It was a cold evening and my daughter and I were walking up Broadway. I didn't notice a guy sitting inside a cardboard box. But Nora did. She wasn't even four, but she 1 at my coat and said, "That man's cold. Daddy, 2 we take him home?"

    I don't remember my reply. But I do remember a sudden 3 feeling inside me. I had always been delighted at how much my daughter noticed in her 4, whether it was 5 in flight or children playing. But now she was noticing 6 and beggary.

    A few days later, I saw an article in the newspaper about volunteers who picked up a food package from a nearby school on a Sunday morning and 7 it to an elderly person. It was quick and easy. I 8 us up. Nora was 9 about it. She could understand the importance of food, so she could easily see how 10 our job was. When Sunday came, she was ready, but I had to 11 myself to leave the house. On the way to the school, I fought an urge to turn 12. The Sunday paper and coffee were waiting at home. Why do this? 13, we phoned the elderly person we'd been appointed. She 14 us right over.

    The building was in a sad state. Facing us was a silver-haired woman in an old dress. She took the package and asked us to come in. Nora ran inside. I unwillingly followed.15 inside, I saw that the department belonged to someone poor. Our hostess showed us some photos. Nora played and when it came time to say goodbye, we three hugged, I walked home in tears.

Professionals call such a(n) 16 "a volunteer opportunity". They are opportunities, I've come to see. Where else but as volunteers do you have opportunity to do something 17 that's good for others as well as for yourself? Nora and I regularly serve to needy people and 18 clothes for the homeless. Yet, as I've 19 her grow over these past four years, I still wonder—which of us has 20 more?

    Michael Greenberg is a very popular New Yorker. He is not famous in sports or the arts, But people in the streets1him, especially those who are2

    For those people, he is "Gloves" Greenberg. How did he get that3? He looks like any other businessman, wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase (公文箱). But he's4 His briefcase always has some gloves。

    In winter, Mr. Greenberg does not5like other New Yorkers, who look at the sidewalk and6the street. He looks around at7. He stops when he8 someone with no gloves. He gives them a pair and then he9, looking for more people with cold10.

    On winter days, Mr. Greenberg11gloves. During the rest of the year, he12gloves. People who have heard about him also 13him gloves, and he has many in his apartment.

    Mr. Greenberg 14doing this 21 years ago. Now, many poor New Yorkers know him and15his behavior. But people who don't know him are sometimes16him. They don't realize that he just wants to make them17.

    It runs in the18. Michael's father always helped the poor as he believed it made everyone happier. Michael Greenberg feels the19. A pair of gloves may be a20thing, but it can bring warmth in cold winter days.

    A lot happened to me while I lived on Thirteenth Street. I 1 school at Miss Marie Purkins' School for Little Folks kindergarten which I loved until I broke my leg one day 2  rope. And it wasn't3  a moving rope. One of the rope ends in the playground was tied to a tree, the other end to a swing set. The kids would  4  on one side and take turns running and jumping over it. All the other kids5 the rope.

    But I had no6I was a little short and fat anyway, and I was so slow that I was once the only kid at an Easter egg hunt who didn't get a7egg, not because I couldn't find them but because I couldn't get to them 8enough. On the day I tried to jump rope but I was wearing cowboy boots to school. Like a fool I didn't9the boots to jump. My heel 10  on the rope, so I turned, fell and hurt my leg. I lay in11on the ground for several minutes while Daddy12over from his company to get me.

    I had broken my leg above the knee, and13I was growing so fast, the doctor was 14to put me in a cast up to my hip.  15  he made a hole through my ankle, pushed a stainless steel bar through it. And then he 16 it to a stainless steel horseshoe, and 17 my leg up in the air over my hospital bed. For two months, I had been lying on my 18 feeling both foolish, waiting to return to my19 . I missed my playmates so much.

    After I got out of the hospital, my folks bought me a bicycle,20I never lost my fear of riding without the training wheels. No wonder people say, "Once bitten, twice shy."

