Alia Baker is a librarian in Iraq. Her library used to be a 1place for all who loved books and liked to share knowledge. They 2 various matters all over the world. When the war was near, Alia was3that the fires of war would destroy the books, which are more 4 to her than mountain of gold. The books are in every language — new books, ancient books, 5 a book on the history of Iraq that is seven hundred years old.

    She had asked the government for6to move the books to a 7place, but they refused. So Alia took matters into her own hands. 8, she brought books home every night,9her car late after work. Her friends came to 10her when the war broke out. Anis who owned a restaurant  11 to hide some books. All through the12 , Alia, Anis, his brothers and neighbours took the books from the library, 13them over the seven-foot wall and 14them in the restaurant. The books stayed hidden as the war15. Then nine days laters, a fire burned the16to the ground.

    One day, the bombing stopped and the17 left. But the war was not over yet. Alia knew that if the books were to be safe, they must be 18 again while the city was 19. So she hired a truck to bring all the books to the houses of friends in the suburbs(郊区). Now Alia waited for the war to end and 20 peace and a new library.

    Teaching second grade is always a challenge. Each student arrives at school with his own needs and difficulties. One year a student called Billy 1me with his behavior as well as his academic requirements. He struggled daily with his 2emotions and often became angry or violent. I knew that, to make 3progress，his emotions needed controlling.

    One 4I tried to help Billy was to have him come directly into the classroom when he arrived at school. Billy's mom would 5me to alert(警告) me to a particularly emotional morning at home. Then, I would focus on 6his anger and calming him down before the other students arrived.

    One week our class was studying 7.I thought one way to bring learning into the classroom was to bring my dog Rocky to school for the day.

    That day began as normal. I was preparing activities focused on dog themes 8I was told that Billy had a 9morning at home and I might need to get him 10. As I was talking to his mom，Billy 11into the classroom. To Billy's12, Rocky immediately ran up to his new13, wagging his tail and licking Billy's face with doggy affection. Billy couldn't 14Rocky's charm(魅力)and began laughing as his anger melted away.

    Throughout the day，Billy never left Rocky's side, feeding him, being gentle with him and even 15the other students while Rocky was sleeping.

    Billy was known for doing anything he could to avoid16, but on this day he found a good dog story, “ Clifford's Puppy Days”, and read it to Rocky. How 17I was at the sight of Billy reading happily! My little dog was able to 18Billy's day from one of anger and frustration to one of laughter, gentleness and 19.

    That day Rocky more than helped me with my20; he helped to change the life of a child！After that Billy's behavior definitely improved.

    "What's it like to have a gap between your teeth?" a girl asked me one day.

    Nobody had ever 1 before. My hand unconsciously rose to cover my mouth. But, as she looked at me, sincerely waiting for2, 1 realized she was not trying to be rude. "I never think about it," I truthfully replied. She nodded and turned away. I was left wondering if people3 me and saw only gappy teeth.

    Later that day at home, I began to 4 my teeth again. I felt upset. I thought my life would be somehow better if my teeth were not gappy. How I wanted the perfect teeth that everyone else seemed to have!

    Of course, Mom 5everything . She has lived her entire life with gappy teeth, and tried to convince me that there was nothing to 6. When I refused to listen, she told me I could get the surgery to close the gap if it was that important. "Let's be 7, though," she said. "If everyone got surgeries to become pretty, everyone would be exactly the same. There is beauty in differences."

    Her 8 made me consider my teeth seriously. The thought of losing my gap was more terrible than the reality that people were going to notice it. I realized how important it was to me. It is part of my9.

    Nowadays many people do ridiculous things to realize their dream of "perfection." The10 is that no one is perfect. When all potential for ugliness is removed, so is all of the potential for11.

    So if that girl ever asked about my teeth 12, I would truthfully answer. "You know? It's really cute."

