One day I was riding on a crowded bus downtown to go to work when it rained suddenly. The windows of the bus were soon 1 and we couldn't see the outside. Everyone was in low spirits. I was sitting next to a man in a business suit and I paid little attention 2 we both got off at the same stop and walked to the same news-stand(报刊亭) to get a morning 3.

    The man 4 the stand was obviously having a bad day. He was 5 and unsmil­ing as we bought our papers, which only  6 more gloom (郁闷) to my day. The business­man 7 my eyes and smiled brightly, 8 the news-stand owner for the paper and for being open on such a morning to 9 we were able to get our papers.

    As we went away, I asked this man why he was so 10 to the newsman when he didn't respond to his 11 of thanks and friendliness. The businessman smiled at me and said, “Why would I let someone else 12 what I say and what I feel?”

    We then 13 to go to our own work places. To this day, I still don't know who that businessman was, or where he worked. 14, I know nothing about him. He appeared briefly in my life and disappeared just as 15. But I've never forgotten the words he said and his 16 which seemed like a ray of light on a gloomy day.

    That was a good 25 years 17, but the effect this had on my life has lasted. I have learnt that we cannot control people and  18 we are in, but we can always control our 19 to them. That is, it is within our control and our  20 to make such positive decisions and thus to make a positive difference.

    One day I was riding on a crowded bus downtown to go to work when it rained suddenly. The windows of the bus were soon 1  and we couldn't see the outside. Everyone was in low spirits. I was sitting next to a man in a business suit and I paid little attention 2  we both got off at the same stop and walked to the same news-stand(报刊亭) to get a morning 3 .

    The man   4  the stand was obviously having a bad day. He was  5  and unsmiling as we bought our papers, which only  6 more gloom (郁闷) to my day. The businessman   7  my eyes and smiled brightly,  8  the news-stand owner for the paper and for being open on such a morning to 9 we were able to get our papers.

    As we went away, I asked this man why he was so  10  to the newsman when he didn't respond to his  11 of thanks and friendliness.The businessman smiled at me and said, “Why would I let someone else 12  what I say and what I feel?”

    We then  13 to go to our own work places. To this day, I still don't know who that businessman was, or where he worked.  14 , I know nothing about him. He appeared briefly in my life and disappeared just as 15  . But I've never forgotten the words he said and his   16   which seemed like a ray of light on a gloomy day.

    That was a good 25 years   17  , but the effect this had on my life has lasted. I have learnt that we cannot control people and   18  we are in, but we can always control our19 to them. That is, it is within our control and our 20 to make such positive decisions and thus to make a positive difference.

    On my way back home I was stopped at a traffic light by some people who asked for help. A woman 1 to give way to an ambulance, but drove her car over stony obstacles （阻碍）that 2 the bike line from the street, and had her car 3 as a result. She couldn't move the car in any direction without 4 it. A couple of people tried to lift the car back but the obstacles were too 5. Seeing that they couldn't do much about it, they 6 and the woman in the car tried to call for some 7.

    While watching the other people leave, I 8 the woman would be on her own and I imagined how 9 that would be if I were in her shoes. After some talking, she 10 me to sit inside her car. She called for help and was 11 that it would take about 45 minutes for someone to get there.

    I tried to comfort the woman who seemed to feel 12 about causing others trouble. But 13 it wasn't too much trouble since they could 14 pass, and also there wasn't anything she could do about it anyway. We laughed and joked that all we 15 was some tea for our chat.

    Finally 16 came and helped her back on the street. She thanked me and 17 my phone number so she could return the 18, but I told her it was okay. She seemed to feel much 19 when we said our goodbyes. I believe that not having to face a difficult 20 alone can make a lot of a difference.

    Have you ever imagined your future? I try to do this all the time. Most of us will follow in our 1 footsteps, by this I mean our adult lives will 2 resemble the lives we live as children, set by our parents' examples. Have you ever 3 and thought about this? What an awful job it must be to 4 a child properly! But, what happens to the children that live 5 drugs, alcohol and violence in their childhood? Where can they find good examples for themselves?

