阅读下面的短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

    While high school does not generally encourage students to explore new aspects of life,college sets the stage for that exploration. I myself went through this 1 process and found something that has changed my 2 at college for the better:I discovered ASL-American Sign Language(美式手语).

    I never felt an urge to 3 any sign language before.My entire family is hearing,and so are all my friends.The 4 language were enough in all my interactions(交往).Little did I know that I would discover my 5for ASL.

    The 6 began during my first week at college. I watched as the ASL Club 7 their translation of a song. Both the hand movements and the very 8 of communicating without speaking 9me. What I saw was completely unlike anything I had experienced in the 10 .This newness just left me 11 more.

After that, feeling the need to 12further, I decided to drop in on one of ASL club's meetings. I only learned how to13 the alphabet that day. Yet instead of being discouraged by my 14progress,I was excited. I then made it a point to 15those meetings and learn all I could.

    The following term, I  16an ASL class. The professor was deaf and any talking was  17 . I soon realized that the silence was not unpleasant. 18 , if there had been any talking, it would have 19us to learn less. Now, I appreciate the silence and the 20way of communication it opens.

    A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet．He held up a 1which said：“I am blind, please help．”

    There were only a few 2 in the hat．A man was walking by．He took some change from his pocket and 3 it into the hat．He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some 4 ．He put it back so that everyone

    who passed 5 would see the new words．

    Soon the hat began to 6 ．There were a lot more people 7 money to the blind boy．That afternoon the man who had 8 the sign came to see how things were．The boy 9 his footsteps and asked, “Are you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?” The man said, “I just wrote the 10 ．I said what you said but in a different way.”

    What he had written was: “Today is a beautiful day but I 11 see it．”

    Do you think the previous sign and the new one were 12 the same thing? Of course both signs 13 people that the boy was blind． 14 , the first sign simply told people to help by putting some money in the hat because of his blindness．The second sign told people that they were15 enough and able to enjoy the 16of the day , which the boy couldn't.

    There are at least two 17 we can learn from this simple story.

    The first is : Be 18for what you have．Someone else has19 Help where you can.

    The second is : Be creative. Think 20 .There is always a better way.

It was a cold evening and my daughter and I were walking up Broadway. I didn't notice a guy sitting inside a cardboard box. But Nora did. She wasn't even four, but she 1 at my coat and said, "That man's cold. Daddy, 2 we take him home?"

    I don't remember my reply. But I do remember a sudden 3 feeling inside me. I had always been delighted at how much my daughter noticed in her 4, whether it was 5 in flight or children playing. But now she was noticing 6 and beggary.

    A few days later, I saw an article in the newspaper about volunteers who picked up a food package from a nearby school on a Sunday morning and 7 it to an elderly person. It was quick and easy. I 8 us up. Nora was 9 about it. She could understand the importance of food, so she could easily see how 10 our job was. When Sunday came, she was ready, but I had to 11 myself to leave the house. On the way to the school, I fought an urge to turn 12. The Sunday paper and coffee were waiting at home. Why do this? 13, we phoned the elderly person we'd been appointed. She 14 us right over.

    The building was in a sad state. Facing us was a silver-haired woman in an old dress. She took the package and asked us to come in. Nora ran inside. I unwillingly followed.15 inside, I saw that the department belonged to someone poor. Our hostess showed us some photos. Nora played and when it came time to say goodbye, we three hugged, I walked home in tears.

Professionals call such a(n) 16 "a volunteer opportunity". They are opportunities, I've come to see. Where else but as volunteers do you have opportunity to do something 17 that's good for others as well as for yourself? Nora and I regularly serve to needy people and 18 clothes for the homeless. Yet, as I've 19 her grow over these past four years, I still wonder—which of us has 20 more?

    My 4-year-old son now enjoys posting letters. He has formed the 1 of drawing pictures, writing his name on them, and then  2 the artwork in an envelope. He then insists on 3 his handwork to the neighbors, and a mail box he 4 belongs to the elderly couple who live next door. To be 5, I didn't think much of it, but I had 6 to warn my neighbors of the drawings 7 appearing in their letterboxes—I just didn't have the 8 to do so, because I was a little busy recently.

    On Tuesday of last week, I was walking down to school to collect my son when I 9 Mary, my elderly neighbor, 10 at her mail box. She said, “Jodie, is it your little son that has been posting items in my letterbox to me?” I was at once 11, “Oh yes, Mary, it is. I'm sorry. I meant to tell you…” She cut me off, “Jodie, I just love his mail. I've 12 every item he has sent. You don't know how much 13 the letters has made my day. I just love them.” While I was walking down to school after our 14, many thoughts came to me. Mary doesn't have a lot to fill her days, 15 she was a mother to a number of children herself who receives fairly regular visitors. The small 16 of getting some mail—pictures drawn by the hand of a young child—has brought 17 to her days, just as my visit to my grandparents does.

    I have decided that my son should 18 this practice. He should also start sending some items to his grandparents in Perth as well. It will most 19 make their day.

    It's doing the little, simple things that can often make a big 20 in someone's life.

    I recently heard a story about a famous scientist who had made several very important medical breakthroughs（突破）. He was being interviewed by a reporter who asked him1 he thought he was able to be so much more 2 than the average person.

    He responded that it all came from a(n) 3 with his mother that happened when he was about 2. He had been trying to 4 milk from the fridge when he 5 the slippery(光滑的) bottle, its contents running all over the kitchen floor.

    When his mother came in, 6shouting at him or giving him a lecture, she said, “Robert, what a great and wonderful 7 you have “drawn”! I have 8 seen such a huge pool of milk. Well, the damage has already been 9 . Would you like to get down and 10 in the milk for a few minutes before we clean it up？”

    His mother then said, “ You know, what we have here is a 11 experiment in how to effectively carry a big milk bottle with two 12 hands. Let's go out in the back yard and fill the bottle with water and see if you can 13it .” The little boy learned that if he 14 the bottle at the top near the lip with both hands, he could carry it without dropping it. What a wonderful 15 !

    This scientist then said that it was at that moment that he knew he didn't need to be 16 to make mistakes. Instead, he learned that mistakes were just 17 for learning something new, which is, 18, what scientific experiments are all about. Even if the experiment “doesn't 19 ,” we usually learn something 20 from it.

    One day, when I was in high school, I saw a kid named Kyle from my class walking home from school with all his books. I thought to myself, "1 would anyone bring home all his books for the weekend? He must really be 2."

    As I was walking, I saw several kids running toward him. They ran at him, 3all his books out of his arms and he fell down in the dirt. His glasses went 4and landed in the grass.

    My 5 went out to him. So, I ran over to him. 6 I handed him his glasses, he looked at me and said, "Hey, thanks!"

    I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it 7, he lived near me. We talked all the way home. Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.

    Kyle was the 8 student of our class, one of those guys that really found 9 during high school. Therefore he had the honor to prepare a 10 speech. On the graduation day, I could see that he was 11. So, I patted(拍) him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be 12!" He looked at me and smiled.

    He cleared his throat, and began. "Graduation is a time to 13 those who helped you make it through those 14 years. Your parents, your teachers…but mostly your friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best 15 you can give him."

    I just looked at my friend with 16 as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to 17himself over the weekend and was carrying his books home. "Thankfully, nothing happened. My friend 18 me from doing the unspeakable(不能说出来的)."

    Not until that moment did I realize that you should never underestimate(低估) the 19of your actions. With one small act you can 20 a person's life. For better or for worse.