Peter and Paul had got permission(允许) from their parents to camp in a field close to their farm. But, being adventurous boys, they know it would be more 1to camp in the forest that lay beyond the river. Excitedly, the boys 2 with their tent and food.

    Carrying their heavy 3, the two brothers walked along the riverbank, hardly noticing the distance or the sun beating down. They were eager to reach their 4 before lunchtime. As they entered the cool, shadowy forest, they began to search for a suitable camping place. Peter wanted to 5 close to the river at the edge of the forest, 6 Paul, who was older, insisted that they camp further away. 7, Peter followed his brother deeper into the 8. “This really is a wonderful setting!” said Paul in excitement. They 9their tent, and settled down to eat the sandwiches they had made, then decided to find their way 10 to the river to catch some fish.

    “Are you sure that this is the right 11?” whispered Peter shakily. “I'm sure we passed that hollow tree just a while ago.” Paul walked12 silently. “Look, there it is again. We're lost, aren't we?” complained Peter. Paul had to admit that he didn't know where they were. 13, they were a long distance from where they were 14 to be. They were not even 15 of where they had set up their camp. They sat in 16for a few minutes until Peter had a bright idea. “Why don't we look for clues（线索） the way trackers 17 in the movies? We weren't careful about how we walked, so I'm sure we would have left18 some broken tree branches and leaves. ”

    Carefully, the boys 19the marks that they had left, until finally they found their campsite. Hurriedly, they packed their belongings and set off 20 the direction of the river.

What would their parents think of their adventure（冒险）?

    It was 1959. Life became hard after my husband got killed in a traffic accident. With five children aged from two to seven to take care of, I1thought of finding a job. But 2 was running out and Christmas was drawing near. Every child was talking about the present that Santa Claus would bring them. It occurred to me that I had to find a 3

    I went to almost all the places where I had 4 to get a job. But when the interviewers learned about my case, they 5 me politely. I felt sad and 6 saying to myself that I would try the last place.

    I went into a 24-hour chain restaurant with five children 7 patiently in the car. The manager was an elegant woman of about 40. As I explained my 8to her, she kept looking out of the window to see all those kids.

    Finally she told me she really needed someone but the time was from 11 at night until 7 in the morning and that the pay was one dollar an hour. I accepted the job without hesitation and 9to do it well. The problem was that I had to find a person to look after my children during my work time. At last I found a teenage girl. I would pay her one dollar for looking after my five children. She seemed 10with the work because there would be 11 that she needed to do as all my children would be sleeping during the time she “worked”.

    The other employees were very friendly and helpful. They knew my12situation and often brought some “old” toys from home to give me, of which some were new. It was obvious that they actually bought them for my kids but said they were old in order not to13me.

    Christmas was only three days away. Everyone was preparing presents 14their families. But I knew there would be no money for toys for the kids. So, I found some red paint and started repairing and painting some old toys. Then I hid them in the15 so there would be something for Santa Claus to16on Christmas morning.

    On the morning of Christmas, I 17to the car, hoping to get home and get the presents from the basement and place them under the tree before they 18 up. But when I opened the car door, I found my car was filled with boxes of presents for children aged from two to seven. Beside the presents was a 19saying ”Merry Christmas!”20and appreciation filled my heart.

    This is really simple but I was caught off guard（ 措 手 不 及 ）. As my son and I were1 a restaurant today, I 2  the door for several older couples going in and out. Just as I was about to let it go, I saw someone coming around the corner so I 3. She saw my little boy and told me to go first. I told her to  4because I wasn't in any 5—we're still technically on vacation. 6, we'd had our lunch.

    I've held doors 7  I was a kid because that's what my brother  8  me in and now I just do it out of 9  . Maybe people will say thanks, but most of them 10 blow past like the world 11 them something or whatever excuse they make for ignoring that  12.

