I am an American living in France for twenty years. I used to complain about how the French were 1 for friendship. I had a(n)2 time making a living here.

    When I came I felt a need to meet people,3 I went to the cinema night for women's day. I was excited about the way to connect to French women through the 4 we would have after the film, perhaps to make friends and get more chance of 5.

Outside the cinema was a woman with long gray hair who had a slightly 6 smell and was asking for money. I 7 my wallet to give her a Euro and then something made me stop and enter into 8 with her. I said, "Look, people are seeing a film that could 9 your life. I'd rather buy you a ticket than give you money."

    So she came in,10 behind me because she said people 11 the theater didn't like her. She sat next to me in the cinema. Then I noticed some women were looking at me, with expressions of 12.

I encouraged the women to come the following night to an event. I 13 her to an agency that helped women in her 14. Then, a woman came towards me and said, "Did you buy a ticket for the woman?" When I said yes, she said, "Please come to the community center to 15 other employees there."

    This was the 16 of a deep friendship and colleague relationship. The woman I took to the cinema that night wasn't 17. Actually, she was a secretary and spoke English.

    For me, though, she was18 my angel. I made a great friend 19 reaching out to her, also got a great job, and 20 myself of many previous negative judgments about the French.

    You may be surprised to see “making sure children never suffer” as a mistake.  The following 1may help you understand how rescuing children from all suffering2weakness.

    A little boy felt sorry for a butterfly3 to emerge from its chrysalis(蛹). He decided to4the butterfly. So he peeled (剥开) the chrysalis open for the butterfly. The little boy was so5to watch the butterfly spread its wings and fly off into the sky.  Then he was horrified6he watched the butterfly fall to the ground and die because it did not have the muscle7to keep flying. In fact, the butterfly's struggle to8the chrysalis helps the butterfly become stronger.

Like the little boy, 9too often want to protect their children from struggle in the10of love. They don't realize that their children need to struggle, to experience11. To deal with disappointment, and to solve their own problems. Only in this way can children12their emotional strength, become 13and develop the skills necessary for the even bigger struggles they will meet throughout their lives. Children experiencing sufferings can14the ups and downs of life.

    However, it isn't helpful either in this case when parents15lectures(训斥), blame and shame to what the child is experiencing. Mothers 16to say, “Stop crying and acting like a spoiled boy. You can't always get what you want.” These17words should be avoided.

    Instead, parents can offer loving support. You can say, “Don't lose18. Be brave! You will succeed if you try again. ” Then comes the tough part-no19and no lectures. Simply allow him to discover that he can get over his disappointment and20what he can do to get what he wants in the future.

    Last year, I received an e-mail from my dad, under a subject line: "Mystery creature?" There was no body text, but1was a ten-second video, shot in the dead of night. It2a furry creature charging away from the camera and down a driveway. Midway through the video, the animal3abruptly, turns slightly and stares back. Then it runs into the4. Watching it again, I noticed that the driveway looked5. It was my childhood home. There soon came more e-mails with more videos. And the mystery creature6to be a raccoon(浣熊) without its tail.

    For many years, my parents had been7about setting up some camera traps, just to see what sorts of animals were quietly moving around the8. But my dad had always thought the camera were a little too9and complicated. About a year ago, my dad finally10two cameras at reasonable prices that were easy to use. He first11them toward a place where he had noticed a particular pile of scat (动物粪便), which always appeared in the same12. After leaving the cameras on for only one night, he13. To his amazement, right in front of a bench where he'd 14 one camera, a fox arrived. It 15 to the center of the sight line and squatted (蹲下), briefly, in the exact spot. "Can you 16 it?" he said, playing the video for me again.

    I could not, 17 there it was, clear to see. For me, the pleasure in watching these videos was that they would never be 18 believable and that the 19 would always be beyond my imagination. Rather than making the world more knowable, they seem to make it more 20. They've turned a backyard into a place full of mystery.

    Stars guide the way for us in the dark. Some are 1, others are dim, but they all shine together as if they're 2 the ups and downs of life. Among them, I try to find Hazel's, the heroine of the novel The Fault in Our Stars, written by U.S. author John Green.

