My 9-year-old daughter and I were flying from our home in Carolina to spend a week with my husband in Florida. We were1bout the trip because we hadn't seen him for five months, and my daughter2 her Dad terribly.

    As usual on the Charlotte-to-Miami flight, the plane was totally3. Because we did not get our boarding passes (登机牌) until we 4 the gate, Kallie and I could not get seats together and were 5 by the aisle（过道）. I asked two passengers in my row if they would switch places with Kallie and me,6 we could be together. They 7saying they thought they should stay in their assigned seats.

    Meanwhile, a mother and her three children were in a 8several rows ahead of us. There had been a mistake in their boarding passes, and9 the whole family had been split up. The passengers in her row10 refused to move elsewhere. She was very11about the younger boy sitting with strangers. She was in tears, yet nobody12to help her.

    There were a troop of Boy Scouts (童子军) on 13Suddenly the Scout leader stood up and said, "Ma'am, I think we can help you." He then 14 five minutes rearranging his group so that adequate space was 15 for the family. The boys followed his directions cheerfully and without16 and the mother's relief was obvious.

    Kallie, however, was beginning to panic at the 17 of not being next to me. I told her that there wasn't anything I could do.18 the man sitting next to the Scoutmaster,19 to me and asked, "Would you and your daughter like our seats?"20 to himself and the Scoutmaster. We traded seats and continued our trip, very much relieved to be together and watch the scenery from Kallie's window seat.

    Several decades of years ago, I ran a service station and roadhouse on the main road between Melbourne and Adelaide. One very cold, wet night at about 3∶30 a.m., there was a1on the front door of our house. A young man, wet from2 to toe, explained that he had3out of petrol about 30 km up the road. He had left his pregnant wife and his two children4 at the car and said that he would hitchhike(搭便车) back.

    Once I had5a can with petrol, I took him back to his car where his two-year-old and four-year-old children were both6, saying that they were cold. Once the car had started, I suggested that he7me back.

    Before leaving, I had turned the heater8 in the roadhouse, so that when we went in, it was nice and9.While the little ones played and ran10, I prepared bread and butter for the children, and hot chocolate for the11.

    It was about 5 a.m. before they12 .The young fellow asked me how much he13 me and I told him that the petrol pump(加油泵)had14 $15.He offered to pay "call-out fee", but I wouldn't accept it.

    About a month later, I received a15 from Interstate, a large bus company that we had been trying to16to stop off at our roadhouse for a long time. It17out that the young fellow I had helped was its general manager, the most18person in the company.

    In his letter, he thanked me again and19 me that, from then on, all their buses would stop at my service station. In this20, a little bit of kindness was rewarded with a huge amount of benefits.

    I always long for romantic moments, like a little girl longing for candies.However, my husband is my complete1His inability to bring romantic moments into our life has made me get tired of our2One day, I finally told him that I wanted a divorce.

    "Why?" he asked,3.

    "I am tired; there are no4for everything in the world!" I answered.

    He kept5, seeming to be in deep thought, with a lighted cigarette in his hands. Finally he asked," What can I do to change your6?"

    Looking deep into his eyes I slowly answered," Let's say, I want a flower on a mountain cliff and picking the flower will cause your7Will you do it for me?"

    He answered," I will give you my answer tomorrow."

    I8the next morning, finding a piece of paper on the dining table, which read:" My dear, I would not pick that flower for you, but please allow me to9."

    My feeling of disappointment only10, but I continued reading:

    "You always leave the11keys behind, so I have to save my legs to12home to open the door for you. You always like to stay indoors and I13that you will feel too lonely, so I have to save my mouth to tell you jokes and stories. You always stare14the computer and that will do nothing15for your eyes, so I have to save my eyes so that when we grow16, I can help to clip your nails. Thus, my dear,17I am sure that there is someone who loves you more than I do, I could not pick that flower yet, and die."

    My tears fell on the18and I continued reading:

    "Now that you have finished reading my answer, if you are19, please open the front door for I am standing outside20your favorite bread and fresh milk."

