Last Sunday, our school held on a 5-kilometer cross-country running race, that attracted many enthusiastic participants. Actually, all the student in our school attended the activity.

The race started from the school gate and ends at the foot of the South Hill, covering five kilometers all together. The whole course was quite difficulty, especially the part near the mountain, narrow but rough. All the participants spared no efforts finish the race.

This race gave us a opportunity to have a deeper understanding of patience as well as build up our bodies. However, we all think highly of it, and expect more activities like this in the future.

8 . As a high school coach, I did all I could to help my boys win their games. I cheered as hard for________as they did. A dramatic incident, however, following a game in which I was a referee(裁判), changed my ________on victory and defeat.

It was a league championship basketball game between New Rochelle and Yonkers High. New Rochelle was________ by Dan O’Brien, and Yonkers by Les Beck The gym was ________, and the noise made it impossible to hear. The game was well played and ________competed. Yonkers was leading by one point as I________ at the clock and discovered there were but 10 seconds to play. New Rochelle, in possession of the ball, passed off and shot. The ball________ around the rim(篮筐边沿) and off. The fans________. New Rochelle recovered the ball, and tapped it in for what looked like victory. The noise was deafening.

I looked at the clock and saw that the game was over. I hadn’t heard the final buzzer(终场哨) because of the noise. I ________with the other official, but he could not help me. So, I________ the timekeeper, a young man of 17 or so. He said, “Sir, the buzzer________ before the final tap-in(托球入篮) was made. Yonkers won!”

I had to tell O’Brien the sad news. His face clouded over. The young timekeeper came up and said, “I’m sorry, dad. The________ ran out before the final basket.”________ , like the sun coming out from behind a cloud, O’Brien’s face lit up. He said, ”That’s okay, Joe. You did what you had to. I’m ________of you.” The two of them then walked off the _________together, the coach’s arm around his son’s shoulder.

9 . Mark asked, “Do you think they’ll let me play?” Mark’s father knew that few boys would want someone like Mark, mentally and physically disabled, on their team, but the father still approached to ask the boys if Mark could play. They exchanged glances with each other and said, “We’ll try to put him in to bat.”

Mark struggled over to the team’s bench and his father had a small tear in his eye and warmth in heart. The boys saw the father’s joy at his son being accepted.

In the bottom of the final inning, Mark was scheduled to be at bat. Everyone knew that a hit was almost impossible. The first pitch (投) came and Mark missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to throw the ball softly towards Mark. As the pitch came in, Mark swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The pitcher could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman, but he just threw the ball right over the head of the first baseman, beyond the reach of all teammates. The audience and the players from both teams started screaming, “Mark, run to first!” Never in his life had Mark ever run that far but made it to first base, wide-eyed and shocked.

By the time Mark rounded towards second base, the smallest guy on their team, who had a chance to be the hero for his team for the first time, understood the pitcher’s intentions and he too intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head.

All were screaming. “Mark, run to third.” As Mark rounded third, all were on their feet, crying, “Mark, run home!” Mark ran to home, stepped on the home base and was cheered as the hero who won the game for his team. Tears rolled down the father’s cheeks.

That day, the boys from both teams helped bring true love and humanity into this world.