Every fast-food employee knows that the drive-through window is the worst position. The window sticks with constant ice; the roar of engines hurts your 1; your words are lost in the howling wind.

    On a 2 afternoon, everything changed.   

    Every once in a while, the sub-zero temperatures seal a 3 windows shut. Drivers don't exactly enjoy having to stand outside in the cold, 4 their orders into a speaker box, when they expect to drive through on their heated leather seats. In such cases, most customers tend to show their annoyance to the employees.

    This woman was 5.

     “I'll get the next car's 6 a s well,” she said as she came up to the window to pay. She stood outside, 7 much snow on her hair. Though she was obviously freezing, her bright 8 lit up her face like a fire.

     “You can't 9 their drinks,” I said, confused and tired.

     “No, but I'll buy them,” she said. “Pay it forward and all that.”

    Completely puzzled, I charged her as 10, and when the next customer arrived at the window I explained what had just happened. I watched as his 11 changed — first angry to be out in the cold, then 12 at the random act of kindness, and finally, delighted by his 13.

     “I suppose I'll pay for the next order then,” he replied, nodding and waving at the impatient driver 14 him. He 15 over the cash and received his pre-paid hot drink.

    The trend continued. Customers arrived annoyed, only to leave 16 and pleased. Some were shocked to spend much more than they had expected, 17 others ended up receiving their order for less than half the price.

    Five vehicles passed, then ten, then twenty. No one refused to pay. Customers stood at my window 18 a fist-full of change to buy drinks for a complete stranger. Cars drove off, honking (鸣笛) and 19 their thanks.

    It only takes one customer, one person, to change the entire 20 of traffic. It only takes one moment, one smile, to warm up even the coldest of days.

When I was about five years old, I used to watch a bird in the skies of southern Alberta from the Blackfoot Blood Reserve in northern Montana where I was born.I loved this bird; I would 1 him for hours. He would 2 effortlessly in that gigantic sky, or he would come down and light on the 3 and float there beautifully.Sometimes when I watched him, he would not make a sound and liked to move 4 into the grasses.We called him meksikatsi, which in the Blackfoot language 5 "pink-colored feet"; meksikatsi and I became very good friends.

    The bird had a very particular significance to me 6  I desperately wanted to be able to fly too.I felt very much as if I was the kind of person who had been born into a world where 7  was impossible. And most of the things that I8  about would not be possible for me but would be possible only for other people.

    When I was ten years old, something unexpected 9  my life suddenly. I found myself become an 10  child in a family I was not born into; I found myself in a 11  position that many native Americans find themselves in, living in a city that they do not understand at all, not in another culture but 12 two cultures.

A teacher of the English language told me that meksikatsi was not called meksikatsi, even though that is what 13 people have called that bird for thousands of years.Meksikatsi, he said, was really "duck".I was very 14 with English.I could not understand it.First of all, the bird did not look like "duck", and when it made a 15 , it did not sound like "duck", I was even more 16 when I found out that the meaning of the verb "to duck" came from the bird.

    As I 17  to understand English better, I understand that it made a great deal of 18 , but I never forgot that meksikatsi made a different kind of meaning.I19  that languages are not just different words for the same things but totally different 20 , totally different ways of experiencing and looking at the world.

    It was Tom's first visit to England, and he was looking forward to his first journey on London's Underground Railway. And against his friends'1 he was determined to travel 2.

    He entered the station shortly after five o'clock in the afternoon. This is a  3 time to travel in London,4 crowds of people go home from work at this hour. He 5 to join a long line of people waiting for tickets. When at last his 6 came, he had some difficulty in making himself understood by the ticket seller.7, he got the right ticket in the end and by asking people the 8he also found the right platform. It was 9with people. He did not 10 to get on the first train, but he was able to move nearer to the platform so as to be in a better 11to get on the next one. When this train came in, Tom was 12 forward onto the train by the 13 of people from behind. The doors closed and the train moved off. He was unable to see the14 of the stations where the train 15but he knew that the station he wanted was the sixth 16 along the line. When the train reached the sixth station, Tom got off, feeling 17that his journey  had been so easy. But he suddenly realized that he had come to a station he had never 18He explained his 19 to a man who was standing on the platform. With a 20on his face, he told Tom that he had caught a train going in the opposite direction.

