Merril Bingham passed away in February 2016. He was a(n)1to me in many ways. He retired(退休)four years ago. Before his retirement we remained close an talked 2. Among the many things that3me that him was his devotion to family and model of fatherhood.

    Merril was quite an athlete and he developed a love for4which lasted his entire life. As I attended Merril's funeral(葬礼), I was more impressed than ever at the5he played as a father to 8 children, who spoke at the funeral and6stories about their dad. I must 7 that, as I sat there, I wondered8my children would have as many great memories of their dad as Merril's 9_did of him.

    One daughter remembered that the morning she was to 10, her dad was up early in the kitchen. When she came into the kitchen, he said, “Hey, you're getting married today! Take it easy! What do you want for breakfasts?” He then made a 11breakfast and they enjoyed it together, making her 12.

    A son talked about fishing trips and 13as they worked in the yard together. He 14the importance of having the open, communicative relationship that15him to have confidence in his dad. This son also developed a love for golf and talked about loving the time when he could 169 or 18 holes with his dad together.

    The memories of the children were about time17together, not about money, or things that18less. I need to share my faith with my children in a(n)19way. Being overbearing(霸道的)doesn't work, 20being a loving example of a father does.

    It was the old lady's birthday. She got up early to be ready for the post. From the second floor flat she could see the postman when he came down the street, and a little boy, Johnnie,1her letters from the ground floor on the rare 2when anything came.

    Today she was sure there would be something. Myra 3 forget her mother's birthday, even if she 4 wrote at other times. Of course Myra was busy, but 5 Enid, the daughter the old lady loved most, died two years ago. Since then Myra had seen her mother three times, but her husband, Harold, never.

    The old lady was eighty this day. She had put on her best dress. Perhaps ―perhaps Myra might come. After all, eighty was a 6 birthday, another decade lined or tolerated just as you chose to look at it.7 Myra did not come, she would send a present. The old lady was 8 of that. Two spots of colour 9 her cheeks. She was 10 like a child. She would enjoy her day!

    Now, she stood by the window,11 The postman turned round the corner on his bicycle. Her heart beat 12 Johnnie saw him too and ran to the gate. Then clatter (咔嗒声), clatter up the stairs. Johnnie knocked at her door. He had got her post four envelopes. Three were unclosed cards from old friends. The fourth was closed, in Myra's writing. The old lady felt a sharp pain of13There was no parcel for her! Maybe the parcel was too large to come by letter post. That was it. It would come later by parcel post. She said to herself. She must be14.

    Almost 15 she tore the envelope open.16 in the card was a piece of paper. Written on the card was a message under the printed Happy Birthday —Buy yourself something nice with the 17, Myra and Harold. The cheque moved quickly to the floor like a bird with a broken wing. Slowly the old lady 18 to pick it up. Her present! her 19 present! With 20 fingers she tore it into little bits.

When Marcus, a homeless man, walked into a small cafe, begging for spare change, he didn't get 1. Instead, Cesia, the owner, kindly asked why he didn't have a job. 2 his head to avoid eye contact, he replied, "I used to be in prison and no one wants to 3 me." Although Cesia had hit some hard times of her own at the cafe, she was short of hands that day and 4 Marcus a position, washing dishes for two hours.

With a big smile, Marcus 5 accepted it. While Marcus was busy with the dishes, Cesia made him a sandwich. Marcus immediately walked out to the street and 6 it with a homeless woman. "Do you know the lady over there?" she asked out of 7. "No, but I know she is hungry." That really 8 Cesia.

Since business was not good, Cesia couldn't 9 to employ him. So at the end of that day, they said their goodbyes. 10, much to her surprise, Marcus continued to 11 on time for work every day. When he got 12, he bought food from the cafe, refusing to take it for free. When asked why, he said, "It makes me feel 13." Marcus was showing that he was really a nice person. For Cesia who was going through a dark period, Marcus became a 14 in her life.

"People need someone who 15 them and even lends a helping hand." Cesia wrote on Facebook, "Just like Marcus, I had my 16 when in trouble. I had many people to help make it to where I am today. Do something 17 for someone else and don't 18 them just because they're out there asking for money, for we don't know their real 19. Some deserve another 20."

