Dad had a green comb. He bought it when he married Mum. Every night，he would hand me his 1 and say, “Good girl, help Daddy clean it, OK?”

    I was 2 to do it. At age five, this dull task brought me such 3. I would excitedly turn the tap4and brush the comb carefully. Satisfied that I'd done a good job, I would happily return the comb to Dad. He would5affectionately(深情地）at me and place the comb in his wallet.

    Two years latter，Dad started his own 6which wasn't so good . Things started to 7, Dad didn't come home as early and as he used to. Mum and I became8with him for placing our family in trouble. With 9going on，an uncomfortable silence grew between us.

    After my graduation, Dad's business was getting back . On my 28th birthday, Dad came home10. As usually I helped him carry his bags into his study. When I turned to leave, he said，“Hey，would you help me 11 my comb?” I looked at him a while，then 12 the comb and headed to the sink.

It hit me then: why, as a child,13dad clean his comb was such a pleasure. That routine(习惯）meant dad was home early to 14 the evening with Mum and me. It15 a happy and loving family.

    I passed the clean comb back to Dad, He smiled at me and16 placed his comb in his wallet. But this time，I noticed something 17 Dad had aged. He had wrinkles next to his eyes when he smiled,18 his smile was still as 19as before, the smile of a father who just wanted a good 20 for his family.

    Maureen stood by the lake. Suddenly the children came running through the trees with sharp cries of 1 They rushed up to the 2leaning over the clear water, watching the crowds of tiny fish. Some children demanded loudly to go to the boats, but 3those who had been left behind at the ice-cream stall(小摊) came running up to make some announcement or other, and they all4the water and dashed back the 5 they had come. With growing excitement, Maureen6them.

    When she7what had been running for, she stopped running. They were 8things again. The toy stall was9and they were crowded around it. Behind the 10 a calm middle-aged woman was selling a great variety of small rubbish. She took 11from the forest of small hands in exchanging for little boats, plastic dolls, yellow pencils, anything. Maureen leaned against a 12 looking on. The idea of13 washed against her face like a strong current(流), trying to draw her in.

    Nona Parker pushed out to the edge of the group and14what she had bought on the ground so that she could see what money she had left in her white purse. Under Maureen's 15 lay a boat, a mouth organ(口琴) and a brown load of bread. Maureen was so full of the16for the things like that she couldn't bear to look at it. She turned her17sharply. Her face was against the tree. She shut her eyes and 18 eagerly for some money, for the price of a set of toy plates. In a moment, she opened her eyes,19she didn't turn back to the stall. It was too 20to see the others buying whatever they wanted. She rubbed almost round the tree, her eyes on the ground.

    Be a Traveler, not a Tourist

    Last summer, I had just enough money saved to buy a golden ticket—a 3-month train pass that would take me to the furthest reaches of Europe. Excited for my journey, I packed all the necessities(生活的必需品)—except the 1.

    While the convenience of the Internet was definitely a contributing factor to my 2not to take with me the few expensive kilograms of out-of-date information, this was not the only reason why I decided to fly alone.

    To be honest, my main 3with the guidebook is that I find it4 the pleasure of a journey—like bossy aunt who is always telling you what to do, 5 she doesn't always know what is the best.

    Experience has taught me that there is an obvious 6 between a tourist and traveler.

While waiting in a queue, I met a man who had a checklist. He showed me his list of “Top 20 Things To Do in Italy” and 7 off in a loud American accent that he'd seen everything Italy has to offer in just four days.

    The problem I had with this man's 8 to travelling was that he was too 9 information provided by his guidebook. He was lost in the 10 attractiveness of the “must-sees” and 11 to all the wonders and adventures that might happen during the 12 trip.

    So, 13any guidebook, I traveled to Estonia, the tiny Baltic country bordering Russia. In the 14 of advance plans as guidebooks would suggest, I had no choice but to turn to some friendly faces for advice. I 15myself first and then asked them what was happening around the town. When this 16 an invitation to a beautiful Estonian home by a river where I 17 a 110-degree wood-stove sauna（桑拿浴）, 18 picked forest-mushrooms and the good 19 of our five newfound Estonian friends, I was most glad that I had left my “bossy 20” at home.

