My mom died when I was two years old. She died in an accident when 1to visit her parents. I was in the backseat, and I wasn't 2.I don't remember anything about her.  The only few things I know are from the 3my dad tells me. I 4 with only my dad and myself. I love my dad, but sometimes it was 5, like being in elementary school when Mothers'day was coming, kids would decorate cards, and so on. To make it6, there was  “tea party with mom ” day for 2^nd and 3^rd grade when kids and their7would come during the school day and have8 and snacks. Except that my dad would let me9 those days, we would do something 10together like going to Disneyland. I never exactly felt 11 even though I didn't have a mom.

    My dad worked very hard. My mom died right as he 12from Harvard law, and he tried to be both a good13 and a great dad ,but also he tried to play both14 as dad and mom . I remember all the other girls in my 2^nd grade class had hair braided (辫子), and I15 that too. So my dad would braid my hair every morning before 16. It makes me smile just to17it.

    I think about not having mother occasionally, and18 it does bother me ,like the 19that on Mothers' day my dad and I visit my moms' grave , and bring her20 yellow roses .

    Maybe I don't have exactly what I want, but I have what I need .

    My most rewarding experience throughout the past two years was volunteering at the swimming competition for Special Olympics where a disabled friend of my community took part. This had special 1for me because experiencing it helped improve my leadership skills, my character, and support my community.

    First, my leadership skills developed when I 2directed each swimmer where to line up at the platform and 3each player when they needed to swim. I had to make sure that the swimmers were 4and ready to perform. This kept me on my feet at all times and5of each event's time and location. I learned each swimmer's name, since many of them swam in more than one 6.

    Secondly, my7was greatly improved when I saw the swimmers get their awards for winning each swimming event, I was8that most swimmers could swim better than I. It astonished me by their 9attitudes, whether they won or lost. This also expanded my horizons, offering me the opportunity to10people I would normally not come across. I went out of my11zone and did whatever was needed to be done. It was especially 12when I saw the cheerful faces of the players.

    Lastly, I was of 13to my community by lending a hand to this organization in need of 14. To be a15of it gave me a chance to improve my community and become16with the people living in this area.

    As Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we do, but we make a lite by what we give. ”The17should be done throughout your life.18through the many opportunities my community has offered I was privileged to be 19in this exciting and important event in these players' lives. I hope to be a(n)20at this event in years to come.

I was working as a lifeguard at Tower 15 on Newport and two blocks to my right was another guard named Mike, working at Tower 17. He called me over the phone and said, “Hey, I have 1 two kids who are swimming in the dangerous zone. I have to give them a warning. Keep an eye on us.” I said “Sure.” In case of 2, anytime we got out of our tower, we were supposed to 3 somebody else.

Mike hung up the phone and 4 the lifebuoy(救生圈). Then he realized that these two kids had been 5and that there was a great tendency for them to be 6 by the wave. 7, Mike rushed toward the ocean. I 8 the water and all I found was two small heads. The mother of the two kids knelt(跪) down on the beach with 9 .

    When I dropped my binoculars(望远镜) and reached the mother, Mike was in waist-deep water, 10 the two kids. I turned to the mum and said, “Hey, it's OK. They are safe.” I saw the terror started to 11. Then she glanced back and got her first good look at Mike. A new kind of 12 washed over her face as though there was another threat to her kids' lives. She snatch(抢) her kids without 13 .

    Mike had some seemingly 14behavior, and his shaved head showed a scar(伤疤). Maybe he had no 15 manners, but his lifesaving ability 16 his unsatisfactory skills in PR(public relation). In the mother's 17 , Mike was a really terrible guy. However, that couldn't change the fact that he had just18her kids.

    Mike just glanced at me and smiled. As I jogged back to my tower, I promised myself I'd never let my own 19 prevent me from 20 a hero when I meet one.

    It's only after three weeks into a new job that I made a serious mistake. My boss called it “extremely embarrassing” in a company-wide e-mail, which he wrote because he felt he needed to explain that what I did was something 1 in the company should ever do.

    I wish I could give a good excuse for what I did. At the very least, I wish I could 2 it somehow — 3 it on youth, inexperience or ignorance. Unfortunately, I'm 4, experienced and I know better.

    5I work with some very kind people. For the past couple of days many of them have taken time to6by my desk and offer comfort, encouragement and support. Some have shared with me similar7they have made. Evidently I'm not the only “8” person here.

    One of the exchanges I had this week was with Lois, the much-honored, much-respected professional who9 the desk right next to mine. Lois was completely10about her work, and to be honest I was a little11about how she would12to such an extremely embarrassing incident.

    As I expected, Lois mentioned the13when she saw me the next day. She mentioned it directly, 14 with empathetic(感同身受的) consideration. She listened to my15. Just as I was ready to express my regrets, she brought my self-pity to a(n)16.

    “It happened”, she said, “There's nothing you can do to 17that. It happened. But it's over now. It's 18. It's in the past. You need to let it go, and move on.” And with that she returned her 19 to her work, as if to say, “We're done here.” I beat myself up for weeks. At such times I need to remember those 20words: It's over. It's done. Let it go. And mostly, move on.

    In the 1950s, I was an only child of a single mother, living in a modest cottage in New Zealand. There was no TV and very little1to spend on entertainment.2we had our books and enjoyed3better than reading aloud to each other. My mother read me The Faraway Tree Stories, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Treasure Island and poetry as well.4I turned seven, I was able to take my 5at the reading role, and we spent many pleasant evenings laughing over6characters.

    In 1964, I was 18 and moved to Auckland, but we still phoned each other and talked about books. Years later, Mum's eyesight began to7. She found it8difficult to read the small print of her beloved books. She enjoyed looking at magazines but missed9up with the latest books by her favourite10.

    Later, I became a Special Needs library assistant and my11was to select books for12impaired（损伤的）people. In time, I introduced my mother to large-print novels and audio-books, which gave her a great deal of13as her eyesight grew more dim(模糊的).

    In her 70s, Mum's choice of reading seemed to14to mainly murder mystery stories. I was15to see that, so I bought her a more “worthy” audio-book. The next day, I asked, “How are you getting on with that latest book?” “Oh, not so well,” she replied16. I didn't try to “improve” my mother's literary17after that.

    A few years ago Mum18away. There are still so many thing I'd like to tell her. I'd like to19her for her early guidance in the20world of books. And I'm happy to say that I'm also into audio-books now.

    Barry White, Jt., a fifth grade English teacher at Ashley Park PreK­8 School, has a personalized handshake as greetings with every one of his students every day.

    The students know that when they 1 the school gate we do our 'good mornings' and then it's time to 2 " White told ABC News of his enthusiastic 3. "I'm always pumped up 4 . we start doing the moves, which brings them 5 and cheers them up for a high­energy 6."

    Each handshake is different, using custom moves inspired by the student's personality.

    "I started with one simple handshake last year with one of my 7 graders," he explained. "The girl of fourth grade would 8 me every morning before she'd go to class. She'd get in trouble sometimes for being late because she'd wait on the 9."

    "This year I started 10 handshakes with the kids during class breaks. It was just one or two students and then it became contagious (有感染力的) , he 11 ." I saw how much it 12 to them, so I said, Come on, everyone! Come on! Then it was my 13 class, then it was kids from other classes. Now I have third graders wanting to do it too.

    His administration loves the 14 which White brings to his students each day. "Barry's handshakes 15 his own authentic building relationships with 16 . When I walk into my teachers' rooms, I see the 17 of those strong and trusting relationships. When kids know their teacher 18, they are attentive, engaged and driven to be 19. That's the culture we are 20," said principal (校长) Meaghan Loftus.