My husband, Tom, has always been good with animals, but I was still amazed when he befriended a female grouse (松鸡). It's 1 for a grouse to have any contact (接触) with people. In fact, they're hard to spot, 2they usually fly off when they hear humans approaching.

    This grouse came into our lives in 3. Tom was working out in the field when he 4 her walking around at the edge of the field. She was 5 unafraid and seemed to be 6 about what he was doing.

    Tom saw the 7 bird several times, and she got more comfortable around him. We quickly grew 8 of the bird and decided to call her Mildred.

    One day, as Tom was working, Mildred came within a few feet of him to watch. Tom 9 he didn't see her and kept working to see what she would do next.

    Apparently, she didn't like to be 10. She'd run up and peck (啄) at Tom's hands, then 11 off to see what he would do. This went on for about 20 minutes, until Mildred became tired of the 12 and left.

    As spring went and summer came, Mildred started to 13 more and more often. 14 Mildred felt comfortable enough to jump up on Tom's leg and stay long enough for me to get a  15 of the two of them together. This friendly grouse soon felt 16 not just with our family, but with anybody who walked or drove by.

    When hunting season started, we put a 17 at the end of our driveway asking 18 not to shoot our pet grouse. My father, who lived down the road, 19 warned people not to shoot her. 20, hunters would stop and take pictures, because they had never seen anything like her.

    A long time ago there was a boy. He was smart, talented and handsome.  1, he was very selfish and his temper was so 2 that nobody wanted to be friends with him. Often he got angry and said various 3things to people around him.

    The boy's parents were very 4 about his bad temper. They considered what they could do and one day the father had an idea. He called his son and gave him a hammer and a bag of5.The father said: “Every time you get angry, take a nail and 6 it into that old fence as hard as you can.”

    The fence was very7and the hammer was heavy, nevertheless the boy was so angry that during the very first day he drove 37 nails.

    Day after day, week after week, the number of nails was gradually8. After some time, the boy started to understand that 9 his temper is easier than driving nails into the fence.

    One day the boy didn't 10 hammer and nails any more as he learned to hold his temper perfectly. So he came to his father and told about his11. “Now every time, when you hold your temper all day long,12 one nail”.

    Much time has passed. At last the boy could be13 of himself as all the nails were gone. When he came to his father and told about this, he14to come and take a careful look at the fence. “You did a good job, my son,15 pay your attention to the 16 that were left from the nails. The fence will 17 be the same. The same happens when you say hurtful things to people, as your words leave18 in their hearts like those holes in the fence. Remember, we need to 19 everyone with love and respect. It doesn't 20 that you say you are sorry, because the scars will not disappear.

    I can never wipe off the memory that I met my current stepmom for the first time. After I parted with my father for ages, I moved to America and was 1 with him. In the beginning, she made sure to let me know that I was welcome in her 2. I remember when I first saw her at the 3. It was different, but not 4. Over the past years there is 5 I needed that she did not provide. I'm the young woman I'm today because she made sure to 6 me properly. Yesterday I went to see her for Mother's Day. When I gave her 7, she held my face in both of her hands and kissed me straight on the mouth 8 I had the flu.

    Her simple act of affection 9 me back to my first night in America. After I was 10 up from the airport we went home and she11 my luggage and took me shopping for new clothes since the ones I had brought with me from Africa were a bit 12. That night before I went to bed, she came to my room, the first room I had ever had for my own. She told me she was 13 to have me and that she would take good care of me. Before she 14 she asked me for a hug. That was my 15 first hug and I was 11 years old at that time.

    I'm 23 years old now and I have received many 16 over the past years, but none has given me a greater 17 or deeper impression. I regarded her as my 18 mother because my new life began when I came to 19 with her. Today I say to my mother, Mrs. Sherrill Kirundi, thank you, mom. Thank you for your giving me my 20 childhood back.

    As a student in my final year of high school, I am very concerned about college. I spend most days thinking about the 1, hoping that I am on the right path.

