My husband Jeff and I moved into our new home in Scottsbluff last year just before Christmas. I did not have the1or energy to carry out my traditional Christmas decorating and baking activities. What was the point, anyway? It was going to be a 2istmas after all.

   3, the neighborly nature of west Nebraska residents started to trickle (陆续来临) in.

    There was a4on the door one evening. It was Jeff's new colleague, John Smith, and his wife, Phyllis. The Smiths had stopped by to5us to town with a loaf of homemade bread. They pointed out a6on the porch (门廊). Apparently the doorbell wasn't working in the cold snowy weather and we had7a visit from the Browns, our across-the-street neighbors, who brought us a Christmas card and more Christmas cookies.

  The8feelings brought by these thoughtful gestures lasted longer than the food.

  As Jeff and I were clearing pre-Christmas9from our driveway, Ernie Guzman came over from next door to 10us to dig out.

  Then, we received an invitation to11 a Christmas Eve meal with our neighbors, Ernie and Nancy Sommer, and their12 —a 90-year-old lady, who also had no family in the immediate area with whom to spend the holiday.

  Our Christmas Eve was quite merry, thanks to our13. Our Christmas morning14 was special, thanks to the Smiths' gift of bread. I was so15for these gestures of welcome, especially during the holidays.

  This year, we were again unable to be with our families for Christmas. The 16and work schedules just made things too difficult.17  that sense of Christmas isolation (孤立) all too well, we decided to try to round up some other folks who were18in the holidays.

  Lonely people are all around us, but most of us 19notice them. Just take a look around you. Sometimes, the smallest20gesture can make a world of difference.

    Sudha Chandran, a classical dancer from India, had to have her right leg cut after a car accident. She was also 1 on her career road.

    Though the accident brought her bright career to a 2, she didn't give up. In the 3 months that followed, Sudha met a doctor who developed an artificial 4 made from rubber filled with sponge (海绵). So 5 she wanted to go back to 6 after she had been fitted with an artificial leg. Sudha knew that she believed in 7 and could realize her dream, and 8 she began her courageous journey back to the world of dancing — 9 to balance, bend, stretch, walk, turn, twist and twirl.

    After every public recital (个人表演), she 10 ask her dad about her performance. “You 11 have a long way to go” was the answer she used to get 12. In January 1984, Sudha made a historic 13 by giving a public recital in Bombay. She performed in such a great manner that it 14 everyone to tears and this 15 pushed her to the number one position again. That evening when she asked her dad the 16 question, he didn't say anything. He just touched her feet as a praise.

    Sudha's comeback was 17 moving an event that a film producer 18 to make the story into a hit film. When someone asked Sudha how she had 19 to dance again, she said quite simply, “YOU DON'T NEED FEET TO DANCE.”20 is impossible in this world. If you have the will to win, you can achieve anything.

    Fifteen years ago, I took a summer vacation in Lecce in Italy. After climbing up a hill for a full view of the blue sea, I paused to catch my 1 and then positioned myself to take a photo.

    Unfortunately, just as I took out my camera, a woman approached from behind and 2 herself right in front of my 3. Like me, she was here to stop, sigh and appreciate the scenery.

    4as I was, after about 15 minutes, my camera scanning the sun and reviewing the shot I would 5 take, I was upset. Should I ask her to 6 so that I could take just one picture of the landscape? Sure, I could have asked her, but something7 me doing so. She seemed so8in her observation. I didn't want to mess with that.

    Another 15 minutes passed and I grew more 9. The woman was still there. I decided to take the photo10. And now when I look at it, I think her11in the photo is what makes the image12 The landscape, beautiful on its own, somehow comes to life and breathes13 this woman is engaging with it. This photo, with the 14beauty that unfolded before me and the woman who 15 it, now hangs on the wall in my bedroom. What would she think if she knew that her figure is captured (捕捉) and16 on a strangers bedroom wall? A bedroom, after all, is a very private space, in which a woman I don't even know has been kept forever. In some ways, she has been 17in my house.

    Perhaps we all live in each other's space. Perhaps this is what photos are for: to 18 us that we all appreciate beauty, and that we all share a common 19 for pleasure and connection.

    This photo is a reminder, a captured moment, an unspoken20 between two women, separated only by a thin square of glass.

    It was at a concert that I happened to find David. He was holding his head at a strange 1 as if he were staring down at something. Then the truth struck me. He was blind. The last thing he remembers 2 was his daughter being born. Then the world went 3.

Bad luck is no stranger to this 44-year-old man. His mother died of cancer, and his weak father had to 4 11-year-old David to the care of the state. Things seemed always to go from bad to 5. Two years ago, his beloved guide dog pulled him out of the 6 of a truck. David was not hurt. The dog 7 But David does not feel sorry for himself. "These are just little obstacles (障碍) you have to 8 in your life," he said. He has to make a daily two-hour trip to his working place—the X-ray department of an 9 room. It was a hard job to 10. Before he got it, David was determined to escape the workshop run by the Lighthouse, an organization 11 to help blind people. He wanted a job of developing X-ray film, something 12, not just he, must do in the dark, including people with 13 eyesight. The Lighthouse called many hospitals, with no result, 14 they offered to pay his first three months' salary.

    David works alone in a dark room that 15 chemicals. He cannot wear gloves. 16, he could not feel. Since this is an emergency room, lives can be 17 or out of danger. His directress says she trusts him 100 percent.  He makes $ 20 000 a year. But his motivation (动机) goes 18 money. "By working, I can actualize my own 19. That's the most important!" he said.

    What a shining example for us to 20!

My husband and I were both raised on Kansas farms. It was1 to my husband's parents that their children should be educated and given the2 to gain financial stability that they themselves didn't have when they3to feed their family.

We each sought careers in the medical field. As we searched for a place to settle, we looked only at 4 communities. The city held no attraction for us. We wanted a5, quiet area where our children could be exposed to good basic values, a good6 , and a friendly environment. Our7was made 40 years ago, and we never once8settling down in a small town in north central Kansas. .

Early investment(投资) to secure the education of our children and our future retirement were focused on9 . Farming was and is a(n)10part of our lives, although the primary income source is our11 practice.

What's great about small town living? The air is clean! There is no12. We feel safe! Our doors are locked13 . Our neighbors are honest and friendly. Only recently have we learned to14 car keys from unattended vehicles- not because of any great dangers, but to15 us more cautious and safe when we are in more heavily populated areas.

There are very few16in our small community. Even if you don't know each other very well, smiling faces with recognition and greetings are17with warmth. Friendly enquiries are18when there has been an experience with pain or joy. Anytime a neighbor is19from illness or some loss, the community is there to help, to20 the burden and to express their loving concern.

I have a warm story to share with you. A school in San Francisco not only accepted a deaf student, but also {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (teach) the entire class sign language to allow them to better communicate with him. 

The moving story began in September last year {#blank#}2{#/blank#} a woman asked the primary school in her neighbourhood {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (accept) her six-year-old son, James, who has a hearing disability. The teacher, Lily, agreed almost immediately, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} on the first day of school, she noticed James {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (sit) all by himself, unable to communicate with any of his classmates. 

{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(determine) to find a way out, Lily tried developing a few signs of {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (she) own. But a parent of another child came up {#blank#}8{#/blank#} an even better idea—getting the whole class to learn sign language along with James. So they got a sign language teacher on board, and three months later, James was able to communicate {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (happy) with all his classmates about regular things like homework and {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (game).