    Hazel is a 16-year-old girl who has cancer. In her 3 group, she wins a boy's love, who has lost a leg and he also has 4. They fight pain, fear and death together. 5 their lives are hard, Hazel has a strong will. She never 6, and even silently 7 the happiness of people around her, behind which, I believe, it is the inner spirit that makes her 8.

    Hazel isn't 9. She quarrels with her parents, like most teenagers. But most of the time, she's very 10, never letting cancer be an excuse to 11 her life. She regards cancer as a side effect of death, which everyone will 12 one day. She accepts the fact that "the world is not a wish-granting factory", so she13 every single moment in life, no matter if it's 14 or sweet.

    That's 15 I admire her. I don't experience the pain and the challenge that Hazel has faced, but 16, I come across many difficulties. When I'm in 17, I always wonder what I can do about it. If there's no more mercy I can beg for, then I try to find 18 in my heart. Hazel has taught me that we should love and appreciate life as it is, forget today's 19, and live life to its fullest. 20, tomorrow is another day.

    When I first met my new parrot, Chico, his wings had been cut short and he was stuck on the earth just like us humans. When the weather turned nice, I would take Chico outside. I 1 him on a branch of a tree, hoping to make him happier. At first he seemed confused. He walked back and forth on the branch looking 2. He didn't even flap his wings in an /a 3 to fly. Somehow he knew he was incapable.

    One day Chico got especially excited. He paced back and forth and made an 4 amount of noise. Then all of a sudden he stopped and let out an even louder scream. He started 5 flapping his wings for the first time ever—then he lifted off the 6 like a space shuttle! I was amazed and 7. Little did I know his feathers had been growing back, and Chico had been waiting until the moment was ripe for 8!

    Two days later Chico returned. First I tried to 9 him back with food, but he would not come near me. Then I took his 10 and put it away—still he would not come. Finally, I made him a firm promise that I would let him out every day if the weather was nice as long as he did come back. 11, he flew onto my shoulder.

    From that day on, whenever the weather was good I would let him 12 early and he would fly around and be back before dark. The routine lasted for two months 13 suddenly Chico became 14. The vet said that he had been infected with a disease from the pigeons in the 15. Within a few days he died.

    I was very sad. The 16 crossed my mind that if I had not set him free to fly, he would be still alive. But what 17 is there in being a bird if you can't fly?

    Chico made his first 18 for freedom on a late Monday afternoon in April. When will you make yours? You too can take a 19 when the conditions are right, knowing you too, in your own way, were built to fly. If you don't set yourself free, what will be the 20 of your life?

    I was driving on the freeway when I noticed heavy clouds roll in. A storm was coming. Glancing at the boxes of 1in the back seat, 1 smiled to myself. The rain began beating 2against my car window, making driving impossible. I 3onto the shoulder of the road and stopped. The rain 4me of Hurricane (飓风) Katrina.

    Hurricane Katrina struck when I was nine years old. I had 5it would strike us in Houston. It missed us, 6other cities were not so lucky. I remembered watching the 7. A reporter stood inside the Houston Astrodome (体育馆), 8people. Many wore dirty and 9 clothes, and some had no shoes on their feet. I noticed a little boy behind the reporter 10an old teddy bear. Watching him, I knew I had to do 11.

    The next day, my friends 12me at our volunteer club and we came up with a plan. We wanted to 13toys and give them to the kids at the Astrodome, which would bring some 14into the lives of these families. We 15the word to our schools and other organizations. Three days later, the donation bins were overflowing with new toys! When we 16the Astrodome with our gifts, children 17toward us from all directions, smiles lighting up their faces.

    BZZZZ. My cell phone brought me back to the present. To my joy, the storm had 18. "Hector. We have more 19of yesterday's tornado." "Well, I've brought clothes I'd like to donate to them. The 20 delayed me, but I'll be there soon!" I eased my car into the suddenly busy traffic. It felt good to know that I was making a difference again.