It was an unforgettable experience. We sat in a boat waiting for Ofai. He was swimming under water. There were many beautiful shells at the bottom. If he could ever find some and bring them 1, he would make a lot of money. It was a good and fast way to become rich. My uncle Harry was with us to take care of us. Suddenly I saw Ofai 2 his arms. Then I could see a large shark fish 3 under the water. All at once I was 4 and held my breath.

    “A shark!” cried my uncle. An anxious expression suddenly 5 on his face. He was thinking of how to save Ofai. We 6 at my uncle and waited for him to take7.

    The fish came near. Now we could see him better. He was of a yellow-brown color and as big as our boat. What could we do to help Ofai? He had been under water for more than an hour. So by now he must be very 8 and it was difficult for him to swim fast enough to 9 the trouble. Thinking that Ofai's life was at great risk, my uncle could 10 it no longer. Without 11 he took his knife and jumped into the water. Down he went after the man-eating fish. The shark was 12 straight for Ofai. Then, suddenly, the fish turned. My uncle's strong arm had 13 the knife deep into the side of the great fish. The water turned red as blood ran from the shark.

    Now Ofai had time to reach the top. At last he was safe in the boat. But the fish was 14. He turned to 15 the man who had hurt him. As he swam to my uncle, he opened his great mouth. Again the knife went forward. This time it cut deep into the shark's nose.

    For a minute the shark lay 16. Now Uncle was able to swim to the top. Ofai quickly pulled him into the boat. It wasn't long before the shark came to 17. He hit the boat with such a hard 18 that the sides were almost pushed in. We rowed as hard as possible and finally we were safe on the seashore.

    It was my uncle's 19 and ability that saved Ofai and all of us. We learned a lesson from this experience that courage 20 everything in time of great danger. We will always keep this experience in mind.

    According to legend, a young man, while wandering the desert, came across a spring of delicious crystal-clear water. The 1 was so sweet, he filled his leather container so he could bring some back to a tribal elder who had been his2.

    After a four-day journey he 3 the water to the old man who took a deep drink, smiled warmly and4 his student lavishly(浪费地) for the sweet water. The young man returned to his with a5 heart.

    Later, the teacher let another student 6 the water. He spat it out, saying it was 7 It apparently had become stale(不新鲜的) because of the old8container. The student 9his teacher: “Master, the water was 10Why did you11to like it?” The teacher replied, “You only tasted the water, I tasted the12The water was simply the container for an get of loving-kindness and 13 could be sweeter.” I think we understand this lesson best when we receive14gifts of love from young children. Whether it's an ugly plate or a bracelet, the natural and proper 15 is appreciation and expressed16because we love the idea within the gift.

    Gratitude doesn't always come 17Unfortunately, most children and many adults 18 only the thing given rather than the feeling embodied(被体现) in it. We should remind ourselves and19our children about the beauty and purity of feelings and expressions of gratitude.20gifts from the heart are really gifts of the heart.

    Many years ago, I was working in an office in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We had large 1 that look out over a busy street. I was standing by one of those windows one day when a woman in a 2 car looked up and made eye contact. Naturally I 3. As she turned and tried to identify me, a quiet laugh4my lips. My co-workers began taking an interest, and stood back watching the 5 I received, and laughing happily. Then the stress of work was 6 away.

    Christmas approached, and job 7 were announced. Several of my co-workers were losing their jobs, and everyone was 8. While I was working a night shift, a red jacket , a box of foam packing and strips of tape in the corner caught my 9. They could be Santa's jacket and beard! Then I folded a red file into a hat and tied the 10 to it. With the red jacket , a Santa's Costume appeared.

    The next day I walked 11down into the office in the costume. My co-workers 12around me and laughed for the first time in weeks. Suddenly, my boss came to me, 13, shook his head and then left. I feared14. Then the phone rang.

    With a bead of sweat 15 my forehead, I entered the boss' office . 16, he laughed: "Thanks, Mike! It's been hard to enjoy the Christmas season. Thanks for the laugh. I 17it."

    That evening, I stood 18 by the window and waved at my fans, with my heart 19 with joy. For a few minutes of that day, we'd been able to forget our 20.

    One afternoon, my son Adam asked me, “Are all people the same even if they are different in color?”

