I sat and waited for Kathleen to speak. “Annie,” she said, “A food bank that serves the elderly is asking for 1. I'd like you to organize the event” “Well, errr…sure.” As I stuttered (结巴地说) through my 2, all I could think was, “What? Why me?”

    I walked back to my office wondering where to 3. This was a time when the economy was 4. The rise in unemployment forced many of my coworkers to 5 to survive. How could I ask them for more?

    That evening I drove home with negativity. Then I remembered a time when my father was out of work. Mom wrote a note to Jim, the milkman, asking him not to 6 any more milk. Two days later Jim picked up the 7 and left four liters of milk. He wrote his message, which read, “Kids need milk.” The milk delivery 8 as usual and Jim never collected a cent 9 us.

    The memory of Jim's 10 fired my enthusiasm. Perhaps I'd be in for a pleasant surprise.

    The next morning I 11 signs about our food drive all over the cafeteria and on every notice board I could find. Each sign said, “Food drive to support the poor elderly! 12 of non-perishable (不易腐的) foods are greatly needed.”

    Within a few days I had to locate empty office space to 13 the massive number of contributions we had 14. One of my coworkers, Maggie, made the rounds with me every day from one department to another to 15 the canned goods and other foods. Though over sixty, she pushed our food trolley around with the 16 of a woman half her age.

    I asked her where she got all the enthusiasm. She said, “With the unemployment rate touching 10 percent, I can't think of a better way to be 17 for keeping our jobs when so many have 18 theirs. Sure money is 19. But when isn't it? People need food.”

    As I listened to Maggie, the milkman's words 20 in my ears, “Kids need milk.”

    Peter and Paul had got permission(允许) from their parents to camp in a field close to their farm. But, being adventurous boys, they know it would be more 1to camp in the forest that lay beyond the river. Excitedly, the boys 2 with their tent and food.

    Carrying their heavy 3, the two brothers walked along the riverbank, hardly noticing the distance or the sun beating down. They were eager to reach their 4 before lunchtime. As they entered the cool, shadowy forest, they began to search for a suitable camping place. Peter wanted to 5 close to the river at the edge of the forest, 6 Paul, who was older, insisted that they camp further away. 7, Peter followed his brother deeper into the 8. “This really is a wonderful setting!” said Paul in excitement. They 9their tent, and settled down to eat the sandwiches they had made, then decided to find their way 10 to the river to catch some fish.

    “Are you sure that this is the right 11?” whispered Peter shakily. “I'm sure we passed that hollow tree just a while ago.” Paul walked12 silently. “Look, there it is again. We're lost, aren't we?” complained Peter. Paul had to admit that he didn't know where they were. 13, they were a long distance from where they were 14 to be. They were not even 15 of where they had set up their camp. They sat in 16for a few minutes until Peter had a bright idea. “Why don't we look for clues（线索） the way trackers 17 in the movies? We weren't careful about how we walked, so I'm sure we would have left18 some broken tree branches and leaves. ”

    Carefully, the boys 19the marks that they had left, until finally they found their campsite. Hurriedly, they packed their belongings and set off 20 the direction of the river.

What would their parents think of their adventure（冒险）?

    Steve, a 12-year-old boy, had been failing since first grade. He generally went 1 until he joined Miss White's class.

    "You all did pretty well," she told the 2as she went over the test results, " 3one boy, and it breaks my heart to tell you this, but ..." She hesitated, looking at Steve.

    "The 4boy in the seventh grade is failing my class." Steve 5his eyes and carefully examined his fingertips.

    After that, Steve refused to do his 6. Miss White was very 7and tried to encourage him to study.

    "Give yourself a 8! Don't give up on your life!" Miss White told him, yet it didn't 9.

    Then one day, she said, "Steve! Please! I care about you!"

    10, Steve got it. Someone cared about him.

    He spent the whole afternoon thinking about what he should do. Arriving at his house after school, feeling determined, he headed to his bedroom to 11.

    Monday morning, Miss White gave a 12on the weekend homework. Steve 13through the test, and was the first to hand in his paper. Miss White looked it over in total 14. The smartest boy in the seventh grade had just 15his first test.

    From that moment, nothing was the same for Steve. He discovered that not only could he learn, but he was 16it.

    After high school, Steve joined the Navy. During his naval career, he 17many young people who might not have believed in themselves if he hadn't believed in them first.

