While my father was an officer of the British army in South Africa, we lived in a two-storeyed house. One evening my father and sister and I were sitting together. He was1the window. I suddenly2that he was turning very pale. I sat3, for I didn't want to4my sick sister. Soon father said in a5voice, “Kate and Joan, a friend of mine6here to see me this evening, and I wish to be7him. Will you go up to your own room?” We obeyed, went to our room and closed the door.

    Soon I heard a8like that of a door burst in, and then a climb of feet. They were hurrying9the narrow stairs. Fearing that there was10near, I seized the pistol (手枪) on the table. Then I heard my father cry out, “For God's sake, child, 11the door.” I did so. To my scare, I saw,12my father's shoulder; a gorilla (大猩猩), the worst enemy of the soldier in Europe, he was13my father. I raised the pistol and fired. The animal fell backwards with an/a 14loud cry. Father took the still 15pistol from my hand, and fired another shot, which killed the gorilla.

    It happened when father 16us upstairs because he thought he would be able to 17the door—which was twenty feet away 18the animal reached it. However, the gorilla was too 19 and this was the cause of the 20flight (=escape) up the stairs.

    It was a very cold Thursday. When I observed the1falling onto my car, I really began to wonder if I was going to2it on time. Of course I must, because I have no3

    About two weeks ago, what my4Ellen had talked about was her Christmas concert to be held in her school and some rumors about it. “Mom, Rachel was5to sing alone, but she's not! Linda will replace her to do it.” “Mom, you won't believe it,6Lexie's whole family is coming to the concert, even from another7” Making a long way out of state to see third graders sing Christmas carols seemed to be a pretty big deal(待遇) for her.

    When I sat in traffic, I thought about all the school8I had attended alone. Ellen never mentioned it, but I wonder9she felt about me being the only one who ever came to her events. My own family lived out of town, and her father and his family10quite succeeded in fitting those things into their schedules, I11if it bothered her.

    At eight o'clock the12was scheduled to begin. With only a few minutes to13 I found myself running: first, through the snow-drifted parking lot, then through the school passage. I entered the14hall and found a vacant seat near the front. From her place onstage, Ellen saw me15for the chair, and she smiled. I was16enough to hear the loud conversation of the children onstage.

    “Look, Ellen, there is my uncle and my cousin. They came all the way from West Virginia. I can't believe my whole family is here!” Ellen17at Lexie and said, “My whole family is here, too! Look, there she is!” Ellen gave me a big smile. I smiled back at her, never once18the melting snow dripping off my head. It19occurred to me that while we tried to teach our children all about20 they actually taught us what life was all about.

    I have a deep wish to serve the needy（生活艰苦的）.I 1with the thought of kindness. My parents also inspired it in me by not only 2 but also showing how it's done.

    It always 3me to see the poor and homeless on streets suffering in the cold.  So one cold morning, I brought some sweaters and biscuits and put all of them in a bag and left 4 such needy people.1 wandered for miles. Then I saw the 5 One. He was an old man sitting on a street. I didn't say a word.6 ,I stood beside him quietly.  He 7 at me and asked if I had something to eat.  I was so excited that I could 8 help a person all by myself.  I brought out a sweater and a pack of biscuits and 9 them over to him. He thanked me again and again and his face lit up with 10.I sat beside him and we 11 for a while.  I asked him all about his problems. Then I 12 my search for more homeless people.

    I 13 many needy people that day. It was quite14 that l was even happier than them as I got a chance to 15 the poor.  One thing I learned from talking to all those needy people was that they never complained（抱怨）about their 16 or how unfortunate they were or how bad the life was for them. They all had the 17 0f soldiers inside them, fighting without complaining and with a 18 that some day all this would be over.

No one 19 about it, not even my parents.  1 wish to continue my act of kindness secretly in future because helping others does make me feel happy and 20

    “Come on, Cindy!" Darcy sounded so impatient, “We'll be late for class."

    “Darcy, I can't find my1." I dropped my book bag to dig through my coat pockets. “My money was in it."

    “Someone took it." Darcy said. As usual, she was quick to point away from the2side of things. “Oh. I'm sure I just misplaced it." I hoped. Even though we were best friends, Darcy and I were just so3.