    John's parents acquired the washer when he was a small boy. It happened during World War Ⅱ. His family never 1 a washing machine and, since gasoline was expensive, they could not 2 trips to the laundry several miles away. Keeping clothes 3 became a problem for young John's household.

    A family friend joined the army, and his wife 4 to go with him. John's family 5 to store their furniture while they were away. To the family's 6, the friend suggested they use their Bendix. So this is how they 7 the washer.

    Young John helped with the washing, and across the years he 8 a love for the old, green Bendix. But 9 the war ended. When the friends came to take it back, John grew terribly 10. His mother 11 him and said. "You must remember, that machine 12 belonged to us in the first place. That we ever got to use it at all was a gift. So, instead of being mad at it being taken 13, let's use this 14 to be grateful that we had it at all."

    The lesson turned out 15. Years later, John watched his eight-year-old daughter die a slow and painful death of leukemia (白血病). Though he 16 for months with her death, John could not begin getting over from the 17 until he remembered the old Bendix.

    His daughter was a 18. When he realized the simple fact, everything changed. He could now begin recovering from the death of his daughter. He started to see her as a marvelous gift that he was fortunate enough to 19 for a time. He felt 20. He found strength and recovery. He knew he could get through the valley of loss.

    I was late for the school bus and rushing to get ready. My dog, Tippy, got to the front door and lay down in front of it – his way of asking to be petted. I1his begging for affection (喜爱), hurdled(跨) over him and ran for the waiting bus.

    2, that afternoon, when I came home, Mom said to me3, "Honey, I have some4news that I need to tell you. This morning, while you were at school, Tippy was hit by a car and5 I'm so sorry."

    "No! It's not true!" I was6 I couldn't believe her. "Tippy, come here! Come on, boy!" I called and called for him. I waited. He didn't come. Feeling7, I wandered into the living room. I didn't cry that night. I still couldn't believe that he was8.

    When I got off the bus the next day, there was dead silence at home.9 my sobs (哭泣) bubbled up and erupted (喷发) like lava (熔岩) from a volcano. I couldn't stop10. I hadn't even petted him when I left.11could I have known that was my last chance? I cried until I felt empty inside.

    Time passed, and against my will, I started to12some things. I realized what little control any of us have over what happens 13 a dog. We can do everything right, but14things can still happen. But good things can happen too. That's15. The best way to 16 the hard times is to figure out what you need to do to get through them when they come, and to remember that hard times always17.

    I now deeply understand the "circle of life". Everyone is born, everyone18, and that's the way it is. If dogs never died, there would be no19for others like Belle – my new dog.

    Best of all, I realized that Tippy20all of my good memories of him. And they come to me every time I call!

Bathed in two cultures from childhood, moving around the world and experiencing different cultures has always been my thing. When I was in high school, I heard about students in my class wanting to take the SAT test and study abroad in the USA. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Actually, what I wanted to experience most was the European lifestyle and cultural mix.

 I used to travel a lot around Europe with my parents as a little kid, and also not forgetting that the French Language is one of my mother tongues, France seemed therefore like a top choice for me. French universities have a good reputation and the French capital is internationally well known for its cultural history. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. My university was one of those small cities and I also got the chance to obtain a scholarship which made it easier for me to start my studies.

 {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Opportunities are offered to develop our network and explore the business world. The university participated as a partner in international networking courses leading to a European Master's degree, a double degree, or training abroad.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. So, if you are an international student who came to France for studies, you can take the chance to explore another country for a term and study in English. I remember wanting to take this opportunity in my first year of my college life and try the program which back then offered students the chance to go on an exchange with Linnaeus University in Sweden. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A.I applied and was lucky to get accepted

B.But I was not that attracted to studying there

C.You can find a lot of student-friendly cities as well

D.Besides, all these universities have their own unique advantages

E.The university I chose was small but used to invite business chiefs and directors

F.Because there are many universities with good reputation which attracts students

G.Plus, all French universities work with several countries to offer an exchange program