Bill, a thirteen-year-old boy, thought he had grown up to be a man, but his parents told him, "You won't be a real man until you begin to 1 helping others."

    One morning, his parents gave him some money to 2 some milk for them. Outside a shop he saw a homeless old man who looked very 3. Bill went to him and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

    The old man answered, "I'm hungry. I haven't had any food for two days." At the thought of his parents' words, Bill said to the old man, "Let's go to the 4." When they got there, Bill asked the waiter to bring out bread and coffee to the old man. The old man finished the meal quickly. After the waiter 5 the plate and the cup, the old man said, "Sorry for giving you so much 6, I'm fine now. I'll 7 forget your kindness! You are a very good young man."

    Bill was 8 when he heard this. Just when he wanted to pay for the meal, the waiter came. Bill and the old man learned 9 that the food was free 10 it was the birthday of the boss, and they were the first customers(顾客)that day.

    One day Jack went to a big dinner party. His coat was not good. When he went in, no one looked at him and no one gave him 1food. He was 2 angry that he went home, and 3 his best coat and then came back to 4 party. Everyone stood up at once and came to meet him. Other guests 5 him to the best table and gave him the best food. Then Jack put the food in his coat and said, “Please eat, my dear coat.” The other people were very 6 and said, “Why are you doing that?” Jack answered, “I'm asking my coat 7 now. When I came here at 8, nobody noticed me 9 gave me food. After I changed my coat, you gave me the best food. So you gave food to my coat, not to 10.”Everyone felt embarrassed(尴尬的).

    The day before my daughter Norah's fourth birthday, I picked her up from preschool. On the way, she said, “I like old people best because they walk slowly like I walk slowly and they have soft skin like I have soft skin.”What she said marked a 1beginning.

    The following day—her birthday—again on the way home, she asked 2 we could stop at the store to buy cakes for her. How could I say3 to a birthday girl? After paying for the bill, I noticed that Norah was standing up in the cart,4announcing, “Hi, old person! It's my birthday today!” However, the old man in front of her didn't show he was5 by my talkative child. He 6 with a smile, “Well, little lady! And how old are you today?” After a few minutes' chat, Norah offered to take a photo with the old man called Mr. Dan, his expression changed from surprised to delighted. We exchanged our phone numbers. There was magic happening in the store that day, and we could 7 feel it.

    During our first visit in Mr. Dan's home, We walked with him to his front door. He pulled out a knife and 8the only blooming red rose. He spent ten minutes cutting every thorn（刺）9 the stem（茎）before handing it to his new friend. Norah keeps that rose, now10as a bone, under her pillow for a long time.

    Norah asks about Mr. Dan every day. She worries about him. She wonders if he's 11 or cold. She wants him to be OK. She wants him to feel loved. Mr. Dan thinks about Norah too. After 12 recent visit, he said that he had 13 had a whole night's sleep since his wife died. “Norah has healed me since meeting her.” he said. That left me 14 and my eyes wet with tears. Somehow, their hearts and souls seem to recognize each other from long ago. Sometimes talking to strangers can 15 beautiful new beginnings.

    A group of frogs（青蛙）went jumping through the forest one day. Suddenly, two of them fell into a deep1. All of the other frogs came together to look2at their two fallen friends. They all began to shake their heads3 "It's too deep!" said one frog. Another added that there was no way they would ever be able to get out4.

    The two frogs began to jump and tried to get out. But the frogs that were5kept shouting at them that they had better6because they were just wasting their7. One of the two frogs finally8, listened to their advice and died.

    The other frog just kept on jumping harder than ever9all the shouts. They kept shouting at him to stop being so10and save himself from all the pain（疼、痛）when he jumped and fell back down to the hard bottom again and again.

    Finally, to the11of all the other frogs, he jumped right high enough and got out. The other frogs asked him, "Why did you keep jumping12we shouted at you to stop?" The frog explained, "I was so worried at that time that I could hardly13anything. I thought all of you were saying words of14all the time and cheering me on to try harder."

    Yes! Cheering words can sometimes make such a(n)15. A little encouragement can go a long way.

    I planned to go on a vacation with my family. The idea had come me as I1 to a talk on my car radio.

    The speaker said, 'Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love."2myself, I had to say that I spent little time with 3wife Mary. Well, for two weeks that would change.

    After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read. Mary suggested a walk on the beach. I started to refuse, 4 then I thought, 'Mary's been alone here with kid all week and now she wants to be alone with me." We walked

    On the beach5 the children flew their kites.

    Relaxed and 6, that is how the whole 7 passed. I made a new decision to keep on remembering to choose love.

    There was 8 wrong with my experiment. However, Mary and I still 9 about it today. On the last night, Mary looked at me with the 10 expression.

    'What's 11 matter?" I asked her.

    'Tom," she said in a voice 12 with sadness, 'do you know something 13 I don't?"

    'What do you mean?"

    'Our doctor…did he tell you something about me? Tom, you've been so good to me…am I dying?"

    It took a moment for it all to sink in. Then I couldn't help laughing 14 .

    'No, honey," I said, holding he in my arms. You're not dying; I 15 to live."