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.

    Compassion（同情心） is a desire within us to help others. With effort, we can translate compassion into 1. An experience last weekend showed me this is 2. I work part-time in a supermarket across from a building 3 the elderly. These old people are our main 4, and it's not hard to lose 5 over their slowness. But last Sunday, one 6 gentleman appeared to teach me a 7 lesson. The man walked up to my register with a box of biscuits. He said he was 8, had just moved into his room, and had 9 in his cupboards. He asked if we could let him have the food on trust. He promised to  10 me the next day.

    I couldn't help staring at him. I  11 what kind of person he had been years before, and 12 he would be like if luck had gong his way. I had a hurt in my heart for this kind of human soul. I told him that was 13 , but store rules didn't allow me to do so. I felt 14 and unkind saying this, but I 15 my job.

    Just then, another man, standing behind the first, spoke up. “If anything”, he looked more pitiable. “16 it to me.” was all he said.

    What I had been feeling was pity. Pity is soft and easy. Compassion, 17, is caring in action. I 18 the second man but told him that was not 19 either. Then I reached into my pocket and paid for the biscuits myself. I reached into my pocket 20 these two men had reached into my heart and taught me compassion.

    When a mom attended school to help her disabled son, her son and the school thanked her in the sweetest way possible. It wasn't until after his college years that Marty became disabled after1down stairs. When her son   2to get his MBA Judy O' Connor attended every class with him to help him write and3. Every day, Judy would sit by Marty in class, taking notes to make sure to set down4requests, raising her hand so he could answer questions, and silently filling in his5on test days. “After a little while, we found that working together we could6a great deal,” Marty says.

    On graduation day at Chapman University, Judy was dressed in black to mix in with the other7. Little did she know she'd soon be the center of8. When Marty's name was called, his mom helped9him to the front of the stage,10for a picture with Marty as he received his diploma. Over the loudspeaker, a voice11with happy tears made an12: The university was giving Judy an honorary MBA. “A lump came to my throat, I was proud of my son and13to be honored,” says Judy.

    The mother and son had joked that Judy was putting in enough work to earn her own14. To Marty, there was no question his mom, a retired elementary school teacher with a business degree, had15earned her honorary MBA.

    Perhaps just as important, Judy gave Marty16. Life as Marty knew it before the17may have changed, but he encourages anyone in a 18situation to keep up hope. “Just keep an open mind,19you can make your diversity your advantage and take challenges as a(n)20for growth in your life,” he says.

    It's about 250 miles from the hills of west-central Iowa to Ehlers' home in Minnesota. During the long trip home, following a weekend of hunting. Ehlers 1about the small dog he had seen 2 alongside the road. He had 3 to coax(哄) the dog to him but, frightened, it had 4.

    Back home, Ehlers was troubled by that 5 dog. So, four days later, he called his friend Greg, and the two drove 6. After a long and careful 7, Greg saw, across a field, the dog moving 8 away. Ehlers eventually succeeded in coaxing the animal to him. Nervousness and fear were replaced with 9. It just started licking(舔) Ehlers' face.

    A local farmer told them the dog sounded like one 10 as lost in the local paper. The ad had a 11 number for a town in southern Michigan. Ehlers 12 the number of Jeff and Lisa to tell them he had 13 their dog.

    Jeff had 14 in Iowa before Thanksgiving with his dog, Rosie, but the gun shots had scared the dog off. Jeff searched 15 for Rosie in the next four days.

    Ehlers returned to Minnesota, and then drove 100 miles to Minneapolis to put Rosie on a flight to Michigan. "It's good to know there's still someone out there who 16 enough to go to that kind of 17,"says Lisa of Ehlers' rescue 18.

    "I figured whoever lost the dog was probably just as 19 to it as I am to my dogs," says Ehlers. "If it had been my dog, I'd hope that somebody would be 20 to go that extra mile."

Tell mommy I love her

    John had been on the road visiting customers for more than three weeks. It was coming up on Mother's Day. He said to himself, "I'll 1 Mom some roses."

    He went into the small shop and saw a boy 2 to the clerk. "How many roses can I get for six dollars, ma'am?" the boy asked. The clerk was trying to 3 that roses were expensive. 4 the young man would be happy with carnations (康乃馨).

    "No. I 5 have roses," he said, "My Mom was sick so much last year and I didn't get to spend much time with her. I want to get something 6. It has to red roses, because that's her favorite."

    The clerk 7 John and was just shaking her head. Something inside John was 8 by the boy's voice. He looked at the clerk and 9 mouthed that he would pay for the boy's roses.

    The clerk looked at the young man and said, "Okay, I will give you a dozen red roses 10 your six dollars." The young man 11 jumped into the air. He took the flowers and ran from the store.

    John 12 his own flowers and had the clerk be 13 that delivery would include a note telling his mother how much he loved her. 14 he drove away from the shop, he saw the young boy walking down the sidewalk. He 15 him cross the street and enter a cemetery (墓地). The young man stopped by a small monument and went on his knees. He 16 laid the roses on the grave and began to sob. John heard the young man speak, "Mommy, oh Mommy, 17 didn't I tell you how much I love you? Jesus, please, find my Mommy. 18 my Mommy I love her."

    John 19, tears in his eyes, and walked back to his car. He drove quickly to the florist and told her he would take the flowers 20.

A Welcome Gift

    Dario and his mother loved their new apartment. The living room was large enough for their piano. That night, the two of them 1 side by side at the piano. They played jazz music to celebrate their new home. The loud 2 filled the room and made them feel very happy.

    The next morning, 3, their happiness disappeared. Someone had left a 4 under their door during the night. One of their neighbors had written to complain about the sound of the piano. Dario's mother asked the building superintendent (管理员) if he knew anything about it. But he said that they were all 5 people and he couldn't imagine any of them had done that. Later that morning, Dario suggested that they write a letter to their 6 and apologize for their playing.

    "Maybe we could go and 7 everyone in person." his mother said.

    "What if we invited them to come here for a 8 instead?" Dario asked.

    They both loved the 9. Over the next few days, they sent out invitations and prepared desserts 10 their guests. They decorated the apartment with streamers (彩带) and party lights.

    Finally, the day of the party 11. Some guests brought presents. Others brought flowers. Some even brought desserts to 12. One woman, Mrs. Gilbert, 13 Dario's mother with a book of piano music by Chopin.

    "I heard you playing the other night," she said. "The sounds woke me out of bed. I 14 that you might play like this every night. So I wrote a short note. I hope you don't think I disliked the playing."

    Dario's mother smiled at Mrs. Gilbert. "I think maybe we 15 you an apology." she said. "I didn't 16 how late it was when we were playing. Maybe we should play some quieter music at night.

    "You play, you play!" Mrs. Gilbert said. "I like what you play! Just not so loud at night." She pointed to the book she had given them. "These songs are not such 17 music."

    "These songs are beautiful music." Dario's mother said. "We will be 18 to play them in the evening."

    "And we won't play so loud or late!" Dario said. He was already looking forward to 19 the new music. More than that, however, he was happy to see the big smile on his mother's face. It gave him a feeling of 20 and made him feel that they were home at last.