When I was three, Connie, my new sister, was born on December 17, 1993. Eleven months later, this smiling child was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). The doctors at John Hopkins gave her an 8% 1 of survival. With the help of our 2 parents, Connie was able to fight against the disease and 3 went into remission（缓解期）. Months later, Connie had a relapse（复发）. After a (n)4 second relapse in 1996, with a survival rate now at only 1%, the doctors5 a bone marrow transplant（骨髓移植）was the best route to take. After 6 our blood types, the doctors found an exact7.Me. I was honored to be able to help my sister.

    After the bone marrow transplant Connie spent her summers in the neighborhood pool. She could always be8running around the house in bathing suit. Staying in the remission for five years would mean Connie's cancer would be 9 But before Connie could10 year three, cancerous cells started to 11 her body once more; she relapsed.

    Connie 12 during this relapse. becoming progressively13 During the summer of 1999, she was not able to14 in the pool or ride her bike. She spent her summer days in hospital.

    When November 15 around, Connie hit rock bottom. The doctors said it was her 16. When I was nine years old, on November 19, 1999, my family and I said our goodbye to a child who did not live 17 the age of six.

    Connie is a 18to my family and me. She is a role model to people who knew her. Her bravery and courage was greater than19I know. Connie has taught me by example: it is hard to 20 a person who never gives up.

Honest Thanks

    I sat down at my desk and started writing. I wrote an emotional letter of gratitude. I put the notecard into the 1, sealed it and stuck the stamps on it, but when it came to actually placing the letter into the mailbox I 2.

    The letter was to a schoolmate with whom I kept in contact via（通过）Facebook 3. She had inspired me to live a(n)4 life—for example, by5 more.

    Her volunteer efforts weren't 6—she wasn't building well in Uganda, but7she was doing small, local good deeds, such as serving as a crossing guard. These were things I could do, too. She made me 8 I could make a difference here at home. I felt I should let her know how her 9 positively influenced my life. I could have easily sent her an e-mail,10 that seemed a bit lame for such an important thank-you. That's why I ended up 11 the letter. But now I stood before the mailbox, unable to place the envelope inside. What was 12 me? Why was this so13 to do? I guess I felt strange because it wasn't like she was my best friend, I just knew her. “people don't 14 do this,” I thought to myself. However,15 thinking it over, I still felt a(n)16 to let her know how grateful I was. Finally, I put the envelope in the mailbox.

    Weeks later I received her reply, she was 17 a tough time and my letter meant the 18 to her. She didn't know she had such a(n)19 on others. Not only did this letter make her happy, but her response to it increased my20 of happiness. I decided to write a gratitude letter to someone each month. Cultivating（培养） gratitude is a great skill to practise. Life is too short not to do it.

    This happened just a few minutes ago and I wanted to share. It was not a huge deal but put a smile on my face and made me feel very 1.

    I headed to the local store, which was also 2 as a petrol station. As I entered, I noticed that all the pumps (油泵) didn't work. I thought they had just run out of 3.

    The local store was being 4 tonight, somewhat different from usual. I grabbed a few bits and pieces and headed to the checkout. After 5 chatting with the shop assistant, I 6 that earlier that day there was something wrong with the fuse (保险丝), which 7 the electric system in the entire store. Pumps and refrigeration out of action, no online payments.

    I went to pay but the card reader didn't even try. I tried again, same deal.8 I was holding up the line so I put aside the things I 9 and told the cashier (收银员) I was heading outside to their ATM.

    I headed out, but the ATM was also out of 10. I went back in and while dealing with the next customer, the cashier 11 and spotted me. I told him the ATM was out and suggested running home to 12 some cash. At that moment, a man after me insisted on 13 the cost of my things. It wasn't a large amount,14£5，but made a great 15. It was a lovely thing for him to help others in16. He said it was nice to 17someone out and it 18 me having to run back home and back to the shop and back home again.

    19 many twists and turns exist in the world, there will always be gifts in your life. Enjoy the gifts, and 20 the gifts.

    Living in a foreign culture can be exciting, but it can also be 1. A group of Americans who taught English in other countries 2 discussed their 3.They decided that miscommunications were always 4, even over something as 5 as "yes" and "no."

