There was a woman in Detroit, who has two sons. She was worried 1 them, especially the younger one, Ben, 2 he was not doing well in school. Boys in his class 3 fun of him because he seemed so 4.

    The mother 5 that she would, herself, have to get her sons to do better in school. She 6 them to go to the Detroit Public Library to read a 7 a week and do a report about it for her.

    One day, in Ben's  8, the teacher held up a rock and asked if anyone knew it. Ben 9 up his hand and the teacher let him 10. “Why did Ben raise his hand?” They wondered. He 11 said anything; what could he possibly want to say?

    Well, Ben not only 12 the rock; he said a lot about it. He named other rocks in its group and even knew 13 the teacher had found it. The teacher and the students were 14. Ben had learned all this from doing one of his book 15.

    Ben later went on to the 16 of his class. When he finished high school, he went to Yale University 17 at last became one of the best doctors in the United States.

    After Ben had grown up, he 18 something about his mother that he did not know as a 19.

    She, herself, had never learned how to  20.

    On Sunday I had my own Father's Day celebration. Suddenly I 1 about my dad a lot. My dad is 2 the kindest man in the world. He would never 3 anyone in trouble.

    Every Thursday night, my dad would 4 Shreveport, to a church there. I always drove the car for him.

    Although this happened many times, I 5 one incident on one of those trips to Shreveport. That time on the 6 , my dad saw a hitchhiker (搭便车的人 ). Dad asked me to pull the car over and offer him a 7. Dad asked him his name and address, told him ours, and talked to him about all sorts of things.

    At first the hitchhiker was hesitant (迟疑的 ), but he changed his 8 as he could tell we were really listening to him. I did know that it was quite 9 outside and the hitchhiker was very happy to be able to get a lift in our warm car.

    We 10 another forty-five minutes and learned that the hitchhiker was 11 many difficulties in life. Dad told him to keep his head up and said that 12 would become better for him soon. He 13 into his pocket and handed the hitchhiker a twenty-dollar bill, leaving only a ten-dollar bill for himself. The hitchhiker then became very 14 .

    I was always told never to 15 a hitchhiker and yet my dad did it every time he saw one. Dad always gave them money 16 he did not have much of his own.

    From that I've learned a lot about my dad and 17 . I've learned that if you come from a place with 18 , you will show a lot of kindness to people who are 19 . Just one single kind act may 20 someone's life.

    One year my children came home from school asking where we were going on your summer vacation. It seemed that all the other kids were1 where they were spending the summer. I couldn't 2to take them anywhere but I didn't want to tell them that so I just said, “It's a surprise!” They were 3. That bought me a little more 4.

    I called several amusement 5to see if there was a half-price event during the summer but no such 6. I tried everything, with no success, so I called some of the other moms to find that most were in the same7that I was. We decided to8 something fun for our kids to do. We had a meeting, all five of us, and9 what is now called a “playcation”.

    One mother was a  10, so on Mondays the kids would all go to her house. They would play games using plants and11. They also planted vegetables and12 them grow over the summer.

    Another mother had Bible 13 on Tuesdays. She asked some questions about Bible. The kid who answered  14got a penny, which they all turned in at the end to buy their goodie bags(礼品袋).

    At our house on Wednesdays, I made an outdoor 15training with my spare tires. The kids also walked a balance beam and raced through large cardboard boxes taped together.

    On 16they had arts and crafts across the street. Fridays were17by a wonderful single dad with a metal detector(金属探测器)who took everyone out treasure18 .

    The summer was a big19 . Okay, it wasn't Disney World,20 the kids didn't miss anything. My son actually asked me, “Can we do this again next year?”

    Goran Kropp was a Swedish adventurer and mountaineer. In 1972, at the age of six, with his father's help, he1 Galdhopiggen, the highest mountain in Northern Europe. twenty-three years later, he stood on the highest peak in the world, Qomolangma. His journey to the2shows just how independent, persistent (坚持的), and determined this 3 man is.

    4most people arrive at the foothills of Qomolangma by some sort of modern 5, Kropp bicycled 7,000 miles from his home in Sweden. Traveling by bike was not 6. He stopped many times to 7 his bike because rough roads caused mechanical problems for him. In addition, he was run after by dogs, stung by hornets(马蜂) and was caught in the rain several times before he 8 the base of the mountain.

    Kropp9 to climb Qomolangma the same way he traveled to the mountain: without the10of others and without modern conveniences. Unlike other 11 Kropp climbed the mountain without a guide or helper. He did not 12bottled oxygen to help him13 at high altitudes, and he carried all of his 14himself in a pack that weighed about 140 pounds.

    It took Kropp 15tries to reach the top of Qomolangma. The first time, he had to 16 only 350 feet from the top because the weather was too dangerous. Just a few days earlier, at that same level eight climbers had 17because of a sudden snowstorm in the mountain. He felt deep sorrow for them, but became more 18. The mountaineer waited out the storm, 19, and tried again a few days later. This time, he was 20. After he walked down the mountain, he got back on his bike and rode the 7,000 miles back to Sweden.

    My aunt came to my home with her six-year-old daughter Alice this morning. While my aunt was talking with my mom at home, my cousin felt a bit 1. So I suggested that I go out with her. My aunt happily 2. So we went to the park near my home together. There we bought two 3 and started flying them. While we were doing that, Alice couldn't help 4. She jumped up and down and I knew she was 5having great fun. And I must 6that I haven't enjoyed myself like that for a long time.

    Later, we sat down on a bench, looking at the gardens. As we were7there, Alice looked up at me and said, "What a 8day today!" I smiled at her and agreed. I then started 9 what we had done that day. We did something quite 10, yet we were very happy.

    Many people wait for their "best days". But I think today is our 11 day. That's a lesson I 12 today. As adults, we often make plans 13 in order to have a great day. Some people think that they can have a nice day through spending a lot of 14. I think we should be more like 15. They don't think about money or what will happen tomorrow. They 16 live in the moment and enjoy the moment!

    We often hear the expression that we should live in the 17. How do we do that? We're not doing such a 18 job. Remember today is important as we are exchanging (交换) a day of our 19 for it. Yesterday is a history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a 20. That's why it is called present. So seize (把握) the day!

    Many families usually take their children to travel during school breaks. But Julie and Tim Rivenbark planned a(n) 1 vacation with their two children―a one-year trip around the world. They plan to 2 30 countries in all.

    Right now, the four travellers are about halfway through their 3. Ms. Rivenbark says they are trying to see as much of the 4 as they can.

    Mr. Rivenbark says the family has 5 on ostrich (鸵鸟) birds, elephants, and camels. But, he says, one of the most 6 experiences of the trip has been meeting new people.

    “People have been 7 friendly and welcoming and love our kids and it's lovely to see them interacting (互动) with new people and their 8 to see our kids enjoying themselves in their country.”

    Eleven-year-old Tyler says he has enjoyed 9 about the people they have met. “I learned in Africa that people have very 10 lifestyles to those in America.” His sister Kara 11 that she liked Thai food.

    Ms. Rivenbark says that the trip is 12 the children a lot more than short visits would have. “I think that the longer we travel, the more 13 it has on how they see the world. I can see them 14 more than they can see themselves,” she said.

    It took the family a year to 15 for the trip. They had to sell their house and cars. Ms. Rivenbark 16 her job and her husband is using unpaid leave. They carry small bags 17lightweight clothing and whatever else they need. Ms. Rivenbark says she 18 being able to carry everything she needs on her back.

    Tyler and Kara each have iPads so they can communicate with teachers to stay 19 with their schoolwork. Tyler is also 20 a 365-day video blog.