Once upon a time, there was a lazy poor living in a small house with spider webs(蜘蛛网) on the walls and mice running around. People 1 coming into such a dirty place and the poor man was lonely and sad every day. He thought it was poverty(贫困) that2his unhappy life.  One day, the poor man dropped in on a wise old man and asked him for 3about changing his life. The old man gave him a beautiful vase(花瓶) and said, “This is a magic vase that will bring you 4.”  The poor man looked at the vase 5 . Why would he need a vase in his poor house? However , he didn't want to 6 such a beautiful vase, so he brought it home on the table.  “It.s not right for something so beautiful to be7.”the poor man looked at the vase and thought. Then he picked some wild flowers and put them into it, making it even more beautiful.  8he was still not satisfied ."It is not good for such a beautiful thing to stand next to a spider web.”At this, he started to do some cleaning in the house and paint the walls.  His house turned into 9place immediately. The poor man 10 . He suddenly realized that in the past it was his laziness that made him poor and unhappy. From then on, he worked hard and his life got better and better.

    Working in Africa, one day we went to an orphanage (孤儿院). There we met a lovely little girl named Tanzile. I gave her a sweet I brought. “She 1 one more, doctor,” said the nurse. I said “Of course.” and gave her 2.

    Before we left, we went to say 3 to Tanzile. She was holding the sweets I had given her.

    I said to the nurse, “This little girl is clever. She has taken two sweets for herself.”4 after the nurse asked her some questions, we learned the 5 about Tanzile.

    Tanzile was 7 then. Two years before, her mom and dad had both died of AIDS. Her baby sister was taken away from her. From then on, whenever she  6 anything from people, including food, she refused to accept unless they gave her two — one for her and one for her 7.

    In fact, in her room, we found quite a few old things which she  8 38   to give her sister one day.

    Later that day, I was 9 to find that this was not an isolated (个别的) story. There were many orphans just like Tanzile. With a lot of things in their rooms, they 10 for their brothers and sisters who they hadn't seen for so long.

    People sometimes think African children are different from our kids. They think that the children there don't feel pain or sadness or love. But that is not true. Their pain is deep. And so is their love.

The Sweetest Sight

    I was in the most beautiful city in the world, yet I only wanted home.

    It was an amazing week for my husband and me –the trip of a lifetime. Months ago, when my husband told me that he would have a meeting in London. I expressed my1to go to Europe together with him. Then we asked his mother to 2our two children and started off.

    During the week's time,3visited London and Paris –as much as we could, Big Ben, the Louvre and so on. All these were beautiful places we expected to see before. We really enjoyed ourselves.

    On our last night in Paris,4we enjoyed the night view(夜景) of the Eiffel Tower, my husband called home. His mother5the phone. In a second, my husband's face fell and he looked so worried. I could feel something 6happened.

    "What's wrong?" I asked.

    He didn't answer and continued to listen. A few minutes later, he said 7to me that Tony, our seven-year-old son, had fallen off his bike and 8his leg. He must be sent to hospital at once.

    At that moment, Paris suddenly lost its charm(魅力).

    "I don't want to be here! I shouldn't be here! I should be home 9 my kids!"

    We hurried back to our hotel and then to the airport …

    Finally, we got home. We rushed into our children's bedroom. Seeing our two children, I suddenly realized the truth: there is no 10 sight(风景)in the world than your children's faces that greet you at home.

    Stuart and Steve were twin brothers. Stuart loved to play basketball. But Steve loved to read books.

    One day Stuart was playing basketball 1 he fell and broke his leg. When they took him to the hospital, the doctor said he wouldn't be able to play for six months. Steve went 2 him and brought him books on basketball. At first Stuart wasn't going to read them. Then he began to read them and 3 that there were ways he could play basketball better. He began to think that books weren't 4.

    When Stuart's leg started getting better, Steve would help him by going for walks with him. 5 Stuart's doctor said he could start playing basketball again. Then Stuart showed Steve how to toss(投) for baskets. Steve found that he enjoyed it.

    Then Stuart was ready to 6 the basketball games. Steve went to watch the games and enjoyed himself. They then 7 practiced basketball and read books together.

    So you can see, when 8 happens, something good may also happen. Steve showed Stuart about books and Stuart showed Steve about basketball. So you can also 9 showing others something that you like to do and they can show you something that they like to do. 10 you can find new things to do.