   We rushed into class. Darcy4the news about the theft. By last period in gym class, I was5of having to say over and over again, “I'm sure I just left it at home."

   After gym, we went into the locker room. I was changing6I heard a gasp from Darcy. I looked at her and found her face was white with7. There, at her feet, was my wallet.

    “It fell out of her locker!" Darcy pointed at Juanita, a “new girl" in our class. “She8it."

    Everyone began to9Juanita at once.

    “Darcy caught her red-handed."

    “Report her!"

   I looked over at Juanita. She picked up the wallet and held it out to me. Her hands were10. “I found it in the parking lot. I was going to give it to you."

    Darcy spit the words “I'm so sure!" at her.

    “Really, it's true." Juanita's eyes began to fill with tears.

    I11for my wallet. I didn't know what to think,12when I looked over at Darcy, her attitude made me sick inside. I looked at Juanita. She was scared but looked13. I knew I held her14in my hands.

    “I am so glad you found it," I smiled. “Thanks, Juanita."

    The15around us broke.

    “Good thing she found it," everyone but Darcy16.

    “If there is any money left in your wallet."

    “Not now. Darcy!"

    “You are so naive!"

    It wasn't until others left there that I opened my wallet.

    “It's all here." I couldn't help but feel17. A folded piece of paper fluttered from my wallet. I opened it to see what it was.

    “She just didn't have time to18it yet."

    “Darcy, maybe you spend too much time19people."

    Darcy grabbed the note, read it and threw it back at me. “Whatever!" she said and stomped off. I knew that something had20between us.

    I read the note again.

Cindy,

    I found your wallet in the parking lot. Hope nothing is missing.

Juanita

    P.S. My phone number is 55-3218. Maybe you could call me sometime.

    And I did.

    A boy guarded the barrel(桶) in his father's winery. Every morning he1up every barrel with a piece of cloth, and then put them in2row upon row. To his 3, the wind blew the barrels here and there4. The boy was so angry that he wrote a letter to the wind, "Please don't blow down my barrels." After5that, his father asked the boy with a smile, "Can the wind read your6?" The little boy said, "I don't know, but I have no way of dealing with the wind."

    The next morning, when the little boy ran to look at the barrels, he found that the wind had7his request, still blowing the barrels here and there. The little boy felt8and burst into tears. His father stroked his head gently and said, "Son, don't be sad. We can't deal with the wind, but we can think of our own methods to 9the barrels.

    Then the little boy10his tears and sat near the barrels to think over and over. After thinking half a day, he finally11a way. He12some water from the well and poured it into those13barrels. At14, the little boy got up in a rush, ran out and saw the barrels still15in good order. He smiled happily and told his father, "We do have a way to16the barrels from blowing down. It's a very17way, that is, to add weights to the barrels." The little boy's father smiled 18.

    We can't change many things, but we can add the weight of our own19, so that we can stand20in the world not to be knocked over.

    I come from one of those families where you have to yell at the dinner table to get in a word. Everyone has a strong 1, and talks at the same time, and no one has a 2 leading to heated arguments. We often talk or even debate with each other on different topics. 3 a family like mine has made me more 4 about the world around me, making me tend to question anything anyone tells me. But it has also made me realize that I'm not a good listener. And when I say "listening", I'm not 5 to the nodding-your-head-and-6-answering-Uh-huh-or-Ooh-I-see variety. I mean the kind of listening where you find yourself deeply 7 with the person you're speaking with, when his story becomes so 8 that your world becomes less about you and more about him. No, I was never very good at that.

    I spent summer in South Africa two years ago. I worked for a good non-profit9 called Noah, which works 10 on behalf of children affected by AIDS. But 11 you asked me what I really did in South Africa, I'd tell you one thing: I listened, and I listened. Sometimes I 12, but mostly listened.

    And had I not spent two months 13, I might have missed the 14 moment when a quiet little girl at one of Noah's community centers, orphaned（孤儿）at the age of three, whispered after a long 15, "I love you."

    16 that summer, I knew how to hear. I could sit down with anyone and hear their 17 and nod and respond at the 18 time—but most of the time I was 19 about the next words out of my own mouth. Ever since my summer in South Africa, I have noticed that it's in those moments when my mouth is closed and my 20 is wide open that I've learned the most about other people, and perhaps about myself.