On a sunny day, Linda and Jack were to try the new boat on the river.Linda jumped out of bed excitedly, got dressed quickly and woke up her brother Jack.

    After1Linda and Jack arrived at the riverbank and2the new blue boat waiting for them.They got into the boat and packed their picnic under the3.Linda started the engine and4they went into the wide, brown and unknown5of the river.

    Suddenly, they found the boat sounded6round a bend in the river.On the distant sandbank they saw a long dark creature7in the sun. It opened one eye at them and then suddenly disappeared into the8.

    “What was that?” shouted Jack.

    “It looked like a crocodile to me!” said Linda.“We'd better be9.”Just as they came round the next10, the engine11and came to a stop.Linda12to start the engine again. But it wouldn't start. They were13.

    “Let's get the wooden oars,” said Jack. “Maybe we can 14 the boat free.

    They tried but failed.

    “We're stuck on a sandbank,” said Linda. “We'll just have to sit here having our15and wait for the water to16.”

    “It's boring!” said Jack.

    Suddenly, they felt the boat move .It moved slowly off the sandbank. And the engine started again. Just at the same time they noticed a black17by the boatside and in no time it disappeared in the brown water ahead.

    They18heir journey down the river. It was so exciting .

    At noon they saw a small river19the main river. It wasn't on the map . “Let's20there!” said Linda.

    The boat turned and went into the smaller channel .On both sides grew thick unknown trees.

To me, kindness is a chosen lifestyle. In my classroom, I tell my1that every day they are offered a choice. They can't choose what happens to them, but they can choose how they2to it. Kindness is a3. And it is a lifestyle. It isn't something that we just choose once in a while— it is a(n)4to live our lives.

    My father was hospitalized with leukemia(白血病) when I was in college. He didn't choose the cancer.5, he chose how to react to it. To this day, seventeen years later, the nurses6write my mother letters. The7? It was because of my father's kindness to others even when he was8against the disease. He made kindness a lifestyle.

    And I want to be 9him. Every day as a teacher, I try and teach my students the kindness lifestyle. Just recently, I turned 40 and a friend gave me 40 individual dollar bills. She challenged me to do something10with the money. I gladly accepted the challenge.

    I gave 40 of my students one dollar each and challenged them to make a(n)11. What happened? My Twitter and Instagram were 12with pictures of kids making the world a better place. One girl bought a dollar store stuffed animal(填充玩具). It was13that kids should have made a difference when they were given the 14.

    Living the kindness lifestyle 15 every day, every opportunity. As a high school teacher, I see16everywhere. In the hallways, in the lunchroom, in the locker room,17words and gossip fill the air. So I started a hashtag (标签) to18positive gossip called “third party compliments(称赞)”. The idea is that you talk about people behind their backs, but do it in a 19way. In that way, the gossip that gets back to students makes their day instead of getting them down.

    Our kindness lifestyle leaves a footprint on others, and let us be the movers and kindness-makers who20a better, more beautiful world.

    My mother and I started our morning by rushing into the local grocery store. I waited in line at the Starbucks counter while she 1 around to pick up a few things.

    As I was 2 there I noticed an elderly woman, wearing layers（层）3 layers of old torn clothing, moving behind me in line.

    She had a few toiletries（化妆品）and seemed to want the Starbucks cashier to 4 since our queue was shorter than the grocery store queues were.

    At some point I became 5 of her moving closer behind me — it was 6 than I was comfortable with! I instinctively（本能地）7 a hand over my purse and drew it closer to me. My fear and imagination raced creating wild 8 about this homeless woman who might try to 9 from me.

    Then it was my 10 to order. As the cashier rang up my total, I discovered I was 37 cents 11. I called to my mother but she was hard of hearing. She asked me to 12 what I said but she still couldn't 13 me out.

    At that point, a long grey arm, with 14 in its sleeves, 15 over from behind me. She laid 37 cents out on the counter, saying, "Here. We all need some 16 sometimes."

    I was 17 ! Here was a woman who clearly had very little to 18 and in great need herself. I had judged her 19 and she had reached out, voluntarily, to help me!

