After lunch, without permission from parents, the two boys set off to explore the part of the beach which lay beyond the headland(陆岬). They had persuaded their young sister to 1 saying that the long walk would be too 2 for her. Once they had got in the headland, the beach reached away endlessly before them. It was like 3 a new world. There were damp, dark caves to 4 there were many 5 among the rocks, full of sea lives. Here and there along the beach were those 6objects, washed up and 7by the tide.(潮汐)

    The afternoon passed 8The sun was already 9 when the boys reluctantly (恋恋不舍)10to make their 11 homewards. But long before they reached the headland, they could see that tide had come in so sudden that they were now 12from either end of the beach. Their only chance of 13was to find a way up the cliff(悬崖) nearby.

    They soon find a narrow path 14the cliff top. But half way up their path was15by a large rock which they could not climb 16. The two boys had to17at the top of their voices,18 that someone might19over the top of the rock. Finally came their father and two policemen.20 of them climbed down a rope which was lowered over the rock. The boys were then pulled to safety, and thus saved from spending a terrible night on the cliff.

    The Vietnam War broke out. The young husband joined the army and died in the war, leaving behind his wife and kids 1 great pain and sadness.

    Life after the war was 2, often without enough food to eat. People tried to 3 the wife who was still young and beautiful to remarry, but she refused and devoted her 4 life to raising her kids with the best possible care and education 5 sometimes she felt like giving up.

    Time passed by and the kids were 6. The first son moved to America and became an Engineer having a good life.

The son sent home letters 7, together with much money for mom to 8. However, year after year, with the many 9, the son stubbornly refused to travel home to visit Mom.

    When the mother died, the son returned and 10 a big funeral (葬礼) but people did not see him shedding tears. It seemed that he didn't really 11 the loss of his mother.

    Mother 12 a box that she always placed at the top of her bed. During the funeral, the son opened the box and 13 burst out crying, held his mother's coffin (棺材) and screamed 14, “Mom! Mom!”

    Everyone looked at each other and then looked at 15. It was full of $100 dollar bills and a piece of paper. It 16,“Son, My life is almost 17. I don't spend too much money. I 18 you a lot. Every time I 19 a motorcycle passing by, I ran out of the door,20 it wasn't my son. I saved this money for you in case (以免万一) you get sick.”

    There are thousands of people across the United States without any food or shelter(住所). Every Saturday or Sunday night, my family and I go out and 1the homeless people in the city.

    There is one2thing I like to mention here. Before we begin our3, my family and I do not eat. We do this4we know how it feels to be hungry. We all get together in the kitchen and5the food. We then bag the food for 30 or 6 people. I like to write a special7on the bags like “God loves you”. A lot of people8homeless people. Not all homeless people are bad people. Some are really9. Many people hate them10no good reason. In the beginning, when my family and I went out on the street, we had to11their trust. Later, as they12us every week, they started to trust us. We13know some of their names. We all have to keep in mind that they also have14. Some of them shake our hands for giving them food, and15 us. Some of them do really funny dances because they are16.

    We have become17close to a man named Tony and his wife. After meeting with them several times, he has told us a lot about his18. He graduated from college and has a PHD. He used to teach French and Spanish.

    After we get done feeding the homeless, it makes me19what I have at home. Sometimes it makes me sad, and makes my mom cry. I love feeding the homeless, and 20in someone's life.

    I sat and waited for Kathleen to speak. “Annie,” she said, “A food bank that serves the elderly is asking for 1. I'd like you to organize the event.” “Well, errr…sure.” As I stuttered(结巴地说) through my 2 , all I could think was, “What? Why me?”

    I walked back to my office wondering where to 3. This was a time 4 the economy was fading. The rise in unemployment forced many of my coworkers to 5 to survive. How could I ask them for more?

    That evening I drove home, depressed. Then I remembered once my father was out of work. Mom wrote a note to Jim, the milkman, asking him not to 6 any more milk. Two days later Jim picked up the 7 and left four liters of milk. He left a message, 8, “Kids need milk.” The milk delivery 9 as usual and Jim never collected a cent 10 us.

