A few weeks ago，our dog，which we had kept for more than ten years，had to be put down.First，a tumor on her stomach got worse，and she was very ____.Then，the pain in her back got so bad that sometimes she ___ lie down in the middle of a walk and couldn't take another ____.
When I first found out，I was very sad and cried a lot.She was more like a sister to me than a ___.But I was also angry at my stepfather，Steve，who told us the ___ a week after it happened.He ____ because he didn't want to worry us，and he didn't want me to get depressed (抑郁的)and fail my exams.I just thought she was ____ at the animals' hospital.
I think you know all the ____ that went through my head：She was my dog！Why didn't he tell us earlier？I didn't even get to say goodbye.
People in my family have a ____ of keeping things from me to protect me，such as only telling me that my aunt had cancer ____ she had already improved.All I could think was：Not again!
I ____ to my mum，and she said，“I know.I'm ____，too.”I opened my mouth to shout.And then she added，“I'm so angry with Steve that he had to ____ through all this on his own.”Hearing my mum's words，I shut up my mouth.I had been so ____ on myself.I hadn't thought about ____ Steve was going through.That dog was his baby.He'd had her for longer than he'd had us—and he had to make the decision to ____ her life，and then kept in silence for an entire ____.All my anger melted away，and all I felt was ____.
It makes me realize that we focus so much on ourselves that we ____ the pain of others.At that moment，my mum's words were an incredible ____ that I'll never forget.

An acrobatic(雜技的) master performed a tightrope(繃緊的鋼絲) walk between two mountains, which attracted thousands of people.
When the ____ started, he went to one end of the tightrope, ____ straight at the goal ahead, with open arms, walking slowly step by step to the opposite side of the mountain. Immediately, the audience ____ loud applause.
“If my hands dare tied, do you believe I can ____？” he asked the audience.
____， some people didn't believe, but in order to know the ___， they said, “We believe you！”
Then, he had his hands tied with a rope and walked past ____.
He looked around and said, “If I'm blindfolded(蒙著眼睛的) with my hands tied, do you ____ believe I can go past？”
This time, the people said without ____， “We believe you！”
In this way, his eyes were ____ with a black cloth. He moved slowly to the tightrope and walked along it inch by inch. This time, he went past once again. The audience burst into ____.
Then, he ____ a child and asked all the people, “If I put him on my shoulders ___ I'm blindfolded with my hands tied as well, do you still believe I can make it？”
All the people replied before ____， “We believe you！”
“I ask you again. Do you really believe me？”
“Yes, we believe you completely！”
Then, he said, “Well then, since you believe me, ____ my child with yours. Who will？”
All of a sudden, the audience fell ____. The silence lasted for nearly ten minutes.
After ten minutes, the acrobatic master said nothing, just put the child on his shoulders and walked past along the tightrope. Sure enough, this time he ____ once more.
Faced with things far from their own ____， people can often make judgments easily and quickly, but once involved in(牽涉) it, most of people “cannot ____ it clearly”. Only those who are really confident, like the master in the tightrope walk, can stay ____ at any time.

Annie, a neighbor's daughter, was away for her first semester at college this school year. She is a very sweet girl but just a bit shy. When her birthday came around, I found out she was feeling a bit ___.
Her family is quite poor and ____ are tight, so there wouldn't be any birthday visitors. I wanted to ____ her a card and maybe a small gift to ____ her day a bit. I got her school ____ from her mom and planned to pick something up. Then I got a(n) ____！
I ____ perhaps a bit more birthday cheer was needed here. I bought some balloons, birthday hats, and ____ novelties(新穎小巧而價(jià)廉的物品) at a store. I took a small ____ and asked three other people in my area at work to ____ “Happy Birthday” and send some birthday wishes to her. It was such fun making the recording! Other people ____ what we were doing and ___ their voices, so it really sounded like we had a party going on!
Then I bought her a small present and a card as ____ planned. The real fun was packing them to be sent. I ____ everything so it was like opening a mini birthday party! At the last minute I added a pack of cupcakes and a box of birthday candles ___ sending them off. I got a call a few days later. Annie said her roommates and one of their neighbors in the ____ got together with her and held a party for her the moment they arrived. She sounded so ____ and I was so glad that she had some friends to ____ her special day with.
It was such an easy and ____ thing to do. The people who helped me make the tape still laugh and talk about it. And Annie ____ me it was the most fun birthday she would remember!

