In 1973, I was teaching elementary school. Each day, 27 kids1“The Thinking Laboratory.”That was the 2 students voted for after deciding that “Room 104” was too3.

    Freddy was an average4, but not an average person . He had the rare balance of fun and compassion（同情）. He would5  the loudest over fun and be the saddest over anyone's6.

    Before the school year7, I gave the kids a special 8, T-shirts with the words “Verbs Are Your9 “ on them. I had advised the kids that while verbs（动词）may seem dull , most of the10 things they do throughout their lives will be verbs.

    Through the years, I'd run into former students who would provide 11 on old classmates. I learned that Freddy did several jobs after his 12 from high school and remained the same 13person I met forty years before. Once, while working overnight at a store, he let a homeless man 14in his truck. Another time, he15a friend money to buy a house .

    Just last year, I was16 a workshop when someone knocked at the classroom door. A woman17 the interruption and handed me an envelope. I stopped teaching and 18 it up. Inside were the “Verbs” shirt and a 19 from Freddy's mother. “Freddy passed away on Thanksgiving. He wanted you to have this.”

    I told the story  to the class. As sad as it was, I couldn't help smiling . Although Freddy was taken from us, we all20something from  Freddy.

    I grew up in a small town. There was a man named Joe, who was uneducated and couldn't talk1. He was good natured but not very smart,2every one teased him.

    One day when was sitting on the porch, he came walking by, I was about 12 and thought it would make me 3grown up to play jokes on him as some 4did.

    He asked what I was doing, I told him that my father had 5his job and that we were short of money. I could see my friends nearby6so I went on with the7.From his8 expression, I'm convinced that I had fooled him 9.

    I knew he lived a 10life with low income, so it was funny when he asked11we needed anything. I told him that we didn't know if we would have enough to12he replied "you poor thing. "

    That night I heard the door13softly. I thought it was the wind whipping against the door, so I 14it. The next morning I found a small box of food outside my house, I knew it was from Bob. I looked into the box of canned food with15in my eyes. I felt ashamed for taking advantage of his 16towards me, I 17the whole story to my father and said I wanted to return the box. My father scolded me and 18that I keep the box; otherwise it would hurt Joe's feelings.

    Although the good was not19 I knew Joe gave the best he had. I did not20the gift.

    I was the fool at school, regarded as a special needs student. I was termed as such, obviously, because I was not interested in school and did not care for my 1.

    Over time, I started to believe in my stupidity. I 2 the fact that I was in special needs classes and poured it out as anger and depression. But one activity 3 this view of myself: chess.

    I started to play chess with my father after school simply because I wanted to 4 him at something. My father was a 5 man, fond of physics, writing, religion…, almost every 6 . He was called a walking dictionary. So, winning in chess against my father would be a 7 that I had intellectual power. On the small chessboard, I had a chance to 8 my so-called inability.

    Game after game, I wanted to beat my father even more. I started to study chess books and play against a chess computer to 9 my skills. One weekend, I finally checkmated(将杀)my father on a ferry ride, which made me feel 10.

    Two years later, I became the second board on my school chess team, with our top board being the best high school player in the state. But before the tournament season, our top player 11 to come. There came my chance to play as top board against the best players in other states.

    I was determined to show who I had become: a(n)12 person able to win with calculation, logic and will. My most 13 game came in the final round. Our team was facing a high school which only excellent students attended. It was 14 a match between a special needs student and a smart soul. My opponent(对手) was playing well and kept 15 while I kept defending to keep my king safe. He spent long trying to break down my defenses, but could not find the final push. I 16 with more defensive moves, trying to make it as difficult for him as possible. With little 17 left, he started to make rapid moves.18 he could make the final decision, he ran out of time. Honestly, as his clock flag fell, I jumped up out of my seat and kissed the floor out of excitement. Of course it was not the most sportsmen-like 19, but I could not control my emotions.

