Alice was very worried about her dad. For some time now she had noticed he was 1 his hair. One day, she asked him, “Daddy, every day you have less hair.2 is that?” Her father smiled and said, “It's the hair thief. He visits my head during the night when I'm 3. One by one he 4 out my hair, as much as he likes.”

    This worried Alice but she was 5 to help her father. That very night she stayed 6 as long as she could. When she was 7 her dad and mom had fallen asleep, she took a hammer and went straight to their bedroom. She walked carefully in order not to make any 8. She didn't want the hair thief to hear her. Then she began carefully 9 her father's head. When she arrived at her father's side, she began looking at his head,10to catch the hair thief as soon as he appeared. Before long, she saw a shadow on it and 11 all her strength, she swung the hammer down.

    Thwack! Her father 12a loud cry. The lump(肿块) on his head was big and growing.13 with shock, he turned the light on and saw Alice waving her hammer in the 14 with her hands. “Daddy, I 15 got him. I thought I 16 him, but it looks like he escaped!” said Alice. At the same time, the mother woke up. She 17laughing when she knew what had happened.

    So Alice's father had to 18to her that the hair thief didn't exist, and that losing hair is something that just happens 19 to most daddies. And Alice still worried about her daddy, but she no longer waited for the hair thief.20 , she bought her daddy a very nice sleeping hat.

    I do voluntary work for an organization that helps the people in need in Haiti. Recently I took my son Barrett there for a week, hoping to 1 him.

    Before setting out, I told Barrett this trip would be tiring and 2. For the first two days, he said almost nothing. I worried the trip was too 3 for a 17-year-old. Then on day three, as we were 4 over high rocky mountains, he turned to me and grinned（咧嘴笑）,"Pretty hard."

    After that there was no turning back. A five-year-old girl, wearing a dress several sizes 5 large and broken shoes, followed Barrett around, mesmerized（着迷）. He couldn't stop 6. Later he said 7. "I wish I could speak French." I was 8－this from a boy who hated and 9 French classes throughout school.

    Usually silent, he 10 Gaby, our host, and kept asking questions about the country and its people. He blossomed（活泼起来）.

    11 , the moment that really took 12 breath away occurred in a village deep in the mountains. I was 13 a woman villager for an article. 135 centimeters tall, she was small in figure but strong in 14. Through determination, she had learned to read and write and 15 to become part of the leadership of the 16.

    Learning her story, Barrett was as 17 as I by this tiny woman's achievements. His eyes were wet and there was a 18 of love and respect on his face. He had finally understood the importance of my work.

    When leaving for home, Barrett even offered to stay 19 as a volunteer. My insides suddenly felt struck. This 20 achieved all I'd expected. Soon he will celebrate his 18th birthday. He'll be a man.

    I sat down at my desk and started writing a letter of thankfulness, but when it came to actually putting the letter into the mailbox... I 1  I couldn't do it. I suddenly felt a sense of 2 and insecurity (不安).

    The letter was to an old teacher with whom I kept in 3 on Facebook. For months, I read about what she 4 on her Facebook page, which helped me to live my life differently. Her volunteer (志愿者) work wasn't huge. 5, she was doing small, local good deeds. 6, she changed my views on the world and for some reason. I felt I should let her know how her example 7 influenced me.

    I could have easily sent her an email, but that seemed not enough for such an important thank-you. That's why I ended up 8 the letter. But now here I was, standing before the mailbox, unable to put the envelope inside. What was stopping me? It suddenly hit me that I was 9 of being too nice. I guess I felt strange 10 it wasn't like she was my best friend or a relative. Maybe my 11 was too heartfelt. Thinking this over, I put the envelope in the mailbox 12.

    Weeks later I received a message from her. It turned out she was 13 a hard time and my note 14 a lot to her. She said she had no idea she was playing such a big 15 in others' life.

    Not only did this letter make her happier, but her response to it brightened my world and 16 my level of happiness as well. I was so 17 that it had such a great influence on her that I decided to write a(n) 18 letter to someone each month. Now it's easier for me to 19 the goodness in others and be more 20 for this beautiful life I'm living.

