In February 2007, about two hundred paragliders were in Australia to prepare for the World Championship. They included Ewa Wisnierska, a German paragliding champion (冠军). One morning, as the 1 were getting ready to take off, they noticed that a terrible storm was coming. However, they decided to 2 . After all, these were the best paragliders in the world.
Unluckily, as the competitors took off, the weather quickly became 3 . Ewa tried to get away from the storm, but two huge 4 came together and caught her.
The clouds pulled Ewa up inside the storm like a leaf in the 5 . She flew higher and higher, with lightning (闪电) and hailstones (冰雹) all around her. "I was 6 ," she told reporters afterwards. "The last thing I 7 , it was dark. I could hear lightning all around me." She 8 to about 10,000 meters high and then lost all her senses. At that height, the temperature was about -40℃.
After forty minutes Ewa woke up. She was still inside the storm. It was dark and hailstones were 9 past. They were as big as tennis balls. Finally, Ewa came out of the storm cloud and 10 towards a small farm and landed 11 . She fell to the ground, too 12 to call for help. When her team 13 her, she was 60 km away from the place where she took off. She was covered in ice-but alive!
Ewa was sent to a (an) 14 for treatment at once, but a few days later, she competed in the World Championship. "Flying is too fantastic to stop 15 an accident," she said.
One day, Miriam got a letter along with a watermelon seed from Uncle Esai. The letter said:
Miriam,
This is a magic seed for you. Plant it, and it will grant 1 three wishes. Remember to be patient: the world has its own rhythm.
Uncle Esai
Miriam thought, "A magic seed? Maybe it's Uncle Esai's 2 , but why not have a try?" She planted the seed in the yard, and made her 3 wish, "I want the watermelon to grow as big as a mountain!"
The next morning, Miriam was very 4 to see a huge watermelon in the yard. She couldn't believe it. "I must 5 it at once!" She hurried to cut the watermelon, but it was too hard. She became angry. "This is a silly watermelon! I don't want it!"
Immediately the fruit became a seed again. Miriam 6 her second wish had been granted. "Humph! This is not fun!" she cried.
A few days later, Miriam found Uncle Esai's 7 and read it again. She stopped when she saw the words "be patient". How could she forget it? She rushed out of the door and 8 ran to the yard to find the seed. This time, she promised she would make the best use of the third wish.
She thought for a while. "I hope my 9 could spend more time together." But her parents needed to work. How could the seed help? Although it seemed impossible, she still decided to 10 the seed with patience.
Miriam got some information about 11 to plant a watermelon, and then followed the steps carefully. When the seed turned into a normal-sized watermelon, she 12 it with her friends and neighbours. Everybody liked its taste.
Miriam's family got the seeds 13 the watermelon and planted more afterwards. They were so delicious that the neighbours offered to buy some. The watermelons brought extra money 14 Miriam's parents didn't have to be away for work as much. They had more family time.
Miriam finally knew what Uncle Esai meant—be patient, and life will be as 15 as a watermelon!
On her way to school, Amber Williams found a penny(一分钱) on the ground. "See a penny, pick it up. All day long, you'll be1 ." Remembering the song, she quickly picked it up.
"I've never seen you smile so big, Amber." She2 and saw Bella, the most popular girl in her class. They'd hardly spoken before, although they lived on the same3 . "Was it because of the penny?" she thought.
Over the next few hours, Amber had the best time ever. She got the4 answer in the math class. She found a five-dollar bill in her backpack. The most5 moment came as she got a full mark in the history test. Mr. Smith praised her in class and everyone was 6 for her.
"That's it. I'll go nowhere without this penny," she decided.
Things kept going7 until school was over. Amber found the penny gone. She checked her backpack and then all her pockets.8 was not there. Sitting at her desk, she felt like she was going to9 .
A hand suddenly appeared in front of her face. "Are you OK? Do you need some10 ?"
Amber recognized that voice. It was Bella. Though a bit shy, she told Bella about11 the penny changed her life of bad luck. When she finished her12 , Bella laughed.
"I don't think the penny did so much. I talked to you as you always seemed cool.13 you are always a good student. I'm sure you studied14 the test last night, didn't you?"
