1 . Once there was a boy in Toronto. His name was Jimmy. He started drawing when he was three years old, and when he was five he was already very ________at it. He drew many beautiful interesting pictures, and many people _______ his pictures. They thought this boy was going to be ________when he was a little older, and then they were going to________ these pictures for a lot of money.

Jimmy's pictures were quite different from other _______ because he never drew on all of the paper. He drew on ______ of it, and the other half was always_______.

“That's very clever,” everybody said. “_______other people have ever done that before.”

One day somebody asked him, “Please tell me, Jimmy. Why do you draw on the bottom half of your pictures, ______ not on the top half?”

“Because I'm small,” Jimmy said, “and my brushes can't _______very high.”

2 . My great-grandmother, Winifred Hastings, got rich in a mining (采矿) town out West. But her _______ didn’t come from gold or silver, but from soup, steak, apple pie, and good coffee.

In the early 1900’s, Winifred arrived in Silver City with her husband. But he caught a fever and died suddenly. With the little money she had, Winifred decided to open a restaurant to _______ all the hungry miners in town.

The restaurant had only wooden boxes for tables, but business was very good _______. The miners _______ that Winifred was a great cook, _______ they ate in her restaurant every day.

One time, Winifred had a small accident in the restaurant. A fire started in the kitchen and her customers put it out. The town mayor walked in _______ there was still a lot of smoke in the room. “Winifred,” he said. “What are you cooking back there?” Everybody _______.

In 1905, Winifred got married again and moved out of town. On her _______ day in Silver City, a photographer took her picture. The picture is over my desk at home. It shows Winifred with about fifty miners standing in front of the restaurant. At the top of the photo _______ says: TO WINIFRED THH BKST COOK IN THE WEST. ________ YOUR BOYS.

3 . Johan and his younger brother, Rahim, had an unforgettable fishing experience. They could not spend the evening _______ their schoolwork with their mother. They had to go out fishing. Their father, a fisherman, was feeling _______ . The brothers had to catch some fish so that their father could _______ them in the market the next morning to support the family.

That evening, Rahim decided to _______ the sea early. He knew that if he and Johan were to set off late, they might not be able to find a good _______ at sea to catch plenty of fish. Rahim urged Johan to hurry and instructed him to _______ the fishing net onto their boat quickly.

While out at sea Rahim helped _______ the boat when Johan cast the net into the waters. Although it was _______ work, they were glad to be able to help their sick father. While waiting to pull the net in, the brothers took out their _______ from their bags to revise. It was not easy as they could not see clearly under the dim light from the oil lamp. Suddenly, their boat ________ hard from left to right. Rahim gasped(喘气)and held his brother’s arm ________ . Although he was ________ , Johan remained calm. He went to the ________ of their boat to take a look. He saw the net shaking.

Excited about the ________ , Johan decided to pull in the net. To his surprise, there were no fishes. Upon taking a ________ look, Johan found that the net had a huge ________ in it.

”A big fish must have damaged the net while trying to escape,“ Johan ________ seeing this.

________ , the brothers returned home. However, their parents were ________ that they had persevered(坚持)and put in their best ________ that night.

4 . As I walked onto the soccer field I had a knot(结) in my stomach. I was too shy to _________ the year before but decided to go for it this year.

When the coaches came, I felt as if I was going to pass out. With no _________ ability I began to wonder why I was _________ here. Everyone immediately took a ball and began to _________. I stood there, not knowing what to do. My friends came over to _________ me a few quick moves and drills. I had fun and _________ enjoyed playing. Every other girl on the team was far more skilled than I. The moment I _________ that to myself, I was fine.

This _________ has stuck with me all through high school. Without _________ it, I learned a valuable lesson about myself. __________ I tried out for the soccer team, I always wanted to be __________ at everything. Previously(以前), I would do anything to achieve the high __________ I set for myself. I was so stressed out over schoolwork that I never had fun. I decided it was time for a (n) __________.

Like most high school students, my __________ with more responsibilities and worries, began to change as I got older. Balancing school and sports has not been easy. But through it all, I have become a __________ person. No longer do I __________ that I have to be perfect. Although my athletic ability doesn’t __________ a ticket to universities, I have other good __________ that make me important. Knowing that I have put 100% __________ into everything I do and am honest with myself, I am completely __________ with the person I am.

5 . A Happy Birthday for All

For her ninth birthday, Mary asked for some unusual birthday gifts such as soap, schoolbags and Towels. But Mary didn’t want these _________ for herself. She wanted to give them to other people.

