I was unbelievably proud of my nine-year-old daughter, Emily. 1 to buy a mountain bike, she'd been saving her pocket money all year, as well as doing small jobs to earn extra money. By Thanksgiving, she had collected only $49. I said, “You2 have your pick from my bicycle3.”

    “Thanks, Daddy. But your bikes are so old.” She was right. All my girls' bikes were 1950s models, not the kind a kid today would4choose.

    As Christmas5 near, Emily and I went bike shopping. As we left one store, she 6 a Salvation Army（基督教慈善组织） volunteer standing next to a big pot. “Can we give something, Daddy?” she asked. “Sorry, em, I'm out of change.” I said.

    Throughout December, Emily continued to 7 hard. Then one day, she made a 8 announcement. “You know all the money I've been saving?” she said hesitantly. “I'm going to give it to the poor people.” So one cold morning before Christmas, Emily handed her total savings of $58 to a volunteer who was really very9.

    10 by Emily's selflessness, I decided to contribute11 of my old bicycles to a car dealer who was collecting used bikes for poor children. 12 I selected a shiny model from my collection, however, it seemed as if a second bike took on a glow（发光）.Should I contribute two? No, one would be enough. But I couldn't 13 the feeling that I should give a second bike. When I later 14 the bikes, the car dealer said, “You're making two kids very 15, sir. Here are your tickets. For each bicycle contributed, we're16 away one chance to win a girls' mountain bike.”

    Why wasn't I surprised when that second ticket proved to be the 17? I like to think it was God's way of 18 a little girl for a sacrifice 19 her years—while giving her dad a lesson in the20.

    Mr. Glen is a millionaire. Five years ago, after returning from abroad to his motherland, he 1 his small company. Speaking of success, Glen often tells us a story about his extra expensive “school” fee. He always 2 his success to it.

    At that time, Glen, who already got a Ph.D. degree, 3 to return to the homeland, starting a company. Before leaving, he bought a Rolex watch with the 4 made through years of work after school and the scholarships. At the airport he had to accept the 5 customs check. The watch on his wrist was also demanded to be taken down for 6. Glen knew that carrying the specific goods out had to pay the tax, and he worried about paying 7 for his watch. So when he was checked, he told a lie that his watch was a 8 fake（假货）. When he was 9 of his “smarts”, immediately, in the presence of Glen, the officers hit the watch, 10cost nearly 100,000, into pieces 11 hearing Glen's words. Glen was 12 . Before he understood why, he was taken to the office to be examined 13 . For many times of entry-exit 14  he knew that only those people in the “blacklist” would “enjoy” this special treatment. The officers looked over everything carefully in the box, and 15 him no matter what time of entry and exit he must accept the check and if 16 reusing and carrying fakes, he would be 17 according to law! Suddenly, his face turned red, and he had nothing in mind after boarding the plane for long.

    After returning to the homeland, he often told the story to his family, and his employees, too. He said that this made a deep 18on him, because the additional high “school” fee that he had ever paid made him realize the value of 19, which he would remember as the 20 of his success forever.

I'd gone from a tiny village school with a total of 60 students to a huge-school with thousands of pupils. I was a little fish in a very big1. I lived too much of my first year 2 doing anything wrong. I just decided to be the wallflower when it 3 class discussion and answering questions. I was always the one that 4didn't look the teachers in the eye 5 they asked me to answer. I listened well, and6 everything in, but I always liked to be a spectator（旁观者）. It is hard not to 7 what others may think of you when you are speaking in front of many 8. It did take long for me to feel 9 with teachers and make friends with classmates.

Some people 10 straight into a new learning environment.11 most are nervous and feel they don't fit in. It's completely 12so it should not be a worry to you. Be 13and you will adapt to the new school. School life is 14 you make of it. Some 15 it; some love it. But it's only when you leave that you can really appreciate how school16you into the person you become.

It's so important to 17 yourself out of your comfort zone. If you are shy, tell yourself you will raise your 18at least once every lesson; if you are quick-minded, try to give other people a(n)19In time, you will20 how much you loved it or hated it.

    Many years ago, I was working in an office in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We had a large1that looked out over a busy street. I was standing by it one day when a woman in a2 car looked up and made eye contact. Naturally I 3. As she turned and tried to identify me, a quiet laugh 4my lips. My co-workers began taking an interest, and stood back watching the5I received, and laughing happily. Then the stress of work was6away.

    Christmas approached, and job 7 were announced. Several of my co-workers were losing their jobs, and everyone was8. While I was working a night shift, a red jacket, a box of foam (泡沫橡胶) packing and strips of tape in the corner attracted my 9 They could be Santa's jacket and beard! Then I folded a red file into a 10 and tied the beard to it.

    The next day I walked 11 down into the office in the costume. My co-workers 12 around me and laughed for the first time in weeks. Suddenly, my boss came up to me13 shook his head and then left. I feared 14. Then the phone rang.

    With a bead of sweat 15 my forehead, I entered the boss' office.16he laughed: “Thanks, Mike! It's been hard to enjoy the Christmas season. Thanks for the laugh. I 17 it.”

    That evening, I stood 18by the window and waved at my fans, with my heart 19with joy. For a few minutes of that day, we'd been able to forget our 20

    Herman Travis, 55, lives in Holly Courts, a low-income neighborhood in San Francisco. Every Tuesday, Travis 1a shopping cart with groceries from a local food bank (食品赈济站). Then he makes home 2 to his elderly and disabled 3. He started doing it in 2007 and when he first 4, people were doubtful. They didn't welcome it as he had 5. "At first people were 6. They didn't let me in. However, 7 they got to really know me they would just be 8 to see me," Travis once told me.

    I am one of Travis' neighbors who 9deliveries from him. Like everyone else, I 10 appreciate his help, and love to see the joy Travis gets out of making his rounds. I'm 11 with the way he handled himself with the people here. He's so very kind and warm, always smiling, as if he's 12 a favor for his own family. 13 , people are happy when they see him coming, knowing they are treated with 14.

    There are people in nearby15that have been trying to steal Travis for years. They suggest 16 him to go and deliver food for them. But he simply wouldn't do it for money.

    What Travis does for us might be 17 things, but he does them with big love. It's 18 rewarding for himself. And for those of us who receive his 19every week, it is truly20. He's a modern-day hero.

    One of my favorite things in life is my monthly date with my daughter. Now it has become our 1to include some kind of Smile Card activity whenever we can. It's very2today, so we planned to make our3act something cool. We went to an ice cream shop,4 at the table near the counter.

    As we5our ice cream, we said that we'd like to6ice cream for the next person who came to the counter. After knowing my intention, the cashier was so excited and couldn't7for the8person. My daughter was also excited to9our victim(受害者) secretly.

    About five minutes later the cashier told us, "Oh, a mother and two little kids are coming!" As the woman10their ice cream and11for her wallet, the cashier told her that someone wanted to buy her family's ice cream. She couldn't 12it. "Seriously?" she asked with 13. Rachel and I14not to notice.

    The cashier came over to "wipe our table", leaving our15without being seen. She was as16as we were about our act of kindness. We took a piece of paper and  17a note to the cashier thanking her for helping us. We placed the note and a Smile Card on the counter, leaving the shop before we were seen.

    When we got home, my daughter was still excited to tell her mom what we did. I love my date with my daughter more than18in the world. What's more, I19every moment with her. It is even more special that we20our Smile Card adventure together.