A ship was wrecked (失事) and only two of the men aboard were able to swim to a small, desert-like island. Not knowing what else to do, the two 1 agreed that they had no 2 but to pray to God.

    3, to find out whose prayers were more 4, they agreed to divide the territory (领地) between them. What the first man 5 for was food. The next morning, he saw a fruit bearing tree on his side of the island, and he was able to eat its 6 But the other man's side of land remained 7.

    After a week, the first man became 8 and decided to pray for a wife. The next day, a woman swam to his side of the island. But on the other side of the island, there was 9. Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes and more 10. The next day, like magic, all of these things were 11 to him. However, the other man still had nothing.

    12, the first man prayed for a ship so that he and his wife could 13 the island, and in the next morning he found a ship at his side of the island. The first man 14 the ship with his wife and decided to leave the other man on the island, considering him unworthy to receive God's blessings 15 none of his prayers had been answered. As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from Heaven booming, “Why are you leaving your 16on the island?”

    “My blessings are mine alone since I was the one who prayed for them,” the first man answered. “His prayers were all unanswered and so he doesn't 17 anything.”

    “You are mistaken!” the voice 18 him. “He had only one prayer, which I 19. He prayed that all your prayers would be answered. Had it not been for that, you would not have 20 any of my blessings.”

    Flora was a carnivorous(食肉的) plant. She lived in a supermarket, next to her friend, Porky, who worked there. Porky 1her with great affection and attention, and always gave her some meat at the end of each day. But one day, Porky didn't give her meat any more. Flora got so worried that she decided to 2 why Porky did this to her.

    After several days, she found out that Porky 3 lots of meat in a big yellow box. 4 not to know anything about it, Flora asked Porky if she could have a little of the food that was 5 in the yellow box. He responded very 6that she could not.

    Flora felt hurt, as well as 7, and she couldn't stop 8who Porky was keeping all that delicious-looking meat for. She was filling up with anger. That night, when the shop was 9, she went over to the box, opened it, and10the meat.

    The next morning, Porky arrived and found the meat had gone. Flora felt terrible. He asked her several times 11she had taken the meat. At first she 12it, but seeing Porky's worried face, she13 to admit to it.

    “What have you done?” Porky 14. “I told you not to touch it! All that meat was 15！That's why I haven't been able to give you 16for days. They sent us a spoiled（变质的）delivery.”

    Without delay, Flora was taken to a hospital, and the doctors there 17 to save Flora's life. Flora was very 18 and it taught her a big lesson. She learnt to stick to the 19set by those who loved her, because that was much 20. than doing whatever she wanted.

    One cold Friday the bus was about to come in around 15 minutes. Most of the time I am OK waiting but not this day. So I went to the nearby store and bought something 1 to drink and then came back. A high school girl was there, waiting for the bus, too. She looked 2 and she was shivering（颤抖）because of the cold. I gave her one of the cocoa cans I bought and we had a little3.

    She said that she was quite nervous, being afraid that she would fail her exam in a week. I told her a few encouraging words 4 some funny jokes to make her relax. She seemed to be happy again. She thanked me and told me she wished to see me again. I 5 and thanked her, nodding yes. The bus arrived and I had to 6 in a hurry.

    We may 7 see each other again. But I'm thankful to her for saying “Wish I could meet you again”. It's not easy to say these words. It 8 a strong will and courage to accept an offer from a stranger. In today's world, people are 9 with people they aren't familiar with most of the time. What's more, they seldom trust each other.

    That young girl helped me more than I could have helped her. She touched my heart with a 10 to send wishes of good luck and love to those who are full of emotions and fears.

    It was sunny when my dad and I arrived at his company. We parked the car and1it. I looked around and saw a gray thing on the floor. I thought it was a garbage bag, 2 it started to move. As we approached, we3that it was a small wounded dog.

    We were so moved by the4that we decided to help the5dog. We went across the street and bought some dog food, and then we got some pure6for it, in order to help it regain7.

    The dog was so desperate that it8drowned itself after we gave it the food and water. After it ate up the food, we9it to move. However it couldn't. my dad10to take it in his arms, but it started barking11 the pain caused by its wounded bleeding paws, so we12to carry it in a small stretcher（担架）to the car.

    13, we took it to the vet so that it could be treated. The vet told us that it had a(n)14leg and that it had been starving for days. After five days of treatment, it15and we decided to look for a16for it. Though I loved the dog very much, no one in my home could17it.

    Finally, the dog was18by one of my dad's colleagues. It is taken good care of and living19now. Every life deserves our acts of kindness. I was20that we helped the dog and made it have the chance to continue enjoying its life.

    I was often told that God loved me. I wanted to believe that so much.

    For nearly a 1 I was shuttled between adoptive families and group homes—14 of them. Some families were nice. Others were 2, like evils in a dark fairy tale. At the age of 12, I was finally 3, by Gay and Phil Courter, a couple with two adult sons. Gay said, "We lived for a 4, and we believe that reason is you."

    I'd been lied to by adults so many times in the past years. I wasn't sure they 5 loved me. "There will be no 6. All those parents were pretty much the same," I said to myself. I 7 to call them Mom and Dad. I was particular about the home-cooked meals Gay 8 prepared. I hid in my room as much as possible. I wanted to make them 9 so they'd show their true colors.

    One Friday night in the eighth grade, I really 10 things to the limit. A neighborhood girl had persuaded me to 11 out of the house with her to meet some boys. I put Advil(镇痛药) in my parents' drinks after dinner, 12 it would make them sleepy. Wow! I'd never seen them so 13. "Now they would surely send me back", I thought. Instead they said. "Ashley, we are family, we have nowhere to send you back to, we must 14 this like a family."

    I ran in 15 to my bedroom, where I spent the weekend. Seeing how much I'd disappointed them made me 16. No one had ever cared for me like that. I didn't deserve this 17.

    Sunday night, Gay came into my room. She 18 down and kissed my cheek. "Love you, sweetie," she said. For the first time ever, I kissed her back. "Love you too," I said. That word-love-sounded so 19, yet felt so true. I was discovering that love is what makes a(n) 20.

    Years ago a professor gave a group of graduate students this assignment: Go to the slums (贫民窟). Take 200 boys between the ages of 12 and 16, investigate their 1 and environment and then 2 their chances for the future. The students，after 3 social statistics, talking to the boys and compiling (汇编) much data, 4 that 90 percent of the boys would spend some time in 5.

    Twenty five years later another group of graduate students were given the job of 6 the previous prediction. They went back to the 7 area. Some of the boys—now 8 —were still there, a few had died and some has moved away. But they managed to 9 180 of the original 200.They found that only four of the boys had ever been sent to prison.

    Why was it that these men, who had lived in a breeding place of 10, had such surprisingly 11 record? The researchers were 12 told. "Well, there was a 13."

    They investigated 14 and found that in 78 percent of the 15 it was the same woman. The researchers went to the teacher, now living in a home for 16 teacher. How had she had this remarkable 17 on that group of children? Could she give them any reason why these boys 18 her? "No," she said, "I really couldn't." And then, 19 over the years, she said musingly (沉思地), more to herself than to her questioners, "I 20 these boys." The researchers finally realized that it was the teacher's care that made a difference.