“Paul must have been trying to carry his waste paper to garbage can and dropped a few pieces.” I1picking them up.2later I found more pieces. No quiet sighing this time. I 3“Who is throwing garbage?” No answer. Instead, I saw more bits of paper silently floating4from upstairs. Looking up, I saw my seven-year-old son, Paul.

    “Stop making a mess.” “It's not a mess. They're5.” “Sorry, what did you say?” I hadn't heard him clearly.

    He didn't answer me. Paul has autism (自闭症) and6answers a question, especially when he's 7attentively on something else. He ran down the stairs. “Where are my other butterflies?” he asked,8around. Every time Paul 9five or more words together, my heart says a 10of thanks. But lately he seems to 11that the benefits of forming complete sentences when communicating are12of the effort.

    Butterflies. Of course. I rushed to13them from the garbage,14them off and handed them to my young artist. “Want to see them15again?” he asked with a shy smile. “Oh yes! They're beautiful.” I whispered. He ran back upstairs to float his 16down again. They really did look like beautiful butterflies.

    That day Paul 17me to look up at 18instead of down at garbage. How many other masterpieces (杰作) do I miss because I'm too caught up in my 19to take time to appreciate what's right in front of me? Life is not what happens to us. It's 20we look at it. Now, I look up.

    Today my son didn't feel well and came home from school early. I decided to take him to lunch. On the way, he saw a woman pushing her cart along the street. He said to me, “Ma, she's wearing baseball cleats(夹板) as 1. I just wish I made enough money to be able to 2 a pair of comfortable shoes for 3 I see that doesn't have shoes.”

    We drove to a shopping center and he went inside. He 4 thought out what he'd get. He 5 the most comfortable and the longest lasting shoes that would keep her 6too. He 7 two pairs: athletic shoes and also boots for the winter, along with a six pack of socks.

    We drove back to find her and give her this 8. I had no intention of taking a 9, but I was holding my phone as I saw her reach up to 10 him. It choked me up and I couldn't 11 that moment. I opened the camera as quickly as I could and 12 it. It brought tears to my eyes as he hugged her and then helped her 13 the tags and put them on. He quietly got back into the 14 and he sat there for a minute or so. When he looked over at me he said, “Ma, today is her birthday. She was so 15.”

    He didn't ask questions or talk 16 about her situation. He simply 17. He took basically one week of his pay and made this lady's birthday 18. I challenge everyone to love a 19 with the 20 of a child. Show compassion and give what you can. It doesn't have to be a lot. 

    A month ago, my friend Nick and I experienced a(n) 1 event. It was the evening of the fourth day on our hitchhiking(搭便车) trip to Morocco. We were 2 on the side of a main road in the cold 3. It was nearly dark. To our 4, there wasn't a single bit of grass where we could put up our tent. Finally, we reached a small town after 5 for about an hour and a half.

    We found a bar where we thought we might be able to 6 ourselves first. Then we would 7 where we are going. We each bought a coffee, but the barman, José， brought over some bread 8. Full of thankfulness for his generosity(慷慨), we explained to him what we were doing. He showed much interest in our 9.

    Then, we asked José if we could 10 on his floor. We were very worried he would refuse. 11, he said yes! Thinking he lived upstairs, we waited for him to lock us in 12 he could be sure we didn't 13 anything. To our surprise, he gave us the keys! He showed us how the 14 worked, said goodnight and was off.

    We all stood in 15. In only a few hours we had gone from standing in the cold rain to owning a 16 bar. All the fridges were 17 and there was a fair amount of money on the sideboard. We were amazed at how much he 18 us. Then it was a good night's sleep. The next morning, he 19 and we let him into his own bar. 20, he gave us a free meal, and then we were on our way.

    Every time I look at my parents or even think of them, I feel proud of them. I especially admire their1of our coming to Singapore.

    Our native country was Yemen. Forced to2the war, we had to leave our home and all our3and go on a long boat journey to Singapore. At that time, I was six years old and the youngest of seven children. I thought I could have been such a4on my parents but they had always5I had everything l wanted. This6was not easy for my parents, but throughout it they thought of their children first. I was even told that they once ate only apple peels, 7the fruit part for me.

    Our journey to Singapore was not the last of our8.We were also faced with starting a life in Singapore with9. Of course, our beginning years were hard, living on just10food bought with food stamps and wearing second-hand clothes.11, my parents had to work very hard to build a better life. I would always12how my dad used to walk in the13hours to an English language school while my mom went to work. After a few years my dad went on to get a14in business and a better job. My mom got another job and our living status slowly began to15.

    Then, we moved out of the16apartment, leaving all the hard times behind, and moved into our house, starting our new life. Today we own three cars and two houses, and we live very 17. My parents' great18make me know that nothing is impossible, To this day they are 19by people they have inspired. I greatly admire my parents and therefore l would like to give them a sincere20for accomplishing their goals to give us a happy life.

    For a long time, I thought a present and a gift were no different. I grew up in a household where presents 1 special occasions, say there were always presents for Christmas and our birthdays.

    So when I married Gary who did not give presents on a 2 basis, I had to make an adjustment. Gary did not wholly avoid gift­giving, though. 3 noticing how many hours I spend on the 4, he brought home a shoulder pad (垫肩) for the telephone receiver. But mostly, he 5 holidays, let alone shop for earrings to 6to me showing his affection.

    I tried to change him 7. I bought books for his birthdays and knitted him hats and sweaters for Christmas. 8 I began to tell him what I wanted, giving9instructions, but got nowhere.

    Last year when the snowstorm 10our town and he was on business, I used his present road scraper(铲土机)to11both our drive and our neighbors, thinking how12earnings would have been. Gary had wisely chosen not the thing I 13, but the thing that he knew I would need.

    I 14began to understand the difference between a present and a gift. A present is just a thing. But a gift is broader and often cannot be 15, It is a small act of kindness, the 16 to bend to another's needs, the sacrifice of time and effort. 17 is a gift. Any expression of it, freely given, is a (n)18 from the heart that is immeasurably better than a present.

    My insistence on presents must have seemed to Gary a lack of 19 for the gifts he had be giving all along, but he never stopped giving them.

    Gary will be home this Christmas, but I don't 20 a present. I already have the greatest gift.

    Clara Daly was seated on an Alaska Airlines flight from Boston to Los Angeles when a flight attendant(服务员)asked an urgent question over the loudspeaker: "Does anyone on board know American Sign Language?" Clara, 15, 1 the call button. The flight attendant2and explained the situation. We have a passenger on the plane who's 3and deaf", she said. The passenger seemed to want something, but he was traveling alone and the flight attendants couldn't4what he needed.

    Clara had been studying ASL for the past year and was able to finger spell on the man's5. So she6her seat belt, walked toward the front of the plane, and7by the seat of the passenger, Tim Cook Gently taking his hand, she8: How are you? Are you OK?" Tim asked for some water. When it9, Clara returned to her seat. She came again a bit later because Tim wanted to know the10. Clara got him to know that it was nearly 10 a. m. On her third 11, she stopped and stayed for a while.

    "Wow, this is cool," Clara said to the flight attendant. In fact, he didn't need anything. He was just12and wanted to talk. "

    So for the next hour, they were both13, chatting with each other. She talked about her family and her14 for the future(she wants to be a politician). Tim told Clara how he had15become blind over time and16stories of his days as a traveling salesman.

    "Clara was17, " the flight attendant told New York Times during an online18. "You could see Tim was very excited to have someone he could19with, and Clara was like a(an)20, appearing in need, unexpectedly. "

    Cook's reaction: "Best trip I've ever had."