    On the very first day, God created the cow. He1 to the cow, "Today I have created you!2 a cow, you must go to the field with the3all day long. You will work all 4 under the sun! I will give you a life5 of 50 years."

    The cow objected, "What? This kind of a 6life you want me to live for 50 years? Let me have 20 years, and the 30 years I'll give back to you." So God agreed.

    On the second day, God created the dog. God said to the dog, "What you are7 to do is to sit all day by the door of your house. Any people that come in, you will have to8 at them! I'll give you a life span of 20 years."

    The dog objected, "What? All day long to9by the door? No way! I'll give you 10 my other 10 years of life!" So God agreed.

    On the third day, God created the monkey. He said to the monkey, "Monkeys have to11people. You've got to make them laugh and do monkey 12 I'll give you 20 years life span."

    The monkey objected. "What? Make them laugh? Do monkey faces and tricks? Ten years will13, and the other 10 years I'll give you back." So God agreed.

    On the fourth day, God created14 and said to him, "Your job is to sleep, eat, and play. You will enjoy very much in your life. All you need to do is to enjoy and do nothing. This kind of life, I'll give you a 20 year life span."

    The man objected. "What? 15a good life! Eat, play, sleep, do nothing? Enjoy the best and you16me to live only for 20 years? No way, man! Why don't we make a(n)17? Since the cow gave you back 30 years, and the dog gave you back 10 years and the monkey gave you back 10 years, I will 18them from you! That makes my life span 70 years, right?" So God agreed.

    AND THAT'S WHY...

    In our first 20 years, we eat, sleep, play, enjoy the best and do nothing much. For the next 30 years, we19all day long, suffer and get to 20 the family. For the next 10 years, we entertain our grandchildren by making monkey faces and monkey tricks. And for the last 10 years, we stay at home, sit by the front door and bark at people!

    Jake was born healthy, but his parents noticed there was something wrong when he was 5. Jake 1 about 20 pounds in just six months. He kept putting on weight 2 eating only salad. In 2015, Jake was diagnosed with ROHHAD, a 3 condition that affects the brain and causes rapid weight gain. Only 75 cases have ever been reported, and 4 of the sufferers is known to have survived twenty years.

But Jake wants to fight for 5. Although there is no way to fully 6 the weight gain, he does everything he can to slow it down, including 7 competing in triathlons (铁人三项). Triathlons help him keep fit and active. It's good for his 8 and also gives him a chance to socialize with other kids. He 9 with the Malta Youth Triathlon Association three times a week.

    “He is extremely 10. He never misses a training session without valid 11 and is constantly eager to train,” Jake's trainer said. “Jake is very lovable and steals the heart of all who know him. It's heartbreaking to see what he has to 12. I look at his family with a mixture of 13 — despite the hardship they try their best to ensure that Jake gets as 14 a life as possible.”

    Everybody is more than happy to help Jake, and they 15 change event dates and training schedules just to make it easier for him to 16. He is always very determined, but due to his condition, he can't 17 himself to push his heart rate too high.

    Jake's 18 is to meet two famous British Triathlon players, 19 due to his disease, he cannot travel. After Jake's story was made public, someone 20 that he would do everything he could to make the boy's dream a reality.

A Labrador has been doing an important job to help people stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eight-year-old Roby runs through the streets of the hilly city of Medellin several times a day with a 1 in his jaws, taking vegetables, fruit and packaged foods to customers of the Fresh4U mini-market.

"He helps us to maintain social distancing," said Roby' owner, Sherry Botero. "And people 2 it when we send the dog." Roby enjoys eating carrots 3 to him by customers, a tip for bringing a basket of food.

Roby wasn't always a star. He was accepted into the family 4 by Ms Botero after repeated requests by her son to 5 a dog.

But Ms Botero quickly 6 with the dog. And when she opened a mini-market four years ago, he started to accompany her to make deliveries.

Roby can't read 7. But he remembers the names of customers who have previously rewarded him with treats. And with some practice, he has learned to go to their houses on his own.

"He knows the names of five or six of our customers," Ms Botero said, "So I send the goods with a receipt in the basket, and my customers 8 me through a bank transfer(转账；转移)."

Roby might not know that he's become an 9 worker. But he is happy to help his owner and 10 his daily pay.