The Price of a Miracle

Tess was an eight-year-old girl when she heard her Mom and Dad talking about her little brother, Andrew. All she knew was that he was very sick and they were completely out of money.

Only a very expensive operation could save him now and it was looking like there was no one to _______ them the money. She heard her Dad say to her Mom, “Only a miracle (奇迹) can save him now.” So she decided to do something for her brother by herself.

Back to her bedroom, Tess pulled out a glass jar, took all the coins out on the floor and counted them carefully. No chance here for mistakes. With the jar in her hands, she went out the back door _______ and walked a long way to a drug store.

Tess waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some _______ but he was too entirely talking to a well-dressed man.

Finally the pharmacist _______ Tess. “And what do you want?” the pharmacist asked. “I’m talking to my brother whom I haven’t seen for ages,” he explained. “Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,” Tess answered back. “He’s really, really sick... and I want to buy a miracle.”

“I beg your pardon?” said the pharmacist. “His name is Andrew and he is badly ill and my Dad says only a miracle can save him now.” Tess explained, “So how much does a miracle _______?” Hearing this, the pharmacist was too confused to say a word.

The pharmacist’s brother stooped (弯腰) down and asked the little girl, “What kind of a miracle does your brother need?” “I don’t know,” Tess replied with tears in her eyes. “I just know he needs an operation. But my Dad can’t pay for it, so I want to use my _______.”

“How much do you have?” asked the man. “One dollar and eleven cents.” Tess answered.

“A dollar and eleven cents—the _______ price of a miracle for your little brother.” Then he said, “Take me to where you live. Let’s see if I have the kind of miracle you need.”

That well-dressed man was a famous doctor. The operation was _______ with the “miracle” and it wasn’t long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Teacher Tyler Henderson is color blind, and the world in his eyes is only black and white. When he directed a musical(音乐剧) at school, his students discovered his ______. They wanted to do something to help him see the colorful world.

These student actors began to ______ money. With the donated(捐赠) money from their classmates, they bought a pair of Enchroma glasses, which allow color blind people to see red color. The students believed the ______ would be a surprise to their respected teacher.

The day eventually came. Standing on the stage, Mr. Henderson was going to give instructions. Suddenly, the students broke out into a song from the musical and presented their teacher with a banner(横幅): “You helped us see our colors. Now we’re helping you see yours.” Then the Enchroma glasses were ______ to Henderson with a touching letter.

All the students in the theatre were holding their breath and eagerly watching Mr. Henderson as he ______ put on his new pair of glasses. One of the students couldn’t wait to ask if the glasses helped. “They ______ very well,” Henderson answered in amazement. As he had never expected to receive such a gift, he was speechless. He sat down on the stage with tears of joy in his eyes.

Hours after he received the gift, Henderson was still emotional(激动的). “I had trouble putting them on because my eyes were filled with tears.” Henderson said.

The students know that the ability to see colors is especially important for Henderson. “He has devoted himself to theater, but he hasn’t been able to see the red color on stage,” student Ariana Brown said. “And now he will lead a ______ life.”

“The new glasses not only color my world, but also light up my life.” said Henderson. The ______ in the glasses will inspire(鼓舞、激励) him to express his gratitude(感恩) on his life stage.

Three days ago, I went to buy some ______ in a bookstore with my brother. It was raining ______. On our way home, I saw a blind old man with some boxed of cake ______ the road with difficulty. He was about 70 years old and seemed to be very weak. I went over and asked if he needed ______ help. His face lit up and said" Yes". So my brother and I helped him cross the road carefully. When we got to ______ other side of the road, he thanked us for our ______. I told ______ it was not a big deal. He took my hand and told us it was a big deal for a ______ person like him. And he gave some ______ to us. They looked delicious and we ate them happily. He was glad we enjoyed the cake. What a small act, but it was ______ huge helpful thing for an old person.