Whenever we hear about “the homeless”, most of us think of the Developing world. But the1is that homelessness is everywhere. For example, how many of us would expect to see people living on the streets of a2country like Germany?

    Kurt Muller and his wife Rita have spent eleven years making3for the homeless of Berlin, Germany's capital. They first4one long hot summer when most Germans were5on holiday. Kurt and his wife stayed at home, made sandwiches,6.

    The Mullers soon realized that food and clothing weren't7. “What these people also need is warmth and8,” says Rita. The Mullers didn't9to give their phone number to the street people and told them to phone anytime. Rita10there was somebody at home to answer the phone and their home was always11to anyone who couldn't face another night on the street.

    The couple were soon12all their time and money, so Kurt visited food and clothing companies to13donations. Today, over thirty companies14donate food and other goods to the cause and volunteers help to15them to the homeless. The public also give clothes and money and a shoe producer16new shoes.

    Kurt and Rita receive no17for their hard work. “ We feel like parents,” says Rita, “and parents shouldn't18money for helping their children. The love we get on the streets is our salary.” Though Rita admits she often gets19 She says she will continue with her work because she likes the feeling of having made a20.

    A gentle breeze blew through Jennifer's hair.The golden red sun was1.She was on the beach,looking up at the fiery（火似的）ball.She was2by its color,deep red in the middle,softly fading into yellow.She could hear nothing but the3and the seagulls flying up above in the sky.

    The atmosphere4her.After all she had been through,this was what she needed.“It's getting5,”she thought, “I must go home.My6will be wondering where I am.”She wondered how they would7,when she got home after the three days she was8.She kept on walking,9herself to the bungalow where she spent every summer holiday.The road was deserted.She walked slowly and10.Just in a few hundred meters she would be safe in her house.

    It was really getting dark now.The sun had set a few minutes before and it was getting cold,too.She11she had her favorite sweater on—it kept her really warm.She imagined having it12her.This thought disappeared when she finally saw her front door.It seemed13.The outside garden seemed14.She was shocked: her father was usually so strict about keeping everything clean and tidy.

    She entered the house.First,she went into the kitchen where she saw a15written by her father.It said, “Ellen, there is some coffee16.

    I went looking.”Ellen was her mother but—where was she? She entered her parent's home.Then she saw her. Her mother,lying on the bed,17.Jennifer would have wanted to wake her up but she looked too tired.So Jennifer just fell asleep beside her.When Jennifer woke up,something was different.She was in her cozy18in her pajamas（睡衣）.

    It felt so good being back home.19she heard a voice,“Are you feeling better now?You know you got us very, very20.”

    Today my son didn't feel well and came home from school early. I decided to take him to lunch. On the way, he saw a woman pushing her cart along the street. He said to me, “Ma, she's wearing baseball cleats（夹板）as 1 I just wish I made enough money to be able to 2 a pair of comfortable shoes for 3 I see that doesn't have shoes.”

    We drove to a shopping center and he went inside. He 4 thought out what he'd get. He 5 the most comfortable and the longest lasting shoes that would keep her 6 too. He 7 two pairs: athlete shoes and also boots for the winter, along with a six pack of socks.

    We drove back to find her and give her this 8. I had no intention of taking a 9 but I was holding my phone as I saw her reach up to 10 him. It choked me up and I couldn't 11 that moment. I opened the camera as quickly as I could and 12 it. It brought tears to my eyes as he hugged her and then helped her 13 the tags and put them on. He quietly got back into the 14 and he sat there for a minute or so. When he looked over at me he said, “Ma, today is her birthday. She was so 15.”

    He didn't ask questions or talk 16 about her situation. He simply 17. He took basically one week of his pay and made this lady's birthday 18. I challenge everyone to love a 19 with the20 of a child. Show compassion and give what you can. It doesn't have to be a lot.

    Years ago I was hiking (徒步旅行) in the Himalayas and had made the mistake of changing a large amount of cash into the local currency(货币). As I progressed throughout the villages of the Annapurnas, it soon became 1 that the people were too poor to  2 even the simplest 3 . They had nothing. This meant that I had this ridiculous wad(捆) of 4 in my pack and was a virtual walking 5 compared to the local people. I grew to 6 the stuff and it was 7 to have it in my possession. This led to a remarkable experience that 8 me deeply and its 9 has never left me.

    On this particular day I had become separated from my fellow hikers and found myself in a vast valley. As I made myself down, I noticed a young girl of around 13 10 some sheep. Like so many of the children of the amazing Nepalese people, she was very beautiful. I couldn't 11 looking at her and she looked at me. As I drew level with her she suddenly rushed 12 to me, and without a 13 , handed me a flower. Our eyes 14 for a tiny moment and then she ran away. The spirit in this angelic child had responded to something she saw in me and her first 15 was to find something to 16 . From the depths of her 17 , there was nothing she had- 18 a single flower. The 19 of my cash was never heavier than at this moment and I had just received one of the richest 20 I have ever had in my life.

I was shocked when my socially awkward sister, who had suffered from Asperger Syndrome (阿斯伯格综合症), decided to sing in front of the school. I knew she would1 me in some way, so I protested. However, my parents insisted that she2 and I would have to be part of the audience. I silently hoped that something would happen to 3 me from watching her losing face. 

As I waited in the hall, sweat4 my forehead. I comforted myself that no one knew she was my sister and tried to persuade myself that it would be 5 . The lights darkened and the 6 opened to reveal (使露面) my sister standing alone on stage. She seemed 7 , taking a minute to stammer (结结巴巴地说) her name and class. 8 began to be heard in the audience. 

I shifted nervously in my seat, afraid what was about to happen. But as my sister started to sing, I was 9 . Her voice flowed effortlessly and melodiously, filling the hall with its10 . I watched in wonder, realizing I had never known she could sing so 11 . I listened carefully to the lyric ( 歌词) she had written herself, feeling ashamed for doubting her 12 . My heart gave way as I heard the heartfelt words. 

In that moment, guilt and shame flooded my heart. 13 my unwillingness to support her, she had never taken anything that I had done to her to heart. It was then that I determined to love her 14 . It was as if a veil (面纱) had been 15 from my eyes, and my heart was full. 

After months of preparation, my husband Bill and I flew to China to welcome our new daughter, our 18-month-old angel "Shirley". But when we picked her up, Shirley missed her Chinese mother so 1 she would barely look at Bill and me. Instead, she'd stand at our hotel room door and 2 for the only mother she had known. 

I was so embarrassed that lunch in a restaurant was out of the 3 . I was afraid people would think I was a "bad mother. " So I 4 our meals from room service. 

One time I chose the noodle plate and tried to use chopsticks for the very first time. The noodles kept 5 off my chopsticks. At this time, Shirley's screaming suddenly stopped. 

Peeking out of the corner of my eye, I saw her sitting in the room corner 6 me attentively. And in no time, a tiny hand came into 7 , took the chopsticks from my big hand. As I looked up, Shirley — with the chopsticks skillfully arranged in her little fingers — began expertly feeding me noodles, without 8 a single one. 

I looked at Bill, who was wide-eyed with 9 . "Do you think she would 10 me?" he wondered 11 . So, trembling with 12 , I asked, "Shirley, will you feed your daddy now?" and 13 to Bob. She nodded "yes" with a big smile on her face!

That meal was definitely a 14 experience. Shirley must have felt that we would 15 without her assistance!