I was 18 years old when Tim and I began to date.1 and quiet. I'd met his parents once before but hadn't ventured to say more than “Hello”. This particular evening we were taking them out to dinner for their anniversary and I wanted to make a good 2on them.

    Tim and his parents had arrived to pick me up. I 3 out of my home as soon as possible. My good impression began with “on time ”. I sat in the backseat 4 watching his father's eyes glancing into the rearview mirror to 5 me.

    They had already decided on their favorite 6 and that was fine with me, the 7 lighting would hide the rising flush(红晕) in my cheeks, and if anyone noticed, I could 8 it on the peppers. With9 table manners I managed to survive halfway through dinner.10 in the midst of conversation I 11 for my iced tea, raised the glass to my 12and very quickly discovered I had picked up the13glass.

    I quickly 14 the glass and set it back but it was too15 I had burnt my eyebrows, and curl over my forehead! I looked up slowly,16no one had seen me, but each face stared at me in 17 silence. Excusing myself, I ran to the restroom. Soon afterwards, Tim's mother arrived. “Everything will be just fine,” she said 18.

    Tim and I eventually got 19. We had a small ceremony afterwards held at the restaurant where this 20 occurred. This time, however, I didn't drink any candles.

    I still remember an old lady, a customer on the paper route in my hometown when I was 12 years old. She taught me a lesson in1that I shall never forget.

On a(n)2afternoon, a friend and I were throwing stones onto the 3of the old lady's house. The stone that I found was too smooth,4it slipped from my hand as I let it go and5straight not for the covering on top of the house but for a small window on the house's back porch. At the sound of broken glass, we knew we were6.We turned and7.

    I was too 8 about getting caught that first night to be concerned about the old lady with the broken window in the freezing weather. However, a few days later, when I was sure that I hadn't been9, I started to feel guilty about her10.She still greeted me with a smile each day11I gave her the paper , but I was no longer able to act comfortably in her 12.

    I13my mind that I would save my paper delivering money , and in three weeks I had the seven dollars that I calculated would pay for her window . I put the money in an envelope with a note14that I was sorry for breaking her window and15that the seven dollars would cover the cost of repairing it.

    I waited until it was dark , moved16to the old lady ' s house and put the letter I didn ' t sign through the letter slot in her door . I felt 17 and could have the freedom of , once again , looking straight into the old lady's kind eyes .

    The next day, I handed the old lady her paper and was able to 18 the warm smile that I was receiving from her. She thanked me for the paper and gave me a bag of cookies she had made herself. I thanked her and proceeded(开始) to eat the cookies as I continued my19.

After several cookies . I felt an envelope and pulled it out of the bag. When I opened the envelope , I was 20. Inside were the seven dollars and a short note that said , " I'm proud of you.”

    Everyone admires somebody, perhaps for something they do, say or believe. My 1is a person I've followed almost my entire life. Troy Aikman is a legend in the National Football League, and a2for me to learn from.

    I became interested in Troy when I 3a football game between his team and another famous team. Although I was too young to understand what the 4were doing, I admired how Troy5himself on and off the 6When it came to his chances, his accurate passes were amazing, making others easy to catch, and when he took7his helmet on the sidelines(旁观), he always seemed to be in a good mood. The more I learn about Troy, the more my 8in him grows.

    To build a children's 9in Irving, Texas, Troy10much of his own money. It11children in poor families to get free health care. I was not 12of his charitable side until I went to look for more about him.

    I 13Troy's football career until 2000, when he had to quit football because of all the blows he had taken to the14I was disappointed, but 15he hadn't suffered any more brain damage. Fox TV asked him to be a sports announcer, and Troy accepted as a way to16part of the game. Troy has been asked to play again by many teams, but he always.17and focuses on his hospital instead.

    Heroes are everywhere, helping worthy causes and influencing kids18 Not only was Troy an amazing football player, he's also a19and happy gentleman off the field. All these 20my eye, and that's why I'm proud Troy Aikman is my hero.

    Douglas was my cousin. I first met him when he came to stay with my family for a 1, because his parents were going to teach in Africa.

    He and his family 2 all the way on the other side of the country, so we had never had a chance to visit. 3, when we arrived at the airport, it was not hard to find which person was my 4. He was the one standing all alone, looking around for someone to 5 him. He looked a little scared to meet us, 6 started to smile shyly after my mom hugged (拥抱) him.

    When we got back home and Douglas 7 putting his things away, I could not believe it. All of his 8 were the same, all white shirts and dark blue shorts. He 9 had a dark blue jacket with a tie!

    "How come you 10 only one kind of clothes?" I asked him.

    "That's the way my school has 11 been," he said. "We have to wear uniforms."

    "I would hate having to wear the 12 thing every day," I said.

    "I don't 13," Douglas said. "It 14 time. I don't have to think about what I am going to wear."

    "Well, we don't wear uniforms at our 15. You're going to look pretty 16 if you come to school in a jacket and tie."

    Douglas looked worried. I felt bad. I had not meant to 17 his feelings. After all, it was not  18easy to live with some 19 family for a year. Then and there I decided that I was going to 20 my cousin and try to make this as good a year as possible for him.

    Madison Williams was studying in her bedroom in August 2016 when the door burst open. It was her mother, Leigh Williams, with a horrific and 1 story: "A little boy fell into a septic tank (化粪池), and no one can reach him." Then she made a 2 : "Can you help?"

    Madison and Leigh ran to a neighbor's yard, 3 they found the boy's worried mother and other adults 4 a septic tank opening that was a few inches above the neatly trimmed lawn. The boy, who was only two years old, had 5the eight feet deep tank.

    Hearing the mother's6, the adults nearby rushed to help the frightened mum. Madison quickly 7 the situation. It was clear that she was the only one who could 8 through the small hole. Without 9, she told the adults, "Lower me in." Leigh and others held her 10. "I managed to get through the opening," Madison says. Inside, the dark tank was 11. In the process, she12his left arm so severely that the hand was almost useless. 13 tend to her injury, Madison scanned the 14of the water closely. Suddenly she saw the faint 15 of his foot again and shot her good hand out and grasped the foot 16. "Pull me up!" Both were lifted out of the tank, but because he had been 17 of oxygen long enough he couldn't 18. He was placed on his side, and an adult gave him several hard taps on the back, until the boy coughed up fluids.

    It took Madison longer than the boy to 19 in hospital. "Madison's a hero," her neighbor Holley said. "I wonder if there is any other girl who will 20 to go into a septic tank."

    A few weeks ago, while I was going home from work, I saw an old dog 1 on the side of the road. I got 2 to see why he would be there and felt shocked when I saw he was not able to 3 his hind legs(后腿), which seemed to have been broken. He 4 me with painful looks 5 he was asking me for help. I knew I couldn't turn my back on him when he needed 6.

    Some people who live nearby told me that he was 7 by a motorcycle and the 8 pushed him there. I went daily to give him food and water, 9 I also got a wooden board to cover him from the bright sun.

    I heard on the news about the 10 weather for that weekend and 11 to bring him home with some help from my father. He called some vets to help him with his legs, 12 he was not able to stand on four and dragged the hind legs.

    After some 13 and a sheltered home with love and 14, he is now able to walk with a little 15 and he even runs around now. He is so 16 and even though I have three other dogs and two cats, I made some 17 in my home and my heart for him. I feel so happy and 18 when I see his eyes. I love 19 and these six hairy babies are the most special things I 20 have.