian Xinghai was a very famous musician in China. He wrote one of the greatest pieces of music of the 20th century. In his short life he wrote 1 300 songs and an opera.
Xian was born in Panyu, Guangdong, China in 1905. Because his father died before he was born, Xian moved from place to place with 2 mother. He began learning to play 3 violin when he was 20 years old. In the beginning, his violin was 4 cheap and badly made that he5not play it well. His friends laughed at him. Xian did not stop 6 and soon showed his talent. In 1934, he was one of the first Chinese students7studied in a special music school in Paris. Before he 8, Xian became the school's best student 9 won several prizes for his talents.
In 1935, he returned to China and helped fight against the Japanese army. Later, he came to Yan'an 10 music at a college. 11 there were no pianos in Yan'an at that time Xian still wrote 12 of his most important music there, including The Yellow River, his most famous work.
In May 1940, Xian 13 to the Soviet Union by the Chinese Communist Party to write music for movies. In the Soviet Union, life was very 14. Xian got sick and later died of a lung illness 15 October 30, 1945, aged only 40. Xian's music, however, lives on in the people's hearts.
When I was young, I went to a boarding（寄宿）school in Edinburgh. It was far from home because I1on an island in the north of Scotland.
It was a music school, and I studied the violin. At the end of the term, we all packed our bags and our 2 to go home for the holidays. Most kids went by train or bus. Some were 3 by their parents. But I had to go home by ferry—14 hours overnight on the open sea.
One summer, after packing my suitcase and violin, I said4to my friends. I took the train to the ferry terminal（渡船码头）and then got on the ferry. But when the ferry started moving, I realized a(n)5thing! I left my violin on the train!
Oh no! What should I do? What would my dad say? He'd be really6! I got so scared（害怕）that I didn't sleep all night.
The next morning, I7the ferry to meet my dad. After I told him everything, he laughed. I looked at him and couldn't believe it.8was he laughing?
I always had a label（标签）in my violin case with my address and a telephone number. My dad told me, "A cleaner found your violin on the train and took it to the police. They 9 me and put it on a plane. It arrived an hour ago." 10, my violin was safe. I was so happy!
My dad left my family when I was 6 years old. I had to live with my mom from then on. As a single mother, my mom had to work for 1of us in the city. She worked hard to 2 our rent (房租) and my school. As a result, there wasn't much money left for 3 things.
One day, my best friend 4 me to his birthday party. My mom had just paid the rent and we didn't have much money left, so I could not afford a 5 I just brought a birthday card. I was old enough to understand, but still felt sad.
To show my 6, I arrived at my friend's house early. My friend's mom knew my family's predicament(窘境), so she took me to a room 7 and showed me some new toys. She let me 8 one and write my name on it. I was 9and touched by her kindness.
I'm 37 now. 10my mom is no longer single and our family isn't poor anymore, I am still grateful to my friend's mom for what she did. That act had a big influence on me.
John suddenly jumped off the swing without even slowing down. He called out nervously," Mom, where's Charlie? "He had just 1he hadn't seen his new puppy for over an hour.
John looked around the garden, behind the bushes, and under the picnic table. No dog! His mother heard 2in his voice as he called her a second time." Mom, I can't find Charlie!"
She came outside 3. "Let's look around the garden first. Don't worry. I'm sure he's close by.
Both son and mother were 4now, but still no Charlie. Their calls were not completely wasted, though. Joe, the next-door neighbor, and his two daughters Tania and Julie, immediately agreed to help them 5the lost dog.
But even with five people now searching the town's streets, they had no luck. Charlie was still6.
Tania suggested they make posters with Charlie's 7. She had done this when her own cat was lost a year earlier, she told John, and the cat was found the next day.
John agreed. When they got home, he made a poster with a photo of Charlie. Then John heard a8 and opened his bedroom door. It was Charlie. John was greeted with a big wet kiss Charlie had been9in the bedroom this whole time, sleeping. John had never been so 10in his life!
