On Sunday I had my own Father's Day celebration. Suddenly I 1 about my dad a lot. My dad is 2 the kindest man in the world. He would never 3 anyone in trouble.

    Every Thursday night, my dad would 4 Shreveport, to a church there. I always drove the car for him.

    Although this happened many times, I 5 one incident on one of those trips to Shreveport. That time on the 6 , my dad saw a hitchhiker (搭便车的人 ). Dad asked me to pull the car over and offer him a 7. Dad asked him his name and address, told him ours, and talked to him about all sorts of things.

    At first the hitchhiker was hesitant (迟疑的 ), but he changed his 8 as he could tell we were really listening to him. I did know that it was quite 9 outside and the hitchhiker was very happy to be able to get a lift in our warm car.

    We 10 another forty-five minutes and learned that the hitchhiker was 11 many difficulties in life. Dad told him to keep his head up and said that 12 would become better for him soon. He 13 into his pocket and handed the hitchhiker a twenty-dollar bill, leaving only a ten-dollar bill for himself. The hitchhiker then became very 14 .

    I was always told never to 15 a hitchhiker and yet my dad did it every time he saw one. Dad always gave them money 16 he did not have much of his own.

    From that I've learned a lot about my dad and 17 . I've learned that if you come from a place with 18 , you will show a lot of kindness to people who are 19 . Just one single kind act may 20 someone's life.

    On a cold winter evening, I was walking home alone, when suddenly came screams (呼喊声) from behind some tress.1 I slowed down to listen, and 2 that what I was hearing were the sounds of a fight. A woman was being attack (袭击) not far from where I 3.

     “Should I go to help her?” I thought. I was worried about my own 4 , and I regretted having suddenly decided to take a new way home that night. “What if I am 5 too? Shouldn't I just6 to the nearest phone and call the police?” But already the girl's 7 were growing weaker. I knew it was time for me to act fast because I could not 8 the life of this unknown woman, 9 it meant risking my own life.

    I am not a 10 man. I didn't know where I found the 11  and physical strength (体力), but once I had finally 12 to help the girl, I changed suddenly. I ran behind the bushes and 13 the attacker off the woman. Struggling, we fell to the ground, where we fought for a few minutes 14 the man jumped up and ran away.

    15 heavily, I came up to the girl, who was crying. In the 16 I could not see her clearly, but I could certainly 17 her shock. Not wanting to frighten her any further, I spoke to her from a distance.

     “It's OK,” I said 18“The man ran away. You're safe now.” There was a long stop and then I heard the words, said in both wonder and 19 “Dad, is that you?” And then, from behind the tree, stepped my youngest 20 Katherine.

    There was my mother, standing in a fuzzy (毛绒绒的) pink bunny(兔子）costume. This can't be, 1 I thought to myself. Being ten was 2 enough.

    Our class was taking a trip to a convalescent home（疗养院) that day.I had 3 to stay at home pretending I'd caught some rare disease. My mother who's a(n) 4, sent me to school anyway.

    When we got there, I 5 wished for that 6. I'd fall to the ground and be 7the humiliation (耻笑) of anyone ever knowing that I 8every day after school there, dressed as a bunny.

“Hi, Shelly!” The residents waved at me, “ Do you know them?” someone asked. “No! They 9 me for someone else. I'm Machille,” I responded. I didn't look up 10 I might make eye contact with them. Then, Mrs. Deist, our teacher, handed us tulips (郁金香) to give to the residents. I quickly went to the back of the 11. My mother just went along her way— hopping（单足跳跃）. Last year, we hopped together. 12, “I'm too old for that now”, I thought.

    I hid behind my class. “ Shelly, how about a game of Fish?” Lou asked. My class and teacher 13 and stared. “ Machille, do you know these people?” Mrs.Deist asked me.

“Um….yes！”  

    “Well you should 14 the way,” she said, smiling. So I stepped forward, handed a tulip to Rose, waved to Frank and gave Mr. Blusso a high-five.

    “My mother is in a convalescent home. I wish she could have someone like you to 15 her.” Mrs Deist said. My mother hopped over then. “This is my mom. Every day she looks after these special people who need nurses' care.” I stood straight as I 16 the information. My mother then explained a program where kids can 17 after school. The residents cheered at the18, and my class seemed excited, too.

    I realized how 19 it made me to make other people smile and feel good. I should never be 20 of that.

