It was 1952 and my father was away at war, leaving my mother and me behind to face hardship alone. I was ten. My mother was a 1 and worked at the local clinic a few blocks from where we lived.

    The bell rang and 2of Christmas were the only thing on my mind. I raced home. The apartment was empty and a note was  3to the refrigerator. My mother was working a double shift and  4 me instructions for the day. We had planned on making Christmas biscuits 5 , but my mother6 it.

    I carefully 7through mother's closet, finding most of the  8   for Christmas wrapped in linen cloth, all but one toy, a model airplane. I was still 9 at my mother and I threw the airplane onto the floor, breaking one of its wings. I stood10 . How was I going to explain this? Then I heard my mother coming through the door. I 11  to my room.

    After telling my mother the horrible12, I did not hear my mother 13  me. She just told me to follow her. Climbing the steps without catching our  14, we entered the clinic. There in a bed was a boy who looked very sick.

    “He is going to die, Danny,” my mother told me, “15  today, maybe tomorrow. He loves planes. I knew his mother could not 16   to buy him one. So I did. I count my blessings every night and think of this boy and how 17 I am that you are not in that bed.”

    The  18 cut hard and sharp in my heart. The tears 19 down my face and I was so guilty. I ran home as fast as I could and into my room where I 20  myself to sleep.

阅读下面短文, 从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中, 选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项, 并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

    Every December the radio station in my city makes a program in which all the poor children can send letters asking for some Christmas presents. One day, as I was 1 the radio, I decided to do something, so I asked four of my friends if they wanted to help a poor child. They2.

    After several days, we learned about a 3from a little child called Juan. In his letter, he 4 some blankets and some clothes and also wanted somebody to help his father5 the house because it was in bad 6.

    We told the radio station that we wanted to 7 Juan. After that, we started to think about how to 8 all the money to buy all that Juan 9. After 5 days, we collected much money and bought many things for Juan. We 10 bought some toys as a little 11for Juan.

    12, on December 22 the radio station gave a party in which all the children who asked for help were 13, and all those helping these children.

    In the party we 14 Juan. We played some games with him and gave him the 15we prepared for him. He was very excited and happy, so were my 16 and I.

    That day was one of the most 17 days in my life, and I learned something 18 from it. Giving help to those in need is one of the most meaningful things that you can do19 this makes you feel good and also makes the persons who you are helping 20. I am going to keep doing that all my life!

    When I was fourteen I found Rocky.That spring day,I was catching fish with my grandfather when I1the faint（微弱的）crying and found the trembling wolf cub（幼兽）.As I bent down,he moved2toward me.Little Rocky gained3after I fed a few drops of warm milk to him.Soon he was4and warm.My grandfather finally agreed to let me 5him.

    That summer Rocky and I became6partners.We hunted the grasshoppers.And in the fall,we went to the nearest meadows（草地）7field mice.The winter months were the happiest I could8.Often we would make a fire in the bushes.Rocky would9his head between his front paws,with his eye on me10I told him stories.

    All the pleasure made me forget my Grandpa's repeated11,and one night I left Rocky unchained.The following morning I was told Rocky had12a rooster.My grandpa decided to return Rocky to nature,but it was 13 for me to lose him.

    For the next two years I was very busy,but I would14wonder if Rocky remembered me.Easter came early that year and during the holidays I went to15my cousins.On my way home,it began to snow heavily.I had to16for the night in the forest and hoped that by morning the storm would have17.The next day I realized the storm was even18.Unfortunately I found two wolves waiting to attack me.Then I heard a19to my side and turned my head. It was Rocky,and he had driven off the others.I cried and hugged him20.

    On a sunny day, Linda and Jack were to try the new boat on the river.Linda jumped out of bed excitedly, got dressed quickly and woke up her brother Jack.

    After1Linda and Jack arrived at the riverbank and2the new blue boat waiting for them.They got into the boat and packed their picnic under the3.Linda started the engine and4they went into the wide, brown and unknown5of the river.

    Suddenly, they found the boat sounded6round a bend in the river.On the distant sandbank they saw a long dark creature7in the sun. It opened one eye at them and then suddenly disappeared into the8.

    “What was that?” shouted Jack.

    “It looked like a crocodile to me!” said Linda.“We'd better be9.”Just as they came round the next10, the engine11and came to a stop.Linda12to start the engine again. But it wouldn't start. They were13.

    “Let's get the wooden oars,” said Jack. “Maybe we can 14 the boat free.

    They tried but failed.

    “We're stuck on a sandbank,” said Linda. “We'll just have to sit here having our15and wait for the water to16.”

    “It's boring!” said Jack.

    Suddenly, they felt the boat move .It moved slowly off the sandbank. And the engine started again. Just at the same time they noticed a black17by the boatside and in no time it disappeared in the brown water ahead.

    They18heir journey down the river. It was so exciting .

    At noon they saw a small river19the main river. It wasn't on the map . “Let's20there!” said Linda.

    The boat turned and went into the smaller channel .On both sides grew thick unknown trees.

    During my P.E. class I met with a girl, who was in a grade lower than me. She was always 1 on the playground and I wondered why she had 2 to talk to. I was sort of quiet girl myself, too, but I still had a few 3 Over the whole year I would say "Hi" to her 4 sometimes she came to me and we 5 whatever sports we liked most.

    Whenever she came over I made it my 6 to make her laugh. I paid most of my 7 to her and not to my other friends because I saw them playing together 8 over there. Then, the 9 day of school year came around, I walked with her on the playground by ourselves. I asked her why she was so quiet. She told me her father left her 10 and her. Her mother was always crying at home. 11 this, I said nothing for a while. Then what I could do was 12 her to forget unhappiness and believe tomorrow is 13. That day I told her I was leaving for high school. Hearing this, she asked me not to 14 her. She told me that she had no other friends and I was her only one. Then, she told me that she would 15 me if l was in the high school. I 16 that I would go back to see her twice a week. Hearing my promise, her face 17 with smiles.

    People lose friends all the time but wise people know how to 18 the friendship. So don't ruin the 19 as time passes by. Remember that you are 20 to have a good friend.

James Charles is the manager of Kiplin Automotive Group. For about two months, he has been 1 people to use the company's parking lot as a safe place to sleep at night.

Charles was first 2 to pursue (从事)his labor of love after he found there was a woman 3 in a car. Knowing the woman was 4, Charles tried to get her into a shelter. However, he was 5 to find that every shelter in the city was full. 6 he paid for her to stay in a hotel for a few nights, he knew there were other people experiencing the same situation. "That was really the 7 I got at that time and I realized I needed to do something for those people without delay (耽搁)," he said.

Then Charles 8 made a post online asking community members to 9 the word about his plan, so that people in need could know his good 10. "For those going through 11 times, we would like to 12 a safe place for you. We can't put everyone in a hotel, but13 we can get you a parking lot, a safe place for the night," wrote Charles.

Since more and more people have 14 his social media post, more and more people joined Charles in reaching a hand. "Any 15, no matter how small, will go towards helping the homeless," Charles said, "One hand washes the other; two hands wash the face."