As a high school coach, I did all I could to help my boys win their games. I cheered as hard for 1 as they did. A dramatic 2, however, following a game in which I was a referee, changed my 3 on victories and defeats.

    It was a league championship basketball game between New Rochelle and Yonkers High. New Rochelle was 4 by Dan O'Brien, Yonkers by Les Beck. The gym was 5, and the noise made it impossible to hear. The game was well played and 6 competed. Yonkers was 7 by one point as I 8 at the clock and discovered there were but 10 seconds left to play. New Rochelle, 9 the ball, passed off and shot. The ball 10 around the rim (篮筐边沿) and off. The fans 11. New Rochelle recovered the ball, and tapped it in for what looked like victory. The noise was 12.

    I looked at the clock and saw that the game was over. I hadn't heard the final buzzer (终场哨) because of the noise. I 13 with the other official, but he could not help me. So, I 14 the timekeeper, a young man of 17 or so. He said, “Sir, the buzzer 15 before the final tap-in was made.” Yonkers won!

    I had to tell O'Brien the sad news. His face 16. The young timekeeper came up and said, “I'm sorry, Dad. The 17 ran out before the final basket.”18, like the sun coming out from behind a cloud, O'Brien's face lit up. He said, “That's okay, Joe. You did what you had to. I'm 19 of you.” The two of them then walked off the 20 together, the coach's arm around his son's shoulder.

    I spent last summer volunteering at a hospital.It was a gift to 1so many amazing people and I'd like to share one of these moments.One day，I was called to a room where a(n)2woman was staying. Usually I helped with3who were ready to leave.Instead，she 4to go to the gift shop.I got a 5 ， helped her into it，and headed down to the entrance.

    When we got there，it wasn't open yet.After a 30-minute 6 ， we entered the gift shop.As I pushed her around，I could see the 7in her face as she looked at everything，happy to be out of her room.She 8some window decorations，and then saw chocolates.

    She asked me to push her in that 9 ， and then I helped her10all the different chocolate arrangements.11 she decided on three different boxes.

    She told me to write the numbers 1，2，and 3 on the boxes.She 12that the nurses were taking such good care of her，so she13chocolates for each of the three shifts of nurses.As we gave the current shift of nurses their box of chocolate，they14offered some to me before taking some themselves.

    There were15all around.Witnessing the old lady's16and getting the opportunity to spend time with someone who got so much joy from life was a17in itself. I have so many more stories，and each person made an impact on my life. I've 18that health has a way of bringing people together.19is a blessing，and being in a place where health is so 20and appreciated is unlike anything else.

A Welcome Gift

    Dario and his mother loved their new apartment. The living room was large enough for their piano. That night, the two of them 1 side by side at the piano. They played jazz music to celebrate their new home. The loud 2 filled the room and made them feel very happy.

    The next morning, 3, their happiness disappeared. Someone had left a 4 under their door during the night. One of their neighbors had written to complain about the sound of the piano. Dario's mother asked the building superintendent (管理员) if he knew anything about it. But he said that they were all 5 people and he couldn't imagine any of them had done that. Later that morning, Dario suggested that they write a letter to their 6 and apologize for their playing.

    “Maybe we could go and 7 everyone in person.” his mother said.

    “What if we invited them to come here for a 8 instead?” Dario asked.

They both loved the 9. Over the next few days, they sent out invitations and prepared desserts 10 their guests. They decorated the apartment with streamers (彩带) and party lights.

    Finally, the day of the party 11. Some guests brought presents. Others brought flowers. Some even brought desserts to 12. One woman, Mrs. Gilbert, 13 Dario's mother with a book of piano music by Chopin.

    “I heard you playing the other night,” she said. “The sounds woke me out of bed. I 14 hat you might play like this every night. So I wrote a short note. I hope you don't think I disliked the playing.”

    Dario's mother smiled at Mrs. Gilbert. “I think maybe we 15 you an apology.” she said. “I didn't 16 how late it was when we were playing. Maybe we should play some quieter music at night.

    “You play, you play!” Mrs. Gilbert said. “I like what you play! Just not so loud at night.” She pointed to the book she had given them. “These songs are not such 17 music.”

    “These songs are beautiful music.” Dario's mother said. “We will be 18 to play them in the evening.”

