My father sold everything we owned, took all the money and disappeared from our lives. My mother suddenly found herself 1 to care for five boys. I worried about the situation, but my mother stayed 2, and assured us that she would keep us tog ether as a  3 and safe from harm. Although small in size, she could 4 heavy horse-drawn plows（犁）. Besides, she 5 found time to help us with homework.

    As Christmas approached, my mother didn't seem to smile as much. I 6 She had no money to buy us presents. Considering myself practically grown, I hid my 7.

    One day, my mother took a saw(锯) into the forest and 8 with some tree branches. She left them in the barn(畜棚) and didn't tell her 9 children what they were for. She worked on her project 10 I was in school, but I looked 11 into the barn when I had a chance. Several days later, I still couldn't 12 her purpose. When later I saw she used nail and paint, I 13 that she must be making presents.

    By Christmas week, my mother was her 14 happy self again. Her project was apparently 15, and she obviously kept it secret because I'd looked everywhere without 16.

    On Christmas Eve, I lay awake for a long time, 17 Christmas morning.

    The next morning, my mother handed out the handmade presents happily in front of her delighted kids. Many difficult years would follow that particular Christmas, but I never again doubted my mother's 18 to care for us. We were never hungry, and she make sure we got a(n) 19 in school. She taught us to have faith in our own abilities. That faith 20 me still.

    Last Sunday. I went to the neighborhood cafe with my friend. On the way, 1 an old lady,2 cart had been knocked over and her goods were scattered across the pavement. She was 3 her goods. People passing by were 4 her as if she were a beggar.

    I hesitated. Many things were running through my mind. “What should we do?” I asked my friend 5“It's none of our business. 6 you may get both of us into trouble and 7 it if you help,” my friend said 8 and then continued to walk ahead. However, I had great 9 on this poor lady. “She really needs help.” I said seriously and began to 10 the lady.

    I cautiously 11 beside the lady, helping her. I could feel the passers-by eyeing me 12 I knew they were thinking that I was 13 for helping her or that I had knocked over her cart and therefore I was assisting her out of  14.

    “Thank you!” She whispered.

    “You are welcome!” I murmured, offering a 15.

    She also smiled. After all goods were picked up, she slowly rose 16 her feet. She thanked me again, and continued walking down the street. Yet I knew that her smile and 17would always he impressed on my mind.

    At that moment, I didn't care anymore 18 other people thought.

    I smiled to myself because although I had helped that lady in such a 19wav, she had helped me more by showing me how I could be 20 in the world.

    My l4-year-old son, John, and I spotted the coat which was hanging at a secondhand clothing store in Northampton Mass. While the other coats drooped (低垂), this one looked as if it were 1 . The coat had beautiful tailoring, a Fifth Avenue label and a(an) 2 price of $28, which was popular just then with 3 , but could cost several hundred dollars new. This coat was even better, bearing (具 有) that 4 of classic elegance. John tried it on and the fit was perfect.

    John5the coat to school the next day and came home wearing a big smile “Did the kids like your coat?” I asked. “They loved it,” he said, 6folding it over the back of a chair and smoothing it flat. Over the next few weeks, a 7 came over John. Agreement replaced contrariness (作对) and reasoned discussion replaced fierce 8 . He became more mannerly and9 , eager to please. He would generously lend his younger sister his tapes and lecture her10 her behavior.

    When I mentioned this incident to his teacher and11what caused the changes, she said laughing. “It12be his coat!” Another teacher told him she was giving him a good 13 not only because he had earned 14 but because she liked his coat. At the library, we ran into a friend. “Could this be John?” he asked surprisingly, 15 John's new height, assessing(评估) the cut of his coat and extending his hand, one gentleman to another.

    John and I both know we should never 16a person's clothes for the real person within them. 17there is something to be said for wearing a standard of excellence for the world to see and for 18what is on the inside to what is on the outside.

    For John it is a time when it is as easy to try on different approaches to 19as it is to try on a coat. The whole world, the whole future is stretched out ahead, a vast landscape 20 all the doors are open. And he could picture himself walking through those doors wearing his wonderful, magical coat.

    Once there was a girl, named Kate. She was very polite and ready to help everybody. One day she found a pink paper bag on the way to school. She opened it and saw there was a lot of 1 in it. She thought she should hand it in to the teacher, so she 2 it in her schoolbag.