When I entered Berkeley College, I hoped to earn a scholarship. Having been a straight A student, I believed I could ____ tough subjects and really learn something. One such course was World Literature given by Professor Jayne. I was extremely interested in the ideas he ____ in class.
When I took the first exam, I was ____ to find a 77, C­plus, on my test paper, ____ English was my best subject. I went to Professor Jayne, who listened to my arguments but remained ____.
I decided to try harder, although I didn't know what that ____ because study had always been easy for me. I read the books more carefully, but got another 77. Again, I ____ with Professor Jayne. Again, he listened patiently but wouldn't change his ____.
One more test before the final exam. One more ___ to improve my grades. So I redoubled my efforts and, for the first time, ____ the meaning of the word “thorough”. But my ____ did no good and everything ____ as before.
The last hurdle(障礙) was the final. No matter what ____ I got, it wouldn't cancel C­pluses. I might as well kiss the ___ goodbye.
I stopped working hard. I felt I knew the course material as well as I ever would. The night before the final, I even ___ myself to a movie. The next day I decided for once not to ____ much about the result of the test.
A week later, I was surprised to find I got an A. I hurried into Professor Jayne's office. He ____ to be expecting me. “If I had given you the A­pluses you ____， you wouldn't have continued to work as hard.”
I stared at him, ____ that his analysis and strategy(策略) were correct. I had worked my head ____， as I had never done before.
I was speechless when my course grade arrived：A­plus. It was the only A­plus given. The next year I received my scholarship. I've always remembered Professor Jayne's lesson：you alone must set your own standard of excellence.

閱讀下面短文．從短文后各題所給的A、B、C、D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)。
When my brother and l were growing up, we mowed(割)yards during the summer to earn pocket change．Dad traded our service to neighbors and     a price they could not refuse. We got $ 10 per yard．I later found out our friends       $20 or more for the same amount of work.
One day we were     our next-door neighbor’s yard．She always waited until the grass was knee—high to call us over．   we had an old lawn mower．This particular hot afternoon, I was finishing up and was tired .I        the tall grass as a cold drink to cool down.
I was just about to cut off the lawn mower      I saw Dad pointing to one lone piece. I thought about the       change l was getting paid for cutting grass so high that it       broke the mower. I ignored him and kept walking. Dad called me out,“You      a piece.” I frowned, hoping he would let me go home. He kept pointing .So     , 1 went back to cut that piece of grass. I said to myseIf, “That one piece  doesn’t      anyone .Why won’t he just let it     ?”
But when I reached adulthood，I understood his       : When you’re  running  a business, the work you do        much about you If you want to be seen as a businessman with     ，you  must deliver a quality product .That single piece of grass meant the job was not done.
The      my father taught me stayed with me：if you say you are going to      a job at a certain time，keep your      ．Give your customers the kind of      you would llke t0 receive. It shows how sincere you are and how much      you take in your work.

The Christmas gift when I was seven years old has been a pleasant memory.     other gifts, it came without wrap（包裝）.
On September 11^ththat year, Mum gave    to Richard. After she brought him home from     ,she put him in my lap, saying, “I    you a gift, and here it is.” What a/an     ! I      seven amonth earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own. I played with it day and night and told it over and over how much I loved it!
One morning, however, I found its bed empty. My doll was    ! I cried for it. Mum  wept（流淚）and told me that the      little thing had been sent to a hospital because of a fever. For several days, I heard mum andDad whispering such      as “hopeless”, “pitiful”, and “dying”, which sounded     .
Christmas was coming. “Don’t    any presents this year,” Dad said, pointing at the    I hung in the living room. “     your baby brother lives, that’ll be Christmas enough.” As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears. I’d    seen him cry before.
The phone rang early on Christmas morning. Dad jumped out of bed to     it. From my bedroom I heard him say, “What? He’s all right?” He    and shouted upstairs. “The hospital said we can bring Richard home!”
“Thank God!” I heard Mum cry.
From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car. I had never seen them so     . And I was also full of joy. What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home. I ran     . My socks still hung there    , but I knew they were filled with    !