It took Amber a minute to15 Bella. "I think you're right," she held her new friend's hand and smiled. "I'm making my own luck from now on."
I sat on the steps next to Peter and watched him play his new guitar. His left hand worked the strings(弦)1 his right hand played.
"Just in time for the school talent show next 2 ," I said.
"Are you doing anything for the talent show, Jeremy?" Peter asked.
"No," I said. "If I were a little3 , like you, 14 years old, maybe I could, too. I believe you'll win the first prize this year. "
"Maybe, "said Peter," I'm playing a song I 4 myself."
"You write your own song?"
"It's not 5 ," he said." My song is called 'Two for One. 'I got the 6 easily from a two-for-one sale at the store. And I liked the sound of 'Two for One. '7 song goes like this: 'Two for one, two for one, that's the way to have some fun. 'I haven't written all the words yet. "
The next morning, I saw Peter was so 8 . His right arm was broken.
"I got 9 when playing baseball yesterday," he said. "Now I can't be in the talent show next week."
Peter and I 10 each other worriedly. Then I had an idea.
"We could sit next to each other on the stage," I said. "You could play the left-hand parts, and I'll play with my right hand."
Peter's eyes were 11 and lively.
"It might work," he said.
I sat 12 him on the top step.
"Where can I put my right hand while we 13 ?"
"Put it on my shoulder," I told him. "We're 14 , aren't we?"
Our song answered that question. We finished writing the words together 15 .
"Two for one, one for two, see what two good friends can do!"
My elder sister got a disease, locked in her own world. She could not look at people in the eye. She would repeat the words in a very low voice. It turned my parents' world upside down. 1 , they worked very hard to make sure that everything seemed pleasant and peaceful for me. I knew 2 about it until the age of ten.
It was then that I started to notice my sister was different. I 3 to accept her as my sister in public. Then, an incident (小事) 4 how I viewed my sister. It changed me as well.
One day, my sister had to put up a 5 , whether in a group, or by herself. As you can imagine, my sister was the only one left without a group. "I'll 6 ," she told my parents. Hearing this, I was completely 7 . How could my sister sing in front of the school? I must stop this happening, 8 she would make me lose face, one way or another. "No!" I cried out. My parents shot me a look. I knew I had to watch her performance. I prayed (祈祷) 9 that something would happen to stop her.
No one knows she is your 10 . It is fine, you do not need to tell anyone. I remember telling myself the exact words as I sat in the hall, 11 the performance to start. Finally, my sister started to sing. She opened her mouth, and I was shocked again—her voice was so 12 in its power. I felt really sorry—she could sing so beautifully! How could I have doubted her abilities? I had been so 13 .
Regret and 14 filled my heart. Actually, my sister knew all things I had done to her, but she 15 minded. I decided to love her unconditionally. It was as if a veil (面纱) had been lifted from my eyes, and my heart was full.
My grandfather often said "I won't" to show his dislike of dishonesty（不诚实）. When he was young, he worked 1 a furniture（家具）maker. One day, a neighbor invited him to make some furniture. When arriving, he noticed the wood provided was a little 2 , so he said, "I won't start right away." He chose to let the wood dry for a month. He knew working with wet wood could cause 3 later on.
Around the same time, another furniture maker was also asked for a 4 job by a different family. Unlike my grandfather, he 5 working right away. As a result, the neighbor started doubting my grandfather, thinking he was trying to make more money by 6 the work. However, my grandfather waited 7 . He wanted the best quality for the furniture he was making.
A month later, the other furniture maker received his 8 and went back home. My grandfather began to 9 strong and beautiful furniture when the wood was completely dry. A few months passed and the furniture made by that maker began to break. The neighbor then regretted 10 my grandfather and said sorry to him. People came to understand his 11 and skill, spreading his fame far and wide.
Influenced by my grandfather, my father also follows the 12 of "I won't". He always provides the freshest food, which makes his restaurant very 13 in town. Once a trader wanted to sell some cheap but smelly seafood to my father, he said "No!" and stopped the 14 .
