The young businessman was deep in debt (债务) and could see no way out. He sat in the park, head in hands, wondering if anything could  1 his factory.

    Suddenly an old man appeared before him. “I can see that something is2 you.” he said, “I believe I can help you.” He asked the man his name, wrote out a check (支票), and pushed it into his hand saying：

    “Take this money. Meet 3 here one year from today, and you can return it to me at that time.” Then he disappeared as 4  as he had come.

    The young man saw the check for $500,000, signed by John D. Rockefeller, then one of the 5 men in the world! “I can 6  all my debts right away!” he realized. But instead, the young man decided to keep it, just knowing it would give him the strength to work out a way to save his business.

    With renewed optimism (乐观), he made better deals and was soon out of debt in a few months.

    Exactly one year later, he returned to the7with the uncashed (未兑现的) check. At the same time, the old man 8. But just as the young man was about to hand back the check, a nurse9 and took hold of the old man. “I'm so 10I caught him!” she cried. “I hope he hasn't been troubling you. He's always running away from the rest home and telling people he's John D. Rockefeller.” And she led the old man away by the arm.

    Lucy was a single mother. She lived with her little son. She lost her1two years ago and they had a very hard life. Being2was terrible. Her heart was broken every time her son asked," Can I have some more 3 please, mom?"

    One day, when her son asked the same question again, she decided to prepare a big meal for him 4 the only 6 dollars in her hand. She went to the supermarket, 5some food and cooked at home. Lucy was a shy mother, 6 she was strong-minded. "It's time to make a change," she thought. She once loved writing. To make some money, she7to write for magazines day and night.

    Things went 8.The local food bank started to provide Lucy with some free vegetables every month. Her son 9had enough food to eat. Once he told Lucy that the dishes she made were 10. Then, an idea came to Lucy's mind: Why not 11my recipes on the Internet?" She did. Many people liked her recipes and she became 12.

    Soon after that, some reporters interviewed her and asked her to write a book on 13. When Lucy got the money for the 14she wrote, she was very happy. Now Lucy has a well-paid job and a beautiful home, but she'll 15th e days when she worked hard for a good life forever.

    Why won't my teacher believe me? I was a1student. I always do my homework. I did2of my work last night, but now I don't have it. My3thinks it's because I'm busy practising basketball for the school game. I am busy, 4that's not why I don't have my homework today, I really did my homework. But my dog ate it! I know, it's an5story. Students say it all the time. But this time, it's6.

    Last night I went home late after practising basketball. So I did my homework and ate dinner7. But I was so careless that I dropped some8on my paper！It was very late, so I didn't copy it on clean paper. I just put it on the table and went to bed, 9that my dog Max loves meat. Later last night, he jumped up onto the table and10my homework. When I got up this morning, there was only a small piece of paper on the floor.

    I always believe that we can have a very important effect (影响) on anyone we meet. The right 1 at just the right time could change someone's life.

    When I was 3 years old, my parents found out I was 2. After asking many doctors and parents of other deaf children, they decided to 3 me in a normal (正常的) school.

    On my first day, the other kids 4 me because of my hearing aid (助听器) and the way I talked. 5 I seemed outgoing, my heart hurt a lot. Sometimes I was even 6 to go to school.

    Mrs. Jordan, my teacher, changed all of that 7 simple three words. One morning, she asked 8 a question.

    I put up my 9 right away after reading Mrs. Jordan's lips (嘴唇). She asked me to 10 and answer it. I breathed deeply and answered Mrs. Jordan's question 11.

    I will never 12 what happened next.

    Mrs. Jordan pointed at me. With sparkling (闪光的) eyes and a big smile, she cried: "13, Stephen!"

    For the first time in my young life, I got such a strong feeling of 14.

    At that moment, I decided that no matter how many difficulties I may face, I will try my best to 15 them. Just from those three simple words, my whole life changed from that moment.

    The world of the out-of-doors is full of secrets (秘密). And they are    1interesting that quite a lot of people are busy 2them.

    All around us are birds, animals, trees and flowers. The facts about how they3 and grow are as interesting as anything could be.

    Do you know that one of the great presidents of the USA 4 hours and hours5birds? A businessman who lived near New York became so 6in insects(昆虫) that he began to get 7 together. He now has more than one thousand different kinds of insects carefully 8in glass boxes.

    Come up with me, and I will help you find some nature's secrets. Let us go9 through the woods and fields. Here we shall find how a rabbit tells the others there is danger. We shall 10 a mother bear and her young ones as they look for11and get ready for winter sleep. We shall watch bees(蜜蜂)dancing in the air to let other bees know 12 they can find food.

