On a Friday 1, a poor young artist stood at the gate of the subway station, playing his violin. The music was 2, and many people 3 and put some money into the 4 of the young man.

    The next night, the young artist took out a large piece of5 and laid it on the ground. Then he began 6. The music sounded more pleasant. Some people gathered and they found the 7 on that paper. “Last night, a gentleman put a(n) 8 thing into my hat. Please come to get it back.”  When the people saw that, they felt very curious and began to

9 what it could be. After about half an hour, a man 10 there in a hurry and said, “It can't be true！You ...you ...”

    The young violinist asked, “Did you 11 something?”

    “Lottery (彩票).”the man answered12.

    The violinist took out a lottery ticket. “Is it？” he asked.

    The man was too13 to say a word ...George Sang 14 a lottery ticket a few days ago. The awards(奖)opened yesterday and he won $500,000. So lucky and excited did he feel that he 15 50 dollars and put it in the hat when hearing the music. However, the lottery ticket was also thrown into the hat without being noticed. The violinist found the lottery ticket. Thinking that the owner would 16 to look for it, he came back to where he was given the lottery ticket.

    Someone asked the violinist 17 he returned the lottery ticket to the man. He said, “18 I don't have much 19, I live happily; but if I lose 20 ,I won't be happy forever.”

    A couple in ordinary clothes walked into the Harvard's outer office. "We want to see the president," the man said softly. "He will be busy all day," the secretary spoke 1, concluding that the couple had no 2 with Harvard from what they wore. "We'll 3," the lady replied.

    Four hours, the secretary 4 them, hoping that the couple would finally become 5 and go away. They didn't. And the secretary grew 6 and finally decided to disturb the president. Someone of his 7 obviously had no time to spend with nobodies, but he 8 people in such clothes filling in his outer office.

    The president, frozen-faced, walked 9 toward the couple. The lady told him, "We had a son that 10 Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard and was very happy here. But he was accidentally 11. And my husband and I would like to 12 a memorial (纪念物) to him somewhere on campus." The president wasn't 13; he was shocked, "Madam," he said 14. "We can't put up a statue for every person who studied in Harvard and died."

    "Oh, no." the lady 15 quickly, "In fact, we thought we would give a building to Harvard." The president 16 at the couple and then shouted, "A building! Do you know how much a building costs? The cost of the Harvard's buildings is over 7.5 million dollars."

    For a moment the lady was 17. The president was pleased. He could 18 them now. The lady turned to her husband and said quietly. "Is that all it costs to 19 a university?" Her husband nodded. Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California, where they established the university 20 after them—a memorial to a son.

    On a recent trip to California, I was introduced to Smile Cards. I promised myself to 1 an act of kindness before I left California. I 2 thinking about it but I didn't know what to do.

    I reached the airport and the 3 was about to begin when I saw an ice cream store. I went in and told the guy at the store that I 4 to do an act of kindness. The guy, named Jose, looked confused. 5 I explained I had just attended a conference, where I was told Smile Cards and 6 to do an act of kindness. Jose showed 7. I told Jose, "Whoever is your next 8, treat them to some ice cream and then give them this Smile Card." Jose 9 read the card and agreed with a smile that was both grateful and 10 at the same time.

    Since this was my first time, I wanted to know the 11 of the receiver. “Jose, I have to catch a 12, but here is my cell phone number. Would you be 13 enough to call me and tell me the person's reaction?" He 14.

    I went to my gate, and as I was about to board, Jose 15, "I did the act of kindness. The person was very 16, and asked me to express thanks to the person who paid for it！" I again thanked Jose and boarded the flight feeling 17.

    I really want to 18 this practice of kindness. I am a professor and I love my work 19 it makes a difference in the lives of others. And now, I realize that I can do that everywhere. The whole world is my 20.

    Right after lunch, Mother found she had got a cold. She did need a rest in bed. But first she had a few things to do. Prepare the meat for 1. Leave a note for the cleaners…

    At last, she fell into bed, soon asleep…

    Then the door banged(砰地一声) open as the 2 came home from school. "Mom! Mom! Where are you?" "Didn't you even get up yet?" "What about dinner?"

    "I'm sick. And I can't do anything. I'll have to leave all to 3 . Cook the potatoes. Take care of the baby. Put plates, spoons and forks on the table."

    "Wonderful!" "No problem!" The children ran off 4. Mother was left in her quiet room. She felt terrible! But everyone else seemed great. In fact, there seemed to be a party going on with loud laughs 5 the children.

    There was a sudden crash (破碎声). Then a voice shouted, "Get the baby out of the way —6 he cuts himself. Don't break Mom's rest!"

    Another crash came! The younger girl rushed in with news. "They 7 your plate and the dog ate all your dinner."

    The girl ran off. There was more noise until, finally, the children appear, 8. They were proud of what they brought. There is a glass of water, three beans, a cold boiled potato and a small piece of burned meat.

    Suddenly, Mother felt 9. As the children watched carefully, she ate her cold dinner. "Everything 10so good," Mom smiled. "Thank you, my kids. I feel better now."

    "What kind of stuff do you write?'' one student asked on my first day at the University of Massachusetts. After a decade away from the classroom, I was back to1.

    "I write creative nonfiction," I said, "as you'll be doing.”

    It was a2. I couldn't remember when I'd last written a3essay. But it must have been before my mother fell ill, leaving me feeling my family story wouldn't end4. It seemed that nothing I wrote could change that.5I couldn't write my own stories, I could6my students to tell theirs. "You're going to keep a7in this class, and I want you to tell your stories like they8."

    "Why do they matter? ^" a boy named Michael asked. Looking out at the roomful of students, I9. No one said a word. Many of them, I learned, worked while in school. Most didn't know their stories did matter. They didn't even realize their stories were as10as their own lives.

    Finally, I looked at Michael. "They matter because they're what you have. Stories allow us to make meaning of what we've11I said. Michael didn't look12, but he didn't challenge me, either.

    In his first essay, Michael wrote about how his high school English teacher seeing his13and helped him fill out a college14. I had Michael read his essay out loud. After he finished, the class went so15that we could hear the sound of each other's16. I looked at him and saw a small17in his dark eyes. Then, I said, "That's why you tell your stories."

    I went home that night and18my journal from where it lay, dusty and19. For the first time in months, I had to20.

Two men were sitting together in a plane. They were on a long journey. One of the men was a businessman. The other was a farmer. They sat without talking for a while, then the farmer said, "Let's do something to pass the time."

"What do you want to do?" the businessman asked. "We can ask each other riddles(谜语）." The farmer said, "You start." "Let's make the rules first," the businessman said. "That's not fair. You are a businessman with much knowledge. You know more things than I do. I am just a farmer."

"That's true." The businessman said. "What do you want we should do?" "If you don't know the answer to a riddle, you pay me $100. And if I don't know the answer, I'll pay you $50." The farmer said. The businessman thought about this, then he said, "OK. That's fair. Who will go first?"

"I will," The farmer said. "Here is my riddle. What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies?" The business man repeated the riddle, "What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies? Mm, that's a good one. I'm afraid I don't know the answer." He gave the farmer $100, then said, "Tell me the answer. What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies?" "I don't know." The farmer said and gave him $50.