I was on my way home from work, cutting through the park. On that day, the sun seemed to 1 faster than usual, and all of a sudden I found myself walking 2 I was less than half a mile from my apartment,3the path would lead me over a bridge, across train tracks, and 4 an unlit underpass (地下通道).

Then 5 I heard him — a stranger running alongside me. My mouth went 6. My legs felt like water. But I didn't7my pace. Instead, I stopped, turned, and8 him. He came out of the bushes and said he'd been watching me for a long time.9he walked beside me, I moved a little closer to the edge of the10When we reached the bridge, a train raced past, and he seized the moment,11 himself suddenly at me as his hands12my throat. The self-defense skills I had learned years before kicked in, and I dug my 13into his eye, hard. But he14grew bolder (大胆), pulling at my clothes. So I put all my 15into that thumb, and finally he16.

I was shaking with 17but I looked him straight in the eye and began to back away. I 18to run the hell out of there, but then I 19 another self-defense lesson: Never20 because then you're prey (猎物). So I walked away —alone — through the dark underpass as I dialed 911 with trembling fingers.

    You can never imagine how big and complex the inner world of a three-year-old child is, even as a mum. Yesterday afternoon I went to 1Nicole from her daycare center. On the way home, she looked 2in the beginning, telling me about the daytime activities, while later when the 3 and quiet came back to her, she looked tired.

    After we 4 the bus, there was still another 15 minutes of climbing up along a hill to our 5. She asked me where her daddy was. I told her that daddy was still working. She 6 the fact, and sighed with "Okay…", somewhat 7.

    On the way back, she was not as cooperative (合作的) as usual. Sometimes she 8 to walk, but to stand in the middle of the road. Sometimes she stepped 9 to the grassland and tried to kick off the snow 10 the bare grasses could be seen. And she kept 11 all the way. Finally we arrived. All of a sudden she 12 tears and lost her temper outside the door. "Why are you crying so sadly? Tired?" The last sentence caused an even louder 13, "Mummy can't carry me! Mummy 14! Daddy carry me! Daddy…!"

    My tears came out when I heard the words. Such a sweet and 15 girl she is. One month ago I had a bad movement when carrying her up and twisted (扭伤) my waist. I remember that I couldn't move at all when the 16happened and this certainly scared her. After that I 17 long-term lower back pain till now and couldn't carry her. It is 18 that she knows everything.

    No 19 she asked me where her daddy was. That was why she kept silent all the way long but 20 lost control when arriving at home. Dear parents, do you still think that our children know nothing or few about our world?

    There are thousands of people across the United States without any food or shelter(住所). Every Saturday or Sunday night, my family and I go out and 1the homeless people in the city.

    There is one2thing I like to mention here. Before we begin our3, my family and I do not eat. We do this4we know how it feels to be hungry. We all get together in the kitchen and5the food. We then bag the food for 30 or 6 people. I like to write a special7on the bags like “God loves you”. A lot of people8homeless people. Not all homeless people are bad people. Some are really9. Many people hate them10no good reason. In the beginning, when my family and I went out on the street, we had to11their trust. Later, as they12us every week, they started to trust us. We13know some of their names. We all have to keep in mind that they also have14. Some of them shake our hands for giving them food, and15 us. Some of them do really funny dances because they are16.

    We have become17close to a man named Tony and his wife. After meeting with them several times, he has told us a lot about his18. He graduated from college and has a PHD. He used to teach French and Spanish.

    After we get done feeding the homeless, it makes me19what I have at home. Sometimes it makes me sad, and makes my mom cry. I love feeding the homeless, and 20in someone's life.

    Charlotte Whitehead was born in England in 1843, and moved to Montreal, Canada at the age five with her family. While 1 her ill elder sister throughout the years, Charlotte discovered she had a(an) 2 in medicine. At 18 she married and 3a family. Several years later, Charlotte said she wanted to be a4. Her husband supported her decision.

