阅读理解

　　A Nobel Prize is considered by most people one of the highest international honours a person can receive．As you know, the prizes were started by a Swede called Alfred Nobel．Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, and lived from 1833 to 1896．

　　Alfred Nobel was a chemist and inventor．He made two important inventions, and so he became very rich．Although he was rich, Nobel was not a happy man．He never married or had children．Also, he was a sick man in a large part of his life．Nobel died at the age of sixty-three．When he died, he left a fund of ＄9, 000, 000．The money was to be used in giving prizes to those who made outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and the promotion of world peace．

　　The first Nobel Prizes were given on December 10 th, 1901, five years after Nobel's death．Many famous people from all over the world have been given Nobel Prizes for their achievements．Albert Einstein was one of them．

　　Each Prize has three parts．The first part is a gold medal．Second, a winner of a Nobel Prize is given a diploma saying that he has been given the Prize．The third part of the Prize is a large amount of money－about ＄40, 000．

　　Often a Prize is given to just one person, but not always．Sometimes a Prize is shared．It may be given to two or three people who have worked together．Sometimes a Prize is not given at all if there is no outstanding achievement．In 1972, for example, no Nobel Peace Prize was given．It is the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm that decides whether to give the Prize or not．

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　　I can still remember when I met my best friend．She had just moved into the neighborhood and her grandmother brought her down to 　　1　　 me．I hid behind my mother and she hid behind her grandmother, 　　2　　 to look at each other．Soon we lost the 　　3　　 and started playing with each other．

　　In the 7th grade, I first lost touch with her．She was 　　4　　 family problems and I deserted her to be with the 　　5　　 people．None of my new friends liked her as much as I did because they knew she had 　　6　　．However, every summer we 　　7　　 always sit at each other’s house and watch soap operas, and talk about all the boys we liked．

　　It was last year when I noticed the problem．I guess I was 　　8　　 devoted in high school to 　　9　　 she needed someone there for her．Anyway, she made a new best friend and so did I．Then I didn’t know why, 　　10　　 she started cutting herself!

　　She then was diagnosed(诊断)with clinical depression．At first, I was very 　　11　　, but we still stayed in 　　12　　．I wanted to be there for her since her new best friend basically 　　13　　 her and people were calling her 　　14　　．

　　Yesterday she came to me and said, “I never knew what a best friend was 　1　5　　 you were the only person that would stop me cutting．I 　　16　　 you so much, and you didn’t even know you were 　　17　　 me．”

　　We both cried．And I guess a kind of 　　18　　 from my life so far is never to give up on your friends．Even if they aren’ t as cool as others, or people think they are crazy, they need 　　19　　 there．If you desert them, you will only be 　　20　　 yourself．