    With New Year approaching quickly, I was so pleased with the resolution (决心) my family had made at the beginning of this year and proud that we were actually able to keep it. For the past year we had made an effort to go 1 and, looking back, we were pretty successful.

    Last year we began recycling all of our glass, paper, plastic, and aluminum cans. We 2all light bulbs throughout our home with energy saving bulbs; we stopped purchasing 3water. In addition, we made it a point to 4 reusable bags when grocery shopping.

    Although I took pride in all the 5, I felt that we could take it a step 6 and do more. I was especially interested in teaching my kids to become more 7 in learning how important it is to take care of the environment. I began thinking about ways I could further the 8. It took a while for it to come to me but when it did I was 9 and excited about it.

    I recognized that, in our own way, we were already 10 to Mother Earth. 11wouldn't it be great if we could give more to organizations that support causes which help the less 12 around the world? What I decided to do was 13 the money we earned from 14 our waste to charity.

    My seven-year-old son, Brayden, would even be able to join in, as he was 15 for sorting the items and taking them to the recycling center with me. To make him more involved, I decided that he would help me 16 which charity to support. Because we sold our recyclable items every month or so, we wouldn't have a large 17; but I loved the idea of teaching my son that however much you give, what 18 is that you give. The smallest donation can make a 19.

    Next year, we will continue doing our 20 to help the environment and make this world a better place.

    A 35-year-old Australian mother makes around $58,000 a year by hugging total strangers. Jessica O' Neill started her1 job six months ago. "As human beings, one thing we often2 in our daily lives is physical touch. Without it, we can fall into depression and other mental health problems. To satisfy this 3, I've become a professional worker in hugging treatment," said Jessica.

    Jessica claims that her hugs can4those who are suffering from loneliness, depression, or low self-confidence. Originally, Jessica was a masseuse (女按摩师), a quite5profession. She notices that when she6her customers during treatments, they dropped their guards and7her more. "I could see their8melt away. Then I could get to their heart and do what I can to9them," Jessica said. "Everyone has a totally different story. But the most common10are loneliness, depression and anxiety. They all just have that desire to11with someone. I believe my hug helps me and my12connect on a spiritual level."

    Jessica says the majority of her customers are 13, but she has a surprising number of female customers14Despite many people thinking she must be 15 for doing such work, Jessica is confident that she's made the right16"It's so much more rewarding than just working as a masseuse. I feel like it's what I was put on this Earth17," said Jessica. In today's digital age, many people are lonelier than ever before. For people whose lives18physical interaction, hugging therapy can have an apparent effect on their mental health."

    "Interestingly, although the hugging19has been around for a short while, we've actually covered several20 businesses in the last few years."

    When he was 5, Nicholas Lowinger visited a homeless shelter with his mother. He was1to show off his new light­up sneakers. But his mom warned him against doing so,2that these children might not have such things.

    3enough, when Nicholas met kids at the shelter, he4realized that they were living in circumstances that were different from his own.

    "I saw other kids who looked just like me. The only5was that they were wearing6shoes that were falling apart. Some didn't have a pair of shoes to call their own," said Nicholas, now 15. "I've been7to grow up in a family that is able to provide me with whatever I need. A lot of kids here in the U. S. don't have the same8."

    That first shelter9left a strong impression on Nicholas, who started10all the shoes he'd outgrown to local shelters. But he soon11that his donations weren't that helpful.

    "It12me that I only had used shoes to give to them13new shoes that fit right," he said. "No two people's feet are exactly the same, and14you are wearing someone else's worn shoes, your feet aren't going to be comfortable."

    So at the age of 12, Nicholas started a program that donates15shoes to homeless children.16, his efforts were part of a community service project. With the help of his parents, he then started the Gotta Have Sole Foundation, which has donated new footwear to more than 10,00017children in 21 states.

    "Something that seems so18, a pair of shoes, can make children feel19about themselves and gain confidence." Nicholas20other young people to do the same.