Ellie Makes the Team

Ellie was an outstanding gymnast（体操运动员）. She could do the gymnastic moves very beautifully. The trouble was that she knew it. When she tried out for the gymnastics team, she put on a ________ performance. The other girls told her she was amazing. “See if you can do that!”Ellie said. The coach said nothing, and thought hard.

The next week, when the list of the team members was posted, Ellie’s name wasn’t on it. She turned to the girls standing around her. “I’m better than all of you!” she shouted ________. “It’s unfair!”

She went to see the coach. He explained, “You’re very talented, but your ________ is terrible.”

“What do you mean?” Ellie asked. “I know I am the best, and I prove it every time.”

“Making the gymnastics team isn’t just about gymnastics,”the coach said. “It’s also about being on a team. You can’t make the team if you don’t recognize how much everyone has to contribute（做贡献）, and ________ them to do it.”

Ellie did not think about what the coach said. Instead, she expected the team to lose that year, and it would be the coach’s fault （过错）, for not picking her.

But Ellie still practiced at the gym every day, carefully staying out of the team’s way. At first she felt very happy to see the girls on the team struggling（艰难地训练）. But then it started to ________ her. One day, after watching Kim fall off the uneven parallel bars again and again , Ellie came to her, and told her what she should do. Kim accepted Ellie’s suggestion, and did much better. Ellie felt very ________. She didn’t notice the coach looking on from across the room.

Over the next few weeks, Ellie tried to help the other girls. The team ________ each time they competed, and they even won once!

The following year, Ellie tried out for the gymnastics team again. This time, her name was on the list. She knew that it was her ________ of becoming a better team player that was responsible for her success.

When the clock strike one, a light flashed in the room. Scrooge, sat up.

It was very strange. It was the height of a child but it looked like an old man.

Its long hair was white like an old man’s, but there were no wrinkles on its face. It wore a white tunic (袍子). It held a big cap under its arm.

When Scrooge saw the Ghost move towards the window, he was frightened. “I’m a mortal (凡人),” said Scrooge.

The Ghost laid its hand on Scrooge’s heart and said, “You won’t fall!”

As it spoke, they passed through the wall. And they stood on a country road.

“Good Heavens!” said Scrooge, as he looked about him. “I grew up here. I was a boy here!”

They walked along the road. And Scrooge recognized every tree and every gate. All these boys were happy and shouting to each other.

“They are only shadows,” said the Ghost. “They can’t see us.”

Scrooge knew all the boys. “But why was he so happy to see them? Why was he happy when they called Merry Christmas to each other?” he asked himself.

“The school is not quite empty,” said the Ghost. “One child is still there.”

“I know,” said Scrooge with a tear in his eye.

They soon came to a long, empty classroom. At one of the desks a lonely boy was reading a book. Scrooge sat down on a bench and cried when he saw himself.

“I wish,” Scrooge muttered, after drying his eyes with his sleeve, “but it’s too late now.”

“What’s the matter?” asked the Ghost.

“Nothing,” said Scrooge. “There was a boy singing a Christmas carol at my door last night. I wish I gave him some money. That’s all.”

Getting enough sleep is important for your health. Not having enough sleep can increase a person’s risk of developing serious diseases. So when life gets so busy that you can’t get enough sleep, being able to take a nap （小睡） can work wonders for your health. However, after a nap people often feel sleepy and more tired than they did before.     24    

Find nap length（长度）

Every person has a different perfect nap length. For most people it’s between 10 and 20 minutes long. Anything longer than that increases your chances of waking up during a deep﹣sleep cycle.     25     So try out naps of different lengths up to 20 minutes long, and find out what works best for you.

Set an alarm（闹钟）

    26     Setting an alarm can avoid the worry of accidentally oversleeping, which can often keep people awake. Also, make sure you have a dark, comfortable, quiet place to take your nap.

    27    

If you know you are unable to get a good night’s sleep because of a coming night﹣shift（夜班）or party, it’s important to nap in the afternoon beforehand.     28     But avoid naps in the late afternoon or evening.