There was once a lazy crow(乌鸦). He thought it was too much trouble to 1 food. “Caw! Caw!” he said. “If someone brought me my food every day, I'd be very 2!”

    One day, he saw a(n) 3 pigeon(鸽子) flying by. “How happy and well-fed it looks,” the crow said to himself. So the craw 4 the pigeon until they came to a 5. There were some other 6 there too. Before long, an old man came along and brought them a large bag of food. When the man had gone, the crow flew over to the pigeons. “Caw! Caw! ”said he. “Can I 7 you?”

    “No, you can't !” 8 the pigeons angrily. “We don't know you.”

    The crow went home feeling 9. But he suddenly had a(n) 10. “I'll paint my 11 grey, ”he said, “and then the pigeons will 12 I am one of them.” After he finished the painting, he flew off to the park and was 13 by the pigeons. The crow was so hungry that he got very excited at the food. “Caw! Caw! Give lots to me!” he said loudly. 14, the pigeons found he was a crow. They flew after him and made him 15.

    Sadly, the crow flew to his own forest. But when his old friends, the other crows saw him, they asked him to 16. They did not 17 him because of his grey-painted feathers. So the crow felt 18 than before. His own 19 did not want him, and 20 would the pigeons let him into their group.

    “What looks easier isn't always so.” the crow said to himself.”I wish I had never painted my feathers grey!”

    Six years ago, I walked into a local animal shelter on a cold, rainy day.1my house was already full of cats and dogs, I still couldn't 2an occasional visit to the shelter. This time as I was walking down the row of pens(畜栏) full of barking dogs, I3a small boy looking into one of them.

    He had a malnourished（营养不良的）looking body and a4face with a big nose5out of the middle of it. He was looking at a small golden dog. Its ribs（肋骨）were showing and its thin tail was folded between its legs. It wasn't begging for6like the other puppies7was hiding in the corner instead. The boy looked up at me with8eyes and asked what was wrong with it. “It was probably abused and9 ” I said. “That is why it is so 10 ”

    The boy 11turned to an old lady and said, “ Grandma, I want this one.” The old woman smiled and walked to the front desk to fill out the 12forms. I followed her and asked 13the boy. She told me that he'd had a 14start in life, too. She had just gotten custody(监护权) of him15the state had taken him from his parents. She hoped getting a dog would make his life 16for him. I looked back at him, holding his scared puppy, and said a prayer for them both.

    It was yesterday that I was driving down the road enjoying a gloriously sunny, spring day. Then in a green front yard I saw the boy. His 17body was tall and strong. His nose no longer 18big but fit well into his smiling face. He was throwing a ball to a healthy, happy dog shining golden hair. His little act of love and 19had indeed gone a long way. It had saved a dog's life, 20his own heart, and given this middle-aged man fresh hope for the whole world.

    On the first day of my school life in the USA, I showed a great interest in marketing class(营销课). My teacher, Mrs. Tolman, suggested I 1 a marketing club called DECA attracting students with talent and interest in 2. So I did.

    The first 3 was to collect money for the marketing competition by selling candles. Mrs. Tolman said the competition was due in a week and that 40 percent of the 4 would go into my personal account (个人账户).

    At the beginning, I tried to sell candles to my host mom. She said that if I could 5confidence and do a wonderful sales presentation, she would buy some. I started my presentation with a 6 handshake. Then I introduced the candles and the special sales I could offer and 7 her that our candles were perfect for gifts and home decorations. Finally she bought three. Greatly 8 I decided to sell them in the neighborhood. On Saturday morning, with great courage, I knocked at the door of my first potential 9.

    "I'm a student and we are 10 money for DECA. I'm trying to sell..."

    "Not today, sorry," the man stopped me and 11the door. Embarrassed, I walked away and said to myself the 12 thing that might happen was being refused like that again. I couldn't even count how many times I was 13 with reasons like "Not today" or "I don't have any 14 money".15, I had to continue. 16, a woman kindly bought $60 worth of candles. I couldn't even hide my 17 and said "Thank you very much" to her with a bow.

