One of the most famous Americans in the 19th century was Conwell. One day, a penniless young man went to him saying he wanted to1 a college. Then Conwell decided to build a university for 2 but deserving students. He would 3 a few million dollars. For Dr. Conwell, and anyone with real 4 in life, nothing could stand 5 of his goal.

    Several years earlier, Dr. Conwell was deeply 6 by a true story. It was about a(n)7 in Africa who sold his only land and was 8 about looking for diamonds everywhere but in vain.9he broke down completely and threw himself into a river and 10 Meanwhile, the new owner of his farm in his yard picked up a(n)11looking rock about the size of a country egg and put it on his cap as a sort of curiosity. An jewellery expert passing by spotted the true value of the 12 The farm 13 to be the Kimberly (金伯利) Diamond Mine, the richest the world has 14 known. So we can know that the15farmer was actually standing on it until he sold his farm.

    Everyone is in the middle of our own “Acre of Diamonds”16 we would realize it and develop the ground we are standing on before going off! Dr. Conwell told this story many times and attracted enormous audiences. With talents in speeches he 17 the money to start the college Temple University in Philadelphia.

    When Conwell talked about we being on our own “Acre of Diamonds”, he 18 it. This story does not get 19 -- it will be true forever.20 does not just come along - it is there all the time - we just have to see it.

    “Leave a place better than you found it.” It is a 1 philosophy, but one that William Lindesay

    2 dear.On April 22, which was also Earth Day, he led twenty 3 to help clean up the Jiankou section of the Great Wall.

    “He who 4 is the owner,” William said in the 5 remarks of the cleanup event in 2000.“The Great Wall 6China, and is also one of the greatest 7 in the world.Everyone has a 8 to protect it.Every day should be Earth Day,” he said.

    During the past three decades, he has spent most of his time 9 and exploring the Great Wall and has developed his own 10 to protect the cultural relic.

    “It's a 11 thing that people are going out to enjoy themselves and to 12 the great history and heritage, 13 it's also quite dangerous if they don't 14 how fragile (易损坏的) the historical sites are and how fragile the 15 is,” William said.

    In 1989, his first 16Alone on the Great Wall was published, and he has published another five books about the Great Wall since then.In 2001, he 17 International Friends of the Great Wall, a(n)

    18 whose efforts are aimed at protecting this 19to the past.

    His next step is to organize exhibitions about the Great Wall as a 20 over the last 400 years.

    The exhibitions are expected to be held in Beijing, London, Paris and Washington DC.

     My husband and I insisted that our children were old enough to clean their rooms and make their beds. But they thought 1. My complaints, even self-justified shouting, were always landing on 2 ears.  Very often a whole hour's scolding would end with their 3 into tears, I felt very frustrated (沮丧的).I realized I needed to 4 my method of "mothering".

     One day when they were at school, I spent some time 5 their rooms. On their desks, in plain 6, I left the cards: " Bill (the other card was 7 to Sarah), your room was messy this morning and I'm sure you like it clean. Love, the Room Fairy." 8 arriving back, the children were 9 excited to receive the little note from the Room Fairy. The next day, their rooms were fairly tidy. Sure enough, there was another note from the Room Fairy 10 for them, thanking them for their nice "gift" of a clean room and 11 asking them to play a certain violin 12. Each day, thank--you notes would be written differently to keep the ideas 13.

     Sometimes the Room Fairy would propose a little 14: "If you can finish your homework and 15 your lessons before dinner, I'd like to watch a particular television program with you tonight." Sometimes some colored markers or other little items would be left in 16 of well done jobs the day17.

     18 I can't remember how long "the Room Fairy" continued leaving her love notes. When they were age appropriate, we used various versions of Post-Its(贴条). The bathroom mirror became the 19 centre of our home. Appointments, notices about visiting relatives, lesson schedules, and changes in plans could be posted.

     We all benefited from and 20the idea of sharing reminders and daily details of life through notes. I believe the true advantage of the Room Fairy notes survives in our frequent and enjoyable communication.