Now, my brother and I keep in mind 15 our grandfather and father taught us. Through ups and downs in life, we've come to deeply understand our family value behind this saying—to be truthful and honest.
Samelyn Lafuente, a young teacher from a primary school for girls in Masbate City, Philippines, spent the last 1 years turning a boring classroom into a little girl's dream world, decorated (装饰) in pink and full of Hello Kitty-themed decorations.
Walking into Samelyn Lafuente's 2 , you would probably think that it is a crazy Hello Kitty fan's world. The floor is 3 with a Hello Kitty-themed carpet (地毯). The walls are all 4 , as are the school desks. And there are Hello Kitty decorations everywhere, hanging from the ceiling (天花板), stuck on the walls and 5 in the windows. It would be hard for parents of little girls in Ms. Lafuente's class to 6 them away from this amazing world in pink every day, which is just what the 7 planned all along to create a place where her students would be happy and enjoy their time at school.
Photos of this pink Hello Kitty classroom were 8 on the Internet by Glay Franco Bacolod, and quickly spread 9 several Asian countries, including China. People are praising Samelyn Lafuente highly 10 she tried hard to make sure of the happiness of the young students, even if it meant 11 everything out of her own pocket. The teacher said that almost all the decorations in her 12 classroom were bought with her own money, but seeing the 13 in the children's eyes every day makes it all worth it.
Lafuente told GMA News that during the last three years, she 14 added more pink and new decorations to change her classroom.
"I'm doing it for my students. I love 15 ," the teacher said.
It was the start of a new term. A little boy told his 1 there was going to be a school meeting. He felt 2 when his mother said she would go. This would be the first time that his classmates and teachers met his mother and he felt sorry for her 3 . She was a kind and loving woman , 4 there was a big scar (伤疤) that covered nearly the whole right side of her face. The boy hated the ugly scar, so he 5 wanted to talk about it.
At the meeting, some people talked with the mother as if they hadn't noticed the scar on her face. But the little boy was still uncomfortable and 6 himself at a corner. However, he heard a(n) 7 between his mother and his teacher.
The teacher asked seriously, "How did you 8 the scar on your face?"
The mother replied, "When my son was a baby, he was in a room that caught fire. Everyone was too 9 to go in because the fire was out of control, so I went in. As I was running 10 towards his bed, I saw a piece of burning wood falling down. I placed myself over him trying to 11 him. I was knocked senseless,but luckily,a fireman came in and saved 12 . " She touched the burned side of her face, "This scar will be lasting, but to this day, I have never 13 what I did."
At this point, the little boy 14 , running towards his mother with tears in her eyes. He held her in his arms, feeling sorry for how he had treated her and saying 15 to his mother for what she had done for him. He held her hand tightly for the rest of the day.
I was bored, I sat on the sofa eating popcorn and looking for something1 on TV, I stopped to watch a show; a boy about my age was hypnotizing （催眠） a man and having him do all the funny things2 I came up with plan. "I bet I could do that," I thought.
I jumped up and raced to the dining room to get some string and a spoon. I tied the string to the spoon, OK! I was3 I couldn't wait.
I walked into the4, where my mom was preparing dinner. I asked Mom if she wanted to be hypnotized. Of course, my mom5.
As I started to swing the6 slowly in front of my mom's face, I said. "You are getting sleepy, you are getting very sleepy. "
After7 it a few times, I told her that when I counted to three, she would become Elvis, a pop singer. I counted, and at that very moment, Mom started to8. I could hardly believe that I was able to hypnotize Mom on my9 try, I was excited. This was soooo cool! After a while, I decided that it was time to10 Mom. I could hardly wait to see Mom's reaction （反应） when I told her11 we did it!
"When I clap my hands three times, you'll be back to your usual self," I said confidently, I clapped loudly as I counted the numbers,12 Mom continued singing as if nothing had happened, What was wrong? I started to feel13. I didn't know what to do. It looked so easy on TV. I started to14 Just then, my mom realized I didn't know15 had only been pretending （假装） to be hypnotized. She stopped and hugged me.
To this day. Mom and I still laugh about the day I hypnotized her.