I drove to a local supermarket the other day. My shopping list was _____ and my wallet was light. Still, I needed to get a week’s worth of groceries for my family. I parked my car, looked down at my list, and hoped I could _____it all.
As I _____ the door, I saw a man with kind eyes and a gentle ______. He said he was collecting for a local food bank that helped to__ __ the hungry in my area. He handed me a second shopping list of things they could use and asked me to ____ if I could. I smiled back, took the ____ and walked into the store. I really wanted to help, but wasn’t sure if I could this time.
I walked through the store, picking up vegetables, soup, spaghetti, bread, milk, cereal, macaroni, bananas,and a dozen other things. I slowly _____ each item off my list until I was done. When I looked down at my full cart I _____ again if I even had enough to pay for it all. Then, as I put my own list back into my pocket, I saw the food _____ list under it. I smiled and decided to trust my heart.
With the food bank in mind,I went over and ______ two of the biggest boxes of rice the store had and put them in my cart. It took____ six dollars out of my wallet to pay for them,__ __ my heart felt six times larger when I did. And when everything was ______, I had just enough to pay for it all.
It ____ so little to make our world a better place. A few dollars can help to fill a child’s ____ belly(肚子). A smile and hug can help to _____ a hurting heart. An encouraging word can inspire someone else to live and to love. A random____ of kindness can change another’s day and life. It is up to us,_____. If we can ______ a few dollars on rice , then we can share a love that will last forever.

Wishing to encourage her young son’s progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were     , the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the passage to greet her.
Seizing the     to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and    explored his way through a door marked “NO ADMITTANCE.” When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and      that the child was missing.
Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In     , the mother saw her little boy sitting at the key-board,       picking out Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
At that moment, the great piano master made his    , quickly moved to the piano, and     in the boy’s ear, “Don’t quit. Keep playing.”
Then     over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato (伴奏). Together, the old master and the young novice (beginner) transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully     experience. The audience was strongly     .
That’s the way it is in life. What we can accomplish (實(shí)現(xiàn)) on our own is hardly     . We try our best, but the       aren’t exactly graceful flowing music. But when we trust in the hands of a Greater Power, our life’s work       can be beautiful.
Next time you set out to    great achievements, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, “Don’t quit. Keep playing.”

I have been applying, interviewing, etc since July with no prospects(前景). I have been told mostly that I am overqualified, or they need fulltime etc. I had been getting pretty down and discouraged. I was actually asking myself why can’t someone be kind enough to take me on as an       .
This past Tuesday evening it was       outside and going to be 9 pm as I was waiting at a bus stop. Just as the bus      a young woman approached me. She had a T-shirt, Capri pants, and slippers on. She also was wearing several hospital bracelets.
I       my purse and took out $5.00 so she could get something to eat. I then took off my jacket and       and gave them to her. I said, “These are a little big but they should keep       warm.” She looked at me and said “Aren’t you going to be cold?” I told her my being cold for 15 minutes      I got to my place was worth it if I knew she would be a little warmer. She sobbed and thanked me with a hug. I just told her to       .
Then after I got on the bus that’s       the miracle of spreading       happened. I stepped up to pay the       and the bus driver said, “Mam, I saw what you just did and your fare is       me, even though technically we aren’t supposed to let you get on the bus without shoes.” he said with a wink.
A lady who was dressed in a very      business suit called me over to her seat. She said, “I want to know the        of the person who just did the most       thing I have ever seen.” I told her my name and she said , “What can I do for you to       what I just witnessed?” I       said a paying job would be nice.
The next day she called me and said that she had a       administrative assistant position       in her company and wanted me to meet with the manager. It        that the lady was the head Human Resources person.
I start Monday morning at 9am! Thank you all for inspiring me to keep passing the kindness on! I never expected to get so much back in return!

I wanted to be just like those big kids I saw wearing their medals and carrying their ribbons(綬帶). So I____the cross­country team at my school.
However, I was very slow in the team. In races, I would finish almost____. I'd always have to____in the longer races.The__ __races and at least 100 people competing in it made me really____. Every time I stopped, 10 people would__ __me. But I still couldn't push myself to keep going, even though I____watching them go by me. After every race, I'd go home and burst into tears.
Then one of my friends joined the cross­country team, too. She never got tired and didn't get cramp(抽筋) in her legs. I just didn't understand how that was____! I'd been running much longer than she had, but she could run__ __while I had to suffer. She even came 8th in a big race with over 200 people in it! My____was lower than ever and I wanted to quit badly.
I didn't, ____. Even a whole month before a race, I'd get so nervous that I felt like I might give up. Still, I____to quit. I still had that____appearing in my mind and I hung on to it.
Finally, I realized the reason why the bigger races made me so nervous was that I was always worried that I wasn't____for them. I started to practice at home almost every day. I____a plan that had me running almost three kilometers every day, which helped me build up a steady____.
When the time came for the big race, all the practice really____. I stopped only once and my pace was much better.
I was____of myself for sticking with it even though it was really hard and I'd even wanted to quit. I showed myself that I was____enough to keep going. That was what made me feel good about myself and gave me confidence.
The next time I'm faced with a tough____, I will know that I can take it up. None of this would ever have happened if I had quitted!