One morning, the door to the classroom opened and a new teacher, Mrs Cosby, walked in. She looked too 1 to handle us. And we sure gave her a 2 time，but she never lost her temper. And then came the last day of the first month. She 3 a bunch of papers”. We4the worst—a test. But oh no, it was something that totally 5 us.

    Mrs Cosby asked us to come to the front of the class, and gave each of us a piece of 6, on which she had written what the student had been 7 at during the last month. You see, no one had ever 8 us. No one had ever liked us. We were constantly told what good - for - nothing Students we were. And here,9 ， was someone who had been 10 us closely for a month. We made things as difficult for her as we could. And yet she could find something 11 to say about each of us.

    Mrs Cosby did this every12 from then on. Each month we got a piece of paper that emphasized our 13 She commented on my courage, how punctual I was, how good to 14 arguements if I wanted. Her positive attitude transformed our class. We did not want to 15 her feelings anymore. We actually started to 16.

    And then came the day of our graduation. Mrs Cosby hugged us and told us with tears in her eyes how 17 she was of us. Then she 18each one of us a book. All the encouraging words through the years were there, in hard covers.

    She said, “I want you each to keep this book and if ever during your life you feel unworthy, 19this and read how good you are. You can be anything you want to be 20 you believe in yourself. Promise me you'll remember that!”

A welcome gift

    Dario and his mother loved their new apartment.  The living room was large enough for their piano. That night, the two of them 1 side by side at the piano. They played jazz music to celebrate their new home. The loud 2filled the room and made them feel very happy.

    The next morning, 3,their happiness disappeared. Someone had left a 4 under their door during the night. One of their neighbours had written to complain（抱怨）about the sound of the piano. Dario's mother asked the building superintendent（管理员）if he knew anything about it.But he said that they were all 5 people and he couldn't imagine any of them had done that. Later that morning,

    Dario suggested that they write a letter to their 6 and apologize for their playing.

    “Maybe we could go and 7 everyone in person," his mother said.

    “What if we invited them to come here for a 8 instead?" Dario asked.

    They both loved the 9.Over the next few days, they 10invitations and prepared desserts for their guests. They decorated the apartment with streamers(彩带) and party lights.

    Finally, the day of the party 11. Some guests brought presents. Others brought flowers. Some even brought desserts to 12.One woman, Mrs Gilbert, 13 Dario's mother with a book of piano music by Chopin. “I heard you playing the other night,”she said. “The sounds woke me out of bed.

    I 14 that you might play like this every night. So I wrote a short note.I hope you don't think I disliked the playing.” Dario's mother smiled at Mrs Gilbert.“I think maybe we15 you an apology," she said.“I didn't 16how late it was when we were playing. Maybe we should play some quieter music at night.” “You play, you play!" Mrs Gilbert said.“I like what you play! Just not so loud at night." She pointed to the book she had given them. “These songs are not such 17 music.”

    “These songs are beautiful music," Dario's mother said. “We will be18to play them in the evening.” “And we won't play so loud or late!”Dario said. He was already looking forward to 19 the new music. More than that, however, he was happy to see the big smile on his mother's face. It gave him a feeling of 20 and made him feel that they were home at last.

    One cool morning, my mother and I went to several garage sales  (宅前旧货出售) to find something that our family might want. We finally 1at a pleasant house in the woods. The elderly 2 told me that he and his wife were retired (退休的) teachers. As we were searching, I heard the gentleman's wife say her    3to someone, and I immediately  4 who she was. She looked at me and said. "You're Lisa Miller." I looked at her 5, for it had been nearly thirty  6since I had been in her class.

    My mother immediately said sorry to her for any 7I might have made. She did that again after learning that I wasn't the sweet little child. She thought that if this woman 8 me after so many years, I must have done something 9. My teacher looked at my mother and 10 said. "Oh, no. She was very good." My teacher 11 that during the last week of school, I 12 her a plant from my mother's garden. It was a lamb's ear. She took us to her garden where she planted the lamb's ear. Over the years it 13. As I looked down her driveway with lamb's ears on both sides, she said, "Every day when I leave my house and drive up the driveway, I think of you. And when I come home they 14 me, I think of you."  Tears  15 my eyes. There at her home was a piece of my life that she had raised.

