1 . Ciudad Perdida, Colombia’s “Lost City” is older than Machu Picchu. There are no trains or buses allowing of ________ travels to reach its ruins. The remote place is only ________ on foot: a tiring multi-day hike.

Despite this, I couldn’t ________ the opportunity to visit Ciudad Perdida. Twelve other hikers and I went there in ________ with a licensed guide. The dirt path, which ________ through towering palms (棕榈) and hanging vines (藤蔓), proved ________ right from the start. It’s recommended that hikers have good general fitness, as the journey is tough. Along the way we also met the ________. They have been cut off from the outside world for centuries and there’s a deep ________ between them and the land.

The next morning, we were off early to ________ the heat, but high temperatures and muscle pain had already ________ by the time we reached the final stage—1,200 stone steps to ________After finally lifting my painful body up the long flight of stairs, my eyes rested on scenery that had ________ the backbreaking journey: Ciudad Perdida.

I looked down and ________ at the beautiful site below. We were among a handful of other groups visiting, which seemed like nothing compared to other crowded tourist attractions. While the return trip included overcoming the mental barrier of having already achieved our goal, the experience is the one I would do ________. It is the difficulty that makes the journey a more ________ one. Earned views are always better.

It took place in a teacher’s family. One day, Ben was playing basketball in the living room after school, when he accidentally threw the ball at a vase sitting on the shelf. The vase dropped to the floor and a large piece broke off. What made Ben more upset was that the vase was not a common decoration but an antique (古董), which was handed down through generations from the 18th century. It was also his mother’s favourite possession. To cover his terrible action, the terrified boy glued the pieces together hurriedly and put the vase back to its place.

As the mother herself dusted the vase every day, she naturally noticed the cracks (裂纹) that evening. To her surprise, the repair work was actually very good. At dinner time, she asked her boy if he broke the vase. Fearing punishment, the suddenly inspired boy said that a neighbour’s cat jumped in from the window and he couldn’t drive it away no matter how hard he tried. It raced around the living room and finally knocked the vase off its shelf. His mother was quite clear that her son was lying, for all the windows were closed before she left for work each morning and opened after she returned. However, in the face of her son’s nervous eyes and the suspicious looks of the other family members, Ben’s mother remained calm. She realized she shouldn’t just simply blame and punish her son for lying. She came up with another idea.

Before going to bed, the boy found a note from his mother in his room, asking him to go to the study at once. The boy thought he would now be punished but, as he had already lied, he was determined to deny everything to the end, no matter how angry his mum became.

In the study, calmly bathed in the light, his mothers face showed no sign of anger. On seeing her son push open the door and cautiously enter, she took a chocolate box out of a drawer and gave him one.

The mother said, “This chocolate is a reward for your imagination: a window-opening cat!”

Now with some chocolates in hand, the boy’s bad attitude disappeared.

Robert and Henry were two friends in the same class. They always played together and went home together. One day Robert and Henry were going home from school. When they turned around a corner, Robert cried out, “A fight! Let’s go and see!”

“No,” said Henry. “Let us go quietly home and not meddle in (插手) this quarrel. We have nothing to do with (与……没有关系) it and may get into trouble.

“You are a coward (胆小鬼), and afraid to go,” said Robert, and off he ran. Henry went straight home, and in the afternoon went to school as usual.

Late, Robert told all the boys that Henry was a coward, and they laughed at him. From then on, they looked down upon (瞧不起) Henry and didn’t want to play with him together.

Henry was sad but he wasn’t angry with Robert. He just ignored (不理睬) the other boys’ laughter and continued to go to school and study as well. However, Robert didn’t invite Henry to go home with him any more. He had some other boys and they also said Henry was a coward. Every day after school, they didn’t go home directly but went to the river or somewhere to play games and had a lot of fun.

A few days later, Robert was bathing with his new friends in a river, and got out of his depth (深度). He struggled, and screamed (尖叫) for help, but all in vain (徒劳). The other boys got out of the water as fast as they could, and they did not even try to help him.

Robert was fast sinking (下沉).

Thus, Robert’s life was saved (救).

6 . Six-year-old Ryan Coutinho wasn’t used to smiling. He felt _________ after losing almost all his teeth at the age of three.

Now he does. And he is always _________ to Amanda Mattos.

The boy lives in a _________ family. He had his teeth pulled out because of cavities(蛀牙). Only a few on his lower part remained. Ms Mattos, 25, met Ryan at the boy’s school for the first time two years ago, where Ryan’s teacher told Mattos he _________ smiled and communicated little. Ms Mattos would like to _________ the boy after contacting his mother, but his mother _________ the offer. “They couldn’t afford the _________,” the dentist said. “They were still shaken by the _________ that took his teeth out.”

