Sarah lived on a farm with her family. She was 1 to learn to track, to identify each person and where they were going by the marks they left on the ground. And if her father couldn't teach her, she'd teach herself.

    To the2of her family, she borrowed all their 3 and taught herself to recognize everyone's footprints in the sand. More than once her father came outside shouting, “Sarah, bring me 4 my boots. ”

    Sarah developed the habit of walking around with her eyes fixed on the ground, 5 the comings and goings of every 6in the place.

    She also developed the annoying habit of 7 everyone. What were you doing down at the dam, Jack? You're not 8to play there. ” “Did you find what you were 9 in the garage, Auntie?” and “Who was the stranger visiting today wearing size ten boots, Mum?”

    After she'd 10 every pair of shoes that everyone 11, she turned to the farm's animals. By this time 12 her victims had to admit, 13, that she was good.

    Her best 14came one evening when she said the horse's front foot was 15. Her father said that the horse was 16 fine. Sarah 17 that its hoof (蹄）had a split. Sarah's father 18 the horse's hoof.

    “You're 19. The hoof is split. How did you know?”

    “You can see it in its 20. " Sarah moved the horse away. “Look, it's plain in the sand. "

    “If you can tell it has a split hoof from that sand, you're pretty good,” said her father.

    One summer, Aunt Betta and Uncle Bill invited me to travel with them back home to Pennsylvania. I had never been1Los Angeles and was eager to meet our relatives.

    Our first night, we drove through the desert, and then through roads cut through hills. The next day we went through the Rocky Mountains. It was2driving up long inclines（斜坡） with abrupt U-shape turns on the steep hillsides, then driving3slowly with great caution. Beyond Colorado, we drove through miles of 4, where I saw actual food being grown. I5some of the crops.

    In one small town we passed through, Aunt Betta decided I needed new6and took me to a country 7. I was used to8dresses and skirts. Now I had my first pair of jeans, a flannel shirt, shorts and a T-shirt. I loved them all.

    9 we reached our destination. Uncle Bill's aunt had a perfect little two-story house. The first thing I 10was a bed in a cute little room — for me! I looked forward to that. It would be like sleeping in a dollhouse. In the backyard, I saw red things11the back fence. Uncle Bill's uncle said, "I think you never ate a 12tomato in L.A." I hadn't. He 13picked one for me.

    I met all my new aunts, uncles and cousins. My cousins taught me how to do cartwheels (恻手翻) in the big front yard. Country people have more14, I thought.

    All the adults cried when we 15, but I took home all the 16of everything I'd seen. Back in L.A., my lungs hurt when I took a deep breath. I 17 the fresh air. I dreamed of homegrown tomatoes. My country clothes seemed out of 18, but I wore them anyway.

    I was two weeks late starting19, but I told my teachers only that I'd been in Pennsylvania and decided to 20all the rest to myself. If only they could have experienced everything that I did!

    When I was 13 my only purpose was to become the star on our football team.That meant1Miller King,who was the best2at our school.

Football season started in September and all summer long I worked out.I carried my football everywhere for 3.

    Just before September,Miller was struck by a car and lost his right arm.I went to see him after he came back from4.He looked very5,but he didn't cry.

    That season,I6all of Miller's records while he7the home games from the bench.We went 10-1 and I was named most valuable player,8I often had crazy dreams in which I was to blame for Miller's9.

    One afternoon,I was crossing the field to go home and saw Miller10when he was going over a fence—which wasn't_11to climb if you had both arms.I'm sure I was the last person in the world he wanted to accept12form. But even that challenge he accepted.I13him move slowly ever the fence.When we were finally 14on the other side,he said to me,“You know,I didn't tell you this during the season,but you did15.Thank you for filling in for 16”

    His words freed me from my bad17.I thought to myself,how even without an arm he was more of a leader. Damaged but not defeated,he was18ahead of me.I was right to have19him.From that day on,I grew20and a little more real.

    Just before Christmas, my daughter Katie and I went over to my dad's place to decorate. While we worked on the tree, grand babies Decie and Johnny 1their great-grandfather Papa Cox. Their laughter and2arguments must have reminded Papa of the past days when my brother and I were just their 3because I saw a twinkle in his 80-year-old eyes.

    Hanging the 4decorations on Papa's tree, I couldn't help gently touching the very oldest of the glass balls. Those I made sure to5from the uppermost branches, safely out of reach of tiny hands. When the tree was beautifully dressed and glowing, we bid my dad goodbye with lots of hugs and kisses and6for home. Later that night, in the quiet darkness, I pulled my 7up close and lay down to rest and remember.

