A poor farmer had a friend 1 was famous for the 2 apple he grew. One day, his friend gave the farmer a(n)3 and told him to 4 it home. The farmer was 5 with the gift, but when he got home he did not know 6 to plant it.

    He was 7 that if he planted the tree 8 the road, the fruit would be stolen. If he planted the tree in one of his field, his neighbors would come 9 and steal some of the apples. If he planted the tree near his house, his children would take the fruit.

    10 he planted the tree in his wood where no one could see it. The farmer was very 11 of what he did. However, as time went on, he found that the tree didn't 12 any fruit. He didn't know without 13and good soil, the tree soon 14 after he planted it.

    Later the friend asked the farmer why he had planted the tree in such a 15 place. "What's the difference?" the farmer said 16. "If I had planted the tree near the road,17 would have stolen the fruit. If I had planted the tree in one of my field, my neighbors would have come and stolen some of the apples. If I had planted it near my house, my own children would have taken the fruit."

    "Yes," said the friend, "but at least someone could have 18the fruit. Now you not only have robbed every one 19 the fruit, but also you have 20 a good apple tree!"

    I sat and waited for Kathleen to speak. “Annie,” she said, “A food bank that serves the elderly is asking for 1. I'd like you to organize the event” “Well, errr…sure.” As I stuttered (结巴地说) through my 2, all I could think was, “What? Why me?”

    I walked back to my office wondering where to 3. This was a time when the economy was 4. The rise in unemployment forced many of my coworkers to 5 to survive. How could I ask them for more?

    That evening I drove home with negativity. Then I remembered a time when my father was out of work. Mom wrote a note to Jim, the milkman, asking him not to 6 any more milk. Two days later Jim picked up the 7 and left four liters of milk. He wrote his message, which read, “Kids need milk.” The milk delivery 8 as usual and Jim never collected a cent 9 us.

    The memory of Jim's 10 fired my enthusiasm. Perhaps I'd be in for a pleasant surprise.

    The next morning I 11 signs about our food drive all over the cafeteria and on every notice board I could find. Each sign said, “Food drive to support the poor elderly! 12 of non-perishable (不易腐的) foods are greatly needed.”

    Within a few days I had to locate empty office space to 13 the massive number of contributions we had 14. One of my coworkers, Maggie, made the rounds with me every day from one department to another to 15 the canned goods and other foods. Though over sixty, she pushed our food trolley around with the 16 of a woman half her age.

    I asked her where she got all the enthusiasm. She said, “With the unemployment rate touching 10 percent, I can't think of a better way to be 17 for keeping our jobs when so many have 18 theirs. Sure money is 19. But when isn't it? People need food.”

    As I listened to Maggie, the milkman's words 20 in my ears, “Kids need milk.”

    The young seal couldn't have been more than two days old, and yet he was all alone. Sometimes he would swim1, but he always came back. At first we thought it was2that he kept swimming back to us, until we noticed that he obviously had been3, and had nowhere else to go. We call him “Curious George”.

    Without his mother's milk, George appeared very4with his eyes closed. I jumped into the water and swam up to him,5we were less than two feet away. My heart went out to George and I just hope that he had the 6 to interact with me. Suddenly, he7his eyes and immediately he jumped up between my arms, putting his head against my chest. It was a(n)8 moment. But I knew that George wouldn't9without some help.

We10the local conservation volunteers. They were11that in the absence of his mother, he had developed a12relationship with us. They promised they would bring him to an area with13people living there and keep an eye on him. Even though it hurt to see him14, we knew that he was in better hands.

    The next day we15the conservation volunteers and asked how George was doing.16the volunteers informed us that he was too close to humans, we realized that was probably our17! They decided to bring him to a small island wildlife preserve with a lot of seals in the area, where they could better 18 him.

    A week later, we called again, and were informed that George was19in the water swimming with other seals. George was20. And he will always swim in my heart.

I'd gone from a tiny village school with a total of 60 students to a huge-school with thousands of pupils. I was a little fish in a very big1. I lived too much of my first year 2 doing anything wrong. I just decided to be the wallflower when it 3 class discussion and answering questions. I was always the one that 4didn't look the teachers in the eye 5 they asked me to answer. I listened well, and6 everything in, but I always liked to be a spectator（旁观者）. It is hard not to 7 what others may think of you when you are speaking in front of many 8. It did take long for me to feel 9 with teachers and make friends with classmates.

Some people 10 straight into a new learning environment.11 most are nervous and feel they don't fit in. It's completely 12so it should not be a worry to you. Be 13and you will adapt to the new school. School life is 14 you make of it. Some 15 it; some love it. But it's only when you leave that you can really appreciate how school16you into the person you become.

It's so important to 17 yourself out of your comfort zone. If you are shy, tell yourself you will raise your 18at least once every lesson; if you are quick-minded, try to give other people a(n)19In time, you will20 how much you loved it or hated it.

    At the funeral, I tried to say good-bye to Grandpa, but all I could do was feel bad. Most of the adults were busy 1to one another. They didn't talk about Grandpa. Afterward, I kept my grandpa 2in my mind by talking about him3. I was afraid if I might 4him. I told everyone he died. One day when I was with my mother in a 5, I told the check-out lady. When we got outside, my mother hugged me close and told me not to tell 6 about Grandpa's death. Then I realized that there were other ways I could remember him.

    I planted a tree in our backyard, in7of Grandpa. The stars made me feel 8. I'd choose a star in the sky and 9it was Grandpa 10. In school, my teacher suggested that I write stories and draw pictures. The more I wrote and the more I drew, the more I 11about Grandpa and me.

I gave my favorite12to the library in memory of my Grandpa. The librarian wrote his name on a special label and put it 13. I used to 14the book. It wasn't 15the shelf, I was happy 16was reading "my grandpa's book."

    17, I was working hard in school and having fun with my friends again. I can't remember everything about my grandpa,18every once in a while, someone or something 19me of him. The memories feel warm and good. Now I know, and I want you to know, the best 20are like love. They last forever.

    Paul looked out of the window of the classroom and sighed. The driveway was still 1 and it was getting dark. His dad had said that he would 2 him up by 5:30, but it was almost seven and Paul hadn't heard a word from him. Paul 3 to do some of his reading homework. 4, he couldn't help thinking of his dad. He knew that his dad had a 5 and a life, but he couldn't 6 why he was always breaking his 7.

    The next day at school, Paul didn't 8 his math homework. Paul's teacher noticed his unusually 9 performance and asked him why. Paul didn't want to 10 him. He knew that if he started talking a flood of 11 would pour out. He just wanted to be alone with his 12, so he sat there 13, not even looking at the teacher. "Well Paul, you can't have this thing 14 you up. The sooner you get it off your 15, the sooner you can heal."

    As Paul walked home from school, he 16 the things the teacher had told him. Paul knew that he hadn't 17 himself recently. Maybe he stopped doing his work because he was looking for 18 from his father. He realized that he wasn't just letting his dad 19 his plans, but he was letting him spoil his 20. He decided to take the teacher's advice.