    Frank was walking down the 6th Street on a hot sunny day when he saw smoke coming out of the street. He could 1 the smoke, and it was getting2. Seeing the smoke coming out of a storm drain(雨水沟), Frank called the fire department 3. “The storm drain is 4 fire!” he said. The fire department asked for his whereabouts and he said he was near the 6th street. They said they would be right there to investigate the situation. Frank needn't to go anywhere, so he waited for the 5 to arrive. He was curious what could be burning beneath the street. As far as he knew, there wasn't anything beneath the street 6 concrete(混凝土). And everyone knows that concrete doesn't 7.

    A fire truck arrived a few 8 later. “Are you the man who 9?” asked the driver. “Yes.” Frank answered. By now Frank could not only smell the 10 but also hear crackling sounds, just like wood burning. The firemen didn't seem to11it an emergency. “What do you think it could be?” Frank asked the driver. “Oh, we know what it is. We have to 12 a problem like this every few months. It's the homeless people in their 13.”

    Homeless people have been living under the streets for years.14 their knowledge of the storm drain system, they 15 their own “houses” beneath the streets. These living areas have tables, mattresses, chairs, and sofas. The settlers often “borrow” electricity by connecting to a live wire above ground to 16 their own lights and even TVs underground. Either this 17 electricity or a cigarette can cause an occasional fire.

    Frank watched 18  some firemen lifted a manhole cover (井盖) and went beneath the street with a fire hose (消防软管). Then a few minutes later, the 19 smoke turned white. Shortly afterward, the firemen reappeared with a 20 person who seemed to have just been woken up.

    On the Iraq-Syria border, a pack of wild dogs circled a group of American soldiers for food. The1of the pack was a gray-and-white dog. The soldiers2him Nubs. Nubs was shaking and3able to stand. Marine major Brian Dennis looked closer and saw that there was a knife wound4his chest.

    Dennis couldn't5seeing the dog suffer. He and his men immediately treated the wound, and gave Nubs oral medicine. Nubs pulled through but was still6The next day, the team had to leave. Ten days later, Dennis's unit was back and so was Nubs. He was still7, but the men fed him and played with him.

Before long the unit once again8an outpost (前哨) 70 miles away. Nubs, slowly but9tracked them far into the trackless wasteland until the men lost10of him. Two days later, beyond Dennis's11, he saw Nubs just outside the outpost. The dog had12him across 70 miles of frozen desert to meet the friend who had saved his life. From then on Nubs and the men slept in the same place, and ran around in the same ruins.

    Until a(n)13came down from above that they should not be allowed to have pets, Dennis decided to make sure the dog14continue to live the good life. So he quickly15$4,000 from his family and friends to fly Nubs to16.

    A month later, when Dennis and the dog were17in California, at first Nubs didn't recognize the guy.18within seconds, the dog flew into Dennis's arms,19up again and again to lick his friend's face.

    A little care and concern in the middle of war will not save a20world. But small stories, like the story of a soldier and a dog, hold a promise of a harmonious world.

    The Great Depression started in 1929 and lasted until about 1939. During that time, many people lost their1. My parents were2 them. It was 1935 when I was 10 years old. We still 3 on relief (救济).

    A few days before Christmas, I was washing the4 after dinner when I looked out of a kitchen window and saw my father sitting on the stoop (门廊), wearing a(n) 5 face. A mailman saw him and asked him what was wrong.

    I heard my father say that he had 6 his food vouchers (票券) and that the 7 had gone beyond the time limit. He had tried to work as a laborer through the Works Progress Administration, but he  8 because he wasn't a very 9 man. The work was too hard for him. I was 10, having seen newspaper pictures of people being  11 out of the apartments with all their belongings. "How much do you need?" the mailman asked 12. My dad said he needed $33 for the rent. Without thinking twice, the mailman took out $50 from his wallet and 13 it to my father. My dad said, "I don't know when I'll be able to pay you back." The mailman put an arm around my father and 14 him by saying, "Things will not be this way 15.It doesn't matter 16 you will pay me back."

    The mailman 17 me looking through the window and said, "There will be times in the future when someone 18 your help. I hope you and your son 19 today. Help them in your own 20 and tell them what happened today. This will be my payback. Merry Christmas！"