    The Christmas I turned 16, while decorating the tree with Mama, I 8dropped and broke a decoration. The old glass ball was blue and its surface began to fall9 it had been on our tree for as long as I could remember.10 I bent to pick up the broken pieces and was surprised to find a tiny sheet of paper among the pieces. Unfolding it, I recognized my father's penciled writing. Lifting my eyes, I saw my mother's 11expression.

    “Your daddy wrote that and12it in that blue ball during our first Christmas together, just before you were born,” she said with a smile. I wouldn't have believed it13the proof there in my hands. The daddy I knew always looked upon getting the tree decorated as a chore he wanted 14part in. In fact, sometimes he could be a bit of a lazy and mean man around the holidays! And yet this bit of15paper proved that long ago my daddy had done something apparently romantic at Christmas.

    Carefully laying the note aside, I cleaned up the broken pieces, wishing I could somehow16the pieces. “ It's OK , ” Mama said , encouraging me with a hug. “Just pick out another of the17ones and folded the note back inside.”

    18 as we celebrate the holidays without Mama, who we lost to cancer, my19becomes more bitter. Each year as I decorate Papa's tree, I relive the moment I shared with her that winter afternoon and tears of a sadness welled out.

    As I carefully handle those old decorations, I love knowing that one holds a 20between Papa and Mama—one that was obvious to all who knew them. The note inside one of those old glass balls on Papa's tree holds the heart of my parents' marriage in three little words: “I love you.”

    As the saying goes, roses given, fragrance in hand. I am always in the 1 of giving money to every beggar or homeless person I pass by. My friends say it is not good to 2. We may come across beggars or homeless people begging every day and all beggars have their ability to survive. It 3 them that I never listen.

On a 4day, my friend and I were walking to the bus stop 5 I passed a beggar lady. I had seen her several times before and had always given her a few 6. That day, I gave her 2 Euros. I was waiting for the bus and reading a book when I 7 to see that lady standing in front of me. She 8 me a piece of paper covered in a plastic bag to prevent it from getting9. She stood there, looking at me 10. Putting away my book, I took the paper, which 11 she and her family had to 12 their country because of floods, and she was 13 to support them. She had got a bit of money, but she needed five 14 Euros to get home. I 15 into my pockets and found 20 cents. My friend 16 a 5 Euro note. I asked her to give it to the lady, and said that I would 17 the next day. When she got the money, the lady hugged us and said thanks again and again, and went on her way. Later on the bus, I wondered where her home was and 18 she had gotten to this country. In her story, I felt that my friend and I would always remain part of it as the 19, who helped her get home on a rainy day. But for me, helping a stranger did bring me happiness, giving me a pleasant 20 .

    "Mum, can I invite my classmate Brett over to stay tomorrow night, please? It's Friday, and we don't have any 1. Can I, please?"Mum was sitting at the kitchen table. Dad was 2next to her, resting his head on his arms. Mum could 3that James wanted so badly to have his friend over.

    "I'm so sorry, James, "she said.

    "I'm never allowed to have friends come to the house! Why, Mum?" James asked sadly, almost in 4.

    "I know it's 5 for you, "Mum said softly." But I'm just worried other people might think we're a little...strange. And then they would make fun of you."

    "No, they wouldn't, Mum," James protested. "We're not 6 at all. We're just ordinary people."

    Mum sighed heavily. "To tell you the truth, James, my neck has been so painful that it's given me a heavy7. And your poor father—he doesn't feel8. He really needs a rest."

    "I can help, Mum!" James said."9 I can make you and Dad feel better, can Brett come over? Please?"

    "Well..."Mum began.

    "Great! Thanks, Mum!" James almost shouted. "Just sit there, don't move." He rushed over to the kitchen drawer and 10 what he needed—two spanners(扳手)."Hang on, Mum," he said. "This won't take a second." After some  11, James was finished. With a smile of 12 on his face, he said, "There! How does that feel?" "Oh, James, "Mum said." That's much better! How did you do it?"

    "Easy, "James said 13." Dad had tightened your neck bolts(螺栓)too much! I just 14them slightly! I learned that in robotic science at school."

    "What about your father? Can you 15 him?" asked mum.

    "I'll try," James replied. He 16 up dad's hair at the back of his neck, and plugged the electric wire into dad's head. Then he turned the 17 on. Dad opened his eyes and 18 immediately. "He just let his 19 run too low, that's all," James said. "Shall I tell Brett to come over straight after school tomorrow?"

    "I guess so," replied mum. "Your friends will just have to 20 that we are a very unusual family. Thanks, son!"