Forever friendship

    Twenty-one years ago，my husband gave me Sam，an eight-week-old dog，to help me ease(减轻；缓解) the loss of our daughter. Later my husband and I moved from New York to New Jersey where our neighbor，whose cat had 1had kittens，asked us if we would like one. We were afraid that Sam would not be2 ， but we made up our3to take a kitten.

    We picked a little，gray，playful cat. She 4around running after imaginary mice and squirrels and jumped from table to chair very 5 ， so we named her Lightning(闪电)．

    At6 ， Sam and Lightning were not close to each other. But slowly，as the days went on，Lightning started 7Sam. They slept together，ate together and played together. When I took 8one out of the house，the other was always 9by the door when we returned. That was the10they lived for years.

    Then，without any11 ， Sam suddenly died of a weak heart. This time，there was no Sam for Lightning to greet and no way to 12why she would never see her friend again.

    In the13that followed，Lightning seemed heartbroken. She could not14me in words that she was 15 ， but I could see the pain and 16in her eyes whenever anyone opened the front door. The weeks17by，and the cat's sorrow seemed to be lifting(消失). One day as I walked into our living room，I18 to have a look at the floor next to our sofa 19we had a sculptured replica(雕塑复制品)of Sam that we had bought a few years before. Lying next to the statue(雕塑)，one arm wrapped around the statue's neck，was Lightning，sleeping with her best20.

    Most people in school liked Gloria. So when she got sick, some boys 1 to visit her. But none of them wanted to 2 any money for a gift to bring along.

    Then Willie said, “We can 3 some flowers from a 4.”

    Gloria will not know 5 they come from, and the dead man will not 6 them.

    Everybody was afraid, 7 Willie. So he went alone and 8 some beautiful flowers. Then they went to Gloria's 9, and the boys acted as if the flowers were from all of them, but 10 did not mind.

    After their visit, Willie 11 the other boys, “It is a good thing that I was not afraid. Gloria 12 the flowers.”

    The other boys laughed. Gloria would not have liked the 13 if she had known they had come from a grave.

    That night, Willie was reading a book 14 his mother came into his room. “Willie, did you and other boys buy some flowers today 15 Gloria?” she asked. “There's a man 16 asking for you,” she added. “He says that you didn't 17 the flowers.”

    “What does he look 18?” Willie asked.

    “That's hard to say,” Willie's mother answered. “He is all 19 with mud.”

    Willie, all of a sudden, turned 20.

    A poor and old farmer lived in a village, who had a beautiful and young wife. The wife 1 wanted to enjoy life by spending lots of money on good clothes. Because of his old age and poor2, the farmer hardly left his house and did not earn more than what was3 So the wife often felt4 and the couple often 5each other.

    One day, a thief heard their quarrel and saw the wife 6 out of the house in tears. He followed her and then came up to her to 7“Dear, I've heard about your quarrel. You are very beautiful and young and old man can't satisfy your demands. I have a lot of8but no one to spend it. So, why not9the old man and follow me to the city? We will start a(n)10life together.” the thief said. The wife agreed to his11 That night, she gathered all her fine clothes and money and left with the thief for the 12

    Early the next morning, they reached a 13 The thief said to the woman, “Dear, please stay here on the bank 14 I swim to other side and15 a boat to get you across. Hand over your money to me, for seeing you16somebody may try to take 17away from you.”

    The woman handed over the money to the thief and18on the bank. The thief had19what he wanted so he didn't come back. Now, the woman had20her husband and everything.

Moral: Desire for more may let you lose what you have.

    A group of children would gather frequently at each other's homes. They1what was happening in their lives. Their friendship was beautiful to see, and surprising thoughts flowed from these2minds.

    The mother of one of the children would occasionally join their3and tell them stories. When she spoke of her “jewel box”, her most4possession, she sent their5soaring.

    She emphasized that the jewel box was so6that its contents could never be stolen! Of course, the children's minds were 7with dazzling pictures of diamonds, jewels, pearls, and other priceless items. They daydreamed of her being an heiress(继承人) of a8family, even though her simple life did not9vast material wealth.

    One day the children asked her what was in the jewel box. Looking at the children's 10 upturned faces, she11at each child, and then12them to gather around her and sit on the grass. “Let me tell you a wonderful13 she whispered, “The jewel box is not a14box!”

    The children's eyes were big with15. The mother continued, “In reality, it is a16box of your heart. And everyone has one! Its17are the feelings of love, joy, peace, gratitude, and faith. It is an inner experience, and the treasure of knowing which18with you forever.”

    The children asked many questions that day. Most of them never19the story of the jewel box, and appreciated it more as they20adulthood.

    Even though I've lived most of my life in China, English has always been an important part of my life.

    When I was four years old, my family and I1 to the US, where we lived in Houston, Texas, for a year. I was too 2 then to fully understand what it was like to be in such a different environment, but 3 English started to make its way into my life.

    At first, I didn't really know how to 4 with my foreign classmates with proper English, but they were nice and 5 and very soon English became like a second language to me. I could 6myself in both Chinese and English. I had another useful 7.

    English is 8 a tool of communication for me; it has also brought a new world of 9 to me. When I was in fourth grade, my friends 10me a very popular book series called Percy Jackson & the Olympians, and I felt then that I had never read any story that 11 me as much. I began to 12 the world of English literature（文学）and found that all the 13 books and stories I came across opened my eyes to a different 14 from the one I had been familiar with. I loved the stories I would otherwise have 15 if I had not known English.

    All in all, English has given me another tool for communicating with others, 16to understand and accept things I would never have 17 and brought me much 18through reading. I think I am very 19 to have learned English because it has helped20 my view of the world, and it still does.

    At my heaviest I weighed 370 pounds. I had a very poor relationship with food: I used it to 1 bad feelings, to make myself feel better, and to celebrate. Worried about my health, I tried many different kinds of  2 but nothing worked. I came to believe that I could do nothing about my 3.

    When I was 50, my weight problem began to affect me 4 . I didn't want to live the rest of my life with this 5 weight any more.

    That year, I6 a seminar where we were asked to create a project that would touch the world. A seminar leader shared her 7 story —she had not only 125 pounds, but also raised $25,000 for homeless children.8 by her story, I created the As We Heal(痊愈), the World Heals 9. My goal was to lose 150 pounds in one year and raise $50,00010 a movement founded 30 years ago to end hunger. This combination of healing myself and healing the world  11 me as the perfect solution.12I began my own personal weight program, I was filled with the fear that I would 13 the same difficulties that beat me before. While the 14 hung over my head, there were also signs that I was headed down the right 15. I sent letters to everyone I knew, telling them about my project. It worked perfectly. Donations began 16in from hundreds of people.

    Of course, I also took some practical steps to lose weight. I consulted with a physician(内科医生), I hired a fitness coach, and I began to eat small and 17 meals. My fund-raising focus also gave me new motivation to exercise 18.

    A year later, I19 my goal: I lost 150 pounds and raised $50,000! I feel that I've been given a second life to devote to something that is 20 and enormous.