About one year ago, a couple with three children moved into the apartment next door to me. I never heard any noise from the children. but I often heard the parents 1 shouting at the kids, not in a nice tone, but in a(n) 2 one.

We often 3 in the hallway. I always greeted them, 4 the only answer I ever got was a "hello" from the eight-year-old girl. I usually 5 to see my doctor and one day when I returned they were just 6 their apartment and the little girl was 7 the outside door open for the others. I 8 in the car doing 9 things because I wasn't eager to be snubbed (冷落) again. Finally, I got out of my car and walked towards the door. The parents were telling her to 10 to get into the car, but the little girl was still holding the door, 11 me! I hurried although I was still in pain from my injury.

    I forgot to tell her how 12 I was for her kindness. I wrote a note saying how much her act of kindness had 13an old man's heart.

    The next day there was a(n) 14 on my door and it was the little girl and her father. She was quite 15 of her behavior and thanked me. Then I noticed her mother standing there, too. Her parents 16 me. Too.

    Now when we met in the hallway we always greeted each other, in a friendly17.

    Last night there was a heavy snow. I looked out at my car and 18 how I was going to keep my doctor's 19 because I could only walk for a short time. This morning when I opened the front door, all the snow was removed.

    Isn't it 20 that the small kind act of an 8-year-old girl can change so many things for the better? It is said that good things come from small acts.

    George Springer helped his team Houston Astros win the World Series in 2017. He was awarded the Most Valuable Player, 1 his struggle is mostly hidden. His 2 is not trying to hit a fastball, but in 3 it. He stutters（口吃）.

    Growing up in Connecticut, Springer was the kid who would 4 raise his hand in school, the kid 5 every time he opened his mouth.

    “I was the guy who didn't talk,” he said “I would 6 speaking at all costs.

    He was often 7. Sometimes he was bullied（欺侮）. The phone was suffering to him. 8 were worse. If he wanted a dish that he knew would be tough to say, he would 9. If he was with his family, his sister Nicole would 10 for him.

    He remembers a couple of attempts at speech therapy（语言治疗）, but he said he was 11 with encouraging parents, an ability to 12 himself in sports, and a small group of friends who 13.

    “If therapy works for you, 14. But for me, I also developed my own 15to handle it,” he said. “Besides, when I was around all my friends, it didn't really seem to 16 them. If I did it, they would 17 until I was done, then finish the conversation.”

    To help other kids18the same issue, Springer frequently appeared in interviews and even agreed to wear a microphone 19 during the 2017 All-Star Game. He then added “I can't let anything in life I can't 20 slow me down or stop me from being who I want to be.” These 22 words proved it.

    As a child, I started learning to play the piano, my favorite musical 1,but I was forced to give up when I started my middle school 2 I could concentrate more on my studies.

    It's one of my biggest 3to stop practicing the piano when I recall sadly today. During the following years, I kept telling my piano teacher that I would4. However, I didn't keep my promise because I was 5 with my study. 6 I lost touch with my teacher. Some years later, my teacher died. I was very sad because I lost such a good teacher. She was a very warm and gentle person. It hurts me to think she may have been 7 that I never returned. I haven't taken lessons since then but to be honest, I 8 to. Sitting at the piano, I couldn't help recalling many 9-- times of my practising at home and playing before my teacher and one time my teacher 10 me after I played entire pieces of music wrong in front of her colleagues. I was so11 that I could hardly say anything. But her12 helped me ease my shame. These memories, 13, good or bad, never caused my 14 for playing the piano again.

    This thought then led me to think that15is like music, and that we all try to play different 16in the instrument of our life. Sometimes the pitch(音高) is 17when we play it well, but sometimes we are out of tone. However, we all continue to create our own 18style of music. No matter what style our music is, it is 19 that we sing the songs of joy, quietness and love. Though I may never make it back to piano lessons, it doesn't20 that I've stopped making music.

    Many years ago, I was working in an office in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We had large 1 that look out over a busy street. I was standing by one of those windows one day when a woman in a 2 car looked up and made eye contact. Naturally I 3. As she turned and tried to identify me, a quiet laugh4my lips. My co-workers began taking an interest, and stood back watching the 5 I received, and laughing happily. Then the stress of work was 6 away.

    Christmas approached, and job 7 were announced. Several of my co-workers were losing their jobs, and everyone was 8. While I was working a night shift, a red jacket , a box of foam packing and strips of tape in the corner caught my 9. They could be Santa's jacket and beard! Then I folded a red file into a hat and tied the 10 to it. With the red jacket , a Santa's Costume appeared.

    The next day I walked 11down into the office in the costume. My co-workers 12around me and laughed for the first time in weeks. Suddenly, my boss came to me, 13, shook his head and then left. I feared14. Then the phone rang.

    With a bead of sweat 15 my forehead, I entered the boss' office . 16, he laughed: "Thanks, Mike! It's been hard to enjoy the Christmas season. Thanks for the laugh. I 17it."

    That evening, I stood 18 by the window and waved at my fans, with my heart 19 with joy. For a few minutes of that day, we'd been able to forget our 20.

    "A bird with a broken wing will never fly as high." I'm sure that John would agree with this saying, 1 he felt this way almost every day in school.

    By high school, John was the most famous 2 in his town. He was always absent, didn't answer questions and got into 3. He had failed almost every exam by the time he entered his senior year, yet was 4 each year to a higher grade level. Teachers didn't want to 5 him again the following year. John was moving on, but definitely not moving 6.

    I met John for the first time at a weekend leadership training program since John was one of 405 students who 7. At the start of the training, John was just standing 8 the circle of students, against the back wall. He didn't 9 join the discussion groups. But slowly, the interactive games 10 him in.

    The ice really melted when the groups started building a list of 11 and negative things that had occurred at school that year. John 12 some constructive ideas on those situations. The other students in John's group 13 his comments. All of a sudden John felt like a 14 of the group, and before long he was 15 like a leader. By the end of the training, he had joined the Homeless Project team. The other students on the team were 16 with his passionate concern and ideas. They 17 elected John co-chairman of the team.

    John started 18 at school every day and answered questions from teachers for the first time. He led a second project,19 300 blankets and 1,000 pairs of shoes for the homeless shelter from house to house.

    A bird with a broken wing only needs 20. Once healed, it can fly higher than the rest.

    Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a famous concert. After they were seated, the mother1a friend and walked over to greet her. Seizing the2to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy got up and explored his way3a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE (禁止进入)". When the lights became less bright and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her4and discovered that the child was missing.

    Suddenly, the curtains5and the lights focused on the stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard,6Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

    At that moment, the great piano master, Paderewski,7on the stage, quickly went to the piano and8in the boy's ear, "Don't9. Keep playing."

    Then, leaning (倾斜) over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began10in a bass (低音的) part. Soon his right arm reached11to the other side of the child and he added a beautiful piece of music.12, the old master and the boy13a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative14.

    That's the way it is in life.15we can complete on our own is16noteworthy (值得注目的). We try our best, but the17aren't exactly graceful or flowing music.18when we put our trust in the hands of greater power, our life can be truly beautiful.

    The next time you set19to create great performances, listen carefully. You can hear the20of the master whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing."