An old farmer lived with his grandson. Each morning, the old ________ got up early and read his Bhagavad Gita with great interest. The boy was very curious (好奇的) about the ________ and wanted to read it like his grandpa.

One day the boy asked, “Grandpa! I tried to read the book like you ________ I couldn’t understand it, and I forgot it easily. What’s the ________ of reading it?”

The grandfather said, “Take this coal (煤) basket down to the ________ and bring me back a basket of water.”

The boy did as his grandfather ________, but all the water ran before he got home. The grandfather laughed, “You’ll have to move ________ next time.”

This time the boy ________ much faster, but again the basket was empty (空的). He told his grandfather that it was ________ to carry water in a basket. He wanted to use a bowl instead, but the old man said, “I just want a ________ of water. You’re not trying hard enough.”

Again the boy put the basket into the river and ran hard. But there was ________ in it again when he got home. He said ________, “Look, Grandpa, it’s useless!”

“Watch the basket!” said the grandfather.

The boy ________ the basket carefully. For the first time he found the basket was different. It had changed from a dirty old coal basket into a ________ one, inside and out.

“Boy, you might not understand or remember anything when you read a book, but when you read it, you will be ________, inside and out. That’s what you’ve got from it.”

Love is Just a Thread(线)

I once really doubted whether there was love between my parents. Every day they are very ________ and they don’t have time to act in the romantic ways that I see on TV.

One day, my mother was sewing a quilt(缝被子). I ________ sat down beside her and just looked at her.

“Mum, can I have a question?” I asked after a while.

“What?” she replied, still doing her work.

“Is there love between you and Dad?”

My mother raised her head with ________ in her eyes. She didn’t answer immediately. My question seemed out of her expectation.

I was worried because I thought I had ________ her. But at last I heard my mother say the following words:

“Susan, look at this thread. It really makes the quilt strong and durable(耐用的). If life is a quilt, then love should be a thread. It can hardly be seen anywhere or anytime, but it’s really there.”

I listened carefully, but I couldn’t ________ her until the next spring. At that time, my father suddenly got sick seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month. After they were back, every day in the afternoon, my mother helped my father ________ slowly on the country road. Along the road, there were many beautiful flowers, green grass and trees. All of these ________ up the most beautiful picture in the world.

The doctor had said my father would become well in two months. But after two months he still couldn’t walk by himself. We all worried about him.

“Dad, how are you feeling now?” I asked him one day. “Susan, I’m OK.” he said gently. “To tell you the truth, I just like walking with your mum.” ________ his eyes, I knew he loved my mother deeply.

Once I thought love meant flowers, gifts and sweet kisses, but now I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt. Love is inside.

The Height of Life

Michael Stone had always dreamed of flying. His mother read him so many stories about flying that they ________ his dreams with color and beauty. His dad, on the other hand, believed in hard work. He always said, “If you want something, work for it!”

From the age of 14, Michael started ________ as a pole vaulter. He worked out every day with weightlifting and running, and he continued to help his parents with their farm work. His mother wished he could ________ bit more, but his father would smile and say, “You want something, work for it!”

Now Michael was standing in the stadium as one of the final two competitors in the pole-vaulting event in the National Junior Olympics. After a warm-up, he found his pole, and ________ on the runway that led to the most challenging event of his 17-year-old life. Suddenly he became ________. He had never experienced this before.

Then he thought of his mother. She always told him to take deep breaths when he felt nervous. So he did. Slowly the nervousness was gone. He gently put down his pole, and began to stretch（伸展）out his arms and upper body. And then, he ________ picked up his pole. He knew it was his time to fly.

As he began sprinting （冲刺）down the runway, something felt wonderfully different, yet familiar （熟悉的）. When he took a deep breath, it happened. He began to fly, just like in his childhood dreams. Only this time he knew he wasn’t dreaming.

The loud cheers from the audience brought Michael back. He could ________ the smile on his parents’ faces. His life would never be the same. It wasn’t because he won the National Junior Olympics and ________ a new world record. And it wasn’t because he had just increased his personal best. It was simply because Michael Stone was blind.