Compassion（同情心） is a desire within us to help others. With effort, we can translate compassion into 1. An experience last weekend showed me this is 2. I work part-time in a supermarket across from a building 3 the elderly. These old people are our main 4, and it's not hard to lose 5 over their slowness. But last Sunday, one 6 gentleman appeared to teach me a 7 lesson. The man walked up to my register with a box of biscuits. He said he was 8, had just moved into his room, and had 9 in his cupboards. He asked if we could let him have the food on trust. He promised to  10 me the next day.

    I couldn't help staring at him. I  11 what kind of person he had been years before, and 12 he would be like if luck had gong his way. I had a hurt in my heart for this kind of human soul. I told him that was 13 , but store rules didn't allow me to do so. I felt 14 and unkind saying this, but I 15 my job.

    Just then, another man, standing behind the first, spoke up. “If anything”, he looked more pitiable. “16 it to me.” was all he said.

    What I had been feeling was pity. Pity is soft and easy. Compassion, 17, is caring in action. I 18 the second man but told him that was not 19 either. Then I reached into my pocket and paid for the biscuits myself. I reached into my pocket 20 these two men had reached into my heart and taught me compassion.

    Diane Ray was completely self-centered and very spoilt. Her parents gave her1she wanted, knowing that she would throw a temper tantrum(耍小孩脾气)if they did not. She would scream and kick and2on the floor drumming her heels. Her parents always3.

    That was why she was alone on the4, wearing an expensive swimsuit. It has taken a massive tantrum to5her parents to buy it. They were back at the beach-house,6from the tantrum she had thrown when they told her that it was too dangerous to go diving7. “Dangerous?” she had said. “You just don't want me to have8. I'm going and if you try to stop me, I'll scream.”

    “What are you doing ?” a voice asked. Diane jumped. She did not know that the man was there9  he spoke .

    “I'm going diving, ” she answered.

    “You shouldn't swim that day, ” the man10. “There is a storm coming up.”

    “You should mind your own11!” Diane replied and walked into the gentle waves.

    “If you go out there you'll be12,” the man called after her. She did not bother to reply.

    Diane slipped into the water and dived13until white caps began rolling in and it became harder to14against the current (水流). Saltwater hit against her face, making it15to breathe. Oh, why had she not listened to advice.

    Panicking, she began to16. Then, just as it seemed as if she would slip beneath the surface, she heard a17voice. “Hold on ! I'm coming.” With18, she saw the old man rowing an ancient-looking boat towards her. “I hope you've learned a lesson. You put us both in19, ” he shouted angrily, as he dragged her over the side of the20. Gratefully, Diane thanked him and ran towards the beach-house.

    My father was a self-taught mandolin player. He was one of the best string instrument players in our town. Dad loved to play the mandolin for his families, who enjoyed listening to his play and1the Tennessee Waltz, Hatbor nights, Silver Bells, and so on. Dad was always there,2his time and efforts to see that his family had3in their life. If he could give pleasure to others, he4especially his families. I had to mature into a man and have children of my own5I realized how much he had sacrificed.

    I 6 the United States Air Force in January of 1962. Whenever I come home on7I would ask Dad to play the mandolin. He could touch your soul with the 8 that came out of that old instrument. He seemed to 9when he was playing you could see his pride in his ability to play so well for his family.

    While working at Todd Steel, Dad was 10in an accident. He got the third index finger of his left hand 11 between two pieces of steel. The doctor who operated12the finger could not save it, and Dad ended up having the tip of the finger13. He didn't lose enough of the finger,14it wouldn't stop him picking up anything, but it did15his ability to play the mandolin.

After the accident, Dad would make16for why he couldn't play. We wore him down and17he said "Okay, but remember, I can't hold down on the strings18I used to".19 for the family it didn't make any 20that Dad couldn't play as well.

    We went out to dinner tonight to celebrate my daughter's beautiful performance. We don't do this often because of our1budget.

    I noticed a very2mom come in with her three children, maybe about age 4 or 5. She looked like she had just3work. She sat with her children quietly taking care of them and4all their needs. Then I noticed as soon as the last course5arrived, she took a bite of her food in a hurry and then one of the6had to go to the bathroom. They all left the table and she7them—so lovingly and8— especially after what may have been a long day at work. She was still wearing some kind of uniform.

    I 9 myself from the table and quietly went to the hostess stand. I 10 $15 to the hostess and said, “Can you put this anonymously(匿名地) towards that mom of 3's 11？ I am hoping it will 12 at least the children's meals.” The hostess had such a lovely smile and accepted the 13. I didn't stand around 14 as I didn't want anyone—even my own family—to 15 what was going on. I wanted it to be completely anonymous.

    For the 16 of my meal, I did all I could not to pay any more attention 17 to the table, as I didn't want her to suspect that it was me that had 18 their dinner.

    It feels so 19 to live in this type of world, full of love and 20 ， instead of anger, sadness and self－service.

    Everybody seems to pay more attention to my little sister Lisa. I've 1 enough of this big-sister thing!

    So I decide to 2, with my favorite toys and other 3 like clothes. Mother 4 my running away. However, she's not as upset as she 5 be, "Are you going to Grandma's?" I can't believe she can even 6 this out. She's like a witch!

    I don't 7 her and go out. So 8 on my leaving, I'm unaware Mother is 9 me. Finally I get to Grandma's. 10 I even knock, the door opens. I realize Mother has 11 ahead.

    Mother comes in and sits down, patting her thigh (大腿), "Come here." I don't want to, but I'm hot and tired, so I 12 her thigh. She pushes my hair behind my ear and asks 13, "Dear, why have you left?" And it all comes out: "It's 14 and all the time with Lisa, I get into trouble..."

    Taking my face in her hands, Mum says, "I don't want you to be so 15. If it's hard for you, I'll call the orphanage and send her away tomorrow." I start to 16 and I beg her, "No. Don't send her away!" Seeming 17, Mother agrees.

    18, whenever we have a(n) 19, if I say, "Mum, Lisa's being mean to me!" Mum smiles, "You had your 20."

    From the age of five, I was constantly surrounded by fear. It started when I was sent to boarding school. I used to 1 the bed and, the first night it happened, I knocked on the nuns' (修女) door to ask for 2. Instead, they made me do the walk of 3, carrying a packet of wet sheets through all the 4 as they announced, 'Make way for the bed - wetter,' and 5 the children to laugh and shout horrible things. That happened 6.

    I grew into a problem 7 and spent much time in bars drinking to forget the hopelessness and 8. That's where I met my first husband, who turned out to be a 9 man. It was only when he 10 me into a state of unconsciousness that things changed. I knew I couldn't go back - if I did, I would 11. So I decided to remove the layers of pain and cruelty and 12 them with happiness and success. I started to read books about how to think highly of yourself. I got into 13 and won competitions, I realised, 'I am not a 14 person like the nuns and my husband told me.' I decided to take the 15 I used in sport - my determination to keep 16 - and apply them to everything in my life. That's when I 17 I was a really good business person.

    Whatever your past has been, don't 18 it for who you are today. Thy and find something 19 in it. That's the only possible way to 20 those things, be brave and turn everything around.