    We came back to the classroom after lunch while our classmates were playing outside.

    “Look at 1 I found in Ms. Lee's office.” Karen, a friend of mine, held up a small box filled with pieces of chalk in every color of the rainbow.

    “Wow! What fun it would be to write on the 2,” Judy's eyes shone with joy. “But Ms. Lee doesn't let us do so,” I responded. “Don't be 3, Janet. No one will ever know,” said Karen, 4 into the box and drawing out some chalk. At first I 5 joined my friends, however, gradually I found it was fun.

    Then it struck Judy that we should6each other to write names with our left hands. Picking up their chalk, they started. I7a white piece...

    “Better get this board cleaned off now,” said Judy, 8what I wrote on the board. Everything came off9my name! I was sweating in10and I felt my knees were getting11. It wasn't chalk at all, but a white piece of crayon(蜡笔). Mom had a 12: “Fools' names and faces always 13 in public.” I never understood 14 what it meant before. Now I did!

    I rushed to the toilet to get a can of cleanser and Judy 15 with paper towels. After rubbing hard, my name was 16, but an abrasion(磨损处) remained on the board.

    Hearing 17 coming, we remove every trace of wetness as 18 as possible. We were just slipping into our desks 19 the teacher walked in. Perhaps Ms. Lee never 20 the abrasion. But I did. I learned that day: “No one will ever know” is never true.

    On a trip to California, my family stopped for lunch. As we walked toward the 1 to the restaurant, a man, with a 2 beard (胡须) and dirty hair, jumped up from a bench(长凳)and opened the door for us and 3 us in a friendly way.

    Once inside, my daughters whispered, "Mom, he 4." After we ordered our lunch, I explained, telling the kids to look 5 the appearance. The day I became a mother, I had made my mind to set a good 6 for my children. Yet sometimes when things didn't go right, being a good example was 7. When our meal arrived, I 8 I had left the car－sick pills in the truck. With the most winding trip ahead, the 9 needed them, so I went for them.

    Just then, the "doorman" was opening the door for a couple. They rushed past him without even noticing him. Letting them in first, I said a loud "thank you" to him as I 10.

    When I returned, we talked a bit. He said he was not allowed inside unless he bought 11. I went back and told my family his12. Then I asked our waitress to add one soup and sandwich. The kids looked    13 as we had already eaten, but when I said the order was for the "doorman", they smiled. When it was time to 14 our trip, I noticed the "doorman" enjoying his meal. Upon 15 me, he stood up and thanked me heartily. He then 16 out his hand for a handshake and I gratefully 17. I suddenly noticed his tears in eyes.

    Back in, I fell into deep thought. 18 we can't choose many things in life, we can choose when to show thanks. I said thanks to a man who had 19 held open a door for me, and also said thanks for that 20 to teach my children by example.

    A little girl created the perfect Mother's Day gift. It was a drawing of a 1 on white paper with the words "For mom: love, love, love" decorated in hearts. She folded (折叠) her letter, 2 then she lost it.

    For most people, that would be the 3 of this story, but this story has a different result: James Carrell 4 the letter. He had just 5 his mother, wishing her a happy Mother's Day. After he got off the phone, Carrell saw the 6 on the ground outside of a hardware (五金器具) store in Manvel in Texas, United States. "I 7 it was a note" said Carrell. "I 8 it and saw the flower and hearts. It 9 moved me." Carrell thought the letter would 10 someone's day and maybe he could find the 11, so he posted it in the Talk of Alvin Facebook group. The message 12 a lot of people, especially one man.

    "I was sitting at my friend's house and saw a man 13," said Carrell.

    His Facebook comments (评论) included a message from Roberto Alvarado. He wrote, "I can't 14 you found my baby's letter." Carrell reached out to Alvarado to 15 the letter. It took a few days, but the men finally 16 on Thursday night, one day after Alvarado's daughter Natalie celebrated her seventh birthday.

    "17 the letter made it home," said Alvarado. "We are 18 for what James Carrell did."

    We often forget the power of 19 things, but for this family from Alvin, Carrell's small act left a(n) 20 impression (影响).