    I thought for a minute, and then I said, “I'll explain,1you can just wait until we make a quick2at the grocery store. I have something3to show you. ”

    At the grocery store, we4some apples—red, green and yellow ones. Back home. I told Adam, “It's time to5your question.” I put one apple of each6on the table. Then I looked at Adam, who had a7look on his face.

    “People are like apples. They come in all8colors, shapes and sizes. On the9, some of the apples may not10look as delicious as the others.” As I was talking, Adam was11each one carefully.

    Then, I took each of the apples and peeled (削皮) them,12them back on the table, but13a different place.

    “Okay, Adam, tell me which is which”

    He said, “I14tell. They all look the same now.” “Take a bite of15. See if that helps you16which one is which. ”

    He took17, and then a huge smile came across his face. “People are18like apples! They are all different, but once you19the outside, they're pretty much the same on the inside.”

    He totally20it. I didn't need to say or do anything else.

    It was the hottest day of the summer. I was driving along County Route 2, which went through the Sonoran Desert. Then I saw that a car had 1 down up ahead. It was the first car I'd seen in about half an hour. In the2, a few hundred feet ahead of the car, I saw a stooped(曲背的) figure 3 with a gas can in his hands. "There was nothing around for miles. There was no way this person going to 4it to the nearest town, which was a good twenty miles away, in this desert heat.

    I'd always been told to stay away from 5, but I thought if there ever was a time to do a good deed, this was it. Besides, 6I neared the figure, I saw an elderly man. I thought there was little7that he'd do me any harm. Therefore, I slowed down and pulled over. "Need a 8?" I asked.

    Now that I could see him clearly, it was 9 the old man was already in trouble. He'd only walked a hundred yards or so, and he looked as if he was going to pass out any moment. “I'd be most grateful, young lady, if you could help me get to a gas station,” he said slowly. “I seem to be out of petroleum.”

    "No problem," I replied.

    He 10 slowly into the car and kept silent for a few minutes while his body temperature normalized. I offered him a bottle of iced soda water. He accepted it 11. As we got close to the gas station, I asked him if he would like a ride back to his12. "I know it is 13your way," he paused. "And just where is your home, young lady?"

    "Elmwood," I replied, "And my name is Emily. Emily Hampton. "

    "You're a very kind lady, Ms. Hampton. My name is Edward Gilliam," said Edward.

    Edward 14 up his gas can. Then I drove him back to his car and helped him pour the petrol into his tank(邮箱). After that I followed him back into 15just to make sure he was OK. At the gas station, we waved goodbye.

    The next morning, the doorbell rang. I came down the stairs and saw a giant bouquet of flowers with small note16.

    "Dearest Emily, thank you for your17yesterday. You just might have saved my life. You 18an old man of how much beauty there is in this world. "

    Winters are always long and cold in North China. The winter of 2008 was especially tough in one southwestern city,1it became extremely cold and it was also a difficult time for me. What was worse, a(n)2injury happened to me and it might keep me in bed for several months, "Just in time for the Spring Festival, " my mother said to me, sighing. But how could I feel the3when the snow was so heavy and I had months of physical 4ahead?

    One day I was doing my housework5there was a tap against the window from a branch of the troublesome fruit tree. On hearing this, with my eyes closed, slowly, I began to recall the fall of 1995 when somebody placed a pipe from my pump next to the6.The earth was so wet that it 7immediately with most its bare roots upward. Seeing this, my mother8to pull it out, but I refused. "How hard it's trying!" I said9the direction of its strong holding of the earth. "It is10 of a chance to survive." With tools, we 11dry soil around the tree and put up some supports into the ground, making it12 upright.

    Several months had passed before I could be 13of it. Surprisingly, when spring returned, my "rescue14"had grown some leaves and many15. In 2009 that little rescue stick had grown into a towering tree. What an unbelievable miracle of life!

    The day before the Spring Festival, the 16 at the window was continuing, the more fierce wind, the 17sound, as if to remind me to look up and appreciate its powerful life.

    That night I slept peacefully having a(n)18.In the dream some flowers were coming out19. The next morning I stood against the window.20the window was the tree bursting with life. Anyway, I had a wonderful Spring Festival that year.