It was my sister Sandra's first Christmas without her husband. Last Thursday, she was in the store 1  for an ideal card for her two sons and daughter. Time passed by quickly as she 2the many choices. She wanted a card that sent something 3to each of them, as she knew they would have a(n)  4  place in their heart this holiday season.

        Finally, she found the one that expressed the  5 feeling. 6 , a sharp pain pierced (穿透) her heart when she realized that the card was 7  “mom and dad”. She stood, holding it close for a long time, unable to move from the spot.  8 began to run over her cheeks.

       “Is there something I can do for you?” a 9  voice asked. She  10 to face a stranger, a woman. “Uh..oh...OH!” Sandra  11 , “I can't give this card to my children because…because my husband died and this is the12   card.”

        The stranger's face softened with  13  and love. She reached out and 14my sister into her arms, giving her unspoken 15  to cry in the protection of her embrace (拥抱). She 16  held my sister until her 17 returned.

        During her telling of this event I was feeling  18  that I hadn't been there. My sister needed me and a stranger had to do my 19  . “You know,” she went on, “a friend suggested that it was like meeting with an Angel.” My guilt 20   in an instant. My sister required an Angel, and I think that is exactly what she got.

    It's amazing how one dollar can change the culture of a school.

    We have a1school of about 30 students. It is really full of2and pressure as most of the kids get good3and try to be the best ones. It's4except that a lot of us middle kids felt really pressured. We got the feeling that we are so selfish—it's every man for5.

    6,my friend and I set out to find a way to7the culture. We decided doing things for others was the only way to8our depression（沮丧）about school.

    On the first day of school we put a9folded into a heart into one of the leaders' lockers with a piece of paper that 10“ Buy yourself a snack.” We11to give away small gifts every day. We didn't know the 12it would have.

    People went 13over it and everyone was talking about who it might be doing the acts of kindness and 14that they should do something too. It is so much fun to see the 15on everyone's faces now! Lots of other people have started sharing16now too: Chocolate bars, cookies and money left17in the vending machine（自动售货机）.And lots of notes are on the thanks board saying: “thanks to whoever started.”

    Now I actually expect to go to school to have the chance to18people up. I hope kindness will19to the other schools.20anybody is struggling with being depressed  At school and work, I totally suggested doing acts of kindness.

    “The Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program was definitely a life changing experience,” says Alaa. “I had lots of 1 and expectations when I left Jordan and headed to Chicago to become a YES program particpant."

    During it, Alaa had the chance to be a part of two wonderful host families. “I 2a lot by living with my host families,” says Alaa “The first one was a single older person that 3me to most of American cultures. My second family was kind enough to have me stay at their house and 4 me like one of their own kids. I am 5 both host families forever.”

    6Alaa learned a lot from her host families, she realized that 7 a new culture and new family comes with its own growing pains.

    “There was a huge 8 between me and my first host mom,” says Alaa. “She worked all the time,9 I was expecting her to interact with more peole. But that was too 10She goes her own way”

    “The education system we have in Jordan is quite different from here, so the 11 to the education system was hard too. I went to Schaumburg High School, where everything was so organized and the teachers were so nice. I started an Arabic program12the gifted students in the school,” states Alaa. With my assistance, they13to know the beauty of my language. By the end of the year, I received Christmas card from the students with their names and 14 in Arabic. To my 15in no time they 16 were able to talk to me in Arabic without difficulty.”

    “My YES program was soon17” Alaa said. “But it had a deep18on me.” Thanks to the YES program, Alaa had conquered fears.19 new skills, and finally changed the course of her life forever. “I don't let anything get in the20of achieving my dreams.” says Alaa.

    As a high school coach, I did all I could to help my boys win their game. I cheered as hard for 1 as they did. A dramatic 2 however, following a game in which I was a referee(裁判), changed my 3 on victories and defeats.

