Several years ago I started riding a bike. At first, I thought it was only a short ride. But as I built up my strength, my friends inspired me     1     (try) some longer trips. The first one to come along was a 150-mile journey, an event held every year that raises money to fight cancer.

When I signed my name, the idea seemed fantastic. It was to support a worthy cause when we went for the distance. And I trained with great excitement. But as the time for the ride approached, I didn’t really want to bike all those miles for two days straight.

The ride began on a Sunday morning in the Georgia countryside. There were a number of strong riders. For the first few hours, I felt wonderful. There were not many     2     (vehicle) on the way. But by the end of the day, my energy had run     3    . I was sure I would give up before I reached the destination.

As I was getting to the top of hill, the sunset which looked so     4     (admire) kept me going for a few minutes more. I said to myself, “So far half of the distance     5     (cover) by me. That is enough.” Then in the distance, I saw a lone (单独的) rider riding very slowly. I noticed that the person looked different in some way, but I couldn’t tell the reason     6     that person was different. I managed to catch up. There she was, riding slowly but steadily, with a determined smile on her face. Then I kept up     7     her and found that she had only one leg. In my view, she can be regarded as a     8     (represent) of people with strong determination.

My focus changed at that moment. I’d been doubting my body for a whole day. But now I knew-it wasn’t the body, but the will that would help me reach my goal.

It rained all the second day. I never saw the one-legged biker again, but I pushed on without complaining. And at the end of the day, still feeling strong, I     9     (eventual) completed the 150th mile. Now it seems that I have been     10     (addict) to such a kind of event.

Buying new clothes and new phones     1    (be) nice, but it can only increase your self-esteem（自尊）for a while. Why not try something new     2    (increase) your self-esteem and improve your life for quite a while? Running might just be     3     good choice.

Take me for example, I had never had much interest in running. I didn't really start it until recently. After work one day, I decided to go for a long run. Even though my legs got    4    (injure) on the way, and it was painful, I found something satisfying, something     5     cannot be got through other exercise methods. I     6    (fill)with a sense of confidence. The following days, I kept     7     (run).

I ran my first half marathon last week,     8     which I competed with about one hundred young athletes. I succeeded in crossing the finish line with great     9    (determine).

It took me all this time to realize that something as simple as running 30 minutes a day can better your life    10    (positive).You become stronger and healthier. You'll push yourself even harder than you knew you could, people and you can be more efficient at work.

A man from Portland has become the first person to travel across Antarctica by himself without receiving any assistance. Colin O’ Brady completed the 1,500­kilometer trip on Wednesday. He     1     (cross)the continent in 54 days. Friends, family and other people followed his progress through messages and     2     (picture)he shared on Instagram. 33­year­old O’Brady recorded the trip, which     3     (call) “The Impossible First” by him on Instagram. He wrote on Wednesday that he traveled     4     last 129 kilometers in one big, final push to the finish line. The distance took over one day     5     (complete).

O’ Brady wrote, “While the last 32 hours were some of the most     6     (challenge) hours of my life, they have been some of the best moments I have ever experienced.”

“I was listening to my body and taking care of the details to keep     7     (I) safe,” he wrote. “I called home and talked to my mom, sister and wife—I promised them I would stop     8     I needed to.”

Other people have traveled across Antarctica, but they all had some form of assistance. They either had     9     (good), more plentiful supplies     10     equipment that helped move them forward.

An Italian health care center in Milan recently posted a video of a wedding ceremony online. The man     1     (accompany) the bride down the aisle (走道) at the local church was her father, Giacomo Chiametti,     2     has advanced ALS (渐冻症).

Mr. Chiametti     3     (be) in the health care center since 2012. He gets around in a wheelchair and has already lost the ability     4     (speak) due to his illness. But he surprised his daughter Hannah by standing up and attending her wedding.

Only the     5     (determine) and love of a father could make this small     6     extraordinary deed possible. Thanks to the efforts of the     7     (profession) medical team that “coached” him for a few weeks ahead of the event, the dad managed to slowly walk down the aisle alongside his daughter and accompany her until she reached her groom (新郎), Mario. It is     8     (true) the slowness that makes those     9     (moment) impressive. “I asked my father to go slow so I could enjoy the excitement of those steps.” Hannah recalled.

This warm ceremony reminded me strongly     10     a sentence I once read at a hospital: “The hospital can be a place of pain, but also of hope.” Mr. Chiametti’s shining face told us of his hope.