It was a cold evening and my daughter and I were walking up Broadway. I didn't notice a guy sitting inside a cardboard box. But Nora did. She wasn't even four, but she 1 at my coat and said, "That man's cold. Daddy, 2 we take him home?"

    I don't remember my reply. But I do remember a sudden 3 feeling inside me. I had always been delighted at how much my daughter noticed in her 4, whether it was 5 in flight or children playing. But now she was noticing 6 and beggary.

    A few days later, I saw an article in the newspaper about volunteers who picked up a food package from a nearby school on a Sunday morning and 7 it to an elderly person. It was quick and easy. I 8 us up. Nora was 9 about it. She could understand the importance of food, so she could easily see how 10 our job was. When Sunday came, she was ready, but I had to 11 myself to leave the house. On the way to the school, I fought an urge to turn 12. The Sunday paper and coffee were waiting at home. Why do this? 13, we phoned the elderly person we'd been appointed. She 14 us right over.

    The building was in a sad state. Facing us was a silver-haired woman in an old dress. She took the package and asked us to come in. Nora ran inside. I unwillingly followed.15 inside, I saw that the department belonged to someone poor. Our hostess showed us some photos. Nora played and when it came time to say goodbye, we three hugged, I walked home in tears.

Professionals call such a(n) 16 "a volunteer opportunity". They are opportunities, I've come to see. Where else but as volunteers do you have opportunity to do something 17 that's good for others as well as for yourself? Nora and I regularly serve to needy people and 18 clothes for the homeless. Yet, as I've 19 her grow over these past four years, I still wonder—which of us has 20 more?

    It's always been a dream for Alex to take a trip with her mother, but it was a death in the family that1made them both realize how precious life really is.

    “After losing my grandma, I2that neither I nor my mum will3be here, and that I can't4the right time to come,” the 27-year-old girl told The Huffington post.

    “After a week of5, my amazing mum and I are off to travel around the United States. We will be travelling from New York to Los Angeles interviewing6who are changing the world for the better and7the dream I had for a very long time: to travel together with my mother. I have taken a month off work and we are on our way.8are waiting!” Alex said.

    So in August，Alex and her 63-year-old retired mother，Halina, traveled to the United States for a three-week 9that took them from coast to coast.

    Alex is the10of Looking For Heroes, a social media project, in which she photographs many of the interesting people she meets with,11unique tidbits (花边新闻) of their life stories at the same time. The 12mother and daughter traveled across the nation, visiting cities13Knoxville, Tennessee, New York City, Los Angeles and Washington. Along the way they took photos 14 famous backdrops (背景) in each city, making some15memories.

    Meanwhile, Alex16much from her mother. Her mother often said “My  17to young people would be to learn new things, and what you have learned will be your biggest 18in life. With age you stop19about things that don't matter. With your priorities (优先) changing, 20and health become the most important.

    A big storm took us by surprise. We didn't 1 to be hit hard so we didn't leave our home. When we realized our yard was 2and more water was coming, it was too late to move.

    We had to climb on3of the roof (屋顶) to get away from the water after it started entering the house. The 4 went off, it was extremely dark and we were 5 We had to tie ourselves to each other, because the 6 was very strong. I had my laptop with me and kept posting cries for7 We stayed on the roof for eight hours 8 we were rescued.

    It was a 9 night. Some people lost their lives. Many houses were completely 10 Our neighbor's roof was blown away.11 although our house was also hit, it remained intact (完整的).

    At present, we keep going back, taking many photos—an requirement 12 the insurance company. We expect them to make an assessment of the damage, and then hopefully,13 our losses. And I'm particularly 14 that my university projects were lost. That means more work for me and I am due to graduate in December.

    We are now 15 at a friend's house in Brooklyn. We won't be able to return to our house in months. There's no information about the support for the 16 of this storm. All we hear is to go to the shelter.