    It was a league championship basketball game between New Rochelle and Yonkers High. New Rochelle was 4 by Dan O'Brien, Yonkers by Les Beck. The gym was5, and the noise made it impossible to hear. The game was well played and 6 competed. Yonkers was 7 by one point as I 8 at the clock and discovered there were but 10 seconds left to play. New Rochelle, the home team, took 9 of the ball, passed off and shot. The ball 10 around the rim(篮筐边沿) and off. The fans11. New Rochelle recovered the ball, and tapped it in for what looked like victory. The noise was 12.

    I looked at the clock and saw that the game was over. I hadn't heard the final buzzer(终场哨) because of the noise. I 13 with the other official, but he could not help me. So, I 14 the timekeeper, a young man of 17 or so. He said, “Sir, the buzzer 15 before the final tap-in was made. ” Yonkers won!

    I had to tell O'Brien the sad news. His face 16. The young timekeeper came up and said, “I'm sorry, Dad. The 17 ran out before the final basket. ”18, like the sun coming out from a cloud, O'Brien's face lit up. He said, “that's okay, Joe. You did what you had to. I'm 19 of you.” The two of them then walked off the 20 together, the coach's arm around his son's shoulder.

    It was the last day of the final examination in a large eastern university. On the steps of one building, a group of engineering seniors gathered, discussing the exam due to begin in a few 1. On their faces was confidence (自信). This was their last exam — then on to 2 and jobs.

    Some talked of jobs they already had; others talked of jobs they 3 get. With the certainty of four years of college, they felt ready and able to take 4 of the world.

    The coming exam, they knew, would be a(n) 5 task. The professor had said they could bring 6books or notes they wanted, requesting only that they did not 7 each other, during the test.

    8 they entered the classroom. The professor passed out the papers. And smiles 9 on the students' faces as they noted there were only five essay-type questions.

    Three hours had passed 10 the professor began to collect the papers. The students no longer looked confident. On their faces was a frightened expression. Papers in hand, no one spoke as the professor faced the class.

    He looked at the 11 faces before him, and then asked, "How many completed all five questions?"12 a hand was raised.

    "How many answered four?" Still no hands.

    "Three? Two?" The students moved restlessly in their seats.

    "One, then? Certainly somebody finished 13."But the class remained silent.

    The professor put down the papers. "That is exactly what I 14," he said. "I just want to impress upon you that, 15 you have completed four years of engineering, there are still many things about the 16you don't know. These questions you couldn't answer are relatively 17 in everyday practice." Then smiling, he added, "You will all 18 this course, but remember — even though you are now college graduates, your education has just 19."

    The years have 20 the name of this professor, but not the lesson he taught.

    Over the last 15 years, as a doctor, I have had heart-to-heart conversations with countless patients near the end of their lives. The most common emotion they express is 1. And that's 2 I came up with a project to encourage people to write a 3 to their loved ones. It's a lesson I learned years ago from a memorable 4 patient.

    He was a retired 5 with a cancer. Every day, his 6 spent many hours watching him watch television. She explained to me he had never been much of a 7 in their 50-plus years of marriage. But he seemed quite 8 to share his ideas with me, 9 when it became clear his days were 10. He spoke of his deep regret for not having spent enough time with his wife, and of his great 11 in his son, who had joined the Navy in his father's footsteps.

    One afternoon, when I mentioned these 12 to his wife and son, they looked disbelievingly at each other. They thanked me for being so kind but 13 my patient was unlikely to express such feelings. To make sure his family could hear his 14, I took my video camera with me the next morning and with the patients' 15, recorded an open letter from him to his family. When I gave them the 16 letter, both his wife and son were moved to tears.

    The experience 17 my letter project, which can help people complete their life review tasks: remembering to those we may have hurt; 18 those who have hurt us and saying "I love you". It may take much courage to write a life review letter. For some people, it 19 deep and troubling emotions. 20 it may be the most important letter you will ever write.