I've loved my mother's desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the most wonderful thing in the world. Years later, during her final illness, mother kept different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she would say again, “it's for Elizabeth.” I never saw her be angry, and never saw her cry. I knew she loved me—she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter. They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional(易动感情的)”. But she lived “on the surface(表面)”. As years passed I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive(原谅) me. I posted the letter and waited for her answer. None came. My hope turned to disappointment(失望), then little interest and, finally, peace— it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn't be sure that the letter had even got to mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not. Now the present of her desk told, as she'd never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside —a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded(折叠) and refolded many times. Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose. Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.

    There was once a little orphan(孤儿的)girl who had no family and no one to love her. She felt sad and lonely(孤独的).

    One day, while she was walking in a garden, she noticed a small butterfly caught in a bush. The more the butterfly tried to free itself, the deeper the thorn(刺)cut into its body. The girl carefully helped the butterfly out. Instead of flying away, the little butterfly changed into a beautiful fairy(仙女).

    "For your wonderful kindness," said the fairy, "I will grant(保证)you any wish you like."

    The little girl thought for a while and answered, "I want to be happy!"

    "Very well!" The fairy leaned toward her and whispered in her ear. Then the good fairy disappeared.

    As the little girl grew up, she stayed happy. Everyone asked her the secret(秘密)of her happiness. She would only smile and answer, "The secret of happiness is that I listened to a good fairy when I was a little girl."

    When she was very old and on her death bed, her neighbors were afraid that her secret of happiness would die with her. "Tell us, please," they asked. "Tell us what the good fairy said."

    The lovely old woman simply smiled and said, "She told me that everyone, no matter how secure(安稳的)they seemed, how old or young, how rich or poor, had need of me."

    Everyone has need of you.

    The designer of the Apple Computer, Steve Jobs, was not quite successful in his early years. He was not among the best students at school, and from time to time he got into trouble with either his schoolmates or his teachers. But he was full of new ideas, which few people saw the value of. Things remained the same when he went up to college and he dropped out halfway.

    Steve Jobs worked first as a video game designer at Atari. He worked there for only a few months and then he set out to tour India He hoped that the trip would give him more ideas and give him a change in life for the better.

    After he returned from India, he began to live on a farm in California. And then, in 1975, Steve Jobs set about making a new type of computer. Along with his friend Stephen Wozniak, he designed the Apple Computer in his bedroom and built it in his garage(车库). He chose the name 'Apple' because it reminded him of a happy summer he once spent on an orchard(果园) in Oregon. His Apple Computer was so successful that Steve Jobs soon became worldwide famous. But unluckily, he died of illness in 2012.

    There was a man who had a big garden. He planted many fruit trees. Now he wanted to pick up the fruits and sell them to make money for his family.

    One day, when he picked fruits with his son, he saw a stranger sitting in a tree and picking the fruits. He shouted," "What are you doing in my tree? For a whole year I have taken care of these trees. You have no right to take the fruits, so come down at once!"

    The stranger in the tree answered, "This is the garden of God and I am the servant(佣人) of God, so I have the right to pick these fruits. "

    The gardener was very surprised at this answer. He called his son and said," Go to bring a rope(绳子) and get this man down from the tree," His son brought the rope and the gardener asked him to tie(绑) the stranger in the tree. The stranger began to shout, "You have no right to do this."

    The gardener answered, "This is the rope of God and I am also the servant of God, so I have the right to tie you." The stranger thought for a while and then said, "I am sorry for taking the fruits. This is your garden and I shouldn't pick the fruits. Please set me free."

    The gardener smiled and said," Since you have realized your mistake, I will set you free, but remember that God has given all his servants rights and every person's right is in his own hands."

    Janie shook her bank. It was not heavy. She shook it again. It made very little sound.

    She sighed (叹气). How could she buy dad a gift? Father's Day was almost here. She went to talk to mom.

    "Mom," said Janie, I need money. "What do you need money for?" asked Mom. "I need to get dad a gift for Father's Day." "I will not give you the money," said Mom. "I will help you to make it." "What do I have to do?" asked Janie. "You can help me," said Mom. "You can help with housework. I will make a list of jobs. Each one will be worth a price. When you do a job well, I will give you the money according to the price." "OK. That's a good idea." said Janie.

    Mom quickly made a housework list: sweeping the floor, $2; making the table, $0.5 ; washing socks, $1; making the bed, $1; washing the dishes, $2; taking out the litter, $1; cutting the grass in the garden, $3; tidying the room, $3.

    After that, Janie helped with the housework happily every day, "What a pleasant surprise father will have when he gets the gift!" Janie often imagines (想象).

Yesterday afternoon, my little sister Misty and I played soccer in the park. After a few minutes, we saw an old man walking with his eyes looking around. He told people he was lost, but they didn't help him. He was very 1 .

I walked over to him and asked," Where do you live?" He said he didn't know. I asked him his  2 . He said he was Ray. And he said he was lost for almost two hours. I then asked," Would you like 3 to eat?" He said he was a little 4 . And then I walked over to Misty and told her what happened. Then we 5 to help him and bring him some food.

We asked the old man to sit down and have a re st 6 . Then we ran to the shop nearby to buy some 7 for him. After eating some food, the old man felt much better. Misty and I waited with him 8 his family arrived.

 After three hours, his daughter found him and she 9 us. We were 10 that life gave us a chance(机会) to do just the right thing: the loving thing. To give is better than to get.