    But now I'm 17 because my family and I are alive. And it's important to18 that there are still people 19 food, shelter, or gas in the cold weather. It's a truly terrible time for the city now but I believe everything will 20.

    My earliest memory of Dad was grabbing his hand while we walked together. As I grew1I remembered my father and I listened to basketball games on the radio. I always fell asleep2the game was over. When I woke up in the morning, the score sheet with the3score on it would be lying 4me.

    On cold mornings my father would bring his bread truck by the house. I used to ride on the floor of that bread truck5he delivered the bread to the stores. The6and the warmth from the bread made my mouth water and kept me warm.

    My father would7all my games. One night before an important game my father told me8that he wouldn't be able to watch the game because he had to deliver the bread and it was a three-hour9from his route. The next day as the game time approached, I thought about my dad. I happened to look across the field and10saw his bread truck pulling into the stadium. He managed to11it to the game.

    Years later I became a teacher. I'd never forget the voice on the phone early one morning telling me Dad had just been 12in a traffic accident. I could hear my heart13in my ears. I14the phone and went back to my bedroom. After that, nothing really15to me. I still taught in school16I couldn't focus on my teaching. One day, I was on the playground when a little boy walked up to me and17my hand. His hand held mine the same way I used to hold my father's by the last two18.At that moment I found my 19in life again. You see even though my father was gone, he left something with me. He left me his smile, compassion and touch. My purpose was to use those20as he did. From that day on I started.

    I was confused while I was eating lunch in a restaurant the other day. I was sitting there looking at what I'd1and wondered if anyone else could see the2in my mind. I'm about to 3a lot of fat and wash it down with a diet soda.

    What can I say? I'm trying to lose some weight.4I do things like that all the time, which is probably why the pounds are 5so slowly. I spent half an hour on the treadmill (跑步机) and I6myself with potato chips. I7that I will no longer eat them again, so I just eat a lot at this time. I make it all the way through the entire day doing everything absolutely right, and then at bedtime, “just one chip won't8it “turns into “where did that entire bag of potato chips go?”

    Of course, I9do well with my weight loss program, Once I put together two full weeks of eating properly and exercising10I was starting to feel a (an)11I could bend over to tie my shoes more easily. But just as it was about to become a12I entered a period of long, late nights filled with13deadlines. I sat in front of my computer, eating snacks and drinking sodas to help me stay14Within a few days, the habit of a sensible eating and exercising was a15.

Unfortunate but16I was too tired to get on the treadmill.17I had work to do, for which I needed all the energy I could 18 So I started skipping exercise sessions. And 19I started doing so, it became easier to skip them.

    There are always reasons not to do the things that we really should do. Every reason is just another 20.

    William Weaver was one of 14 black students integrating(使融合进入) the all—white West High School. A teacher told him that he “didn't belong.” He had a test and the teacher 1 him and then just took the paper away and said, “ 2 is up.” The first report card he got was 3 F's. So he started to think maybe he didn't belong and that he was 4 .

    One evening he was at home and Edward Hill, his science teacher from the 5 school, came by to visit. Weaver told Mr Hill that the white school were trying to 6 him away. Mr Hill asked Weaver to come to his old school after 7 . So every day waiting for him would be Mr. Hill with other teachers and they 8 him. Once he got past those F's, he stopped 9 himself. But no matter what he did, he was never 10 at that school. Weaver never had a 11 with a counselor(辅导员)about going to college. But, to his 12 , he got a letter telling him he had been awarded a scholarship. Weaver 13 it and went on to 14 Howard University.

    Many years 15 , Weaver came across Mr Hill and told him, “Mr Hill, if I had not gotten that 16 , I don't know what would have happened. And I don't know 17 I got the scholarship because I never even applied for it.” Mr Hill said, “I know, because I filled in the 18 and sent it off for you.” So Mr Hill stepped 19 and changed his life, 20 at that time Weaver didn't realize how much he was being helped.