    When she went to the teacher's office, her teacher wasn't 3. As it was time for class, she hurried to the classroom. After class, she told her friend, Mary, about the money that she 4. Then, her greedy (贪婪的) friend took away the bag. After school, Kate wanted to go to the 5 office again, but she found the money was missing.

    The next day when the children were playing a game, Mary fell down and was hurt very badly. The other children stood around her and didn't know 6 to do. Kate kept calm and did something to stop bleeding. She told the others to go to teachers for 7. Soon a teacher took Mary to the 8 and the doctor examined her carefully. Within a week she was all right again. Kate became very popular in the school.

    Two weeks later Mary came to Kate's house. Her eyes were red. She was crying. She gave Kate the 9 paper bag with the money in it and said. “Kate, I have taken the money away. That day when you helped me, I felt very sad and now I decide to tell you the 10, you are such a nice friend! 11 Please don't tell the school about this please!” Then Kate said, “You are now 12, but you have done a bad thing. Though I will not tell anyone, I want you not to be greedy and 13 to do anything wrong.” The girl thanked Kate and 14.

    At the end of the term, Kate was given a 15 for being a very helpful girl in the school. Mary became an honest girl and was never greedy again.

Once wrong, never be wrong forever.

    Regardless of the weather or the distance, Paul Wilson will make sure low-income students in his neighbourhood arrive at their college classes on time.

    A retired engineer, 76-year-old Wilson has been 1 free rides to college students for the past eight years. Since he first started 2 his car to the young people. Wilson has 3 am astonishing 64, 000 miles, and has had countless pleasant and often humorous 4 with the students he transports to and from school. The students who he's 5 have gone on to become physicians, teachers and engineers, but what they've also got out of their time in school is finding a role model and a friend in Wilson. Some students 6 call him "Grandpa".

    Tina Stern 7 rides from Wilson for all her four years in college, and the trips meant much more to her than just free 8. "It's not just a ride；you're not just sitting there in 9 silence or with your headphones on." Stern said. "He asks you questions and actually 10 the answers, so the next time you ride with him, he'll 11 those things."

    Wilson first worked as a driver through a student-support programme of the non-profit organisation. On Point for College. Although the 12 asks the members only to drive students to and from their classes, Wilson often goes 13 to ensure the welfare and safety of the students. If they have problems with registration.

    Wilson is there to 14 them. If they run out of certain daily necessities. Wilson will drive to the nearest store and purchase what's needed. If a student gets hungry on the long drives to and from school, Wilson never 15 to buy them a meal.

    For many students, Wilson's help is not only appreciated, it's also entirely 16 for them to be able to complete their college education. Some students don't have a reliable car, while others have to 17 vehicles with parents who work six days a week. For them, riding with Wilson has 18 them to complete their education—but according to Wilson, he benefits just as much from the 19. "I just love driving and I love these kids, "Wilson said. "It's such a(n) 20 to be a part of these kids' lives, even just for a few hours, getting to know them and hearing their stories."

    I got to know a homeless man, Leo. I1him two options that I could either give him a2and teach him how to write computer3, or give him $100 in cash. He accepted my4offer, even though he didn't know what coding was. I am a5believer in the power of6. I was home-schooled by my mother, herself a software engineer. By the age of 12 I had7my own business designing websites and had earned $30,000. Writing code is a8and much rewarding skill, so I was sure that if Leo learned how to do it, and that could be a way for him to turn things9.

    I bought Leo a secondhand laptop and three books on Java, the programming language. Leo had used computers10at school but didn't have an email address and didn't know how to do very basic things such as copy and paste(粘贴) text.11he has an incredible memory and can12information almost word for word. Our goal is to13an app. Leo came up with the idea: a car-sharing app that14the amount of CO₂ emissions(排放) you've avoided; he is concerned about the15.

    He is16dedicated(专注的) and works at it for three hours a day: no mean feat(成就), because the information is incredibly dense and it's17to absorb a lot at one time.

    I always thought homeless people were18, but Leo is part of a very supportive community. When our project is over, I hope Leo will be offered a job19. I don't think that's20. As well as being brilliant at coding (he'll have surpassed me in two years), I think he could make a great teacher.