    The girl, however, 13 a big smile, saying "Thank you". It's a tiny thing and she probably didn't even14 its effect. But I could suppose she  15  appreciated it. It wasn't until she was in 16  and walking past that I found she was a beautiful girl, so I'm not the first person to open a door for her. I just got back from Florida, was dirty and 17  and hadn't even showered yet. I am 99% sure it had nothing to do with my  18. I can only assume she was actually  19.

    Anyway, this probably wouldn't mean anything to most people but I valued her sincere20passing.

    We1hamburgers and Coca Cola at the counter. When our2came, I started walking towards an empty table. By bad luck, my purse strap(带子)got 3 on a chair and the tray(托盘)that I was holding slipped4my hands and went flying in the air. The tray, and its contents,5on a man who was just about to6a bite of his sandwich. I stared, greatly 7, as the drinks soaked(浸湿)his white shirt.

    Then I8my eyes and prepared myself for his burst of9. Instead, he said “It's OK” to10me before he disappeared into washroom.

    Still shaky and unsure11to do next, my friends and I went to a table and sat there, trying our best to look12. A moment later, the man came out of the washroom and13our table. My heart almost stopped14. I thought he was going to ask for my father's15and call him.

    To my surprise, he merely smiled at us, handed us some cash and said, “16yourself new hamburgers. ”He then walked17without even finishing his food.

    He could have made what was already an uncomfortable situation worse,18he chose a different way and gave us a reason to believe that there is still19in this world. I'll never20his actions.

    I had never known a Christmas when we could ask for a special gift and actually expect to get it. The Great Depression (大萧条) of the 1930s really1 our farming community of Belleville, Michigan. Then came 1940; I was 7 years old and my brother, David, was 8. That year my father got a(n)2 job, and David and I were asked to choose the one 3we most wanted to get that year. I 4 a teddy bear. David asked for a bicycle.

    5, Christmas morning arrived. There under the tree, with a big red bow around his neck, was my teddy bear. David's6 , however, was not there. I7 how my parents could make my wish come true but not my brother's.

    “I8something,” my father said, as he went into the other room. When he came back he was9a bicycle.

    On David's face was a look of both delight and10. The bike was secondhand, which David didn't11, but it was a girls' bike. Boys did not ride girls' bikes. Personally, I wouldn't have 12if it had come with pink bows on it – it was still a bicycle.

    David and I had been learning to ride on bicycles13from friends in the neighborhood. I was not as14a rider as he was, but I could15to get from point A to point B.

    David was very16, letting me ride his new wheels often. He even17out a way to tie our Radio Flyer wagon to the bike so he could pull me and other kids up and down our road.

    Now we could18 places that were once beyond convenient walking distance. That winter we took many long rides down the snowy back roads, with me on the handlebars or19behind in the wagon. That bicycle was the Christmas present and truly gave us an exciting new 20.

    From the time each of my children started school, I packed their lunches. And in each lunch, I1a note. Often written on a napkin (餐巾), it might be a thank-you for2moment, a reminder of something we were happily expecting, or a bit of3for the coming test or sporting event.

    In early grade school they4their notes. But as children grow older they become self-conscious (有自我意识) and5he reached high school, my older son, Marc, informed me he no longer6my daily notes. Telling him that he no longer needed to7them but I still needed to write them. I8until the day he graduated.

    Six years after high school graduation, Marc called and asked if he could move9for a couple of months. He had spent those years well, graduating from college,10two interships (实习) in Washington, D.C., and11, becoming a technical assistant in Sacramento.12short vacation visits, however, he had lived away from home. With his younger sister leaving for college, I was13happy to have Marc back. Since I was14making lunch for his younger brother, I15one for Marc, too. Imagine my16when I got a call from my 24-year-old son,17his lunch.

    "Did I do something18? Don't you love me19, Mom?" were just a few of the questions he threw at me as I20asked him what was wrong.

    "My note, mom," he answered. "Where's my note?"