In February of 2005, Phil Belfiore was teaching one of Robert Frost's poems “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” He liked it that he recorded it on his home answering machine, which would lead to one of the most unusual1of his life.

    When Phil returned from his vacation, he listened to his voice 2  One gentleman caller 3for dialing the wrong number. But, he added, he'd really 4the poem. Phil laughed and thought nothing more of it— 5the phone rang a few days later.

    Phil 6John's hollow voice immediately, who said sorry to7, but he was calling to hear the8again. The two men talked. It turned out that his brother's phone number was9from Phil's by one digit(数字), thus the wrong number. Before hanging up, Phil told John to 10anytime, whether to hear the poem or just to have a chat.

    That was 11 years ago. They've spoken on the phone a few times a month ever since. It is John who is 11the starter of most calls. However, Phil will ring if a long while has passed. Not 12  John has been in poor health. His special voice is just the 13of some heart trouble. They seem to always 14when there's been a big sports event. The man like to discuss 15most. John will also 16Phil on his life. Slowly, their conversations have grown much more 17  When asked what drew them together, Phil18that they were old friends. They planned to meet twice, but circumstances went19them. Their friendship is based on the simple act of picking up the phone. “My best friend is someone I've not yet met 20 ” says John. It's as simple as that.

    A few weeks ago I was at the comer store, and there stood an old lady in front of me in line. She seemed very 1 when the cashier asked her to pay $ 38.00. She had about $ 5.00 in her wallet, and she began to 2. The cashier became very 3, telling her that she cannot buy these 4 because she didn't have enough money. So, I told the cashier not to 5 it, and that I would 6 the difference. The cashier gave me a funny look,7 I really felt for this woman.

    Anyway, I paid for my groceries and 8 the store. When I got outside, I saw the lady standing there. I asked her what was 9. She said that she could not remember where she lived, and she began to cry again. I said some names of the 10 around the area but she had no clue (线索). Just then, a car 11and a woman jumped out of the car. It was this lady's daughter. I 12 that her mother couldn't find her way home. The daughter told me that she had Alzheimer's disease (阿尔茨海默病) and that she had been 13 off a lot lately. Then the daughter14 that her mother had 3 - bags of groceries and wondered 15 she got the money to pay for them. I was not 16 if I should tell her that I paid for them, but I did.

The daughter wanted to pay me back, but I 17. The daughter said “Thank you” and I said “Good bye”.

    I felt so 18and happy right through the day, because making others feel 19 makes me feel good. I know that if this 20 happened again, I would do the same thing.

    I was frustrated at not being entered into the national IT competition I'd applied for. I sat in the car, lost in 1, chewing my lip and staring outside.

    I went upstairs,2and desperate. Grandpa's door was open for me as usual. There, he was waiting for my3with great excitement. I stood silently, forcing a4to cover my sadness. He seemed to5me immediately, giving me a 6. I was astonished that such a7body was full of so much energy.

    Only then did my emotions start 8out. I told him that all my9were for nothing, and that I was feeling discouraged. Grandpa smiled at me10and said, "Don't worry. You're far stronger than you think." Then he 11, "Life can be full of ups and downs so what we need do is to still have our hopes and12, neglecting the anxiety that makes it easy to give up."

    He13me on the shoulder, with a determined look, before saying, "Cheer up. I'm firmly14that you have the capability to succeed." Grandpa's encouragement soon made my sadness15.

    The next day, I thought about all my problems and16a plan. Now, I believe that with a positive attitude towards failure, I'll17reach my goals.

    Looking back, I realize that we should share our setbacks and progress in life with our18ones. As my grandpa showed, the19of our family members will benefit us20.

    Sanford Greenberg was once a lucky guy. A poor kid from Buffalo, New York, he was 1 into Columbia University on a full scholarship and had a great 2, Arthur Garfunkel. But in his third year of college, Greenberg's 3changed—he was going blind. He was so 4 that he refused to see anyone from college. But Garfunkel went up to Buffalo, 5 Greenberg to go back to Columbia and offered to be his 6.

