Ollie Simmons was good at maths, but Ruby Riley wasn’t. Well, Ruby didn’t think she was. She s    1     (坐) next to Ollie and so she just copied him. This was the best way she had found to do maths and she didn’t have to think at all.

One day the teacher said, “We will be having a maths test after lunch.” Ruby f    2     (感觉) there were butterflies in the stomach. “Can I copy off you?” she whispered to Ollie. Ollie thought for a minute. “What will you give me?” he whispered back. Ruby s    3     (给……看) Ollie a stone she had. It was r    4     (圆形的，球形的) and smooth and the colour of the sea. “OK!” he said, “Give me the stone, and then you can copy my answers.” Ollie got full marks in the maths test and so did Ruby. Their n    5     (名字) went on the top of the maths champion chart.

Every week there was a maths test and every week Ollie and Ruby got full marks together. Ollie had to s    6     (分享，共享) the top place with Ruby, but it was worth it. He had a torch, a key chain, a g    7     (高尔夫球) ball and a gift box!

One day, there was a maths test again. This time, Ruby picked a watch, t    8     (认为，以为) everything would go as usual—Ollie would let her copy and they would be on the top of the chart together again. But she was wrong. The headmaster came into Ruby’s class. “I want to see Ollie Simmons,” she said. Ollie was gone for a long time. Then the door o    9     (打开). It was the headmaster again. “Ruby Riley,” she said, “Come with me, please.” Ruby felt like a bird in a c    10     (笼子)—there was no way to escape. The headmaster told Ruby that every lunchtime for five weeks she had to do maths. “You have to learn to think for yourself,” she said. “And Ollie has to learn a lesson, too. He’s going to teach you.”

Hector stood in the front of his fifth-grade classroom as one of the last two competitors in the Room Five Geography Bee. His o    1     (对手) having missed the last question, it was Hector’s turn. If he answered his question correctly, he would be the Room Five champion.

“Where did I put that second sheet of questions?” Mr. Adler w    2     (私语) while searching through a thick pile of papers on his messy desk. Mr. Adler, though a great teacher, had a r    3     (名声) of being disorganized with a long history of misplacing things. “Oh well, I apologize for the d    4     (延误),” said Mr. Adler after what s    5     (好像) like a long time. “Hector, please tell us the c    6     (首都) city of Brazil.” Hearing the question, Hector smiled. Then, there was the answer.

Later that day in the courtyard, many classmates c    7     (祝贺) Hector. Wearing a proud smile, he g    8     (同…打招呼) and thanked them all. Oh, the sweet taste of victory.

As it was getting late, the courtyard became deserted. But Hector still didn’t want to l    9     (离开). Then he saw Mr. Adler c    10     (穿过) the courtyard and holding a half-open bag full of papers. As he h    11     (匆匆) past, an envelope dropped out but Mr. Adler was unaware. He turned a corner and d    12     (消失) out of sight. Hector picked it up. On the envelope were the words “Fifth Grade Geography Bee Questions and Answers”. Hector s    13     (盯着看) wide-eyed at the envelope. Before he even had time to reflect on the consequences, he opened it and read the questions.

As soon as Hector had done it, he k    14     (知道) it was the wrong choice. He’d c    15     (作弊) and whatever he did now, he couldn’t change the fact. “What if Mr. Adler thought I s    16     (窃取) this morning’s questions too?” Hector thought. “He’d take away my Room Five victory for sure.” Little did he know that one of the best days in his life would be turned into the worst so quickly. Torn by his conscience, Hector was t    17     (完全) at a loss what to do.

Before he realized it, Hector found himself standing in Mr. Adler’s room. He saw Mr. Adler searching for something on his messy desk. “Mr. Adler, are you looking for this?” he asked, holding the open envelope. “Oh, that’s e    18     (正是) what I’m looking for!” Mr. Adler said, “but what on earth is the matter?” Looking at the confused e    19     (表情) on Mr. Adler’s face, Hector got up the c    20     (勇气) to tell him the truth. To his surprise, Mr Adler actually p    21     (表扬) him for his integrity and wished him good l    22     (运气) in the next day’s competition.

