There was a small boy living on a farm which seemed so far away from everywhere. He was1 to get up before sunrise every morning to start his work and to go out again later to work in the evening.

    During sunrise he would take a 2and climb up on a fence, so in the distance he could see a house with golden3. He thought how4it would be to live there and began to5the modern equipment that might be6in the house. He thought, “If that is a house with golden windows, then there7be other nice things in the house.”8, he promised himself, “Some day I will go there and see this wonderful place9.”

    Then one morning his father told him to stay at home as his father would do the work. Knowing that was his10, he packed a sandwich and11across the field towards the house with golden windows.

    12 the afternoon going on, he began to realize how he had misjudged the distance.13, something else was wrong. As he came14to the house, he saw15golden windows but a place16by a broken fence which badly needed17. He went to the door and knocked. A small girl opened the door.

    He asked the girl if she had seen a house with golden windows. “18,” said the girl and invited him to sit on the porch (门廊). As he sat there, he looked19. There the20turned the windows of his home golden.

    One cool morning, my mother and I went to several garage sales  (宅前旧货出售) to find something that our family might want. We finally 1at a pleasant house in the woods. The elderly 2 told me that he and his wife were retired (退休的) teachers. As we were searching, I heard the gentleman's wife say her    3to someone, and I immediately  4 who she was. She looked at me and said. "You're Lisa Miller." I looked at her 5, for it had been nearly thirty  6since I had been in her class.

    My mother immediately said sorry to her for any 7I might have made. She did that again after learning that I wasn't the sweet little child. She thought that if this woman 8 me after so many years, I must have done something 9. My teacher looked at my mother and 10 said. "Oh, no. She was very good." My teacher 11 that during the last week of school, I 12 her a plant from my mother's garden. It was a lamb's ear. She took us to her garden where she planted the lamb's ear. Over the years it 13. As I looked down her driveway with lamb's ears on both sides, she said, "Every day when I leave my house and drive up the driveway, I think of you. And when I come home they 14 me, I think of you."  Tears  15 my eyes. There at her home was a piece of my life that she had raised.

At that moment, she taught me more about 16than I  could imagine. We give pieces of ourselves every day 17 thought. We seldom imagine the effects (影响) that we have  on others' lives. That piece may grow and spread, becoming a(n) 18 part of a life. In the end it isn't the big things that matter, 19 the small things that make all the 20 in the world.

Hope in my arms

    Last year, I was invited to participate in a carnival（嘉年华） for Tuesday' s Child, an organization that helps children with AIDS.

    All the children that had 1 at one special room could paint a square on a piece of cloth. Later the squares would be sewn(缝) together to2 a quilt. The quilt would be presented to a man who had devoted his life to the   3 and would soon be retiring.

    The kids were given paints in bright colors and asked to paint something that would make the quilt beautiful. As I looked around at all the squares, I saw pink hearts, blue clouds, orange sunrises and red flowers. The pictures were all bright and 4. All except one.

    One boy was painting a heart, but it was dark and lifeless. It lacked the bright colors that his fellow artists had used. I asked why. He told me that he was very5 and so was his mom. He said that his sickness was not ever going to get better and 6 was his mom's. He looked7into my eyes and said, "There is no hope in my life."

    I told him I was sorry and I could understand why he had made his heart a dark color. I told him that8 we couldn't make him better, we can give 9, which can really help when you are feeling sad. I told him that if he would like, I would be happy to give him one so he could see what I meant. 10, he crawled(爬上) into my lap（大腿）. I thought my own heart would burst for this sweet little boy. He sat there for a long time. Finally he slipped 11to finish his coloring.

    As I was getting ready to12 home, I felt a tug (猛拽) on my jacket. Standing there was the little boy,13. He said, "My heart is changing14. It is getting brighter. I think those hugs really do 15." On my way home I felt my own heart. It too had changed to a brighter color.

    I still remember that the year when I started university. It was a very 1 time for me. Like many other new students I missed my mother's cooking and my friends, got quite homesick想家的 and 2 thought of leaving university and going home.