    Greenberg returned to campus. Garfunkel and two other roommates read textbooks to him, taking time out form their own studies, and Greenberg 7 scoring straight A's. 8, he was afraid of getting around alone and relied on his friends to help him.

    Then, one afternoon, Greenberg and Garfunkel went to Midtown Manhattan. When it was time for Greenberg to 9, Garfunkel said he had an appointment and couldn't 10 him. Greenberg panicked. They argued, and Garfunkel walked off, leaving Greenberg 11in Grand Central Terminal. Greenberg stumbled (跌跌撞撞地走)through the rush-hour crowd. He 12 a shuttle train west to Times Square, then changed to an uptown train. Four miles later, he 13at the Columbia University stop. At the university's gate, someone 14him.

    “Oops, excuse me, sir” Greenberg 15the voice. It was Garfunkel's. Greenberg's first 16was anger, but in the next second, he realized what he had just 17 -- and realized, too, who had made it possible. “It was one of the most brilliant 18” Greenberg says. “Arthur had been with me the whole way.”

    After graduation, Greenberg got his doctor's degree from Harvard and became a successful inventor and businessman. 19blind, Greenberg sees everything. “You are talking,” he always says, “to the20 man in the world.”

    Hello, everyone. It's my honor to recommend (推荐) Educator of the year. I'm sure everyone has a(an) 1 teacher that they will be able to 2 for years to come. There is one famous teacher that everyone wants to have in our middle school—Ms. Sullivan, whose 3you must often hear at school. Ms. Sullivan does a lot of things to make herself 4.

    First of all, she has great enthusiasm for her 5. She teaches many different classes—Language Arts Enrichment, Writing for Publication and Reader's Theater, though most teachers in middle school only teach one 6, such as Math, Social Studies, Science, etc. Ms. Sullivan is also responsible for 7 the school play. Every year she devotes her time into 8 an amazing school play. Luckily I have been a part of it and 9 it so much!

    In addition, Ms. Sullivan always shows her students that she 10 us, whether in our study or in life. Some teachers teach us the lessons in a strict way, 11 Ms. Sullivan shows us that she is always 12 like a friend. In writing classes, she makes us have a group discussion first, which I think is a good way to 13 our creative ideas. Then she lets us 14 write our stories at our own speed. She 15 everything we write and gives us a(an) 16 opinion about it. We are getting more 17 writing a composition, and no longer consider it hard work. Most importantly, she also makes each of her classes 18.

    19, I think Ms. Sullivan should be Educator of the Year. Even if she doesn't get the 20, she still deserves our respect and love!

Hawthorne worked as a clerk in a small company. He suffered a heavy blow when he lost his job. His boss had spoken 1, "Your services are no longer needed." Hawthorne left the building filled with despair. By the time he reached home, he was in deep 2. When he entered his house, he blurted out(脱口而出)to his wife Sophia, "I lost my job. I am a complete failure." A tense silence followed. 3, a smile crept across Sophia's face. "What great news!" she responded, "Now you can write the book you have always wanted to write."

"But I have no job and no prospect of a job," he objected completely without hope. "If I 4 to be an author, then what will we 5? Where will the money come from?"

Sophia took her husband by the hand and 6 him to the kitchen. Opening a drawer, she took out a box that was full of 7. "Where on earth did you get this?" Hawthorne asked. "To whom does it 8?"

"It's ours!" Sophia replied. "I always knew that one day you would become a great writer 9 you were given the chance. From the money you gave me for housekeeping every week, I have 10 as much as I could so you would have your chance. Now there is enough to 11 us a whole year. "

What a(n) 12! What a wife! The 13 husband did concentrate on writing that year, and the novel he wrote became a literary masterpiece. The book is The Scarlet Letter. Sophia had an even greater 14,—she turned Nathaniel Hawthorne from a poor clerk into a world famous 15.