Who is a great person? To answer this question, we often think of someone 1, such as the South Africa hero Nelson Mandela or the NBA basketball star Kobe Bryant. But often a great person is2next to us—but we never see the greatness unless a difficult 3 comes up.

    In May, 2008, a high school girl in Beichuan, Sichuan, 4 a hero just next to her. When the earthquake hit, her school 5on top of the students. Just next to her was her classmate Li Anqiang. Li worked to move rocks to make 6for her. Before rescuers reached them,7, aftershocks brought down 8rubble(碎石) around them. Li's earlier efforts kept his classmate9 from danger, but the new rubble that fell on his legs crushed (压碎) them beyond 10.

    Today, Li is in a wheelchair; he is missing both of his legs, but he is not missing the good 11 that made him a hero during the earthquake. He still12 the sports he played before the earthquake, table tennis and basketball—and still13his hero, Kobe Bryant.

    Kobe Bryant, however, considers Li a hero. In reply to Li's 14  letter, Kobe praised Li as “a strong boy whose attitude toward15was amazing”. He encouraged Li in his love of basketball, telling Li that he looked cool in a photo of his 16a basketball from his wheelchair.

    So 17that we have great people next to us every day—in school, at work, on the bus. There may not be a 18 to show us who they are, but we can be sure they are19 . Who knows?  20 you are one yourself.

    I'd never been crazy about Christmas. My husband John and the kids had always done their best to infuse(使充满) me with the holiday 1 , but this Christmas their efforts would be especially 2 .

    My salary had reduced and John's government salary was 3, too. There wasn't much money to go around, and 4 were just impossible. John was 5 a brave face as usual. But for me our financial hardship brought back 6  memories of my childhood.

    “I got a Make and Bake set for Christmas!” one girl shouted. “I got clothes!” another girl said. “What did you get, Lori?” someone asked. “So many presents.” I lied. My parents gave me plenty of love, but love was the 7   thing I had. Mom and Dad always had trouble making ends meet. I'd long since 8  Christmas just wasn't for me.

    John was 9 the tree for just the right branch to 10 the red glass bulb with the “Merry Christmas” writing. It was a precious 11 of his childhood, and he took great pleasure in hanging it on our tree every year. A few days earlier, the tree 12 and several ornaments( 装 饰 物 ) broke, but this one was unique because of the memories it held for him. It was fine if I didn't have any Christmas spirit, but it was a different 13 for John. He took a step back to admire the replacement I'd finally found after endless searching on foot and surfing the Internet.

    I worked hard to make things right for John because I loved to see my Christmas-loving husband full of holiday joy. I 14 one of the tree lights so it shone directly on John's beloved ornament. The words on it sparkled(闪烁). After all this time, I finally understood its 15 . Christmas was the season to show my love for my family. How could anyone not like Christmas?

    Every evening, I take a walk around the neighborhood. It has become a (an) 1. Even if I have already walked with someone or done another type of 2. I get out for this last mile or more. This is my time to 3 the day.

    Walking at 4 through my neighborhood brings the sounds of the 5 singing in the pond nearby and the sounds of the city train in the distance, occasionally interrupted by faraway 6 coming to and from the hospital. The sounds of these aircrafts remind me that whoever is being7 is probably having a much 8 day than me.

    Sometimes these walks are my way to recall events on the recent days. Or they are a way to 9 a problem or to be creative without interruptions of day-to-day life at home. 10 on other days, I try to be in the moment and just listen and look around in wonder, or be in gratitude for all the 11 things in life. Tonight when I walked, I just listened. When the moon is out and full or it's a dark evening with the stars shining, I love trying to 12 into the universe and 13 what is really out there.

    Everyone has a story. I spend some time with Mike. He has already walked 1,200 miles this year. 14 being diagnosed (诊断) with diabetes (糖尿病) four years ago, he started walking 5 or 6 15 every day. He has 16 64 pounds and his life has 17 a lot. On this 18, I also got to know Phillips. She walks every day. She is considering hiking the Camino de Santiago after watching the movie “The Way”.

    Just as last month has come and gone, this 19 will come and go. This is a 20 to go out today, take a walk and think of how you're going to pursue your dreams.