    The memory of Jim's 11 fired my enthusiasm. Perhaps I'd be in for a pleasant surprise.

    The next morning I 12 signs about our food drive all over the cafeteria and on every notice board I could find. Each sign said, “Food drive to support the poor elderly! 13 of non-perishable(不易腐的) foods are greatly needed.”

    Within a few days I had to locate empty office space to 14 a large number of contributions we had 15. One of my coworkers, Maggie, made the rounds with me every day from one department to another to pick up the canned goods and other 16. Though over sixty, she 17 manage to push our food trolley(手 推车) around like a woman half her age.

    I asked her where she got all the enthusiasm. She said, “With the unemployment rate touching 10 percent, I can't think of a better way to be 18 for keeping our jobs 19 so many have lost theirs. Sure money is tight. But when isn't it? People need food.”

    As I listened to Maggie, the milkman's words 20 in my ears, “Kids need milk.”

    It was January 2000, and I had just finished the final term of my year abroad in Auckland, New Zealand. Warm feelings and happy thoughts1 into my mind. I began thinking about the 2 I was due to take with my friends over the summer, across New Zealand.

    I went shopping for gifts to take back to my family in Malaysia. Then I made my way home. I have always been very careful of3 safety. But, for some reason, on that day I quickly ran across the 4 without looking. At that moment, a 5 turned the corner. I was in the driver's6 spot so he did not see me, nor I him. I was hit by the minibus and was 7 under its wheels.

    When opening my8, I learned that it took 15 minutes to. 9 me from the wheels. A(n)10 team from a local hospital had to lift the minibus off me with their hands.  A tourist in the crowd had come to help, holding my hand and 11 me in the ambulance(救护车). When I arrived at the hospital, 12told me my injuries were life-threatening. They also told me there was a13 chance I could never walk again.

    However, although I14a lot, I was not paralyzed(瘫瘓的). It took me six months to15. I was sad to miss out on the trip across New Zealand but my friends comforted me a lot. 16I was able to attend my graduation, crossing the stage with walking sticks; it didn't matter, because I was just happy to be17. The accident changed my18; it made me think about the terrible things that could have happened. It regularly19me to step back and think twice about my problems, to be20for the second chance I got at life.

The sandwich man

    Michael rises every morning at 4:00, in good and bad weather, and walks into his sandwich shop. By 5:50, he's making the rounds of the shelters on Centre Streets. He 1 out 200 sandwiches to the homeless, before beginning his workday.

    It started 20 years ago when Michael came across a homeless man named John. He began to help him 2 effort then. Day after day, he brought John some food and, when it was really 3, a resting place in his car while he worked. Once he asked John if he wanted to get cleaned up. It was a(n) 4 offer, because Michael thought John would refuse. 5, John said, "Are you going to wash me?" Michael knew that he was looking at a 6 of his promise. It was at the moment that Michael 7 to help the homeless.

    Michael began his work. He received no sponsorship, saying, "I'm not getting media 8. I just want to do some good in my way. There are days when it's snowing, and I have a hard time leaving my warm bed and the 9 of my family to go downtown with sandwiches. But I've 10."

    Michael makes 200 sandwiches every day for the past 20 years. "I don't simply 11 the sandwiches on a table for the homeless to pick up. I shake their hands and 12 them a good day," says Michael. Once Mayor (市长) Koch came to make the rounds with him. They 13 the media, and it seemed like it was just the two of them. But of all Michael's 14, working side by side with the Mayor was not as important as working next to someone else…

    A man had 15 from the sandwich takers, and Michael thought about him from time to time. He hoped the man had moved on to a more 16 environment. One day, the man came back, greeting Michael and 17 sandwiches of his own to hand out. He said Michael's daily food, warm handshakes and wishes had given him the 18 he badly needed. After achieving some success, he decided to do the same thing as Michael.

    The moment needed no 19. The two men worked silently, side by side, handing out their sandwiches. It was another day on Centre Streets, but a day with just a little more 20.