    LoAnna and Kris' kids were playing outside on a sunny Saturday. Suddenly LoAnna heard a huge sound, She 1outside to see a wide mud, sand, and rock 2down the hill. She phoned Kris 3and Kris sped back home. But traffic had come to a 4. Kris had to run.

    Suddenly, he heard a woman screaming for help. As he 5the sound through mud, he only saw an arm reaching up, holding a boy. Kris kept her talking while 6the wood, metal trapping the mother and child. Finally, he was able to 7the baby. By this time, other citizens had 8it to the site. With others taking the 9in rescuing the woman, Kris continued his way home.

    Soon. he heard a(n) 10moan(呻吟) from the ruins again. The man buried was about twice Kris' weight and, 11, he'd have to wait for more help. Hearing a helicopter above, Kris climbed up on the roof, and led a rescuer to the trapped man. 12the rest of the helicopter crew arrived, Kris left to find his 13. Hours later, Kris reached home. His truck was 14, and so were LoAnna and the others. He 15cars and houses nearby to find other 16and then walked back to the rescue team. Not long after he arrived, his truck came into 17. LoAnna pulled over and ran to him. He hugged her tightly and spoke 18, “Let's go home.”

    Over the next several weeks, 43 bodies were 19Just nine survivors were luckily pulled from the mud, all of them on that day. Kris was 20by the Red Cross for his heroic deeds.

    My father was a highly educated, intelligent gentleman. He could debate or discuss for 1on almost any topic and hold your attention in the process. I thought there was 2 he wasn't able to do.

    A few days 3 my younger brother's 7th birthday, Dad planned to put together a shiny new 4 as a special birthday surprise. After nearly an hour of 5 the instructions, Dad was still unable to put the new bike together. Later he folded up the paper of instructions, 6 his tool box, and decided to take the bike back to the local toy store and pay extra money to have it 7 assembled(组装) there. Then, a(n) 8 came to him, as he called out to Lovett, the quiet little man who mowed our grassland.

    "Lovett, have you ever assembled a boy's bicycle?" As Lovett walked towards the bike, Dad handed him the paper of instructions. Lovett handed it 9 to him, saying," No, thanks. I can't read. When you can't read, you have to 10." Less than 15 minutes later, the new bicycle was fully assembled, with no spare parts 11. Dad shook Lovett's hand, patted him on the back, thanked him and hid the bike.

On the night after my brother 12 his simply new gift. Dad announced at the family dinner table 13 had happened several days earlier. He took great delight in telling it 14 —he used it as an example of thinking.

    He did not 15 illiteracy (文盲) , but strongly taught us to use our 16. The joke was on my father, 17 he was able to turn it into a learning tool, and I liked him even 18  after the incident. I also gained a respect for Lovett. To me he had always been the old yard man who didn't say much, but after that day, he seemed to smile 19 , even walk taller. It's amazing what a real nod of  20 can do to lift people up.

    Hunter Shamatt lost his wallet while he was on a flight from Omaha to Denver earlier this month. Upon realizing that his wallet was lost, he 1 the airline to see if anyone had turned it in — but fruitlessly. 2the wallet contained his ID, a signed paycheck, $60 in cash, etc, he feared the worst.

    Two days after the flight, however, Hunter was 3 to receive a package in the mail from an anonymous (匿名的) sender. Inside was his wallet — 4 an additional $40 in cash. "I rounded your cash up to an even $100 so you could celebrate the 5 of your wallet.", read a letter that was enclosed with the package.

    Hunter's mother, Jeannie, posted a photo of the 6 to social media in hopes that they would be able to track down the sender. All they had to go on was that the letter was 7 from Applied Underwriters in Omaha and the sender's initials were signed "T.B". The sender was later 8 as Todd Brown, who was delighted to "have a little fun" with helping out a hard­working stranger.

    "I saw he was just a kid, 20 years old. He had a paycheck in there, so I 9, 'Well, he's doing his best to make ends meet.' " said Brown. "Hunter was very 10. He told me he has some student loans to pay within two days so the 11 was right," Brown added, "He 12 it was gone forever. So when he opened it, he just started screaming, 'No way! No way!'"

    Brown says that he often tries to do good things without any recognition; that's why he didn't sign his 13on the letter, but Jeannie later insisted on 14 him on social media. Jeannie wrote on Facebook, "This story is more about rebuilding 15 in people than anything."