    I will 13 you many other interesting things, but the best thing that I can14 you is to keep eyes and ears15 when you go out of doors. Nature tells her secrets only to people who look and listen carefully.

    Once upon a time，a rich man wanted to make a trip to another town. He tried not only to take things to sell but also to take money to1things with. He2to take ten servants（仆人）with him. They would3the things to sell and the food to 4on their trip. Before they started，a little boy ran up to5and asked to6with them.

    The rich man said to the little boy，“Well，7may go with us. 8you are the smallest，the thinnest and the weakest of all my9 ， you can't carry a10load（担子）. You must11the lightest one to carry. ”The boy thanked his master and chose the biggest load to carry. That was bread. "You are12." said his master, "That is the biggest and the heaviest one." The boy didn't say13and lifted the load gladly.

    On the trip they walked for days and at last they got to the town. All the servants were very tired14the little servant. Do you know15? Most of the bread was eaten during the trip and a little was left when they arrived at the town.

    When I was a little girl, my grandma told me if I planted something in spring, I would get more in autumn. I1what she said without doubt（怀疑）.

    At the age of six, while I was eating a big apple, 2hard pressed against my tongue（舌头）. I spat（吐）it out. It was a(n)3! I was so scared that I cried and ran into my grandma's room. She looked at the tooth and4, "Don't worry, dear. It's a baby tooth. You will have a new tooth in a few5. "

    "A new tooth? In a few months?" I felt very6.

    "Yes, you will have your new teeth7you get old, and you must protect your new teeth well. When you become an old woman, the teeth will fall again. 8at that time, they won't grow again. So it's not9for old people to eat something hard," my grandma said.

    I went out of my grandma's room and thought,"10should I put the tooth?"

    I thought for minutes, and then I had a good11—why not plant it in the garden? If I took good care of it, day after day, maybe it would become a big tree. When12came, there would be many white and strong teeth on the13. I could pick them and send them to some14people. Then they could eat hard things with these teeth.

    Of course my "tooth tree" couldn't15into a big tree at all, but what my grandma said had been in my mind for years.

    Homeless(无家可归) is everywhere. Even in France, one of the1countries in the world, thousands of people live in the streets or parks.

    Mr. Muller and his wife Rita have spent eleven years making2for the homeless of Paris, France's capital. They first3one hot summer. When most Frenchmen were4on holiday. The Mullets stayed at home, made sandwiches. 5a table in the street and gave food to the homeless.

    The Mullers soon found that food and clothing weren't6. “What these people also need is warmth and7." says Rita. They gave their phone number to the street people and told them to phone8. They also told that their home was always9to anyone who needed help.

    The Mullers were soon10all their time and money, so Mr. Muller visited food and clothing companies to11more help. Today, over thirty companies give away food and other things to them. And more volunteers join them, too.

    Mr. Muller and his wife12no payment for their hard work. “We feel like13." says Rita. "And parents shouldn't expect money14helping their children. The love we get in the streets is the best present for us. We enjoy the feeling of making15in the world."

    Last Saturday, Tony went to see Benny. But he didn't know1Benny lived. 2the way, he stopped in front of a yellow house, and asked an old woman the3to Benny's house. "His house is not far from my house, "said the woman." It's behind the trees. But you can't get there 4. You can go there by bus. It'll5you hours to get there6 foot. ""What's7with her?" Tony thought, "I can see Benny's house from here now. It's behind the8."

    Then Tony walked to the other side of the trees. He found the old woman was9. There was a river in front of him, and he couldn't see a boat. The house was on the other side of the10.

    I can still remember the first day when I met my best friend Lisa. I hid（藏）behind my mother and she hid behind her grandmother, 1to look at each other. But soon, we started playing with each other. None of my new friends liked her as much as I did2 they knew she had" family problems". However, we always had great fun together. It was last year that I noticed the problem. I guessed she needed3there for her. Well, she made a new"best friend" and4did I. Then I didn't know why, but she started cutting herself！She had to go to a5during the day. I was very6at first, but later we got in touch, I wanted to be there for her and I knew I still cared about her like a sister. Yesterday she came to me and said, "I never knew7a best friend was until you were the only person that would stop me8; the only person that ever made me feel 9about myself and my problems. You didn't even know you were helping me. "We both cried. So10a friend needs you, and you care for him or her, you can be friends forever（永远）.