    What an amazing gift and lesson this woman gave me about 20 others. Thank you, God!

A Story on an Island

    A ship was lost at sea and the only survivor was washed up on a small, inhabited (无人居住的) island. He prayed 1 for God to rescue him and for hours he just2at the horizon (地平线), waiting for a heaven-sent 3but it never came.

    Then he decided to do something. 4tired and upset, he 5some branches and dry grass. Hours of hard work paid off and a little shelter was built. The "Robinson Crusoe" began his life on the island. Believe it or not, a couple of days going by, he6and it seemed not that hard.

    But then one day, after7 for food, he arrived home to find his little shelter in flames and the8rolling up to the sky.

    The9had happened: everything was lost.

    "God, how could you do this to me!" he criedwith10and anger.

    Early the next day,11, he was awakened by the12of a ship that was coming near to the island. It had come to rescue him!

    "13did you know that I was here?" he asked one of his rescuers.

    "We saw your smoke14", they replied.

    It is easy to get15when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose16, because God is at work in our lives, 17when we are in pains and sufferings.

    Remember, next time your little 18 is burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal(信号) that calls 19 the grace of God. For all the negative (消极的) things we have to say to ourselves, God has a/an 20answer for it.

A Wonderful Christmas Gift

    Ann and her mother had lived in a small cottage. Christmas was so close，and so was her birthday.

    Ann wished she could get a new1with lace as a wonderful Christmas gift. All her friends would be getting new dresses.2Ann did not want to ask her Mom for that.  She knew how hard her mom worked to make both ends meet. Maybe she could make a3maybe Santa Claus would come，even though she knew that Santa Claus is just an imaginary character.

    It was not just gift that4Ann. It was her mother. Nowadays she was working overtime and looked pale and worn out.

    The days passed and soon it was Christmas Eve. In everyone's house, except Ann's ,a Christmas tree adorned(装饰)the living room. In the5there hung the baked cakes and turkey. But6lovely was being cooked in Ann's house. Every child went to bed eagerly waiting for the lovely gifts that he or she would7the next day. Ann went to bed with a8heart. She knew that there would be no gifts for her.

    Ann wished with her whole heart that at least this time she would get a gift from Santa Claus. Ann slowly drifted off to sleep. She dreamt of Santa riding in the snow on his reindeers.

    Ring.…Ring.…Ann jumped, hearing alarm.

    She suddenly remembered that it was Christmas morning. Without much hope she looked9there were any gifts for her. Wonder of wonders! There lay a beautiful packet tied with a red ribbon.

    Ann excitedly opened the package. It was a pretty white dress with attractive lace. She10the gift carefully to find out who gave it to her. Suddenly a small piece of paper fell out from it. Ann11started to read the note.

    "Dear Ann ，

    This dress is given to you as a12for being a good girl. Hope you continue to do good things and help your mother.

    Your Loving friend ，

    Santa Claus"

    Ann felt that there was something familiar about this note. She looked into the note carefully. Then it13her. It was her mother who had worked overtime to save money to buy this expensive gift. Ann was happy14words. She knew that she was the15girl to have such a wonderful mother as a wonderful Christmas gift.

In his book, Intentional Living, author John Maxwell shares that back in 1976, he received a gift from one of his {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (assist). As he unwrapped the gift, he saw that it was a book {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (name) The Greatest Story Ever Told. He couldn't wait {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (read) it.

But when he opened the book he was {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (astonish) to see that the pages were blank. Inside the book was {#blank#}5{#/blank#} note that said, "John, your life is before you. Fill these pages with kind acts and good thoughts of your heart. Write a great story about your life." The intention of writing the story of his life excited him. Then, he {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (begin) to write his book.

Every day we live out our story through our words, actions and decisions. But we must remember to live with intention to focus on what {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (matter) most in life and to regain that focus when we get changed. Without intention, we can become unfocused in things {#blank#}8{#/blank#} needn't add to a life of significance and difference in our world.

Life isn't perfect and it's always hard, {#blank#}9{#/blank#} we need reminders in our life from a friend, author, blogger, pastor or our inner spirit to re-focus us on the things that matter and make us live {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (positive).