    Miss White saved one boy who 18changing many lives.

    You see, it's simple, really. A(n) 19can take place within the heart of one boy, all because of one teacher, who 20.

    It was the last day of school. The teacher walked around the class and 1 each student a piece of paper except me. It was everybody's2 for the year. I knew that I3 the class because I couldn't read. I was 4 of being asked to come up in front of the class and read.

    Suddenly the5 bell rang. My seat was next to the door so I just ran out of class across the playground until the fence (栅栏) of our school. I sat on the grass with my head in my knees and burst out6. A couple of minutes later I heard the crinkle (沙沙声) of a lunch bag and then 7. I saw a girl in my class 8 out my lunch. She set it down next to me then and didn't say a word. She9 sat with me till the bell rang. On the way back she put her arm around me. “You might not 10 so well but I think you are a(n) 11 painter in the class," she said 12. "My mom always tells me if I do the best I can, I will be better," she added.

    The rest of the day I was lost in thought13 I had drawn a picture of a black horse 14 to reach some grass on the other side of a fence. When the last bell rang, I went to her15 where she was talking with her 16 and put the picture down. I could hear the girls talking about the 17 as I walked away. That18 a lot to me because it reminded (提醒) me that I was 19 something. At the same time, I also 20 that I wasn't doing the best I could.

    It happened when our grandchild, Anne, was three years old. My husband, Paul, asked her if there was anything she wanted to plant in our garden. She had an answer—Fritos (油炸玉米饼).

    "Anne, Fritos might not 1 in this soil," he said. But Anne looked at her grandfather and said that if the other 2 could grow, so would Fritos. Paul 3 this in the simplest way possible. He sent Anne running to the house for Fritos.

    That evening, I asked Paul, "Are you 4?"

    "She will forget it," he 5. The next day, Anne asked again. To gain time, Paul said it would 6 two weeks for Fritos to come out. That should be plenty of time for her to forget, he thought.

    For the next two weeks, she arrived every evening to 7 her "Frito land". Anne grew more 8. But with each passing day, Paul became more and more 9. By the 13th day, he had 10 a plan, and the next morning we began to work.

    We planted two plants where the Fritos were 11. Then we began the difficult task of tying Fritos around the leaves of the plants. At last, that was quite a 12 off our mind. Anne ran straight to the garden as 13. We were shocked when she shouted, "Grandpa! They're up! The Fritos came up!"

    The story was repeated several times. When Anne was in second grade, it was finally 14 until the day her teacher talked about the topic of 15. As part of the lesson, the teacher asked each child to 16 something that grows in a garden. You can 17 what Anne said!

    Anne's parents 18 it was time to tell the truth. Their daughter sat very still while they talked, and when they finished, she remained 19. Suddenly, Anne burst out 20 and said, "That's the best joke Grandpa ever played on me."

It was a regular school day, and the air was filled with the usual sounds of chatter and laughter as students prepared for their lessons. Little did I know that this day would soon take a dramatic turn, making it a/an 1 day.

As the bell rang, 2 the beginning of our English class, we entered the classroom, completely 3 of the coming danger. The teacher began the lesson, and we were really 4 our literature lesson when, out of nowhere, a loud fire alarm interrupted everything.

Panic spread as we understood how 5 it was. Smoke filled the hallway, and a sharp burning smell hung in the air. The neat classroom turned into a mess as everyone 6 to the door, trying to get away from the coming danger.

In all the chaos, I noticed my 7 Sarah looking obviously scared by her desk. I quickly 8 she needed help. Without hesitation, I rushed over, took her shaky hand, and told everyone to stay calm. We went through the chickening smoke together, and each 9 felt like a really long time.

As we reached the door, it felt hotter, and we knew we had to hurry. With hearts 10 , we hurried into the playground where teachers and students were making sure everyone stayed safe.

Outside, we took a moment to catch our breath, 11 by the loud sounds of approaching fire trucks. Seeing parts of the building on fire, a sense of 12 washed over us, knowing that we had made it out unharmed.

After everything happened, I couldn't help but reflect on the events of that day. 13 all this taught me it's important to stay calm when things get 14 and how helping others during hard times matters. It was a day when ordinary students became unlikely heroes, bound together by the shared 15 to overcome the unexpected challenges.