    5, Canadian medical schools did not 6 women students at the time. Therefore, Charlotte went to the United States to study 7 at the Women's Medical College in Philadelphia. It took her five years to 8 her medical degree.

    Upon graduation, Charlotte 9to Montreal and set up a private 10. Three years later, she moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, and there she was once again a 11 doctor. Many of her patients were from the nearby timber and railway camps. Charlotte 12 herself operating on damaged limbs and setting 13 bones, in addition to delivering all the babies in the area.

    But Charlotte had been practicing without a license. She had 14 a doctor's license in both Montreal and Winnipeg, but was 15.The Manitoba College of Physicians and Surgeons, an all-male board, wanted her to 16her studies at a Canadian medical college! Charlotte refused to 17 her patients to spend time studying what she already knew. So in 1887, she appealed to the Manitoba Legislature to 18 a license to her but they, too, rejected. Charlotte 19 to practice without a license until 1912. She died four years later at the age of 73.

    In 1993, 77 years after her 20 , a medical license was issued to Charlotte. This decision was made by the Manitoba Legislature to honor "this courageous and pioneering woman."

    Danielle was living in a new city with no local bank of her own. She desperately needed to 1 a bank to cash her paycheck. For more than two weeks, she made 2 one after another but in vain. How could she continue to 3 herself and her two children as a single mother?

    Taking a break from her 4, Danielle decided to attend a meeting at the local women's resource center. The women there had been a strong source of encouragement since she fled her home 5 for her safety. Sitting next to Danielle, Amy began to share the details of her 6 situation. She was just days away from 7 her home and her car. Her phone and electric services were both scheduled to be 8. Her husband had gambled away their money. She had nothing left. Nothing!

    As Amy described the degree of the situation, Danielle 9 God's soft whisper in her heart: “After the meeting, give Amy twenty dollars.” Danielle immediately thought, “But I can't lonely have forty dollars.” She heard the 10 again. Danielle knew she needed to follow. When the meeting 11, she reached in to her purse and 12 handed twenty dollars to Amy. Knowing Danielle's situation, Amy was 13 to accept it at first. But as a crowd of women 14 to give Amy hugs of support, Danielle told her that God wanted her to have it. Then Danielle left.

    Now with just twenty dollars left in her wallet, Danielle decided to 15 cashing her pay check at just one more bank before heading home. 16 she expected the rejection she had received at so many other banks, she was 17 filled with renewed confidence and optimism. Hopefully, she walked in to the bank next to the women's center. Moments later, the bank 18 her pay check with no questions asked. Wearing a big smile, Danielle returned home.

    As for Danielle, it has been three years since that day. Realizing true hope has no 19, she continues to be 20 for the life time supply that she received for just twenty dollars.

It is getting hot. It's time to put on 1 clothes and open up the windows.

Yesterday brought a(n) 2 visit to the kitchen during the brief time we were out. Two daring sparrows had 3 into a dangerous territory—our kitchen.

When you come across such sudden callers, you are 4 to sense it as an action of intruding (入侵) into your comfort zone, or you might 5 it as a lovely shining moment of life. We 6 —the second option, with no hesitation. After all, we've never stopped feeling urgent to strengthen the relationship with our sparrows more and more each day.

We can't stop 7 and celebrating their dance from our window. We fed them with the 8 on our tablecloth after every meal. And we have 9 them with every kind of bases and stands on our terrace (露台).

10 , they feel at ease in our backyard. And that has led them to 11 courage to slip into our house. Perhaps because they have the feeling that we don't consider them 12 , but friendly neighbors, who only leave some wastes from time to time.

The presence of our dear sparrow holds magical consistency with real life. And we've been having lovely sparrows coming over lately, whose presence 13 us out of our dull daily routines and shows us the hidden beauty and charm.

Like different human beings, these sparrows often take different forms. We've met sparrows like those, of all shapes and colors. And they're everywhere. Perhaps all of them are willing to call our 14 making us know they are there. They only ask from us not to be afraid of them or feel uneasy to their 15 .