Joe Simpson and Simon Yates were the first people to climb the West Face of the Siula Grande in the Andes mountains. They reached the top 1 ， but on their way back conditions were very 2. Joe fell and broke his leg. They both knew that if Simon3alone，he would probably get back 4. But Simon decided to risk his5and try to lower Joe down the mountain on a rope.

As they 6down，the weather got worse. Then another 7occurred. They couldn't see or hear each other and，8 ， Simon lowered his friend over the edge of a precipice（峭壁）. It was9 for Joe to climb back or for Simon to pull him up. Joe's 10 was pulling Simon slowly towards the precipice.11 ， after more than an hour in the dark and the icy cold，Simon had to 12. In tears，he cut the rope. Joe 13 into a huge crevasse（裂缝） in the ice below. He had no food or water and he was in terrible pain. He couldn't walk，but he 14to get out of the crevasse and started to 15 towards their camp，nearly ten kilometers 16.

    Simon had 17the camp at the foot of the mountain. He thought that Joe must be 18 ， but he didn't want to leave 19. Three days later，in the middle of the night，he heard Joe's voice. He couldn't 20 it. Joe was there，a few meters from their tent，still alive.

    As we slowly drove down the street on that cold December evening we spotted the porch（门廊）light."This1be the house."I told our "Positive Teens In Action" group with certainty.We2in front of an older home with the porch light shining.We gathered up our3books,walked up the steps,and4on the door.We heard a5voice from inside say,"Come in.The door is open."We opened the door.

    There in a rocking chair6an elderly woman with a big7on her face."I've been8you,"she said weakly. Ruth was one of our "Meals On Wheels" stops I had9.I had phoned her and told her about it.Going along with me were the10church members who11singing carols（颁歌）.We12Ruth the basket of delicious food the teens had prepared earlier that evening.Then I asked Ruth what carols she would like to13.Ruth was smiling cheerfully when she14singing each song.

    15we hugged Ruth good-bye she said to me with tears in her eyes,"The day you16I was still in bed.l had just finished17.I asked God if it would be possible to have some Christmas carolers come to my home and18this year.Thank you for being the19to my Christmas prayer."

    Wow,what an awesome20to have the opportunity to make Ruth quite content!

    During my second year at the city college, I was told that the education department was offering a "free" course, called Thinking Chess, for three credits. I 1 the idea of taking the class because, after all, who doesn't want to 2 a few dollars? More than that, I'd always wanted to learn chess. And, even if I weren't 3 enough about free credits, news about our 4 was appealing enough to me. He was an international grandmaster, which 5 I would be learning from one of the game's 6,I could hardly wait to 7 him.

    Maurice Ashley was kind and smart, a former graduate returning to teach, and this 8was no game for him; he meant business. In his introduction, he make it 9 that our credits would be hard-earned. In order to 10 the class, among other criteria, we had to write a paper on how we plan to 11 what we would learn in class to our future professions and 12, to our lives. I managed to get an A in that 13 and learned life lessons that have served me well beyond the 14.

    Ten years after my chess class with Ashley, I'm still putting to use what he 15 me: "The absolute most important 16 that you learn when you play chess is how to make good 17.On every single move you have to 18 a situation, process what your opponent(对手) is doing and 19 the best move from among all your options."These words still ring true today in my 20 as a journalist.

    An old woman was sitting outside an ice-cream shop with dirty clothes and rough hair. She got 1 and walked, but it seemed quite 2, her legs shivering(颤抖)and her eyes showing deep sorrow of being left alone and homeless.

    I did not 3 an ice cream, so I was outside the shop, 4 her, while my family went in. Her legs were weak and trembling. I saw her difficulties and came up to her with 10 dollars in my 5 and handed it over to her. She was so 6 and started blessing me instantly.

    I wanted to talk with her as that seemed very important 7. I asked about her 8. She said there was no one, and that all died one by one, with tears in her eyes.

    "Where does she live?" I 9. The response was quite 10. I noticed her "luggage", two plastic bags, containing her 11. At this point, I gave her my 12, smooth stole(披肩). It was bright yellow and looked new.

    But she was not ready to accept 13. She was worried about my feeling cold for a few minutes before I got home. She finally 14 the stole and covered herself, when I insisted. She was 15 me even more. I checked my bag and kept giving anything that I thought she could use. How grateful she was! At this moment, I saw change in her 16 state of mind. By this time, she seemed calm and 17. And so did I.

    The look of 18 and hopelessness was transformed. She looked at the people who passed by us with more 19 in that moment.

    I realized it was my small kind act 20 had counted a lot to the old woman.

    Takamizawa, aged 91, was one of the more than 200,000 people who requested to volunteer for Tokyo's 2020 Games. English is not required for service, but it is a helpful1 for volunteers to have. But Takamizawa had not been able to learn the language when she was young. She was in high school when World War Two 2. She said, "In my second year there, English was banned(禁止) because it was the 3 language."

    Takamizawa said that her grandchildren helped 4 her she was not too old to learn.

    "When I talked to my grandchildren about my5, they said, 'it's not too late. We will teach you one word a day. It's going to be a good 6 for you."

    Natsuko is Takamizawa's 7 and main English teacher. Natsuko 8 a new English word to her grandmother's phone every day. They also often work together 9 on phrases that Takamizawa will need for the Olympics.

    "Welcome to Tokyo, this is the Olympic stadium, how can I help you?" Takamizawa answers when 10 to say an English phrase she has learned.

Natsuko 11 that she wanted to give her grandmother something to 12. "I can clearly see her English is getting better. It's my joy now."

    For the level of English spoken in a country, Japan ranks (排列)49th among countries where English is not the 13 language. This situation is slowly changing as younger generations 14English. Japanese students often learn English at a much 15 age than they did in the past.

    However, Takamizawa believes real change will not happen 16 Japanese people become more open to the rest of the world. She says that people in Japan should act not only as Japanese citizens, but also as "17 members" of the Earth.

    With around 500 days to go until the Games begin, the whole Takamizawa family is ready to welcome the world to Tokyo. When Japan last held the Summer Olympics in 1964, Takamizawa was too busy 18 a family to go to any events.

    Takamizawa said she never thought the Olympics would happen in Tokyo 19 in her lifetime. "It's good," she said, "to 20 long."