16．
The Mermaid Balloon
"Mum！"little Desiree said，"It's my daddy's birthday．How will I send him a birthday card？"Her mother looked at her and sighed．She didn't know what to say．Desiree's father had died nine months earler．Desiree didn't understand．She was only four years old．
"I have an idea，"her mother said．"Let's write your daddy a letter．We can tie the letter to a balloon and send it up to heaven（天堂）．What should we write？"
Desiree told her mother to write，"Happy Birthday，Daddy．I love you and miss you．Please write me on my birthday in January．"
Desiree's mother wrote the message and their address on a small piece of paper．Then they went to a store to buy a balloon．Desiree looked quickly at the balloons and said，"That one!The one with the mermaid（美人魚）！"
They bought the mermaid balloon and tied the letter to it．Then Desiree let the balloon go．
Desiree released the balloon in California．The wind caught the balloon and carried it east．Four days later，it came down 3，000 miles away，near a lake in eastern Canada．The name of the lake was Mermaid Lake．
Wade MacKinnon，a Canadian man，was hunting ducks at Mermaid Lake when he found Desiree's balloon and letter．He took them home to his wife．She decided to send Desiree a birthday present．She also wrote her a letter．The letter said：
Dear Desiree，
Happy Birthday from your daddy．I guess you wonder who we are．Well，my husband，Wode，went duck hunting，and guess what he found？A mermaid balloon that you sent your daddy．There are no stores in heaven，so your daddy wanted someone to do his shopping for him．I think he picked us because we live in a town called Mermaid．I know your daddy loves you very much and will always watch over you．
Lots of love，
The MacKinnons
Desiree's mother wrote the Mackinnons to thank them．During the next few weeks，she and the MacKinnons telephoned each other often．Then Desiree and her mother flew to Canada to meet the MacKinnons．The MacKinnons took them to Mermaid Lake and showed them where the balloon landed．
Now，whenever Desiree wants to talk about her father，she calls the MacKinnons．After she talks to them，she feels better．
People often say，"What a coincidence（巧合）-the mermaid balloon landed at Mermaid Lake!"Desiree's mother is not sure it was just a coincidence．She says，"I think that somehow my husband picked the MacKinnons．It was his way to send his love to Desiree．Desiree understands now that her father is with her always．"
根據短文內容，將26-28小題與所給的A、B、C選項進行句子匹配，請將答案編號涂卡．
26．Desiree wrote her father a letter．B
27．Desiree chose a balloon at the store．C
28．The balloon came down near a lake．A
A．It was in eastern Canada，and its name was Mermaid Lake．
B．It said，"Happy Birthday．I love you and miss you．"
C．It had a picture of a mermaid on it．
根據短文內容，選擇正確答案，請將答案編號涂卡．
29．Desiree released the balloon in California．Here"released"means"B"．
A．opened her eyes and looked at the balloon
B．opened her hand and let the balloon go
C．mailed the balloon in California
30．What was the coincidence（巧合）in the story？B
A．Desiree and her father have the same birthday，January 12．
B．The mermaid balloon came down at Mermaid Lake．
C．The MacKinnons also have a four-year-old daughter．
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Blue Ribbons of HonorA teacher in New York decided to honor her studentsby telling them the difference they each made．First she thanked to each of them how they made a difference to her and the class．Then she gave each student three blue ribbons with gold letters reading，"Who I Am Makes a Difference．"The students went out to find somebody to honor．The person would keepa ribbon and give the extra ones to a third person to keep it going．
