There was a pet store and the owner had a parrot. One day a 1 walked in and the parrot said to the man ,“Hey you!” The man said, “What!?” The parrot said, “Your 2 is really ugly.” The man got very 3 and went to the store owner and said, “Your bird just  4 my wife. It said she was ugly.”

    The owner stormed over, 5 the bird, took it into the “black room,” shook it a bit, 6 out a few feathers, and said, “Don't ever, ever say anything to  7 my customers again. You got that！！！”

    With that 8 he took the bird and put it back into its cage. The old bird shook out its    9  and relaxed in its cage. A couple of weeks 10 and in walked this guy and his wife again. The parrot said, “Hey you!” The guy said, “What!?” The parrot answered, “You know that.”

    My fiancé and I were excited about shopping for our first home. But our funds were1and none of the houses in our price range seemed satisfactory.

    One agent2a house in particular. Although her description sounded wonderful, the price was3our range, so we declined. But she kept urging us to have a look4.

    We finally did and it was5at first sight. It was Our Home, small and charming, overlooking a quiet lake. Walking through the rooms and talking with the owners, a nice elderly couple, we felt the warmth and6of the marriage within that home. As perfect as it was, the price remained too high for us. But every day, we would sit by the lake, looking at the house and dreaming of7it would be like to live there.

    Days later, we made a(n)8—far below the asking price. Surprisingly, they didn't9us. They renewed their offer10. It was also much more than we could afford, but far11than the original asking price.

    The next day, we got a12message that another buyer had offered a much higher price. Even so, we decided to talk with the13directly. We made our final offer, which14was thousands of dollars less than the other buyer's bid. We knew it,15we had to try.

     “Sold!” said the owner. Then he16: He'd seen us sitting by the lake all those times; he knew how much we loved the place and that we'd17the years of work they had put into their home; he realized he would take a18by selling it to us, but it was worthwhile; we were the people they wanted to live there. He told us to consider the19in the price “an early wedding present。“

    That's how we found our home and how I learned that when people are20they are not strangers, only friends we haven't yet met.

    I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to spread a little love and kindness today. I had doctor's1 in a town that's about 45 minutes from where I live. After both my appointments were 2, I started walking away from the building and 3an elderly woman standing at the gate anxiously. I 4myself and asked if she was waiting for someone or she needed 5 .

    As it turned out, she was having 6walking the distance and had asked for a wheelchair and a staff member to 7her up but no one had come yet. Virginia heat was kind to no one, and I was 8for this dear lady's health.

    I asked her to 9while I went to get her wheelchair myself. I ran to the help desk and asked for a 10to assist a lady outside. The receptionist asked me, “Is the 11?” I was upset at the question and answered, “She's a bit large, I suppose, but if transporting her is a(n) 12for you, I am willing to do it myself.”

    She looked sort of shocked by my 13, but the woman outside needed help, no matter her 14. The help desk woman and I walked to the end of the passage to the now seated lady. Help desk person 15 her hand to help the lady, but she said “No, I'm fine. I want to grab on to her 16help.” She was talking about me. I helped the woman into the wheelchair but first locked the brakes so that she would be 17. After she was seated, she softly 18 me for my help.

    When I returned home, what happened to me today kept going through my mind and reminded me how much I 19 the opportunity to help the lady. It gave me a sense of fulfillment and a 20heart.

    For those who love travel, particularly rail travel, China in 1987 was a can't-miss kind of place. In 1987, China was still operating steam trains on some rail routes, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} made people from many countries amazed. Bruce Connolly, a photographer from Scotland, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (be) one of them.

    Connolly first came to China in 1987, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (start) his continuous travelling throughout China. Since then, he {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (travel) to most parts of China except Fujian, Zhejiang and Jiangxi. Wherever he went, his camera remained by his side. During his journeys in China, Connolly found China very different from {#blank#}5{#/blank#}he saw in photographs, which showed Chinese people very religious {#blank#}6{#/blank#}the way they dressed and behaved. Instead, what he saw was that people were {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(friend), welcoming and wore bright clothes. In the early years of his journey, most Chinese people were fascinated with foreigners visiting China, but now that has changed in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, foreigners are no {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (long) curiosities.

    Another dramatic change that Connolly has felt in China is {#blank#}9{#/blank#}widespread use of new technology. China has become one of the most tech-savvy（懂技术的）societies. People now do everything with {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (they) smartphones, and use of cash is almost disappearing.

Miracles（奇迹）come in moments

    The scene of this minor miracle 1 in the living room of my house under an old, broken ceiling fan（吊扇）with a little glass angel hanging from its pull string（挂绳）.

    My youngest son has a severe form of autism（自闭症）. 2 he is in his twenties now he still has the mind of a small 3. He speaks only a few words. He is always 4 in his own world. Most of the time he is happy but there are also times when he can be terribly 5. He will cry for no 6 that I can see. He will even hit himself. It always hurts me to see him suffer this way 7 when there is little I can do to help.

    This morning was particularly trying for him. He 8 on and off for an hour. Finally he 9. I was still feeling stressed, however, and wearily sat down at my computer to see if I could get a little work done.

    As I was turning it 10, though, I heard my son 11 for the first time all day. I turned my head and saw him 12 directly under the glass angel hanging from our ceiling fan. The light from our house lamps seemed to shine and sparkle all around him like a halo（光环）. His eyes sparkled too as the little 13 swung gently above his head. He laughed again and 14 at me.

    At that moment my heart opened. I could see that the miracle was 15 me that my son was more than his autism. I saw the 16 and light of his spirit and knew he was here for a(n) 17. My eyes watered and I feel 18 for this minor miracle and gentle reminder of his love for all of us.

    Miracles are all around us, but we 19 always see them with our eyes. We often have to see them with our 20. Keep your heart open to them then. And let yourself be the miracle you are meant to be!

    I was a single mother of four small children, working at a low-paid job. Money was always1, but we had a roof over our heads, food on the table, 2on our backs. It was Christmas time, we3 downtown to see the Christmas lights, and enjoyed a special dinner, 4 the big excitement for the kids was the fun of Christmas 5 at the market. They talked and planned for weeks ahead of time, 6 each other what they wanted for Christmas.

    The big day arrived and we started out early. I 7 each kid a twenty-dollar bill and asked them to8for presents. Then everyone scattered (散开).

    Back in the car driving home, everyone was9 about Christmas, laughing and asking each other about what they had10 . I found my younger daughter, Ginger, had only one small and flat bag with her. I could 11 enough through the plastic 12 to tell that she had bought candy bars— fifty-cents candy bars！What did she13 with that twenty-dollar bill I had given her? I was so14. After getting home, I called her into my bedroom and closed the door. This was15 she told me.

    "I was looking around and thinking of what to buy, and I 16 to read the little cards on one of the Salvation Army's 'Giving Trees'. One of the cards was 17a little girl, four years old, and all she 18 for Christmas was a doll with clothes and a hairbrush. So I took the card off the 19 and bought the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn't have anything."

    My anger 20 and I had never felt so rich as I did that day.