    Love, not words, wins arguments.

    For a long time, I thought a present and a gift were no different. I grew up in a household where presents 1 special occasions, say there were always presents for Christmas and our birthdays.

    So when I married Gary who did not give presents on a 2 basis, I had to make an adjustment. Gary did not wholly avoid gift­giving, though. 3 noticing how many hours I spend on the 4, he brought home a shoulder pad (垫肩) for the telephone receiver. But mostly, he 5 holidays, let alone shop for earrings to 6to me showing his affection.

    I tried to change him 7. I bought books for his birthdays and knitted him hats and sweaters for Christmas. 8 I began to tell him what I wanted, giving9instructions, but got nowhere.

    Last year when the snowstorm 10our town and he was on business, I used his present road scraper(铲土机)to11both our drive and our neighbors, thinking how12earnings would have been. Gary had wisely chosen not the thing I 13, but the thing that he knew I would need.

    I 14began to understand the difference between a present and a gift. A present is just a thing. But a gift is broader and often cannot be 15, It is a small act of kindness, the 16 to bend to another's needs, the sacrifice of time and effort. 17 is a gift. Any expression of it, freely given, is a (n)18 from the heart that is immeasurably better than a present.

    My insistence on presents must have seemed to Gary a lack of 19 for the gifts he had be giving all along, but he never stopped giving them.

    Gary will be home this Christmas, but I don't 20 a present. I already have the greatest gift.

    Walking across campus with every pair of eyes on you can be embarrassing, especially when you're 13 years old. I looked around me in 1 of a friendly face, a smile, anything. I was quite disappointed. And I, 2, felt somewhat foolish, walking across campus 3 with a false smile plastered(粘贴)across my face. I was simply 4 to follow the advice my mother had given me years before: when things get 5, smile. No matter where you are, a smile will always be understood. A smile is 6. At that very moment, however, I felt my mother's advice didn't 7.

    When the teacher 8 me to the class as the "American girl," 10 sets of hands immediately shot up. Some students had 9; others wanted to practice their English with me. Because I couldn't speak much Chinese 10, I communicated with them via gestures mixed in with 11 English and Chinese. Although I was 12, I wasn't sure how much of it was 13. It was almost as if they were 14 about me and I was being examined. 15 who could blame them? After all, I was the first American ever to 16 the school.

    Then, from across the room, a Chinese classmate suddenly 17 at me, and my nerves were instantly 18. Though there are cultural and language 19, we were sharing something in common. And as usual, my mother was right. A smile does make a 20.

    Today, I was sitting with some other students and teachers as the judges of the annual singing contest of Beijing National Day School(BNDS). Watching the wonderful performances on stage, I could not help 1what happened last year.

    Last year was the first year I came to the BNDS International Department. The first month at BNDS was almost a(n) 2: Curiosity quickly 3, replaced by a heavy workload. To make matters worse, I was

    4a total stranger in a new environment. When I was in trouble, I was too5to turn to anyone for help. I shut the door to the outside world.

    I thought I might continue to 6in darkness by myself, until one day, I saw the7of the annual singing contest. If I was not brave enough to communicate in words, maybe I could 8my heart out. Having made my decision, I joined the audition (试镜). Luckily, I9among more than 100 contestants and entered the top 32. After another three rounds of competition, I made10to the finals together with three other contestants.11more and more students knew that I joined the contest, they went to watch my performance, volunteered to 12for me and then shared my singing videos on social media. It seemed that I became well-known overnight.

    Finally, the big day came. When I13the nerve to walk onstage, I could not believe my eyes. The dark theater was suddenly lit up by14sticks, which were like stars in a dark sky. "Come on, Becky!" A shout broke the silence, followed by kind laughter. When it became15again, I began to sing.

    The music started, which drew me back to16. Now I might not remember clearly what songs I sang last year, but I would never forget the17in the darkness.  From then on, I had my18, made friends, and I even joined the singing club. Singing opens the door19a brand-new world. I know I will stay at BNDS, and I won't be20.