Whenever we hear about “the homeless”, most of us think of the Developing world. But the1is that homelessness is everywhere. For example, how many of us would expect to see people living on the streets of a2country like Germany?

    Kurt Muller and his wife Rita have spent eleven years making3for the homeless of Berlin, Germany's capital. They first4one long hot summer when most Germans were5on holiday. Kurt and his wife stayed at home, made sandwiches,6.

    The Mullers soon realized that food and clothing weren't7. “What these people also need is warmth and8,” says Rita. The Mullers didn't9to give their phone number to the street people and told them to phone anytime. Rita10there was somebody at home to answer the phone and their home was always11to anyone who couldn't face another night on the street.

    The couple were soon12all their time and money, so Kurt visited food and clothing companies to13donations. Today, over thirty companies14donate food and other goods to the cause and volunteers help to15them to the homeless. The public also give clothes and money and a shoe producer16new shoes.

    Kurt and Rita receive no17for their hard work. “ We feel like parents,” says Rita, “and parents shouldn't18money for helping their children. The love we get on the streets is our salary.” Though Rita admits she often gets19 She says she will continue with her work because she likes the feeling of having made a20.

    I sat in my seat as my new grade six classmates found theirs. At the front of the class our new math teacher stood1 us. The bell rang.

     “Welcome to a new school year. I'm Mr. Stevens and I'm sure I'll learn all your names in no time.” He walked around the class 2 math books. When he was done, he 3 to the front of the class and looked at us. “What are you waiting for? Get started?” he said. We looked at him,4 Wasn't he going to teach us? “Is there something wrong with your 5? You're not all deaf, are you?” A6 boy at the back of the class asked what we all wanted to know. “Mr. Stevens, aren't you going to teach us?” Mr. Stevens 7 “You're smart kids. Open your books and get down to it. If you have any8or any questions, raise your hand, and I'll help you.” We opened our books. Mr. Stevens helped anyone 9had questions. He would stop to teach all the students10when we all had the same question. It was a 11 method of teaching, but it was very useful.

    It was a 12 point in my life. Mr. Stevens made me13 I was good at math and also able to reach the14of any class I attended. I studied with his help until I graduated from middle school.

    Monty Python's Flying Circus was a popular television show back then. The actors 15 the best British humor (幽默) into our Canadian lives. Mr. Stevens would often act out one of their funny scenes (场景) in front of the class. Some thought he was strange, and I guess he was,16he knew how to make a math lesson interesting.

    I've carried his 17with me all my life. Whenever I am faced with a new 18 I think of my first day in grade six math.19 sitting and staring at the challenge, I just get 20 Before I know it, the challenge has been settled.

    Alia Baker is a librarian in Iraq. Her library used to be a 1 place for all who loved books and liked to share knowledge. They 2 various matters all over the world. When the war was near, Alia was 3 that the fires of war would destroy the books, which are more 4 to her than mountain of gold. The books are in every language－new books, ancient books, 5 a book on the history of Iraq that is seven hundred years old.

    She had asked the government for 6 to move the books to a. 7place, but they refused. So Alia took matters into her own hands. 8, she brought books home every night, 9 her car late after work. Her friends came to 10 her when the war broke out. Anis who owned a restaurant 11 to hide some books. All through the 12. Alia, Anis, his brothers and neighbors took the books from the library, 13 them over the seven-foot wall and 14 them in the restaurant. The books stayed hidden as the war 15. Then nine days later, a fire burned the 16 to the ground.

    One day, the bombing stopped and the17 left. But the war was not over yet. Alia knew that if the books were to be safe, they must be 18 again while the city was 19. So she hired a truck to bring all the books to the houses of friends in the suburbs（郊区）. Now Alia waited for the war to end and 20 peace and a new library.

    A woman professor walked around in a classroom while she was teaching stress management to her students. 1 she raised a glass of water, 2 expected they would be asked the "half-empty or half-full" question.

    Instead, with a 3 on her face, she asked, “What's the 4 of this glass of water?”5 called out ranged from eight to twenty ounces (盎司).

    She 6 the students down and then replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter .It all 7 how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have a 8 in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb (麻木) and paralyzed (麻痹). In each 9, the weight of the glass of water doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the 10 it becomes. Do you know why?"

    All the students kept silent and listened carefully, lost in thought.

    She 11, "Our stresses and 12 in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing 13. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel 14—unable to do anything."

    It's important to 15 to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as possible, put all your burdens down. Don't 16 them through the evening and into the night Remember to put the glass down!

    More often than not life gets 17 when we think too much. And the moment you 18 your burden, you'll find yourself feeling so much more relaxed.

    So 19 wondering around and feeling sorry for yourself, start doing something about it. After all, life is too short to devote yourself to anything that makes you 20.

I'd say I quarrel with my parents a lot.Throughout high school,I was always jealous(羡慕的) of some of my friends who didn't seem to have those problems at home,but I've come to see over the years that no one's situation is perfect.

Part of the reason I work all week during my break,in addition to the money,of course,is to be out of the house to avoid continuing quarrels.At work,I eat lunch with my friend Krysta every day,but the best days are when our favourite workmate,Lucy,is on her lunch break at the same time as us.Her funny way of storytelling always has us laughing happily,and although she is almost old enough to be our mom,she feels more like a best friend.

A few weeks ago,however,there was a change in our lunch conversation,and the story she told had us in real tears instead of our usual tears of laughter.A more serious topic had come up,and she sat us down to explain the importance of forgiveness(宽恕),especially when it came to our parents.Telling stories of her troubled relationship with her mother,she changed my whole outlook on life and my feelings towards my parents.She reminded(提醒) us that no matter how much resentment(怨恨) we're feeling in a moment of anger,we have to be thankful for the support they provide and learn to forgive everything else.

This week I've spent my break at home,having very small quarrels and lots of quality time together with my parents.Sometimes you need a reminder to make you realize how important it is to let go of past resentment and work to repair broken relationships.My workmate's moving stories not only brought me to tears in the break room at work that day but served as that wake-up call as well.