Have you ever travelled around by bike? This spring my older brother and I ______ the busy city and spent a long weekend ______ in the countryside. Our speed was only 14kph, but we didn’t ______. We hadn’t come to break any speed records, ______. All we wanted was some ______ air and a break from schoolwork.

We really ______ ourselves while cycling along traffic-free country paths. There was plenty of sunshine, ______ it was quite cold, ______ in the mornings. The good news was that soon we ______ as we rode along. Our only ______ was when my brakes (刹车) started making a terrible noise. But I didn’t care as it gave us a(n) ______ to visit a cafe while a bike mechanic (机修工) had a look at it.

Every few kilometers there was a ______ where we could talk with local people. One of the women was very ______ and showed us the way when we got lost. On Saturday night we were ______ at 2 a.m. by some young people. They kept singing loudly in the next room, which made us ______ all night. We felt very ______ when we got up the next morning. Soon we ______. We were more cheerful on the way when the sun came out. ______, things like that happened only once. Anyway, I still like traveling around by bike—it’s ______ and it’s fun. If you’re looking for a short break that’s active and cheap, then cycling is a great ______.

Mom looked at the awards banquet (宴会) invitation as though she had received ________ news. Her lips tuned down at the edges and her eyebrows twisted together as she read the paper again. “Baby, it might be a ________. Sometimes they accidentally send these things to the wrong people.” She spoke with apology in her voice.

The year before I’d started kindergarten, my mom bought pre-school workbooks. She began my education with ________ that was visible in her smile but only ________ shouting. Her voice and face made me think I had done something very ________. So, whenever she tried to teach me anything, from writing ABCs to tying shoes, I was ________ by the process of learning.

Mom expressed her ________ about me possibly having a learning disability to the teacher. But I made it through kindergarten just ________. Then fist grade. My ________ progress was never a topic of conversation. I had no idea where I ________, below average or smart .I didn’t care. I just ________ doing all the worksheets and activities. I wasn’t ________. I wasn’t crying. I wasn’t frustrated. ________ I wasn’t bringing home gold starred medals, either.

At the awards banquet, I sat by my best friend, ________ all through the meal. But Mom looked like still expecting bad news. The further we got into dinner, the ________ she became. All the subject awards were given out, but “Rebecca” was still not celled. I caught my mom’s ________. She was near tears.

The over-all achievement medals were given out last Mom’s head ________ in her hand. She ________ over to me “T tell you what. Let’s go get some ice cream and forget this whole thing. Sweetheart.” Seconds later, “Overall achievement for first grade—Rebecca!”

I ________ heard my name because I was thinking about ice cream. Later I returned with my medal, still not understanding its ________. I had outperformed every first-grader at my school that year, and I was smart! I asked, “Can I still have ice cream?” My mom nodded, crying and laughing at the same time.