    The 3 time for many students was getting letters from home, and at first my mailbox was full. But 4 the letters gradually became fewer and finally the day came when I found my mailbox was 5. It made me feel quite miserable痛苦的. Then one day while I was waiting for the postman I saw that I had a postcard in my box. Happily I sat down to read it, 6 that it was from one of my friends. 7 it was 8 of a young woman called Annie and her new baby. I took the card back to my room, put it into my desk drawer and 9 all about it.

    Several days later, I 10 another postcard. This time it was about Antonio, Annie's cousin. Soon later, another card came and then another, 11 full of interesting information about people I had 12 met. I began to really look forward to them, 13 to see what the writer would 14 next. They made me feel 15 unhappy with my own life and I even began to smile. 16 while the cards 17 coming, I joined some societies and made some new friends. At last I was beginning to enjoy 18 life. The postcards had made me feel happy and helped me begin a new life so I 19 all the cards and even now bring them out 20 I feel miserable.

    I work as the reception manager at my hotel. A(n) 1 came in a few weeks ago with a note attached that the guest would be travelling with her 2 father. Just so that we would be aware when 3 with them when they arrived as his daughter wanted to make his trip to Ireland as 4 as possible. Upon seeing this note and noting I would be the one to 5 them in, I decided to learn some basic 6 language.

    I greeted the guest in my usual way, 7 for the surname on the booking. Once I heard the name I 8 immediately who was standing in front of me.

I had been learning for over two 9 how to say” welcome to Ireland. My sign language is 10 , but if you need anything during your 11 just let me know and we will help you”.

    I smiled at the father and daughter in front of me, turning to the father who I greeted in sign language and began the bit I had 12 for him. The father smiled and was so 13 .Seeing his reaction was 14 for me. It was so worth the last few weeks of learning basic sign language.

    On check-out I sadly wasn't 15 .but they had left a gift for me with a note saying” thank you very much for what you did on check-in. My father has been in 16 form since you checked us in and insisted we get you a 17 before we left. You have no idea how much this 18 to my father and me and we can't thank you enough. You've made his trip very special with one simple 19”.

    They wrote a letter to the general manager also asking to give me a raise, which I really 20 . I cried for a solid 5 minutes when I came to work today to find this gift in my locker.

    "Mum, can I invite my classmate Brett over to stay tomorrow night, please? It's Friday, and we don't have any 1. Can I, please?"Mum was sitting at the kitchen table. Dad was 2next to her, resting his head on his arms. Mum could 3that James wanted so badly to have his friend over.

    "I'm so sorry, James, "she said.

    "I'm never allowed to have friends come to the house! Why, Mum?" James asked sadly, almost in 4.

    "I know it's 5 for you, "Mum said softly." But I'm just worried other people might think we're a little...strange. And then they would make fun of you."

    "No, they wouldn't, Mum," James protested. "We're not 6 at all. We're just ordinary people."

    Mum sighed heavily. "To tell you the truth, James, my neck has been so painful that it's given me a heavy7. And your poor father—he doesn't feel8. He really needs a rest."

    "I can help, Mum!" James said."9 I can make you and Dad feel better, can Brett come over? Please?"

    "Well..."Mum began.

    "Great! Thanks, Mum!" James almost shouted. "Just sit there, don't move." He rushed over to the kitchen drawer and 10 what he needed—two spanners(扳手)."Hang on, Mum," he said. "This won't take a second." After some  11, James was finished. With a smile of 12 on his face, he said, "There! How does that feel?" "Oh, James, "Mum said." That's much better! How did you do it?"

    "Easy, "James said 13." Dad had tightened your neck bolts(螺栓)too much! I just 14them slightly! I learned that in robotic science at school."

    "What about your father? Can you 15 him?" asked mum.

    "I'll try," James replied. He 16 up dad's hair at the back of his neck, and plugged the electric wire into dad's head. Then he turned the 17 on. Dad opened his eyes and 18 immediately. "He just let his 19 run too low, that's all," James said. "Shall I tell Brett to come over straight after school tomorrow?"

    "I guess so," replied mum. "Your friends will just have to 20 that we are a very unusual family. Thanks, son!"