The yearly Marathon (马拉松) in my town usually happened during a heat wave. My job was to follow the runners in an ambulance (救护车), for_______of them might need medical attention.

“We're supposed to stay_______the last runner, so take it slowly,” I said to the driver, Doug,

We knew we were already watching our "last runner". There was something wrong with her_______, so it seemed almost impossible for her to be able to walk. A marathon was really a challenge.

Doug and I watched in silence as she slowly moved forward. _______, she was the only runner left in sight. Tears ran down my face _______ I watched her push forward with great efforts through the last miles.

When the finish line came into sight, rubbish lay everywhere and the _______ crowds had long gone home. Yet, straight and ever so proud stood a lone man. He was holding one end of a ribbon (缎带) tied to a post. She slowly crossed through, _______ both ends of the ribbon fluttering (飘扬)behind her.

I do not know this woman's name, but that day she became part of my life — a part that I often _______. When think things are too difficult or I get "I-just-can't-do-it," I think of the last runner. For her, it wasn't about beating the other runners or winning a prize, but about finishing what she had set out to do, no matter what. Then I realize how __________ the task before me really is.

In one town,there was a wise man who would listen to people's problems and try to offer advice.The problem was that it seemed like people always complained about the same problems over and over again.

The wise man gave good advice to these people in order to help them solve their problems.But it seemed that they never actually took his advice.In fact,it almost seemed like the people simply enjoyed complaining and didn't want to listen to the wise man.

He came up with an interesting solution to this problem.Every time someone came to him with their complaint,he would tell them a joke.The joke was funny the first time they heard it.But as they came back over time with the same old complaints,the man would tell the same old joke.It got less and less funny as time went by.

Finally,one person asked," Wise man,why do you always tell the same joke over and over ?It isn't funny anymore."

The wise man replied with a question of his own. “If you can't laugh at the same joke again and again,then why do you always complain about the same things over and over again?”