Two excited kids begged their father for his permission to see a film. Having read some 1about the movie on the Internet, he firmly 2 their request with the reason that the movie presents immorality as being 3. “But dad, those scenes are only a few minutes of the 4film, in which good 5 evil eventually. In addition, there are other inspirational 6 like courage and determination making up for its 7!”

    But the father didn't 8, and the two teenagers were discouraged. They had just thrown themselves down on the couch when they heard the sounds of their father preparing something in the9. One of the teenagers said, “Dad must be feeling 10, and now he's trying to 11 us with some tasty food.” Soon their father appeared with a plate of warm cakes and said, “Before you eat, I want to tell you something: I love you both so much.”

    The teenagers smiled and 12 with each other knowing 13. Dad was softening. Looking at the mouth-watering cake, the two boys were getting impatient about the father's long speech. “But I want to be 14 with you. I added one ingredient(配料) that is not 15 found in cakes.”

    “To make it more delicious? Oh, come on, Dad! Please just tell us what it is.”

    “OK, if you 16. That 17 ingredient is dog waste.”

    Both teens 18 stopped chewing the cake, spit it out and dropped the 19 cake back on the plate.

    “DAD! Why did you do that?”

    “That is the same reason why I won't allow you to watch that movie. You won't 20 a little dog waste in your cake, so why should you put up with a little immorality in your movies?”

    People from every corner flooded into the streets that Christmas Eve. "Frosty the Snowman," and "Jingle Bells" 1 in stores; on the pavements, the street singers performed happily. Everyone was 2 by someone else, delighted and cheerful. I was alone.

    As one of 8 kids of a Brazilian family, brought up in America's crowded apartment, I'd spent several years searching for aloneness. Now,3, at 27, a college student after the 4 with my girlfriend, every cell inside me wanted to be alone,5  not at Christmas. My family had 6to Brazil and my friends were 7with their own lives. Dusk was approaching, and the fact that I had to return to my 8 home made me sad. Lights from windows blinked (闪烁), and I hoped someone would 9 from one of those homes to invite me inside with a Christmas tree decorated with shiny fake snow and 10 presents.

    At a market, I felt more 11 when people were buying lots of goods, which12 the gifts we received as children in my mind. I missed my family and wanted to cry for wanting to be alone and for having achieved it.

    Outside the church, a manger (小耶稣) had been set 13. I stood with others watching the scene, some of them 14 themselves, praying. As I walked home, I realized that leaving Brazil was still a painful experience as I struggled with 15 I had become in 15 years in America. I'd mourned (悲叹) the 16, but for the first time, I recognized what I'd gained. I was independent, 17 and healthy. My life was still ahead, full of 18.

    Sometimes the best gift is the one that you give yourself. That Christmas, I gave myself 19 for what I'd obtained up to now and promise to go forward. It is the best gift I've ever got, the one that I most 20.

    When I was three, Connie, my new sister, was born on December 17, 1993. Eleven months later, this smiling child was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). The doctors at John Hopkins gave her an 8% 1 of survival. With the help of our 2 parents, Connie was able to fight against the disease and 3 went into remission（缓解期）. Months later, Connie had a relapse（复发）. After a (n)4 second relapse in 1996, with a survival rate now at only 1%, the doctors5 a bone marrow transplant（骨髓移植）was the best route to take. After 6 our blood types, the doctors found an exact7.Me. I was honored to be able to help my sister.

    After the bone marrow transplant Connie spent her summers in the neighborhood pool. She could always be8running around the house in bathing suit. Staying in the remission for five years would mean Connie's cancer would be 9 But before Connie could10 year three, cancerous cells started to 11 her body once more; she relapsed.

    Connie 12 during this relapse. becoming progressively13 During the summer of 1999, she was not able to14 in the pool or ride her bike. She spent her summer days in hospital.

    When November 15 around, Connie hit rock bottom. The doctors said it was her 16. When I was nine years old, on November 19, 1999, my family and I said our goodbye to a child who did not live 17 the age of six.

    Connie is a 18to my family and me. She is a role model to people who knew her. Her bravery and courage was greater than19I know. Connie has taught me by example: it is hard to 20 a person who never gives up.

