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.

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.

Mr. Smith used to be in prison for three years, which may have you think he is not a good man. But       1     a matter of fact, he is kind-hearted as well as honest. The reason     2     he was put into prison was not that he himself broke the law,     3     that his six-year-old son blew up(使……爆炸) the bridge near his home, imitating what he had seen on TV.     4     this little boy did break the law, he was too young to be put in prison. According to the local law, the boy’s parents had to be punished. As a result, Mr. Smith received the punishment. He was arrested and taken to     5     police station finally. Most of the people in the town showed pity on him, but it was useless. After all, law is law. Everybody is to obey     6    . As the proverb of “When it rains, it pours”, Mrs. Smith was out of work before long. She had to move to a southern state,     7     she was born and grew up. Misfortunes tell us what fortune is.     8    the Smiths have experienced does teach us a good lesson.

I’ve a friend who has a big police dog     1    Jack. Every Sunday afternoon my friend takes Jack     2     a long walk in the park. He likes these walks in the park very much. One Sunday a young man dropped     3     on my friend. He stayed a long time. They talked and talked. Soon     4     was time for my friend to take Jack for his walk,     5     the visitor still sat talking. Jack became worried     6     his walk in the park. He walked round the room several times and then he sat right in front of the visitor and looked at him. But the visitor paid     7     attention. He continued talking. Finally Jack could stand it no     8    . He held the visitor’s hat in his mouth and ran out of the house.