Zigfried, a little mouse, blew his breath on the frosty window of the farmhouse and rubbed it to see the outside. Still nobody came. Maybe today, he thought 1. It was only a few days before Christmas and he was watching for a miracle (奇迹).

    This farmhouse had been 2 too long. It needed a family. Zigfried's 3 made a noise. He realized that he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. He jumped from the windowsill (窗沿), grabbed a 4 from his home, and went next door to Farmer Mike's.

    Farmer Mike's house had been a great place for the little mouse 5 the farmer married a wife who had a cat. Zigfried 6 when he thought of it. He looked around cautiously as he 7 into the room where grain was stored and was quite 8 as he filled his bag with wheat. He was turning to leave when suddenly he 9 a hot breath about his ear. His heart beat  10 , and without thinking he started to run and luckily 11 the cat's paws (爪子).

    The next afternoon Zigfried heard some good news: a 12 family would be moving into the farmhouse soon. Zigfried's granny would arrive on Christmas Eve to 13 with him. He hoped that the family would come before his granny came. Before long, a car came 14 the road leading to the house, with butter sandwiches, cheese and chocolate.

    Zigfried's Christmas miracle did arrive!

    The house came 15 the next few days. Zigfried 16 every single hour of them. 17, the day before Christmas when he was drinking hot chocolate with a 18 smile at the door of his home, he heard the 19of the children of the family about what they might get for Christmas. What? A cat? The 20 froze on his face； his mouth fell wide open. After a long while, he at last found his voice: “Hey! Whose Christmas miracle is this?”

    My most rewarding experience throughout the past two years was volunteering at the swimming competition for Special Olympics where a disabled friend of my community took part. This had special 1 for me because experiencing it helped improve my leadership skills, develop my character, and support my community.

    Firstly, my 2 skills developed when I independently directed each swimmer where to 3 at the platform and 4 each competitor when they needed to swim. I had to make sure that the swimmers were 5 and ready to perform. This kept me on my feet at all times and 6 of each event's time and location. I learned each swimmer's name, 7 many of them swam in more than one event.

    Secondly, my 8 was greatly influenced. When I saw the swimmers get their awards for winning each swimming event, I was deeply moved. I was 9 that most swimmers could swim better than I. Their 10 attitudes astonished me, whether they won or lost. This also enlarged my view, offering me the opportunity to 11 people I would normally not run into. I went out of my 12 zone and did whatever was needed to be done, even if it was sometimes difficult to me. It was especially 13 when I saw the glowing faces of the competitors.

    Lastly, I was of 14 to my community by lending a hand to this organization. To be a part of it gave me a chance to improve my community and become 15 with the people living in this area.

    As Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we do, but we make a(n)16 by what we give.” The importance of 17 should be stressed throughout your life. 18, through the many opportunities my community has offered I was privileged to be 19 in this exciting and important event in these competitors' lives. I hope to be a(n) 20 again at this event in years to come.

    I guess I was spoiled at first. I was an only child, 1 by all relatives. Up until I was eight years old, life was 2. Then along came Grant and everything 3.

    Grant is my little brother. He was born a month earlier, so he needed a lot of extra 4. My parents still 5 me, but I was no longer the center of the universe. I was angry about the change. And at first, I was also 6 with Grant.

    Fortunately, Grants didn't cause any real 7 in his growth. Gradually, he developed the habit of 8 himself to me. My parents want me to be 9 to him, but I found him totally annoying. By the time I became a teenager, he was, at five, my shadow, 10 me around, copying my every move, and asking endless questions.

    Still, in spite of my unhappiness towards him, I began to 11 the time we spent together.

    As time went on, we developed connections and partnership, becoming more 12. Grant stopped asking to go along on dates with me, and I set aside time to go fishing with him. He cheered me on at my soccer games, and I 13 to coach his T-ball team. He became less 14 and more of a buddy. I became more patient, more able to 15 and more likely to accept the unconditional love he 16.

    Today I am happy to say that Grant and I are a 17. We have already 18 how he will come visit me when I am in college. It will be hard to be 19, but I know that we will always be close, if not in age or distance, we will be close in the long journey shared by 20.