    My parents always made extra Christmas specials for my sisters and me. Of course the big 1 was that my sisters and I would run down the stairs to see our Christmas tree surrounded by mountains of 2. We got bikes, microscopes, cameras, and 3 else a kid might want. They were great, though I didn't 4 appreciate all that my parents did. It was quite common for me to be trapped in 5 the endless gifts. As a result, I'm unable to remember everything I 6.

    As my husband Joe and I were ready to welcome our first child 7 the world, we thought about how to give Christmas gifts in advance. Finally we 8 the decision to set the three-gift 9 for our holiday celebrations. I had ever 10 about the idea in a few magazine articles. And I really liked how it made the 11 decide the things they truly wanted. Mostly, I loved the idea of 12 our holiday. I would see my kids get the same 13 of gifts. I expected a Christmas day when we could actually 14 each other's company, as well as the gifts and the spirit that our children were given.

    15 those ideas that Joe and I came up with before they were born, such as never letting them eat junk food, or 16 TV time to only one hour a day, the three-gift rule is one thing that 17 the test of time. We've done it each year since Tom was born 18 years ago, 18 it's actually done in the way that we had hoped. Joe and I are less 19 because we just need to focus on giving each child the top three things that they desire. And we find the kids do 20and enjoy the gifts.

    Growing up in Kenya was amazing because I learned so much, though the poverty and lack of resources were sometimes frustrating. I knew I didn't have much, but I was 1.

    There was only one thing I wasn't happy with: 2. I wanted to go to high school and university. I had the drive, the will and the grades, 3 I didn't have the resources. Even 4 things like food, water and shelter weren't readily available. Young people in poverty have little or no 5 to high schools and universities. Where I lived, it was challenging 6 someone helped. When I left primary school, I was in the same 7 as many other poor disadvantaged youth. 8, during that year, a charitable high school for girls, Starehe Girls Centre, was 9 and I received a scholarship. Today, I am 10 record as being the first student to be enrolled in this school.

    In 2006, my school 11 The Global Give Back Circle, a not-for-profit organization for 12 disadvantaged girls to complete their education and gain 13 skills. After graduating from high school, I was given access to a nine-month IT course. 14, its give-back attitude had taught us to not only care about ourselves but other people. With this in mind, 10 of us created a website called "Hey Sister, Get Clued-Up". Through this educational website, aimed at networking 10,000 African 15 worldwide, all Sisters commit to sending information to their villages. This can be to 16 financial freedom, advance information17 to health issues and provide knowledge about social networking behavior.

    "Hey Sister  Get Clued-Up" is only 18 to those girls who can access the Internet, which highlights the huge challenge in 19 the divide between the haves and have-nots. But our plan is that these girls will 20 what they learn to other girls through "the power of their voice".

    Recently I understood the true meaning of love. The1was Kane, my neighbor Joline's two-year-old son.

    Kane was born with a physical problem on his2. And I witnessed the3that Kane's physical shortcomings had on his family. I also witnessed much more than that. I saw a4family that embraced (拥抱) this special child. A family that wouldn't allow Kane to know he was5. Joline had constructed a small cart just a few inches off the floor for his son to6. Kane used his hands to move about, and the cart7him to "go to" any place just as everyone else was able to do. Kane was not just a member of the family, but the8of the family.

    With a wide smile, it was easy to see that even at the age of two, Kane liked to9with people very much. With wisdom of an individual, this boy even10the most complex of human emotions. Later I came to11that this child was sent to help some of us who weren't just getting what love was all about.

    Kane demanded attention,12not because of his mobility (移动能力) challenges or other apparent shortcomings. In his mind, he had no13or shortcomings. The14was that he received attention because he was alive and real and had so much to offer.

    Kane15me in a deep way. His ability to refuse to be different has16me. Kane was and is17lots of warm and powerful energy to me. From him and his family I learnt the18: love surpasses (超越) all things. I can only imagine that as the parent of a child like Kane one might be filled with19. But I believe that having a child like Kane is actually a(n)20. The parents of such special babies are angels too, just as the babies are.