All of us can give others a hand as long as we are willing to do so. Actually, there are some people doing kind things all the time. Spreading kindness, one good deed at a time, is Karla Gibson's mission. “I wish everyone could join me. There are so many  1  things going on in the world; I mean every day,” said Karla.

       Karla had the  2  and sense of duty in December of 2013. The single mother of three said she tended to get down around the holidays, so she  3  to do something to cheer others up. She started a Facebook page and  4  her good deeds each day, from feeding the homeless to giving Easter gifts to the incarcerated (囚犯). She hoped to  5  others.

     “We have to do something. Our  6   can make a difference in someone's day. You   7  know when someone might be having their worst day, and then something like buying them a coffee can change their whole attitude,” Karla  8  .

Karla's greatest  9 so far had to do with coffee. On September 27th, Karla's birthday, she went to her local Starbucks and gave the 10  $127 to pay for other people's drinks. She sat at the end of the drive-thru holding a  11  that read, “Have a great day.” She ended up  12  about 23 customers. “It was really fun. It was  13 one of the best birthdays ever,” she said. Her kindness that day didn't go  14 . One couple was so grateful that they surprised her with flowers and balloons to show their 15.

Karla's acts of kindness have become a 16 affair. Her two sons are always 17 others. “Sometimes I'll ask Kyle, ‘So, did you do anything extra nice today?' and he's like ‘Somebody 18 something in the hallway and I picked it up' or ‘I held the door for someone', that kind of thing,” said Karla.

      It's because of Mom that the boys think it's  19  to give a hand to others. “I think it's a great idea of hers. It's always nice to help someone out  20  they really need it,” said Karla's 15-year-old son Chad.

I received a devastating（毁灭性的）blow to my self-confidence in the first interview of my college years. I1to be a host in our Student Acting Troupe and felt 2 that I would be accepted. But one of the panel members told me, "You seem inadequate and you are a little vertically（垂直地）challenged." My life has never been3 since. I used high heels to make up for my4and psychological strategies and tricks to5 my lack of confidence. But no matter how hard I tried to6 the part, there was still something 7.

    As president of English Club, I organized the rehearsal of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs for an English party8 we could not find an actor to be the dwarf. It had to be someone who was humorous9and fluent in English. Suddenly, all eyes turned to me, and I knew I would have to be dwarf. To my surprise and delight, once 10I was totally11 in the performance and my humorous nature was put to full use. As the dwarf, I was a big12.

    Yes, each of us is only one among millions of people, but each of us is an individual and each of us is 13 Cultivating（培养）our individuality will 14 our life, making it a kaleidoscope（万花筒）of new colors and textures.

    A world lacking 15would be a boring place. The real16 is not being short or shy or ugly, but having your17 lost in a world in which everyone is a (n)18 of a model, a cool boy or a flawless charming girl.

    Given a choice, I would rather be19than live in such a world. I'd rather be a genuine dwarf accompanying a Snow White than be a Snow White among nothing but Snow Whites. I would rather be myself. I would20 my individual and unique colors to the more diverse universe. Please, be yourself!

A Little Girl's Dream

    My father was a lawyer. One day he told me to wait for him in the back of the courtroom until he finished trying his case. But I was only nine years old and got 1 easily. So I wandered the shiny floors of the courthouse lobby until finally ending up in the back of another courtroom not too far from the first. I could not stop 2 at a man, wondering why he was crying. I could tell that he was trying to speak but his words were being suffocated (压制）by all of his 3. He remained in the arms of someone who was dressed just like my father always was—white shirt, suit and tie. They held on to each other lor quite some time. Then the man who was crying wiped his eyes, and 4 spoke. “Thank you,” he said to the man in the fancy blue suit. “Thank you for saving my life.”

    As I watched the human drama unfold before my young eyes, only realizing the full extent of what had happened after my father 5all of the details to me, I discovered what I would do with my future. “I want to save people's lives, Daddy,” I said with great determination. “Just like you and the man in the blue suit. ”

    The 6 in that courtroom that day became a window into my future. I knew instantly that I would be an attorney who helped protect the innocent from injustice. The only issue remained these years was that I'd have to wait7getting that opportunity. Again, I was only nine years old.

    So I filled my days with other ways to assist those in need. Beginning that year, I spent every Thanksgiving at the local soup kitchen cooking and serving those who couldn't 8 a Thanksgiving meal. As a student, I have also had the opportunity to help ESL children learn how to read and write properly and I've spent many days volunteering at the local hospital where I help9. And, of course, as I wait for the fulfillment (实现）of my ultimate goal, my participation in Law Club continues to 10me that this is the profession for me. I am exactly where I belong.