Happy Maggie

    During my childhood I experienced greater hardships than most people go through in a lifetime. In my short 17 years of life, I have been1five divorces of my parents. Having a new stepmother or stepfather every few years was2, but the constant moving was worse. My father's cancer diagnosis3 me apart, and his two heart attacks and4 with diabetes put a huge pressure on the family. By age 13, I was5and emotionally scarred. I felt like I had no one to6and that nothing would ever get better. Then I met Maggie, and my attitude towards life changed.

    For many summers, I 7 at a horse-riding camp for people with special needs. We taught children and adults specialized skills8their abilities. For example, we would teach a child with autism(自闭症)9skills, or a child with cerebral palsy(脑瘫) strength-building exercise. Each volunteer was10a specific child during eight weeks. A few weeks later, I was asked to11 another volunteer who was sick. That was the day my12 on life changed forever.

    As I began to work with her, I looked through her file to get more information, which was 13. She had been physically abused as a newborn and throughout her infancy. Her birth parents14her so badly that they caused her a serious brain injury by the age of two. Her skull had been broken, however, the amazing thing about Maggie was her15attitude.

    When I met Maggie, she was 12, and she would say16but "I'm happy!" If you asked her" How old are you?", "I'm happy" she replied each time. Everyone at the camp17her "Happy Maggie".

    My life growing up was a huge struggle, 18Maggie taught me not to get in the way of happiness. Nothing bad in life should be enough to change19I am. She gave me20. If I learned anything from Maggie, it would be, no matter what, be happy.

    The room in the workhouse where the boys were fed was a large stone hall. At one end the master, in his cook's uniform, and two women served the food. This 1 a bowl of thin soup three times a day, with a piece of bread on Sundays. The boys ate 2 and were always hungry. The bowls never needed 3. The boys polished them with their spoons until they 4. After three months of this slow starvation, one of the boys told the others that so hungry was he 5 one night he might eat the 6 sleeping next to him. He had a wild 7 eye, and the other boys 8 him. After a long 9, they decided that one of them should ask for more food after supper that evening, and Oliver was 10.

    The evening arrived: the soup was served, and the bowls were 11 again in a few seconds. Oliver went up to the master, with his bowl in his hand. He felt very 12, but also 13 with hunger.

    "Please, sir, I want some more."

    The master was a fat, healthy man, but he turned very pale. He looked at the little boy in front of him with 14. Nobody else spoke.

    "What?" he asked at last, in a 15 voice.

    "Please, sir," replied Oliver, "I want some more."

    The master 16 him with the serving spoon, then seized Oliver's arms and 17 for the beadle (执事). The beadle came quickly, heard the terrible news, and immediately ran to tell the board.

    "He asked for me?" Mr. Limbkins, the fattest board member, asked in 18. "Is this really true?"

    19, Oliver was led away to be locked up, and a(n) 20 of five pounds was offered to anybody who would take him away and use him for work.

(Adapted from Oliver Twist《雾都孤儿》)

    I thought I would never have a child－then a miracle happened.

    When I was only 29, doctors said I had too many 1challenges to have a child. Meanwhile, my best friend Colleen was pregnant and she asked me to buy a changing table with her. Focusing on Colleen's good fortune helped distract (使分心) me from my2. In the shop, a babysuit with a crab (螃蟹) caught my eyes. The crab 3 childhood memories of my pretending to be Ariel from the Little Mermaid. If things were 4, that crab would have made me laugh. Instead I said, "If I5had a son, I'd want him to have that. "Sarah, you have to get it," She said.

    I shook my head no. I didn't want a(n) 6of what I couldn't have. My husband, John, and I had talked about 7. But I worried we would get8.

    The next Sunday, we went to 9 There, I noticed a tiny baby in the arms of a woman. On his backside was the same 10 I had seen. My breath caught.

    I11 to John and whispered, "That's the babysuit I was telling you about." He cocked his eyebrows. Throughout the service, I was totally 12 by the baby. I 13 to hold him. In the end, the priest (牧师) made an announcement. "The baby needs a 14. If anyone is thinking about adoption, please see us afterwards."

    We 15 our phone numbers.

    That evening, the young mother, carrying the baby, came to our home. Before we sat down, I held her baby. He fit 16 in my arms.

    Twelve families had volunteered to adopt him. If she picked us, all she asked was that we let her be 17 in his life in some way. We agreed wholeheartedly.

    I never mentioned the crab babysuit. I wanted her to make her decision without being influenced by that 18 .

    The next morning my phone rang. "We picked you" was all I heard.

    Now our six-year-old son continues to be the best 19 thing that will ever happen to me. And that crab baby suit remains 20 folded in one of my dresser drawers, where I plan to hold on to it－forever.