A poor farmer had a friend 1 was famous for the 2 apple he grew. One day, his friend gave the farmer a(n)3 and told him to 4 it home. The farmer was 5 with the gift, but when he got home he did not know 6 to plant it.

    He was 7 that if he planted the tree 8 the road, the fruit would be stolen. If he planted the tree in one of his field, his neighbors would come 9 and steal some of the apples. If he planted the tree near his house, his children would take the fruit.

    10 he planted the tree in his wood where no one could see it. The farmer was very 11 of what he did. However, as time went on, he found that the tree didn't 12 any fruit. He didn't know without 13and good soil, the tree soon 14 after he planted it.

    Later the friend asked the farmer why he had planted the tree in such a 15 place. "What's the difference?" the farmer said 16. "If I had planted the tree near the road,17 would have stolen the fruit. If I had planted the tree in one of my field, my neighbors would have come and stolen some of the apples. If I had planted it near my house, my own children would have taken the fruit."

    "Yes," said the friend, "but at least someone could have 18the fruit. Now you not only have robbed every one 19 the fruit, but also you have 20 a good apple tree!"

    One day I was riding on a crowded bus downtown to go to work when it rained suddenly. The windows of the bus were soon 1  and we couldn't see the outside. Everyone was in low spirits. I was sitting next to a man in a business suit and I paid little attention 2  we both got off at the same stop and walked to the same news-stand(报刊亭) to get a morning 3 .

    The man   4  the stand was obviously having a bad day. He was  5  and unsmiling as we bought our papers, which only  6 more gloom (郁闷) to my day. The businessman   7  my eyes and smiled brightly,  8  the news-stand owner for the paper and for being open on such a morning to 9 we were able to get our papers.

    As we went away, I asked this man why he was so  10  to the newsman when he didn't respond to his  11 of thanks and friendliness.The businessman smiled at me and said, “Why would I let someone else 12  what I say and what I feel?”

    We then  13 to go to our own work places. To this day, I still don't know who that businessman was, or where he worked.  14 , I know nothing about him. He appeared briefly in my life and disappeared just as 15  . But I've never forgotten the words he said and his   16   which seemed like a ray of light on a gloomy day.

    That was a good 25 years   17  , but the effect this had on my life has lasted. I have learnt that we cannot control people and   18  we are in, but we can always control our19 to them. That is, it is within our control and our 20 to make such positive decisions and thus to make a positive difference.

    A man worked in a post office. His job was to handle(处理) all 1 that had unclear addresses. One day he came across a letter which was 2to God. He opened it and it 3 ， “Dear God，I am an 83­year­old woman and I live on a very small pension(养老金).Yesterday someone stole my 4.There was a hundred dollars in it，which was all the money I had 5 until my next pension comes. Next Thursday is Thanksgiving Day，and I have invited my last two friends for 6.Without that money，I have 7 to buy food with. I have no family to 8 ， and you are my only 9.Can you please help me？” The man was 10 ， and went around showing the letter to all the other workers. Each of them 11 their wallets and donated a few dollars. By the time he 12 his showing，he had collected 96 dollars. 13then he sent it to the old woman. Thanksgiving Day came and went. The workers 14forgot about it. Then one day，there came another letter from the old lady to God.All the 15gathered around when the letter was16.It read，“Dear God，how can I ever thank you enough for what you did for me？Because of your kindness，I was able to 17 a lovely dinner for my friends. We had a very 18 day，and I told my friends about your19 gift. Thank you very much！” Seeing this，all the workers felt 20 with the nice thing they had done. They looked into each other's eyes and smiled.

    As a boy I was always small for my age. I was also five years younger than one of my brothers and seven years younger than the other.1, I often felt left out when their friends came over to 2. I was too3for whatever they were doing and they didn't want their younger brother listening in on their conversations either. More often than not I found myself outside playing4and feeling forgotten.

    I remember one spring afternoon feeling especially5as I sat in the yard behind our house. We lived miles from town and I6 saw my own friends outside of school. I7my brothers laughing from8the house and felt a single tear coming down my cheek. At that moment I saw a large brown dog9me. He was wagging（摇摆）his tail10.He greeted me like a long lost11, licking（舔）my hand and sitting beside me on the grass,12he didn't know me. I petted and 13 this four-legged angle（天使）.He let me pour out all my troubles and 14my deepest thoughts before he kissed me goodbye. I went back inside feeling happy, 15that no matter what life might hold I was loved. I 16that the dog was sent in that moment of 17to remind me just how much I was loved.

    In truth, nothing brings us greater 18than knowing we are loved. Knowing we are loved gives us the 19to love others as well. It also helps us to be the people the world meant for us to be. Remember how much the word loves you and share your 20 with the world.

    I worried about my personal image and how I could be remembered during my boyhood. In the fifth grade, there seemed to be only one 1－to be cool. In the sixth grade, suddenly, there were two choices: be cool, or be invisible. 2 one day, when a teacher had us fill out a questionnaire with 3 questions, I found the4 option.

    Assuming the teacher would read our answers privately, I felt it was 5 to share my privacy. To my 6, she collected and redistributed (重新分发) them to us. We were asked to 7 the name and our three favorite answers to the whole class. My answers went to the meanest boy in class.

    The first question was “What's your favorite movie?” My answer was Beauty and the Beast. A laugh erupted and my cheeks 8. The next was “Where would you like to travel?” My answer was 9 special — “Wherever a book takes me.” The 10 this time had an explosive quality.

    I could11 remember what happened next; all that I had in mind was the laughter. But something amazing happened. A(n) 12 came, “Guys, cut it out.” The room went 13. It's Michelle Siever, a popular and cool girl. Then she 14, “Why are you laughing? What is the point of 15 if we just laugh at others?”

I can't remember the teacher or other kids' names, but I remember Michelle's. When she 16 for me that day, she 17 me we actually have three choices if we want to be remembered.

    Be cool, and you might be remembered 18. Stay invisible, and you won't be remembered at all. But if you stand up 19 someone when he or she 20you most, then you will be remembered as their hero for the rest of their life.

A letter to Mum and her mince (肉末) pies

    When I was a little girl, you and I loved decorating the living room and Christmas tree. After 1, we would bake cakes. “Make enough mince pies, because Santa likes them,” you would tell me.

    Christmas Eve came and you would put me on my 2 made bed. I'd fall asleep until Christmas 3. I'd wake up and thrill at the 4 before me. At the bottom of my bed would be loads of presents. I'd scream in delight, 5 tearing the paper open. Running downstairs, I would 6 that Santa hadn't just stopped in the 7 : there were also lots of 8 around the Christmas tree.

    Many years later, the 9 continued. The only thing that 10 was the presents at the end of the bed – I grew out of them.

    One afternoon while we were 11 extra mince pies as usual, it 12 hit me that the extra wasn't for 13. I said, “Those extra mince pies were never for Santa, were they? They were for you!” You never said a word – a smile was your only 14.

    Christmas changed in 1986, when you suffered a 15 brain disease. After 16 throughout Christmas, you passed away on the 29 December.

    Only now am I starting to enjoy Christmas again, and while I don't do the 17 any more, I do have mince pies in the house. I leave one out just for you, as if you were 18 a part of my Christmas. And I make sure I put up the decorations 19 you, and us. Thanks for the 20 memories of Christmas, Mum.