    The next chapter of my life is 11, for I am finally bringing my nine-year-old vision t life. I have grown a lot since then, taking countless opportunities to help others while continuing to learn more about the 12that I am so passionate about. And13 all of it, my goal has remained steadfast. My undergraduate studies and post graduate work are the final steps I will take, helping me to finally 14my childhood dream—the dream of finally being the on standing in a courtroom wearing the fancy 15 while saving lives.

    Susan, a classical dancer from India, had to have her right leg cut after a car accident. She was also 1on her career（事业）road.

    Though the accident brought her bright career to a 2 , she didn't give up. In the  3 months that followed, Susan met a doctor who developed an artificial (人造的)4made from rubber filled with sponge (海绵). So5she wanted to go back to 6after she had been fitted with an artificial leg. Susan knew that she believed in  7and could realize her dream, 8she began her courageous journey back to the world of dancing — 9to balance, bend, stretch, walk, turn, twist and twirl.

    After every public performance (表演), she 10ask her dad about her performance. “You 11have a long way to go” was the answer she used to get12. In January 1984, Susan made an important13by giving a public performance in Bombay. She performed so greatly that it14everyone to tears and this15pushed her to the number one position again. That evening when she asked her dad the16question, he didn't say anything. He just touched her feet as a praise.

    Susan's comeback was 17moving that a film producer18to make the story into a hit film. When someone asked Susan how she had19to dance again, she said quite simply, “YOU DON'T NEED FEET TO DANCE.” 20is impossible in this world. If you have the will to win, you can achieve(实现) anything.

    His palms were sweating. He needed a towel to dry his palms. The sun was as hot as the 1 he faced today at the National Junior Olympics. The bar (横竿) was set at 17 feet. That was three inches higher than his personal best. Michael Stone faced the most 2 day of his pole-vaulting (撑竿跳高) career.

    You couldn't tell whether Michael Stone was surprised, excited or vain about clearing the bar at 17 feet. As soon as he 3 on the inflated (充了气的) landing mat, Michael immediately began 4 for his next attempt at flight. He seemed 5 the fact that he had just beaten his personal best 6 three inches and that he was one of the first two competitors in the pole-vaulting 7 at the National Junior Olympics.

    When Michael 8 the bar at 17 feet 2 inches and 17 feet 4 inches, again he showed no 9 . At the same time, he 10 the people sigh(叹气), he knew the other vaulter had missed his final jump. He knew it was time for his 11 jump. Since the other vaulter had fewer misses, Michael needed to clear this vault to win. A 12 would get him second place. It was nothing to be ashamed of, 13 Michael would not 14 himself to have the thought of not winning first place.

    He rolled over and found his pole, stood and stepped on the runway that 15 the most challenging event of his 17-year-old life.

    As he sprinted (冲刺) down the runway, something felt wonderfully different, yet familiar. When he took a deep breath, it happened. He began to 16 like an eagle.

    He later went on that day to clear 17 feet 6 inches: a new National and International Junior Olympics record.

    With all the media attention and sponsorship possibilities, Michael's life would never be 17again. It wasn't just because he won the National Junior Olympics and 18 a new world record. And it wasn't because he had just increased his personal best by 9 inches. It was simply because Michael Stone is blind.

    A challenge can sometimes make a 19 to the life, and bring 20 the best in us.

It's 4:30 in the morning. Behind a forest, the sun begins to lighten the sky with bright and warm tones. The national bird of Honduras, scarlet macaws （红金刚鹦鹉）, which have colorful feathers, groom （理毛） each other as they wait for Anayda Pantin Lopez who has devoted the last 12 years to protecting them.

Pantin and her husband, Santiago Lacuth Montoya, live in a small village called Mabita, where most of its villagers protect these birds and the rest of the wildlife surrounding them. Twice a day, Pantin prepares food for 40 to 60 scarlet macaws that come to her village for feedings. She also cares for several other birds at a rescue center, or chicks that fall down from their nests, until they can fly freely.

Years ago, Lacuth supported the family by selling macaw eggs and chicks as pets — not realizing it would have a detrimental impact on the bird population. At that time, the hunting and sale of wild species was legal and thousands of scarlet macaws disappeared.

However, when Lacuth learned the number of scarlet macaws was sharply decreasing, he decided to become a guardian of them. He tried to convince other hunters to follow in his footsteps. Eventually, other Mabita residents joined Lacuth and Pantin's efforts. "For many years the scarlet macaws helped me provide for my family. Now it was my turn to help them," Lacuth said.

"The Mabita project is very impressive because of the commitment of Pantin and Lacuth and the entire community," says LoraKim Joyner. founder of One Earth Conservation. In 2014, additional funds came from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and England's Darwin Foundation stepped in to support the conservation and community engagement efforts.

Since the project began, the scarlet macaw population has grown from 500 to more than 800. "Now we have seen that the number of these birds has increased," said Pantin. "But that does not change our goal, which is to continue caring for them so that our children and grandchildren can have the opportunity to enjoy everything that nature gives us."