Ryan’s story could have _________ here. But two years later, by accident, his mother got a job as a cleaner at the __________, which Ms Mattos owns. The boy had a pain in one of his remaining teeth. He went to the clinic for a(an) __________ and met Ms Mattos again. “I asked him what he wanted. He replied: ‘a smile like my friends’,” the dentist said.

Ms Mattos agreed to do it for free. The mother happily __________ the kindness.

Then, two days after Brazil’s Children’s Day, Ryan finally got a new denture(假牙).

“We all cried. It was very moving,” Ryan’s mother said.

“All this is __________,” Ms Mattos says. “Isn’t it pleasant if someone __________ smile because of your __________?”

A few years ago, the company I worked for sent my wife and me to live in New York for a year. I’ve always loved running, so I was really happy when I found out I lived next to Central Park. This meant that every morning I could go for a run before I went to work.

Because a lot of people had told me to be careful of robbers in the park, so usually I didn’t take anything with me. How could they rob me if I didn’t have anything? But one morning, my wife gave me a S 10 bill and asked me to buy some bread on the way.

It was a beautiful morning and the park was quiet with very few people walking or jogging (慢跑) around. While I was running through the park, another jogger knocked into me. He apologized and continued running. For a while, I didn’t think too much of it. However, when I noticed the wide path where I was running, I thought was kind of strange. The warning of robbers in the park occurred to me. ”It could have been a robber!” I suddenly became alarmed, so I checked my pocket and found that the money was missing. Without thinking twice, I ran after that jogger. I finally caught up and held him by the arm. I shouted, “Give me the $10 bill! Now!” I am not usually a hot-headed (性急的) person, but I got really angry this time. I couldn’t believe the robbery was actually happening to me. Filled with anger, I shook my fist at him. This seemed to frighten him. He quickly put his hand in his pocket and gave me the money. Then he ran away as fast as he could.

I bought the bread and went home. As soon as I got home, I couldn’t wait to tell my wife my story. “You won’t believe what happened to me,” I started with pride. She immediately stopped me, “I know, you left the money for the bread on the kitchen table.”

Looking at the money on the table, I stood there, shocked.

Alex was very excited because the New Year Eve’s party was coming and as usual it was going to be held in his Uncle Peter’s home. Suddenly, he saw his grandfather sitting alone looking very unhappy.

Alex went to him and asked, “Grandpa, why are you sitting alone? Is there anything wrong with you?”

His grandfather replied, “No, I am fine. I just feel like sitting alone.”

“Grandpa, you know the New Year party is near, so are you preparing for it?” asked Alex excitedly.

“No dear, I am not. With the passage of time, the world has completely changed and I don’t see any point in celebrating the world I see today,” answered his grandpa disappointedly.

“I know something is wrong with you and you are not telling me. Please tell me what the problem is.” Alex said.

“I feel I am a stranger in the world I am living in. It is not the same as I have known. Now everyone is busy with their own work. Your father is busy with business, your brother is busy on the computer, your sisters are busy watching dramas and your mum is busy with housework. I don’t know how to pass my days,” said his grandfather sadly.

“Grandpa, you have me!”said Alex.

His grandfather smiled and said, “Yeah, you are here, but what about others? In our days, we had a fixed (固定的) time each day when the whole family sat together and talked, shared problems and laughed together.”

That night Alex thought about what his grandfather had said and an idea flashed his mind. He decided to have a surprise. New Year party at his own home and make everyone come together that day. As New Year’s Eve got nearer, Alex got busy preparing for the party. He kept it a secret from his grandfather and asked everyone not to let him know about it in order to surprise him.

It was December 31 and everyone was busy with their own work.

Alex saw his grandfather looking very happy while talking with the family members.

On a cold windy day, a poor boy tried to pay his way through school by selling goods door to door. Wandering on the street, he was not a successful seller. What’s worse, he found that he only had one dime left. His empty stomach reminded him constantly that for days he hadn’t eaten anything. He had no choice but to beg for a meal at the next house. Hesitantly he knocked at a door, thinking about what to say when it was opened. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. “What can I do for you?” asked the young woman. The boy paused for a while, “Would you please give me some...a drink of water?” the boy dared not to look directly into her eyes. She looked at the bony boy and thought he might need something to give him energy so she brought him a glass of milk. His head rising and small hands taking the cup, he drank it up slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?” “You don’t owe me anything,” she replied with a warm smile on her face. “My mother has taught me never to accept pay for a kindness.”Deeply moved, he said sincerely, “Then I shall thank you from the bottom of my heart.” As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but it also increased his faith in the whole human race. As a matter of fact, he was about to give up and quit before that point.

Years later the young woman became critically ill. However, the local doctors were unable to give an effective medical treatment. Finally they sent her to a hospital in the big city, where specialists can be called in to cure her rare disease. Among those famous specialists, Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately, he rose and went down through the hospital hall into her room.

Dressed in his doctor’s gown, he went in to see her.

The bill was sent to her room.