    On her first day in Micronesia, Lisa thought people were 6 her requests. The day was hot, and she needed a cold drink. She went into a store and asked, "Do you have cold drinks?" The woman there didn't say anything. Lisa 7 the question. Still the woman said nothing. Lisa gave up and left the store. She later learned that the woman had 8 her: She had raised her eyebrows, 9 in Micronesia means "yes."

    This 10 Jan of an experience she had in Bulgaria. She had gone to a restaurant that was well-known for a 11 named stuffed cabbage( 塞馅卷心菜). She asked the waiter, "Do you have stuffed cabbage today?" He 12 his head. Jan eagerly waited, 13 the cabbage 14 came. In that country, a nod means "no."

    Tom had a 15 problem when he arrived in India. After 16 something in class, he asked his students if they understood. They responded 17 many different nods and shakes of the head. He guessed some people had not understood, so he explained again. When he asked again if they understood, they did the same thing. He soon 18 that his students did understand. In India, people nod and shake their heads in different ways 19 where they come from. You have to know where a person  is from to 20 whether they are indicating(表示) "yes" or "no."

    I remember my first woodworking project－a small table. It was absolutely beautiful and I was so 1 of it that I looked upon it as if I had created a(an) 2. I could 3 wait to give it to Mother Winters, the administrator of our orphanage (孤儿院), as a gift. We called our female caretakers “mother”. It was the title that we used when 4 them.

    As the table legs were not 5 from the coating, we were instructed to wait a few days before taking them to the dormitories. But I was just so 6 that I couldn't wait. When I saw my chance, out the door I went like a 7, carrying my table and smiling from ear to ear.

    I was 8 it in my dormitory when Mother Winters entered. She walked over to the table and run her hand 9 the top.

    "It is very pretty," she told me. 10 when she touched the table leg, she noticed that it was still wet.

    "Were you 11 to bring this home?" she asked.

    "No, ma' am," I whispered with my head 12.

    She made me throw the table out. After she left, I got it back. There was 13 stuck all over the legs. I brushed and cried and brushed and cried, but it would not 14. I hid the table in my closet.

    A year later, I asked Mother Henderson, my houseparent (宿管员), to throw it away.

    Thirty years later at a reunion, I 15 that Mother Henderson was living nearby, so I drove up to see her. As I was about to leave, she asked me to come down to her 16 to help her get something important. I 17 her into a dark corner. She picked something up. 18 she turned around, I could see that she was holding a little table.

    Today, I look at that table with bittersweet memories but full of 19to Mother Henderson, who kept it for a young orphan who tried very hard to 20.

Nailed it

    Last July, Peters, 36, rolled her wheelchair into a nail（指甲）salon with the idea of doing her nails. But Peters, who has cerebral palsy（大脑性瘫痪），was 1 The salon, she says, told her that they were afraid it would be 2difficult to properly paint her nails given that her hands 3 What was meant to be a day of beauty happiness for Peters was now a 4.

    5 the interaction from a few feet away was a Walmart cashier（收银员）about to go on her 6 . Ebony Harris, 40, 7 in Peters, a Walmart regular, a similar spirit. "She's a girlie girl," Harris told ABC 12 of Flint, Michigan. "She'^,s just like you, me, my daughter, anybody. She wants to look 8. So why can't she?"

    Harris 9 Peters. "Do you want me to do your nails?" she asked. A smile 10 across Peters's face. "Yeah!" They shopped for nail polish and 11on a bright blue ­ a statement color that would catch every eye. They then made their  12 into a neighboring Subway, and found a table for two. Harris 13 took Peters's hand into hers and carefully began painting her nails.

    "I was a little nervous and was shaking too because I didn't want to 14 her nails up," Hams admitted to ABC News. "I told her she's a blessing to us, to anybody, not 15 me. She makes me look at life and appreciate it much 16 than I have."

    Watching it all with 17 was Subway employee Tasia Smith. What struck her most was the ease and gentleness 18 by Harris as she painted Peters's nails, all the while chatting 19 they were old friends. Smith was so taken by the scene that she wrote about it on Facebook." She was so 20 with her," she wrote. "Thank you to the Walmart worker for making this beautiful girl's day!"