    Winters are always long and cold in North China. The winter of 2008 was especially tough in one southwestern city,1it became extremely cold and it was also a difficult time for me. What was worse, a(n)2injury happened to me and it might keep me in bed for several months, "Just in time for the Spring Festival, " my mother said to me, sighing. But how could I feel the3when the snow was so heavy and I had months of physical 4ahead?

    One day I was doing my housework5there was a tap against the window from a branch of the troublesome fruit tree. On hearing this, with my eyes closed, slowly, I began to recall the fall of 1995 when somebody placed a pipe from my pump next to the6.The earth was so wet that it 7immediately with most its bare roots upward. Seeing this, my mother8to pull it out, but I refused. "How hard it's trying!" I said9the direction of its strong holding of the earth. "It is10 of a chance to survive." With tools, we 11dry soil around the tree and put up some supports into the ground, making it12 upright.

    Several months had passed before I could be 13of it. Surprisingly, when spring returned, my "rescue14"had grown some leaves and many15. In 2009 that little rescue stick had grown into a towering tree. What an unbelievable miracle of life!

    The day before the Spring Festival, the 16 at the window was continuing, the more fierce wind, the 17sound, as if to remind me to look up and appreciate its powerful life.

    That night I slept peacefully having a(n)18.In the dream some flowers were coming out19. The next morning I stood against the window.20the window was the tree bursting with life. Anyway, I had a wonderful Spring Festival that year.

    Some teachers seem to be bad teachers, but they are not. Take my football coach for example. One day, we were doing some 1 practicing catching the football. He threw me a pass and I dropped it. He started 2 me. I went back in line, 3. My friend was up next. He dropped it, too. But the coach said nothing. Annoyed, I whispered, "Why 4 against me?"

    After practice he came 5 to me and told me the reason he shouted at me 6 the other guy was that he expected more out of me. If he 7 my mistakes, it meant he had quit on me.

    Another teacher 8 my mind was my PhD supervisor, Ken Crowe. He had a(n) 9 for making grown men cry when they disappointed him, but I was 10 by the topic he was working on.

    He gave me a(n)11: to figure out what caused muons to get depolarized (去极化) in liquids. After a week I came to Ken's office to tell him about it. He listened for a few minutes and then 12: "You have no idea what you're talking about! Get out and don't come back until you do!" Now I was starting to get 13, complaining about him as cold-hearted.

    Bent on changing his attitude and 14 more relevant knowledge, I really got into it. 15, I understood it so well that to this day it is my most proud 16. Then I went back to tell Ken what I had figured out. Again he interrupted me a few minutes into my 17, but I carried on. When I finished, he praised me for doing some very original research. From that day forward, he supported and promoted me 18 we became great friends and respected colleagues.

    So don't ever complain about your "19" teachers. They may 20 you to make greater achievement you will be proud of decades later.

    Kevin Booth had originally planned to take some free food left outside the Sumner Food Bank for people to take when the bank is closed at night. Instead, he1a brown paper bag outside the front door.

    2that it held food, Booth opened the bag only to see that it contained stacks (摞) of $20 bills. The bag was filled with $17,0003. Needless to say, that money would have made a great difference to Booth, and there was no one around to4that he had taken it.

    But Booth says he knew the money would5more people at the food bank, so he waited until volunteer Anita Miller arrived to6the bank.

    "There are a lot of people who would have 7it," Booth said. "I'm just not that person."

    Miller was8to hear about that, and she9called the police. Though the police reviewed the security footage (监控录像), they were not able to10who dropped off the package. After11the necessary 90 days for someone to claim the cash, they turned it over to the12and honored Booth for his behavior.

    Miller says that she has13the cash with Booth by giving him part of the donation in the form of gift cards.14 he lives in a tent, he has turned down her offers of shelter, although he does 15 her gifts of winter clothes.16, a town citizen has started a GoFundMe campaign to help17money for Booth to buy a car that he dreams of using as shelter.

    The food bank serves18meals to roughly 1,000 people every month, including Booth — and19 the multi-thousand dollar package, they will finally be able to20a new large freezer.