At that moment, she taught me more about 16than I  could imagine. We give pieces of ourselves every day 17 thought. We seldom imagine the effects (影响) that we have  on others' lives. That piece may grow and spread, becoming a(n) 18 part of a life. In the end it isn't the big things that matter, 19 the small things that make all the 20 in the world.

    I still remember that the year when I started university. It was a very 1 time for me. Like many other new students I missed my mother's cooking and my friends, got quite homesick想家的 and 2 thought of leaving university and going home.

    The 3 time for many students was getting letters from home, and at first my mailbox was full. But 4 the letters gradually became fewer and finally the day came when I found my mailbox was 5. It made me feel quite miserable痛苦的. Then one day while I was waiting for the postman I saw that I had a postcard in my box. Happily I sat down to read it, 6 that it was from one of my friends. 7 it was 8 of a young woman called Annie and her new baby. I took the card back to my room, put it into my desk drawer and 9 all about it.

    Several days later, I 10 another postcard. This time it was about Antonio, Annie's cousin. Soon later, another card came and then another, 11 full of interesting information about people I had 12 met. I began to really look forward to them, 13 to see what the writer would 14 next. They made me feel 15 unhappy with my own life and I even began to smile. 16 while the cards 17 coming, I joined some societies and made some new friends. At last I was beginning to enjoy 18 life. The postcards had made me feel happy and helped me begin a new life so I 19 all the cards and even now bring them out 20 I feel miserable.

    A heart-warming story tells of a woman who finally decided to ask her boss for a raise in salary. All day she felt 1. Late in the afternoon she gathered the 2to approach her employer. To her 3, the boss agreed to a raise.

    The woman arrived home that 4 and saw a beautiful table set with their best dishes. Candles were softly glowing. Her husband had come home early and prepared a festive 5. She wondered if someone from the 6 had told it to him, or... did he just somehow know that she would not get 7?

    She found him in the kitchen and told him the good 8. They hugged and kissed, then sat down to the wonderful meal. Next to her plate the woman 9 a beautifully lettered note. It read, "Congratulations, darling! I knew you'd get the 10! These things will tell you how much I love you."

    Following the supper, her husband went into the kitchen to 11 up. She noticed that a second card had 12 from his pocket. Picking it off the floor, she read, "Don't 13 not getting the raise! You deserve it 14! These things will tell you how much I love you."

    Someone has said that the 15of love is when you love without measure. What this man feels for his wife is total 16 and love, whether she succeeds or 17. His love celebrates her victories and calms her 18. He stands with her, no matter what 19 throws in their direction.

    Upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa said, "What can you do to 20world peace? Go home and love your family." And love your friends. Love them without measure.

    My sister called the other day and told me how sad she was feeling about Mother's Day this year. 1, I was taken by surprise because May feels so far away. I felt instantly 2 because I hadn't thought about my mother in a while. And that's 3 when it occurred to me that our 4 doesn't always follow a calendar.

    After our mother died, I spent a good deal of time 5 her in front of her photo. It enabled me to 6 conversations with her that were 7 to me. I remember desiring to be picked up the phone on many occasions to 8 some good news or get her advice, only to be 9. Now, I simply talk to her in my head. Her photo has become a 10 of her spirit and I'm glad she's there.

    My sister, Ellen, said that this is a 11 difficult year for her and she is trying to 12 why. She sounded impatient with herself, 13 13 years should be enough time to "get past" being sad on Mother's Day.

    The truth is, that for me, every year is 14. At times, when the TV commercials. advertisements and local stores absolutely bomb us with fairy tales of flowers and chocolate and jewelry, I get angry: 15 these same reminders leave me feeling 16 for my wonderful mom, recalling (回忆) her generosity and serious style. She was always a trooper. And sometimes I don't 17 any of it at all.

    As Ellen and I talked, she seemed to come to a certain 18. She was going to be out of the country on business on Mother's Day, without her husband or any family around Without the presence of this 19, she worried about being 20. But she decided that it would be OK. Deep in our heart, Mum has always been with us.