    There was a businessman who was deep in debt and could see no way out. He sat on the park bench, head in hands,1if anything could save his company from bankruptcy (破产).

    Suddenly an old man appeared before him. "I can see that something is2you," he said. After listening to the businessman's troubles, the old man said, "I believe I can help you." He asked the man his name, wrote out a3, and pushed it into his hand saying, "Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time." Then he turned and disappeared as4as he had come.

    The businessman saw in his hand a check for $500,000,5by John D. Rockefeller, then one of the richest men in the world! "I can6my money worries in an instant!" he realized. But7, he decided to put the uncashed check in his safe. Just knowing it was there might give him the8to work out a way to save his business, he thought.

    With renewed9, he negotiated better deals. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again.

    Exactly one year later, he returned to the10with the uncashed check. At the11time, the old man appeared. But just as the businessman was about to12the check and share his success story, a 13came running up and grabbed the old man. "I'm so delighted I14him!" she cried. "I hope he hasn't been bothering you. He's15escaping from the rest home and telling people he's John D. Rockefeller." And she led the old man away16the arm.

    The businessman just stood there,17. All year long he'd been buying and selling,18he had half a million dollars behind him.

Suddenly, he realized that it wasn't the money, real or19, that had turned his life around. It was his20self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he went after.

    Hailey is an ordinary nine-year-old girl, but her kindness is rather uncommon and awe-inspiring(令人惊叹的). The little girl has made it her task to help the 1 in her community by giving them a place to 2. While most other kids of her age are 3playing with toys, Hailey picks up 4 to build tiny shelters for people living on the streets.

    Hailey's kind spirits 5 four years ago, when she and her mother bought a homeless man a sandwich. She 6 that she wanted to do more in terms of providing 7 for the homeless. So she came up with the idea of starting a 8 to grow and donate fresh vegetables.

    "I was 9 that it would last a week," Hailey's mother told non-profit Together Rising. But it's been four years and she 10delivers food to the homeless constantly. " With her mother's help, Hailey 11 a grant(拨款) from Together Rising 12 she was awarded $ 3,000 to help her get started. "We can't think of a better 13 than our Hailey. She's proof that no person or act of kindness is too 14 to change the world," said Glennon Doyle Melton, founder of Together Rising.

    The wooden homes that Hailey is building will 15 a front door, windows and solar panels.

    16 , she does most of the work herself, under the guidance of her grandfather, who is a(n) 17. She is currently halfway through her first home, which she 18 to give to Edward, the homeless man who inspired her 19. Once she's done, Halley said she wants to 20building more sleeping shelters in Bremerton's Tent City.

    I was about to get on a plane after a trip. Honestly speaking, the trip was very 1 and exhausting. To make things worse, I had a middle seat in Zone 5, where they 2 the baggage because there wasn't much room in the overhead bins (行李架).

    I had to ask the flight attendant if I could 3 my seat. Trying to be 4, she asked if I was willing to sit in an exit row. "Yes, sure!" I 5 responded, full of hope. But a moment later, she told me that row might not be 6. I could only accept the reality.

    Suddenly I heard her offer two seats in the exit row 7 a young couple next to me. I was filled with 8 that I was ready to get up and 9 with her. I wondered how she could 10 me and then go to help others. I was about to shout at her, 11 my good sense won. For that belief moment, I tried to comfort myself. "If you are impatient, you'll make a 12 of yourself." Then though I was still annoyed, I managed to 13.

    With about 5 minutes to board, when I was worried about how to keep my 14, the attendant handed a new ticket to me. "Is this for the 15 seat?" I asked. "No, it isn't," she responded. "Once in a while I'm able to do this and I'm glad it has 16 this time." glanced down—business class, Seat 2F—no charge! I was very 17 for that and I felt relived that I had 18 my anger. I do know even if I shouted at the attendant, she would 19 try hard to help me, because she seemed very responsible. Now I realize that it is always important to show 20 and understanding for others in life.