One day, Mr. Arnold was teaching a lesson. He was explaining the     1     of humans to his pupils. He told them that, in the beginning, humans were nomads (游牧部落的人). They never stayed in the same place for very long. Instead, they would travel about, here and there,     2     food.

He then taught them about     3     and keeping animals. By learning to cultivate (耕作) the land and     4     animals, humans could always have food. Then they could remain living in one place. All the children were listening     5    . Suddenly, Lucy stood up and asked, “If that improved everything so much, why are we nomads again?”

Mr. Arnold didn’t know what to say. He knew that her family were not nomads. So what did she     6    ?

“We have become nomads again,” continued Lucy. “When there’s no more forest     7     in one place, the foresters go to another place. That’s what the nomads did, isn’t it?”

The teacher nodded. Really, Lucy was right. The class spent the rest of the class     8     what they should do.

The next day, everyone wore a green T-shirt with a message that     9     “I am not a nomad!”to school. From then on, when they needed paper, they would     10     that they got the recycled kind. They didn’t want to become nomads again.

A young woman in her twenties was sitting on the train, next to her mother. They both     1     tired but excited.

The young woman was looking out from the train’s window.     2     , she shouted, “Mom, look, the trees are behind us!” Her voice was so loud that everyone on the train heard.

Mom smiled. But a young couple who were sitting nearby looked at the young     3     childish (孩子气的) behavior with pity. “Poor girl. There must be something wrong with     4     mind.” they thought.

A few     5     later, the young woman shouted again. “Mom, look! The clouds are running with us!” Mom smiled again. And she seemed very happy with her daughter’s words that she said just now.

Finally, the couple couldn’t help     6     the old woman, “Sorry if we offend (冒犯) you. But why don’t you     7     your daughter to a good doctor?”

The old woman smiled and said, “Actually, we have just     8     from a hospital.”

“Then you should go to a better one. Because it seems that your daughter’s situation hasn’t improved.” said one of them. They fell so bad for the old woman.

“No, in fact I’m very happy with the treatment (治疗).” said the mother, “My daughter was blind from birth. Today, she is seeing the world for the     9     time.”

Every single person has a story. Don’t judge (判断) people before you know them well. The truth might     10     you.

Long ago, there were two neighbors living next to each other. One of them was a teacher and the other was an engineer. They planted the same plants in their     1    .

The teacher gave little water to his plants and didn’t always give full attention (关注) to them, while the engineer gave much water to his plants and looked after them     2    .

One night, there     3     a heavy storm. The next morning, they came out     4     their plants. The engineer was     5     to see that his plants were uprooted (连根拔起). But the teacher’s plants were very well.

The engineer went to the teacher and asked, “We both grew the same plants together. I looked after my plants     6     than you did for yours, and even gave them more water. Still, my plants were uprooted, while yours weren’t. How is that possible?”

The teacher smiled and said, “You gave your plants more attention and water, but because of that, they didn’t need to work to find water. You     7     it easy for them to live. While I gave them just adequate (合乎需要的) water and let     8     roots (根) look for more. And their roots went deeper and deeper, which made them stronger.”

This story is about parenting and the children are just like     9    . If parents don’t give everything to children, they     10     to work themselves. Teach them how to work, but let them follow their ways. Sometimes, it’s better to guide them instead of giving everything to them.

Last year, I worked in a middle school near my mother’s house, and I stayed with her for a month. During that time, I helped her do some housework and buy some food.

After the first week, I noticed that the food was     1     very quickly. Then I began keeping an eye on my mum. To my     2    , I found that she would put some of the food into a paper bag and go out with it at about nine every morning. And finally, I decided to follow her. I saw her taking the food to the street children. She would also     3     a lot of time talking and playing with them.

One day, I talked to a neighbor and found out that my mum was     4     in the area. The children were very friendly with her and even thought of her as their own mother. Then it hit me—why     5     she want to tell me about it? Was she worried that I would stop buying food if I found out?

When my mum got home, I gave her a big hug. I told her she didn’t need to keep it a     6     from me. And she told me something about the children. Some of them lived with an old lady in a small house. Others     7     on the street. For years, she was helping the poor street children     8     giving them food. After she told me everything, I was so moved by how selfless (无私) she was. She helped others in need. As her son, I was so     9     of my mum.

I     10     to buy food for my mum after that. But I always added one more bag for her other children.

My life is always filled with sadness and little joy. However, no matter what happens, I can always face it bravely.

Last year, I couldn’t believe the     1     that I was allowed to enter the only key high school (重点高中) in my hometown. Then I rushed to my home and told my parents. But my father didn’t seem as     2     as I was. He just kept smoking without saying a word and my mother put her head down and couldn’t help crying.

I knew very well what my family was like. My mum had been     3     in bed for two years. We lived a hard life and I couldn’t continue my schooling. I felt so unhappy     4     I could say nothing to my parents. I decided to help my father with his work to support my family.

To my surprise, things completely changed at the     5     of the new term. My head teacher came to my family with some money, which had been raised by my schoolmates. He encouraged me, “Always have a     6    .” With tears in my eyes, I stepped into the key high school.

I have been studying hard since I entered the high school. Whenever I meet difficulties, I always     7     my teacher and schoolmates. I have a college dream and I must work hard for it, no matter how hard life is. Just as a great man says, “When one door shuts, another opens in life.”

When he was only one year old, Xie Haitao got a serious illness. He was     1     by the doctor that he got progressive spinal muscular atrophy (进行性脊肌萎缩症) in 2000. Although his parents took him around for medical treatment, he was     2     to recover and had to spend years in a wheelchair (轮椅). In a lonely environment, Xie was lucky to meet Go (围棋).

He said Go gave him the     3     for life. “I think the way of disabled people is not very wide, but Go is a good choice. It is more than just a competition, and it is also our nation’s culture. We can get     4     from it, too.”

Every game he joined felt like a physical challenge because of his poor health. Besides, in order to     5     going to the toilet during the race, he reduced his food in the week before the race. This     6     made him get sick.

Even so, Xie still values every chance to take part in the competition. He finds happiness not in winning, but in the chance of playing with many skilled     7     from around the world.

Daily practice is tiring, but at least Xie grew into a much     8     and stronger teenager. In 2021, Xie     9     the first gold medal in the National Paralympic Individual Competition. After that, he lost     10     in developing Go. To give back to the society, he opened the Haitao Public Welfare Go Classroom for poor teenagers, no matter how small, to let more people know about this wonderful game of Go.