At school, Mary’s teacher _________ her students, “You can’t always be self-centered. You have to _________ others.” Mary’s classmates had helped to _________ supplies for a school in Africa. But Mary wanted to do more. With help from _________ parents, Mary researched local charities(慈善机构)and _________ a shelter(庇护所)that helps women and children in need.

After finding out what supplies the shelter _________ , Mary included a list with each party invitation. Mary’s friends brought shelter supplies to her _________ party. Those who couldn’t come to her birthday party _________ gave gifts. She had so many gifts that they __________ her family’s truck! “It was like we were going on vacation.” Mary said with a __________ . She said it was fun to watch the pile of donations(捐赠物) __________ . Mary collected $650 in cash donations and more than $1,000 worth of __________ for the shelter in the end. __________ Mary went with her parents to send the supplies to the shelter, people there __________ her with another birthday party. They had __________ a cake for her and gave her a __________ signed(签名)by everyone there.

Mary hopes other children will hear about her __________ birthday and choose their own charity to support. “I felt really __________ when I did it,” she said. “You’re not just giving them something; you’re __________ them with their whole life.”

6 . The classroom was full of those of us who wanted to work on the school newspaper. I didn’t write a lot, but working on the paper ________ like fun. I liked the idea of being a reporter, interviewing my friends, and ________ middle school events.

To be chosen, we had to turn in an example of our ________. I wrote an article about the joys of summer, and showed it to my father, a talented poet.He read it and frowned(皱眉).

“It’s okay,” my father said, taking out a pencil.“But how about changing this sentence to …” And as a result, he rewrote the whole piece─without me, for I never said anything to ________ him.

No surprise─his version (版本) was wonderful. He had a gift for language. It was so much better than my piece that I turned in his version instead of mine.

“Welcome to the Dundee School News,” my teacher said to me.But before I could be ________about the news, he added, “based on that excellent article you wrote about summer, I expect you to write a personal opinion article every week for the second page of the paper.”

I was so surprised. I was unable to write at that level, but I couldn’t tell the ________ to the teacher, and I couldn’t ask my father for help, either.

That term working on the paper was really painful.And my teacher expressed his ________, “Can’t you write something more like that first piece you wrote?” he said each time I turned in my article.

I couldn’t, because at that age, I didn’t have my father’s ability and experience as a writer. Week after week, I tried hard, but my writing never ________ the level of the first article.

At last, to my total shame, another student took my place.I ________that my father rewrote my first article himself, instead of trying to help me to improve it. But in my heart I knew it was my fault (错误) because I allowed him to do it.

Later, I did become a successful writer on my own. Looking back, I realized that the pain and shame of that school experience had a ________ side.It taught me to depend on myself and be myself. So every day, I try to use my own words, find my own style and be my own best self. It feels great.

7 . Pablo and Tiffany have been together for going on 12 years. It was a few days after Diego _________ eight that Pablo started noticing a strange _________ in the daily routine of his son. He started coming home an hour later than expected. Pablo asked him why this was happening so _________ and what he was doing after school. Diego told him he had an extra class he was _________. To double-check, his mother Tiffany found there are no classes like that being taught at school.

Pablo decided to follow Diego to _________ the mystery. The next day, when Diego was supposed to be out of school, he was waiting for him at a _________ distance, wearing unusual clothes with his neighbor’s dog. When the bell rang, Diego was the first one out the door. He seemed to be in a hurry and Pablo started following him to the _________. He _________ moved closer to Diego. This whole time Pablo had been able to follow his son without his being _________ that he was being followed, but something must have disturbed the neighbor’s dog as it __________ a loud bark. Before Pablo was even able to try and calm the dog down he heard Diego call out “Who’s there?”

Pablo knew there was no __________ in hiding anymore. While Pablo was giving a/an __________ of his presence, it was becoming more and more obvious that Diego was trying to hide something in the deeper parts of thick bushes. On the ground behind Diego was an old blanket with on it a couple of __________ foxes!

Diego began the story. When he was playing here a couple of weeks ago, one of his friends __________ fell on a fox. The fox didn’t __________ and all his friends quickly ran home, promising not to say anything to anybody. But he stayed a little longer and found these little guys.

He felt incredibly __________ because he was sure they had just killed their mother. But he couldn’t take them home or to the shelter __________ then they would have to admit what they had done. __________, he decided he would come by every day after school with food and to check on them.

Pablo’s tears __________ up and he decided they would take the little foxes home and care for them and further __________ they were ready to be released back into the wild.