    I am interested in a career in 2, so I decided to volunteer for service at the local hospital. I thought it would be the best of both worlds: 3 people while getting valuable on-the-job experience! So I went to the business office. 4, the hospital director was quite willing to let me help out, and he said I could 5 that summer as soon as I finished my finals. I accepted his 6 immediately, thinking to myself that here lay all the 7 I could ever want!

    Soon enough, I 8 for my first day at the 9. The director gave me a brief tour of different departments 10 we stopped right in front of maternity ward（产科病房）. "This is 11 you are going to work," he said. I was overwhelmed(不知所措的) by the sounds. Women shouted and newborns 12. I got nervous and wondered if I had been in a hurry when I was 13 to go for such a (an)14 job.

    My 15 must have shown clearly on my face because the director said, "Don't worry. You are going to help in the nursery." 16 that, we walked down a hallway filled with balloons, beautiful flowers and into the 17 room I've ever seen. The soft colors provided a quiet backdrop to the sleeping babies. The nurse in charge of the nursery 18 me, thanked me for 19, and asked me to start putting some baby things away in the drawers. The director gave me a (an) 20 look, which I returned with a quiet nod. I got right to work.

    Christmas 1940 makes me misty-eyed every time I think about it. In the hard times, people1one another. We2food, clothing, bedding and household items and gave them to the needy.

    That Christmas we students found ourselves3toys we collected and loading packages for4.As we presented the gifts, we saw5in many faces, especially those of the children. We had a few more6to make on Christmas morning. The air was heavy and frozen to the bone. For several hours, we knocked on doors. But as the cold hours passed, our7gradually faded. When we8headed home, someone9a small house down a canal bank. None of us knew who lived there,10we wondered if there were11.We still had a doll, two trucks, some small toys, chocolate Santas and a box of groceries. We decided to make one last visit. When we knocked on the door, a young woman answered it, looking at us12.Three small children watched from behind her skirt—a little girl of about 2, and boys perhaps 4 and 5 years old. “Merry Christmas,” we13as we bent down and handed the gift-wrapped packages to the children and the box of groceries to the 14, whose eyes widened15.She slowly smiled, then quickly said, “Come in.” The room was16as the children looked at their mother, wondering if the gifts were really for them. The little girl17her doll, and the boys grasped the trucks as they sought a(an)18.She put her arms19them and said in a20voice, “I told you Santa Claus would come.”

    Here's one touching story about two heroic teachers. When a1filled with schoolchildren went madly out of control, their teachers stayed cool to deal with the emergency. It was the quick reaction of the teachers that saved scores of lives.

    It was 6 a.m. They were 2the May day field trip. As the kids waved goodbye to their parents and boarded the bus, their teachers Tina and Kelly settled into front seats. The teachers were whispering quietly3they felt the bus switched its direction suddenly across the highway and4into the guardrail(护拦). The driver was stuck in by his seat belt and his head was just kind of hanging there.

    The children seemed frightened and screamed in5.

Both the teachers comforted their students and kept telling them to6down.

    Meanwhile, the bus ran 7down the highway at 70 miles an hour.

    In a second, Tina made her decision.8over the driver, she put her hands on the wheel and tried9to pull it back to the right.

    However, the bus didn't react as10. Instead, it was beyond Tina's11and turned over into a deep grassy valley, sending Tina through the front window of the bus. She was severely12. The bus slipped through the grass on its roof for several yards13 it finally stopped and the 14began struggling their way out through the broken window.

    Luckily,15of the children were killed. Not only had Tina droved the bus toward a safer place,16her gentle right turn also slowed down the bus speed, when it17into the valley. Obviously, she reacted properly and did an impressive job.

    Tina was rushed to the hospital for a(an)18by air. After she recovered from the operation, she returned to school, receiving cheers and praise,19she seemed embarrassed by all the attention. "I'm not a hero, I just did the best I could." she said, adding, "All those kids will be20to me, for we escaped from the jaw of death together."