    As I walked into the primary school, I looked down at my new black Mary Jane shoes—I wanted to be anywhere in the world but Fountain Inn Elementary School. I stood at Mrs. Blackstone's door. Before I tried the1, the wooden door suddenly opened. "We've been waiting for you!" Mrs. Blackstone, my new fifth grade teacher said at an unusually2voice. With a smile my mom walked away and I was left3in front of a group of students.

    Over the next few days, Mrs. Blackstone made it her4to find me a new best friend and help me join a choir（合唱队）. During history5, when I sat down at my desk6I didn't want to speak in front of the class, she would not only call on me but have me stand up to7my classmates. She laughed at my nervousness when I wouldn't get in line to sharpen my pencil 8being embarrassed. Her silliness made me smile and finally feel9in the new environment.

    One spring afternoon, Mrs. Blackstone 10me to stay after class. "I'd like to speak with you, Amanda." My mind 11. Had I made a bad grade? Had I hurt someone's feelings? "Are you enjoying your new school?" she sat comfortably behind her desk, "I want to tell you12, between you and me, not to be shared with anyone else." "Okay." My throat 13felt very dry. With her14raised, she said, "I see something15in you. I've been a teacher for over twenty-five years; I can16it. But you17believe in yourself. That's very important. Remember that and you'll go18."

    Her voice was19to my ears that day. I walked out of her class,20staring at my Mary Jane shoes. My teacher saw something special in me!

Happy Maggie

    During my childhood I experienced greater hardships than most people go through in a lifetime. In my short 17 years of life, I have been1five divorces of my parents. Having a new stepmother or stepfather every few years was2, but the constant moving was worse. My father's cancer diagnosis3 me apart, and his two heart attacks and4 with diabetes put a huge pressure on the family. By age 13, I was5and emotionally scarred. I felt like I had no one to6and that nothing would ever get better. Then I met Maggie, and my attitude towards life changed.

    For many summers, I 7 at a horse-riding camp for people with special needs. We taught children and adults specialized skills8their abilities. For example, we would teach a child with autism(自闭症)9skills, or a child with cerebral palsy(脑瘫) strength-building exercise. Each volunteer was10a specific child during eight weeks. A few weeks later, I was asked to11 another volunteer who was sick. That was the day my12 on life changed forever.

    As I began to work with her, I looked through her file to get more information, which was 13. She had been physically abused as a newborn and throughout her infancy. Her birth parents14her so badly that they caused her a serious brain injury by the age of two. Her skull had been broken, however, the amazing thing about Maggie was her15attitude.

    When I met Maggie, she was 12, and she would say16but "I'm happy!" If you asked her" How old are you?", "I'm happy" she replied each time. Everyone at the camp17her "Happy Maggie".

    My life growing up was a huge struggle, 18Maggie taught me not to get in the way of happiness. Nothing bad in life should be enough to change19I am. She gave me20. If I learned anything from Maggie, it would be, no matter what, be happy.

    Ten years ago, my mom gave me a fancy blood pressure monitor. I had high blood pressure and she wanted to make sure I was always 1 it. Being in my early twenties, this situation should have 2 me, but it didn't; I had long been 3 from nameless anxiety and stress. After a decade long 4, my blood pressure could finally be controlled. Through lots of meditation(冥想), exercise, and diets, I've slowly 5 from it in the last few years.

    I'm happy that I no longer 6 my blood pressure monitor. My mom is 7 and doesn't need it, but I know she 8 a large amount of money on it when her 9 was not the best. I decided to put it up for 10 online, and a woman 11, saying she wanted to buy it shortly after I posted it. I went to a coffee shop and 12 her, along with her mother. Neither of them were in the best of health.

    She carefully took out some 13 from her wallet to pay me, and it 14 me that I could not let her pay me. I had a smile card 15 in my wallet; I slipped it in the bag and told her “Here, just take it.” She was 16 and tried to hand me the money again. I again insisted that she take it. She was 17 and thanked me. I wished them good health and a happy life.

    Although I didn't repay my mom is cash. I am more than 18 that I repaid her by passing on her 19 to someone who may be a stranger but 20 needed it.