The next day the entire school came to watch the Fifth Grade Geography Bee. Besides being g    23     (内疚的), Hector was puzzled at Mr. Adler’s reaction yesterday. But soon he felt relieved to find that the questions had been changed. He could i    24     (想象) Mr. Adler working late last night to prepare the new questions, grateful from the bottom of his heart for what Mr. Adler had done for him. When it was his turn, he c    25     (集中) his mind and answered all the questions correctly, becoming the final’s champion. The final gave Hector the sweet taste of victory again.

It can be a big headache to balance your developing     1     (精神需求) too. You enter a strange middle ground — no longer a small child but not quite an adult. You have both a new desire for independence and a continued need for your parents’ love and support. You feel ready to be more responsible and make decisions    2     (自行). Unfortunately, your parents do not always agree and that makes you feel unhappy. “Why can’t they just let me go?” you may wonder.    3     (另一方面), when you are struggling to control your feelings, you wish they could be more caring and patient — sometimes they forget that growing up is     4     (一段艰难的旅程). It can be difficult when your parents treat you like a child but expect you to     5     (行事) an adult. All of this can lead to a breakdown in your relationship.

Although sometimes it may seem impossible to get along as a family, you can     6     (采取措施) to improve the situation. The key to keeping the peace is     7     (定期和诚实的沟通). When you disagree with your parents, take a minute to calm down and try to understand the situation     8     (从他们的角度). Perhaps they have experienced something similar and do not want you to go through the same pain.

After you have thought it through, explain your actions and feelings calmly, listen carefully, and     9     (解决他们的担忧). Through this kind of healthy discussion, you will learn when to     10     (退缩) and when to ask your parents to relax their control.

Many teenagers feel lonely as if no one understands them and the changes they are going through.     1     Day by day, everything seems different, yet the same. Life never seems to be going fast enough; yet, in other ways, like a race car, life seems to be rushing too fast and even going out of control.     2    别的人也有过同感吗?

These feelings are a common part of adolescence the time of life between child and adult. And,     3     though it may sometimes be difficult to believe, you are not alone —every adult has gone through adolescence, and     4    你的朋友和你一样正经历着这个阶段。It is common for teenagers to feel lonely and misunderstood.     5     These feelings can be thought of as growing pains —the difficulties that teenagers face as they grow to adults.

Several years ago, when I was working in a school, a thin boy showed up in my office. It was David. His head teacher had referred him to me. “This boy has lost his family,“ he wrote. “He is very sad and r    1     to talk to others, and I'm very w    2     about him. Can you help?”

Sometimes the best thing one can do is to listen openly and patiently.

The first two times we met, David didn't say a word. He sat there, only looking up to look at the children's drawings on the wall behind me. I suggested we play a game of chess. He n    3    . After that, he played chess with me every Wednesday afternoon—in complete s    4    , without a word.

Usually, he arrived earlier than agreed, took the chess b    5    and pieces from the shelf and began setting them up before I even got a chance to sit down. It seemed as if he e    6     my company. But why did he never look at me?

"Perhaps he simply needs someone to s    7     his pain with, "I thought. Perhaps he sensed that I respect his suffering." Some months later, when we were playing chess, he looked up at me suddenly.

"It's your t    8    ,” he said.

After that day, David started talking. He got friends in school and joined a bicycle club. Now he has really started to live his own life.

Maybe I gave David something. But I also learned that one, w    9     any words, can reach out to another person. All it takes is a hug, a shoulder to cry on, a friendly touch, and an ear for the w    10     heart.

Why is setting goals so important?     1     goals can help you do, be, and experience everything you want in life. Instead     2     just letting life happen to you, goals allow     3     to make your life happen.

    4     people set lots of goals. By setting goals you are taking control of you. It’s like having a map to show you where you want to go. Winners decide what they want in life and then get it by     5     plans and setting goals.

Unsuccessful people have     6     different story. They just let life happen by accident. Goals aren’t difficult to set and reach.     7     is up to you to find out what your goals really are. You are the one     8     must decide what to do and in what direction to aim your life.