In February of 2005, Phil Belfiore was teaching one of Robert Frost's poems “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” He liked it that he recorded it on his home answering machine, which would lead to one of the most unusual1of his life.

    When Phil returned from his vacation, he listened to his voice 2  One gentleman caller 3for dialing the wrong number. But, he added, he'd really 4the poem. Phil laughed and thought nothing more of it— 5the phone rang a few days later.

    Phil 6John's hollow voice immediately, who said sorry to7, but he was calling to hear the8again. The two men talked. It turned out that his brother's phone number was9from Phil's by one digit(数字), thus the wrong number. Before hanging up, Phil told John to 10anytime, whether to hear the poem or just to have a chat.

    That was 11 years ago. They've spoken on the phone a few times a month ever since. It is John who is 11the starter of most calls. However, Phil will ring if a long while has passed. Not 12  John has been in poor health. His special voice is just the 13of some heart trouble. They seem to always 14when there's been a big sports event. The man like to discuss 15most. John will also 16Phil on his life. Slowly, their conversations have grown much more 17  When asked what drew them together, Phil18that they were old friends. They planned to meet twice, but circumstances went19them. Their friendship is based on the simple act of picking up the phone. “My best friend is someone I've not yet met 20 ” says John. It's as simple as that.

    Anna is a nurse at the National Institutes of Health Center (NIHC). She didn't want the young 1 there, who couldn't go outside, to miss out on the winter 2when it was snowing outside last winter.

    The kids could see the snow 3. But they couldn't 4 it. Many of the kids had a type of immunodeficiency (免疫缺陷) and were waiting to have bone-marrow transplants (骨髓移植). The immunodeficiency put them at risk of infection, 5 while they were having transplants, they were even weaker, so they were6 to go out or be around many people.

    Also, there were kids from all over the world at the center and some of them had 7seen snow in their lifetime. Anna didn't want them to 8 the fun, so she had a(n) 9. Since the patients couldn't go out into the snow, Anna filled up a basin with 10 on her own and 11 it right to them. She made several trips 12 so all the kids would have fresh snow to 13.

    The children made snowballs, 14 the snow with colored pens and made snowmen. One child even 15 Anna with a snowball. They had a very 16snow day.

    After the children's parents knew what she had done for the kids, they 17her. Because of her, the children experienced the 18 brought by snow. One parent said, “My daughter has been at NIHC for almost eight weeks and has hardly been able to 19 her room, so it was so much fun for her to be able to play with the snow.”

    Anna was glad that she could do something to make the children 20.

    It's a Friday morning in Boston, which means Dr. Jim O'Connell is making his rounds. He might be more 1 inside an exam room, but that's not where his patients are. Dr. Jim O'Connell is one of a handful of physicians making house calls to the 2 in the city.

    More than 550,000 Americans are homeless, and many have health problems but no 3 to cure. O'Connell and his team are doing something about it. On a daily routine, they 4 about 700 regular patients. "I feel like I'm a country doctor in the middle of the city." he said.

    O'Connell began to do this 33 years ago, when he was at Harvard Medical School and was  5 to be a one-year position as the founding physician of a new health-care program for Boston's homeless. That turned into a 33-year 6 at the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, one of the country's largest of its kind. O'Connell 7 about everything, from stitches (缝补)for an arm to surgery for the soul. If patients can't be treated on the street, he finds them a treatment bed at the respite facility(休息治疗区), a place for patients who are too sick to be on the streets 8 not ill enough for a hospital stay.

    "Everything I had been taught to do—go fast, be efficient—was 9 when you take care of homeless people." When you see somebody outside, you get them a cup of coffee and sit with them. Sometimes it 10 six months or a year of offering a sandwich or a cup of coffee before someone would start to talk to me. But 11 they engage(参与), they'll come to you any time because of 12 you. When asked about how his life might have 13 , if he had become a highly paid physician, O'Connell said, "I 14 think about it anymore."

    Some things are far more valuable than money. Just ask Dr. Jim O'Connell who gets everything from patients who have nothing 15 to give.

    On Thursday morning, two teenage boys were rescued by a drone (无人机) in Australia while lifeguards were still training to use the machine.

    The 1, aged 15-17, got into difficulties about 700 feet off the coast of Lennox Head, New South Wales (NSW). A passerby saw them 2 in dangerous waves. Lifesavers 3 sent the drone to drop a lifeboat, and the pair made their way safely to the 4.