    “And we won't play so loud or late!” Dario said. He was already looking forward to 19 the new music. More than that, however, he was happy to see the big smile on his mother's face. It gave him a feeling of 20 and made him feel that they were home at last.

    I grew up on a 50-acre farm in the small rural community of Catawissa, Missouri, as the sixth of seven children. My parents, Archie and Altha, often 1 during meals how everything on the table came from the 2.

    Besides running the farm, Dad was also a 3. In the fall of 1970, he was working on a house when the ladder broke 4. His back was fractured in two places an 5 needed rescue.

    He stayed in the hospital for three weeks, 6 his back to align (校准) correctly so the bones would 7 perfectly.

    On Thanksgiving, Dad was still in the hospital. We always butchered pigs the day after the holiday so that we had enough pork 8 for the next year, and that year my uncle 9 with a couple of cousins to help my three older brothers prepare our year's supply.

    After Dad returned home, he was in a back brace, saddened for 10 to work. Worse still, the doctor told us his chance of complete recovery was 11. I was too young to realize our family had no money coming 12 as Christmas approached.

    One night we heard a car coming up the long driveway. Always 13 to company, we kids were curious about who was visiting.

    Peggy Phelan was at the door, holding an envelope 14 with money which, according to her account, she had 15 in the community. And she was there to 16 it!

    Dad tried to 17 but Peggy would have none of it. I can still hear her saying, "Archie, whenever someone's baler (压捆机) is broken, you bale their hay. Every time someone passes away, Altha is cooking. It's our 18."

    That evening, I understood what being a good neighbor was, and that 19 my parents were good neighbors, their 20 would be paid back.

    Mrs. Hudson walked into the classroom with a girl limping (瘸着走) behind her. She introduced, "This is Margaret. She just moved here from Florida. Let's 1 her." The teacher guided her 2 to a front seat, then bent over and 3 something in her ear. Finishing explaining the math problems, Mrs. Hudson 4,"Milk- break time. See you in ten minutes."

    Boys 5first. "Today, let's meet at the far end of the sidewalk. And make sure the new girl doesn't follow us!" I said. After a while, I came back to the 6. I wanted to find out if Mrs. Hudson liked my book report. With her usual big smile, she began, "Jack, you are a good 7." Shifting my weight from one foot to the other, I was a little 8 that Mrs. Hudson liked me so much. Her 9 let me know how much she appreciated having me around. My teacher 10 in her quiet voice. "That's 11 I am sure you will invite Margaret to play with you today." Her 12 words sounded like frozen knives aiming at my heart. Could she 13 suspect what we had been saying about Margaret? Could she know how 14 I was?

    Then I managed to 15 Margaret in our group. While many school memories have 16 over the years, the 17 Mrs. Hudson taught me has stayed with me. Mrs. Hudson gently guided me, 18 me to do the right thing. She believed in me, and 19 what she did, I rose to the level of her 20, both for Margaret long ago and even later in my choice of career.

    My l4-year-old son, John, and I spotted the coat which was hanging at a secondhand clothing store in Northampton Mass. While the other coats drooped(低垂), this one looked as if it were1itself up. The coat had beautiful tailoring, a Fifth Avenue label and a(an)2price of $28, which was popular just then with3, but could cost several hundred dollars new. This coat was even better, bearing that4of classic elegance(优雅). John tried it on and the fit was perfect.

    John5the coat to school the next day and came home wearing a big smile" Did the kids like your coat?" I asked. "They loved it," he said,6folding it over the back of a chair and smoothing it flat. Over the next few weeks, a7came over John. Agreement replaced contrariness (作对) and reasoned discussion replaced fierce8. He became more mannerly and9, eager to please. He would generously loan his younger brother his tapes and lecture him10his behavior.

    When I mentioned this incident to his teacher and11what caused the changes, she said laughing. "It12be his coat!" Another teacher told him she was giving him a good13not only because he had earned14but because she liked his coat. At the library, we ran into a friend "Could this be John?" he asked surprisingly,15John's new height, assessing the cut of his coat and extending his hand, one gentleman to another.

    John and I both know we should never16a person's clothes for the real person within them.17there is something to be said for wearing a standard of excellence for the world to see and for18what is on the inside to what is on the outside.

    For John it is a time when it is as easy to try on different approaches to19as it is to try on a coat. The whole world, the whole future is stretched out ahead, a vast landscape20all the doors are open. And he could picture himself walking through those doors wearing his wonderful, magical coat.