    After a 18 hard work, I turned in my $408. I was 19 to find out I was the second highest seller in all classes.

    It was the first time that I had worked as a salesperson. Now I look back on this experience with satisfaction, and I feel glad that I did not 20 in face of difficulties.

    I was driving to a business appointment when I came to a very busy crossroad. The traffic light had just turned red. Suddenly, an unforgettable 1 caught my eye. A young couple, both blind, were 2 arm-in-arm across this busy crossroad with cars racing by in every direction. Each of them had a walking stick extended, searching for clues to 3 them.

At first I was moved. They were trying to 4 what I felt was one of the most scary disability—blindness. It 5 be terrible to be blind. My thought was quickly interrupted by 6 when I saw that the couple were directly walking toward the middle of the crossroad. Without 7 the danger they were in, they were walking right into the path of oncoming cars. I was concerned because I didn't know 8 the other drivers understood what was happening.

    To my astonishment, I saw a(n) 9 scene unfold before my eyes. Every car in every direction came to a(n) 10. No sharp sounds of brakes or noisy horn were heard, 11 did anyone yell, “Get out of the way!” Everything 12. At that moment, time seemed to stand still for this couple.

    Amazed, I 13 the cars around me. I noticed that everyone's attention was fixed on the couple. 14 the driver to my right yelled, “To your right! To your right!” Other people 15 in union, shouting, “To your right!”

    The couple 16 their own course and they made it to the other side of the road. 17 they arrived at the roadside, one thing impressed me--they were 18 arm-in-arm. I was taken aback by the 19 expressions on their faces and judged that they had no idea what was really 20 around them.

    As I drove away, I did so with more awareness of life and care for others than ever before.

    I was appointed to tend to this patient several weeks ago and began to grow closer to her. Communicating with her was1because everything she wanted to say to me had to be written on a notepad. As a nursing graduate, I was able to2her mind by observing even a slight 3 in a patient's facial expression.

    One day, when I was checking the patient, she4me on the shoulder to show me a note, "Do you think I could be let go5the hospital in a month to see my niece get married?" Taking her hand in mine, I told her that I could not6her, because I did not want to leave her a7sense of hope. 8, I made her believe that I would be there with her every step of the way on her journey toward9 Hearing that, the patient gave me a 10and a hug.

    Day by day, 1 built her11by walking around the floor with her. As I did this, I could see before my own eyes that her health was12improving and able to walk more steadily. On her last day in hospital, just before her niece's 13, she wrote me one last note, "I couldn't have done this14you; I love you." After kissing goodbye, I had a strong sense of achievement. I realized that moments like this were

    15I woke up early for16 in the hospital and spent long hours with her. I truly felt, and her17confirmed, that I was an18 part of this woman's recovery. My experience with this patient shows me that this career allows me to touch the19of people in ways that people in other20will never get to experience.

There was a knock at the door of Great-Grandma Smith's home one Thanksgiving. Since she was the 1 for this family holiday, she got up, opened the door, and shouted with delight, "Look who's here!"

She 2 a young man into the house, hugged him, and said, “It's 3 to see you again! Everyone will be so delighted!" Great-Grandma then hurried to 4 his coat and led him to the table. "Oh, just look who's here!" she 5 with joy. The families 6 to each other. She moved things around and 7 him in a seat between my uncle and herself. He was 8 by families on both sides and faced Great-Grandpa Smith across the table.

"Coralie, get us another place setting!^" Great-Grandma 9"We're so sorry that we 10 without you. No one knew you were coming," she 11. "But you're just going to love everything. We have turkey and many other 12. Oh, and Coralie made an apple and a pumpkin pie for dessert even! So, just help yourself. My dear, it's a long time since I saw you!" She patted his arm again and 13 .

No one had 14 her joyful speech from the moment she left the table to answer the door. After looking around the table at our 15, the young man turned and looked 16at Great-Grandma Smith's face, which was filled with love and joy. He said in a(n) 17 voice, "I don't 18 any of you. I just stopped at your house to get 19 !"

"But I really appreciate your warm-hearted dinner on this special day as I have lost my way here," he added with 20 in his eyes.