    I know of one place that is trying to 6 all children. It is the McDowell County D.A.R.E. program in McDowell County North Carolina. Our teachers carry on their shoulders the great 7 of teaching kids to just say NO to drugs, alcohol and violence. I am personally acquainted with 8 of these things, not because I have ever 9 them myself, but because of my dad. He drank, 10 drugs and smoked pot (抽大麻). When I was 7 my mom took me and my sister and 11. I wonder if my dad ever thought about the 12 and what this bad decision would lead to when he first started experimenting with drugs and pot at 13. He has been in jail, he can't get a decent job, and he lost his 13. These bad choices also caused him to hurt his children in horrible ways.

    I am 14 that I have at least one parent to help me make wise decisions, and to teach me right from wrong. I am also 15 that the D.A.R.E. program is taught in our schools. One of the most 16 things I learned from D.A.R.E. is that a person that has a parent with an addiction problem is more than twice as likely to become addicted themselves, as compared to a person that has no family history of drug 17. I have learned many things through this 18, especially about the consequences of our trying drugs. You could get arrested, hurt yourself or someone else, 19 your life by becoming an addict, or even die. All of these things are terrible, but I can't think of anything 20 as a parent than hurting our children and the people that love us. DRUGS DESTROY LIVES! I give the D.A.R.E. program two thumbs up, for all the good things being accomplished.

    There was a very popular local restaurant near our company. One day, I went with some colleagues from my office for a dinner in a very popular local restaurant. It was 1 business time and the restaurant was crowded. We 2 found a table in a corner for three of us.

    As soon as we sat down, we heard a crash when a cleaning boy 3 the floor with all the plates he was carrying. There was 4 and no one was saying or doing anything.

    In a flash I remembered my 5 many years ago. Once, I 6 in the airport because I had rushed there on my own on an empty stomach. I was picked up and taken care of by two 7. Now this was my chance to 8it forward.  

    I ran to the young man's side immediately, turned him on his back and screamed for someone to 9 a hot drink. Soon people started asking if I was a doctor. I said I was not, but I was 10 at attending the one blacking out(晕厥).

    The kid soon opened his eyes, 11 what had happened. I 12 him by saying it was OK and I had had a 13experience. He had not eaten anything. I held the 14 drink to his mouth till he finished it and sat with him till he felt OK. By then the 15 had arrived. I asked her to give the kid something to eat. I offered to pay.

    The manager was kind enough to refuse the 16 and agreed to make sure the kid ate before he went home. By the time all this was 17 it was getting late for my colleagues. We hadn't 18 anything yet, so they decided to go home.

    I slowly walked home, not hungry any more, feeling 19 for the opportunity I pay forward the 20 I had received many years ago.

Are there any moments with your family that are carved in your heart forever? A few1ago, my father arranged to send me a mail-order2for my birthday, on December 26th. Although I had a good job in Manhattan, he3I would forget it. I had recently moved from California where my parents still lived in the house I4in.

He wanted me to have a particular5of fruitcake. Made in Texas, it was famous among fruitcake lovers.6the fruitcake was his way of trying to bless me.7my middle-aged status, I was still his son.

"It should arrive the first week of 8 ," he said. "As soon as you get it, let me know what you think."

The first week of December passed with no9of his fruitcake. I was looking forward to10the flavors that transported me to my childhood.

Then an11call from my mother drove me to fly back to California12. My father was in hospital due to a13surgery. During a three-month stay in hospital, he would always ask about the fruitcake.

14, the day before my flight back to Manhattan, the fruitcake still had not15. January, February, and March came and went with no fruitcake. He was deeply annoyed about that 16fruitcake.

Early last December, nearly a year after my father17from a failing heart, I got a18from a staffer at the front desk of my apartment building. “You have a package,” he said. I went19to pick it up. The brown box had a UpsEx (联合快递) label with a return20in Texas.