At my heaviest I weighed 370 pounds. I had a very poor relationship with food: I used it to 1bad feelings, to make myself feel better, and to celebrate. Worried about my health, I tried many different kinds of 2 but nothing worked. I came to believe that I could do nothing about my 3.

    When I was 50, my weight problem began to affect me 4 . I didn't want to live the rest of my life with this 5 weight any more.

    That year, I6 a seminar where we were asked to create a project that would touch the world. A seminar leader shared her 7story —she had not only 125 pounds, but also raised $25,000 for homeless children.

   8 by her story, I created the As We Heal(痊愈), the World Heals 9. My goal was to lose 150 pounds in one year and raise $50,00010 a movement founded 30 years ago to end hunger. This combination of healing myself and healing the world11 me as the perfect solution.

    12I began my own personal weight program, I was filled with the fear that I would 13 the same difficulties that beat me before. While the 14 hung over my head, there were also signs that I was headed down the right 15. I sent letters to everyone I knew, telling them about my project. It worked perfectly. Donations began 16in from hundreds of people.

    Of course, I also took some practical steps to lose weight. I consulted with a physician（内科医生）, I hired a fitness coach, and I began to eat small and 17meals. My fund-raising focus also gave me new motivation to exercise 18.

    A year later, I19my goal: I lost 150 pounds and raised $50,000! I feel that I've been given a second life to devote to something that is 20 and enormous.

    There was a small boy living on a farm which seemed so far away from everywhere. He was1 to get up before sunrise every morning to start his work and to go out again later to work in the evening.

    During sunrise he would take a 2and climb up on a fence, so in the distance he could see a house with golden3. He thought how4it would be to live there and began to5the modern equipment that might be6in the house. He thought, “If that is a house with golden windows, then there7be other nice things in the house.”8, he promised himself, “Some day I will go there and see this wonderful place9.”

    Then one morning his father told him to stay at home as his father would do the work. Knowing that was his10, he packed a sandwich and11across the field towards the house with golden windows.

    12 the afternoon going on, he began to realize how he had misjudged the distance.13, something else was wrong. As he came14to the house, he saw15golden windows but a place16by a broken fence which badly needed17. He went to the door and knocked. A small girl opened the door.

    He asked the girl if she had seen a house with golden windows. “18,” said the girl and invited him to sit on the porch (门廊). As he sat there, he looked19. There the20turned the windows of his home golden.

    I woke up the other day to a phone call from a taxi driver. He had my friend's cell phone, and told me that my friend had1it in the cab the night before.

    It was a rainy2, which for cab drivers is a very busy time. The cab driver asked where he could3the cell phone off. I told him the cross4where I lived. I quickly got dressed and told him that I'd5him on the comer of the street.

    The driver drove all the 6from Queens to deliver the phone without 7. When I met up with him, I 8 and blessed him for having such a kind and beautiful9. I was so happy for my10because of this man's kindness! My friend had11 moved here and I could only imagine how 12 his cell phone was to him! I further asked the taxi driver if I could get his 13, so that my friend can thank him as well. He said my 14 and gratitude were all that he needed and drove off.

    I emailed my friend telling him I had his15and later that day I met up with him to tell him how I had16it. My friend said he couldn't believe such kindness should17in this big city. He told me he could not18to pay it forward.

    I was so 19 to see the kindness that happened early that morning. It just made my20!

    During the early 1980s, I was a sales manager for a large training company. One of my 1 was to train people on how to sell. I taught people that lack of time and opportunity were only excuses for not producing 2.

    My mother is a Greek immigrant with 3 formal education. Her high point of each week was Sunday when she 4 take an hour-long bus ride to church, where she and her friends would 5 and exchange gossip and stories of their families.

    When the committee members decided to 6 money for a new Greek church, my mother jumped at the chance to 7. Her plan was simple: talk to as many people as possible about buying tickets and make them feel 8 if they didn't.

    That was 9 I came into the picture. She said I was a big shot and gave me ten booklets of ten tickets, each one worth one dollar, 10 up to a total of $100. A week later, I showed up with the 11 half. "I simply didn't have the time." I 12 to my mother.

    "You either do something or you have all the 13 why not," my mother shot back and started to cry. I was 14 and quickly agreed to buy the rest of my tickets myself. She stopped crying 15 and said, "When you want something, then you do 16 it takes to get the job done, even cry." With a 17 she said, "I knew that crying would work with you, and for being so sad with your excuses, here are ten more books." As a sales manager, I paled by 18. It 19 that my mother sold 7,000 tickets, 200 ahead of the second.

    I learned a new level of distinction between 20 and results. Soon afterwards, I quit my job and started my own business, training people in time management.

    I have a home away from home — my school, Hamden High. Sometimes after 13 hours of school and sports, I consider 1 there overnight, sleeping in the band room. But I feel most at home at Room Cl03, the costume shop, which my acting friends and I call home. The couch there has been a second 2 for me.

    I have been on the costume crew for four years. I 3 my first play set in Italy in the 1960s. With the help of my costume teacher, I 4 my first costume successfully. On stage, it sparkled and made the 5 of the queen come to life. I felt 6, realizing that I'd do this forever and help create 7 through cloth and color.

    My costume teacher 8 my abilities to select designs, colors and fabrics that will 9 each character. So she asks me to take charge of the ensemble (全套戏服）. 10 a hard task, I welcome it! I  11 the long nights spent cutting the patterns. I feel like an older sister to the younger  12.Through my four years of theater, I have  13 my theater family and the young actors treat me as their older sister. I would feel  14 each time a family member leaves and we will cry.

    I will leave my Hamden High theater family and make my new 15 at UCONN, a school where I can 16 these feelings again. I look forward to learning new 17 in something I truly love and wish to 18 for the rest of my life. In UCONN, I will also help the actors on stage to 19 as if their characters come to life. 20, I will find a comfortable couch in a new band room to sleep on.

    In mid-January the weather stayed clear and cold for several days. Jess had to 1 a week of school to stay home and2 his father to manure（给……施肥） the fields. This was his bad3, for he would have to make up his lessons as best as he could. It wasn't4, though. All the boys and girls at Pumpkin Hollow School were often kept home when they were needed.

    Jess5 manuring, but he couldn't get out of it. Filling the wagon（马车） with heavy manure was a tiring 6. With a full load（装载）, his father drove over the fields; Jess stood in the back and spread the manure.

    After several days at this job, both Jess and his father grew7 and impatient. It seemed as though life was too8 to stand. They fell into bed at night worn out, with nothing to 9 but another day of the same hard work. Jess was even 10with it. "Why does brother Ben stay in a warm prison while I myself tried to do his work？ It's 11!" Jess thought.

    His mother watched him 12. "You're looking thin," she said. Then she turned to Jess's father and said," Joseph, couldn't we hire（雇）somebody to help13the manuring is done？"

    Mr. Wright didn't 14, and Jess guessed why. His father couldn't15 to hire a man. The hundred dollars he had paid for Ben's fine had wiped out the family's savings. Jess said, "No, Ma, we don't 16 to hire anybody. Pa and I can manage.17 I'm tired, and so is Pa. We'll18 it in a few days."

    The19 look his father gave him for understanding the problem was reward enough. When they went to the fields and were silently working together, Jess was 20 he'd spoken up.