The drone, known as "Little Pipper", was actually not 5 to be saving anyone just yet—lifeguards were being trained to 6 the machine. When a call came about the swimmers 7, the drone happened to be nearby.

Jai Sheridan was the lifeguard who 8 the drone. He described the experience as 9. "The Little Ripper 10 proved itself today. It is a highly efficient (高效的) piece of lifesaving equipment. I was 11 the drone when the alarm was raised. I directed it towards the swimmers, and dropped the 12. With its support they made their way to safety. They were 13, but not hurt. The teens were rescued in just 70 seconds with the drone—while a lifeguard would have taken up to six minutes to 14 the rescue."

    John Barilaro, an official of the state, 15 the rescue as historic. "It was the world's 16 rescue by the unmanned aircraft", he said. "Never before has a drone been used to 17 swimmers like this."

    Last December, the NSW state government 18 some "Little Ripper" drones for 247,000 pounds. 19 some are designed to spot sharks, others are 20 with lifeboats, alarms and loudspeakers. "It was money well spent," said John Barilaro.

A conversation with a Stranger

    Last Sunday I sat on the bus talking with excitement and so ready to spend time in London with one of my best friends from college. As I took the window seat and wore headphones over ears, I almost didn't 1 the elderly man sitting beside me.

    Half an hour passed and I was still absorbed in my own world.2 the elderly man asked me a question, a simple question 3 the bus's Wi-Fi connection, which turned into a two-hour 4. In fact, it directly 5 my personal life.

    We talked much about my dreams, my fears and my life. I 6 more with this stranger on the bus than I have with any friend or family member in months. Maybe it had something to do with me just being 7 to let anyone I know close to me. I was 8 that the stranger was not only so deeply interested in getting to know me, but also just as willing to 9 me to my greatest abilities. He listened carefully to every word I said and gave some useful10 at times. Instead of politely11 his head when I mentioned my major, he told me that my strong liking seemed to be psychology, but not the one I was studying. He said that he knew I would face difficulties if I studied psychology and that he fully understood my12 for the failure.

    The elderly man made me 13 the plans that I had laid out(安排) for my life with just that simple statement. He helped me realize that my neatly 14 plan for the next five years of my life wasn't all that neat, but actually complex and filled with 15.Most of all, he helped me 16 the anxiety and told me not stay away from it because of my fear for the unknown. I 17 a lot from talking with the elderly stranger.

    Several days later, he emailed me, saying, "I think you're 18 for great things no matter what you decide to do." The email was filled with words of 19. In a few hours a stranger showed me a sense of kindness that made me realize that life is sometimes 20 but it is going to be okay.

    Spelling was sort of my superpower. I wasn't a math or science guy, but I could chew and 1 books.

    "Your word is onomatopoeia," said the announcer. On the stage of "School Bee," my brain 2 to the spelling bees ahead: first the county championship, then the state, and finally the national spelling bee. I glanced back at Alexa, who wanted another chance at 3. If I missed this word, she'd be 4 in the game. But that wouldn't happen. Chin up, shoulders back, I 5 my throat, "O-n-o-m-a-t-o-p-o-e-i-a." I made it.

    The trophy (奖杯) was presented to me. I shouted onstage, "I am the alpha-best". Surprisingly, my sister, Deandra, rolled her eyes. "You're a 6 winner." Deandra made a 7 face. "She tried to shake your hand but you 8."

    I didn't 9 at all. "Anyway, I won the school bee." "Don't be proud. You'll soon be facing the 10 of the best in the county bee."

    "Will they 11 me? I am the alpha-best with no efforts at all." After six rounds, the number of students 12 from more than 100 to just seven and I was one out of the seven. If I had been given words like aerospace or conical, I'd make 13 already. Unfortunately, I 14 with the word maestro at last. I stood 15 for the longest moment.

    The final winner acted the exact 16 of mine. He accepted his trophy with a small bow, and then shook hands with the runner-up (亚军). I got to know Deandra's words 17.

    I apologized to Alexa, "I'm sorry I was so 18 when I won." "How was the county bee?" Alexa asked. "A 19." If you need a study partner for next time, I'm happy to help." "Really? Let's 20 on it, partner." "Better late than never." Alexa said, shaking my hand.