Yours,

Li Hua

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

When I signed my name, the ______ seemed great — to support a worthy cause while going for the ______ — and I trained with great excitement. But as the time for the ride approached, my ______ gained ground over my endurance(耐力). I didn't really want to ______ all those miles for two days straight.

The ride began on a Sunday morning in the Georgia countryside, ______ for the first few hours I felt wonderful. This was just the ______ I had imagined, and my spirits were ______. But by the end of the day, I felt tired. I was sure I'd have to ______.

As I topped the hill, the nice sunset ______ me going for a few minutes more. Then in the distance, I ______ a lone rider riding very slowly. I ______ that the person looked different in some way, but I couldn't tell why. I managed to ______. There she was, riding slowly but steadily, with a ______ smile on her face — and she had only one leg.

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

It rained all the second day. I ______ saw the one-legged biker again, but I pushed on without complaining. And at the end of the day, still feeling ______, I completed the 150th mile.