While holding my winner's cup, I knew I was not 20. The inferiority complex(自卑感) had melted away, and I realized that underneath our thoughts, each person is a genius.

    When my wife, Jane, and I were 16, we were in the same class. About a week before Thanksgiving Day, we found out that our teacher Edward was having some 1challenges. We wanted to do something to help, so as a class we 2to gather food, clothing and gifts to 3his family had a good Thanksgiving Day.

    When Jane told her family about our plan, her mother was 4. Together they searched their house for things they could 5. Her mother went to the kitchen, 6 a big turkey and saying, "Thanksgiving Day won't be 7without a turkey dinner." To this day, Jane remembers how moved she was by her mother's 8.

Before making our 9, we said a prayer of appreciation for the wonderful 10 to help others. I will never forget the surprised 11 of our teacher and his wife when they 12 the door; their four children gathered around them as we handed out the gifts. It was a cold night; we all felt warm inside, 13.

    Last month while I was in a meeting, my secretary informed me, "Your high school teacher Mr. Edward is wondering if you could 14 him a few minutes. He's sitting in your office right now!"

    I left my meeting and went to my office 15. My teacher and I hugged and began to 16 the last 42 years. He told me he 17 remembered that cold winter night when we brought the 18of Thanksgiving Day to his family. The food and gifts were certainly appreciated, 19what warmed his heart that night was to see a group of teenagers who understood the 20of Thanksgiving Day.

In Alsager, England, 45-year-old David Scott brought his infant son into the backyard. As they 1 their trampoline (蹦床), they saw shadow. No, it was 2. There was a wild animal, over two feet tall, walking through David's garden 3 close to the child. David reacted how most people would: by shouting.

Anna, a primary school teacher, 4 her husband in the yard. "I thought it was a dog at first. But with a bushy tail, I thought it might be a wolf." Anna later said. The family had no 5 as to what the animal could be. Would this wild animal 6 their young son? As the animal approached, the couple could only fear for their child.

Anna took photos of the animal, posted them on Facebook and asked people for help. While many people 7 to Anna's Facebook post, one answer 8. It was from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), and they had some 9 news for Anna. According to the RSPCA, the animal was a silver fox. Silver foxes are incredibly 10 especially in the United Kingdom, because they are frequently hunted for their 11 fur.

The Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre checked the animal and confirmed that he was 12, but "a little overweight." As a result, it was believed that he was a lost or 13 pet. Foxes like "Shadow" require 14 care that the average pet owner is not able to provide. The employees at Stapeley Grange announced that they would hand "Shadow" over to a specialist owner. These specialists understand how to take care of foxes properly, and they are highly 15.

As an only child, Nicole Renae often felt lonely in her youth. But that all changed when she turned ten. For her birthday, Renae's grandmother 1 her with an adorable gray 2 named Chloe.

From the very start, the two were 3 . "She was my best friend," Renae said. Every ounce of love Renae gave, the little dog returned tenfold.

But when Renae was 14, her father 4 a new job that came with a shocking warning: He'd be working at home, and the house needed to 5 noise disturbance.

"Chloe was very noisy," Renae said. "I was just a kid, so I didn't have any 6 in the matter. I didn't want to 7 my dog. I just felt so sick and 8 about it. With no easier option, the family sent Chloe to a humane society.

9 , Renae grew up, got married, and had a child of her own. But her family didn't feel quite complete. Remembering the 10 that having a dog had brought her as a kid, Renae wanted her daughter to 11 the same. She had it in her mind that she would 12 a puppy, but then one day she saw a post on a social media platform about a 13 dog that needed a new home. The dog in the photograph looked a lot like Chloe —she was even named Chloe. In an instant it was 14 : She would adopt this older dog.

When she met Chloe, the dog seemed so familiar. And Chloe appeared to feel the same 15 about Renae. Soon Renae cried with excitement because she felt so lucky to have Chloe again.