As I was taking a walk with my mom, I asked her, “Have you taken the senior bus yet?” I held my breath as I waited for her1. “Oh, yes. I have,” she said. “How was it?” I said the words as2 as I could to show my excitement, even though I sensed the answer was not going to be 3. She sighed heavily, “No one ever4 on that bus. They all sit there quietly and look sad. I only see about thirteen 5 old ladies and men.” My6 for her situation grasped my stomach.

    My dad had recently passed away, and his sudden leave made my mother7 and frightened. For fifty-seven years, my dad had walked by her side. Mom never learned to 8, so Dad drove her everywhere. Now, her wheels were gone, as one grandchild so properly9 her situation. I knew she needed great 10 to make the decision to take the senior bus. However, I firmly believed the11 wouldn't last too long, for Mom was so outgoing and active that she could chat with almost everybody whom she met in the street.

    Several days later, when I came to visit her, I asked, “Do they talk to you now?” She12 and there was a sparkle (火花) in her eyes. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the 13 had changed. “It was silly that all of us just sat there14 saying a word. So one morning when I 15, I greeted them and then remarked that what a nice day it was. Soon, they began to 16 and we chatted happily. Now we are friends and always have some good 17 on the bus, ” she replied.

    My mother held the key to the 18 of the other lonely people on that bus. A smile and some 19 words were all it took. She sowed tiny seeds of 20 for herself and her friends on the bus.

    My fiancé and I were excited about shopping for our first home. But our funds were1and none of the houses in our price range seemed satisfactory.

    One agent2a house in particular. Although her description sounded wonderful, the price was3our range, so we declined. But she kept urging us to have a look4.

    We finally did and it was5at first sight. It was Our Home, small and charming, overlooking a quiet lake. Walking through the rooms and talking with the owners, a nice elderly couple, we felt the warmth and6of the marriage within that home. As perfect as it was, the price remained too high for us. But every day, we would sit by the lake, looking at the house and dreaming of7it would be like to live there.

    Days later, we made a(n)8—far below the asking price. Surprisingly, they didn't9us. They renewed their offer10. It was also much more than we could afford, but far11than the original asking price.

    The next day, we got a12message that another buyer had offered a much higher price. Even so, we decided to talk with the13directly. We made our final offer, which14was thousands of dollars less than the other buyer's bid. We knew it,15we had to try.

     “Sold!” said the owner. Then he16: He'd seen us sitting by the lake all those times; he knew how much we loved the place and that we'd17the years of work they had put into their home; he realized he would take a18by selling it to us, but it was worthwhile; we were the people they wanted to live there. He told us to consider the19in the price “an early wedding present。“

    That's how we found our home and how I learned that when people are20they are not strangers, only friends we haven't yet met.

    A Commitment to Life

    The snow was falling and the roads had become dangerous. The schools were dismissed early, but much to my surprise, my1wasn't canceled. So I went, feeling especially heroic. As far as I could see, I was risking my life to keep my2. Snow or no snow, I would be on time for my scheduled donation at the local 3 center.

    When I got there, I discovered I wasn't4. Four more “hero-types” were already lying back in donor chairs with lines5to their veins, and machines quietly pumping away to6their lifesaving gifts.

    Seeing my fellow donors honoring their own commitments, I realized why I was there. I lay back in my donor chair, ready to make a difference in the life of someone I would never7.

    To be honest, I'd never really thought about why I donate. I just do it. But a few months ago, during one of my8donations I learned that my blood was specifically for a cancer patient and for a newborn baby—both patients needed what I would give in order to live. I've viewed my visits to the blood center9 ever since.

    My wife Karen is a 10  too. And more importantly, she has been on the bone marrow (骨髄) list for fifteen years, ever since she signed up to provide bone marrow to a kindergartner with leukemia (白血病). That little girl died before Karen's bone marrow could help her, 11Karen was called again recently. Her test results were still on file, and it turned out she was a potential 12 for someone else. The caller asked Karen if she would still be willing to become a bone marrow donor. “Yes,” she said and then immediately began answering questions on the pages of paperwork for further testing. It was a race13time.

    I wish I could say that this 14was won. It wasn't. The caller later thanked Karen for her participation and asked a few more questions—including whether or not she'd15 on the donor list. “Of course,” Karen answered.

    Last week Karen gave blood and next week I'll make my usual donation. I'll16an afternoon from my schedule and make an appointment. I don't know whose life my donation may 17 .Most likely it will be a 18  but on any day the person needing a blood product could be you or me or maybe a loved one. It is worthwhile to 19our time to donate.

    I really do feel 20 every time I donate. And I like the feeling.

    Steve, a 12-year-old boy, had been failing since first grade. He generally went 1 until he joined Miss White's class.

    "You all did pretty well," she told the 2as she went over the test results, " 3one boy, and it breaks my heart to tell you this, but ..." She hesitated, looking at Steve.

    "The 4boy in the seventh grade is failing my class." Steve 5his eyes and carefully examined his fingertips.

    After that, Steve refused to do his 6. Miss White was very 7and tried to encourage him to study.

    "Give yourself a 8! Don't give up on your life!" Miss White told him, yet it didn't 9.

    Then one day, she said, "Steve! Please! I care about you!"

    10, Steve got it. Someone cared about him.

    He spent the whole afternoon thinking about what he should do. Arriving at his house after school, feeling determined, he headed to his bedroom to 11.

    Monday morning, Miss White gave a 12on the weekend homework. Steve 13through the test, and was the first to hand in his paper. Miss White looked it over in total 14. The smartest boy in the seventh grade had just 15his first test.

    From that moment, nothing was the same for Steve. He discovered that not only could he learn, but he was 16it.

    After high school, Steve joined the Navy. During his naval career, he 17many young people who might not have believed in themselves if he hadn't believed in them first.

    Miss White saved one boy who 18changing many lives.

    You see, it's simple, really. A(n) 19can take place within the heart of one boy, all because of one teacher, who 20.

    Experts say boredom is good for kids. It forces them to be creative,1their imaginations, and helps them discover new things. A(n)2in point is 13－year－old Luke Thrill from Dubuque, Iowa.

    Luke was3of playing video games and riding his bike, so he decided to build a tiny house in his backyard instead. He made money from cutting lawns(草坪) and4exchanged some services, such as gaining the help of an electrical engineer5sweeping his garage. Luke also6spare materials from his grandmother's house and other7materials from his neighbors for some of the windows and the door.

    The 89－square－foot home cost $1, 500 to build and818 months. Inside there's a kitchenette, a back sitting room, a table and a mounted(镶嵌的) TV, and an upstairs bedroom can be easily9by stairway.

    Although Luke did the10and learned how to do all the work, he had his father's11throughout the project. Greg Thrill was very happy that his son learned to stay on12and deal with grown－ups.13, he had some simple rules when Luke14the house: “You15the money. You build it. And you own it.”

    Luke is now in love with16. He has a YouTube channel and hopes to17other kids to start building.18, he wants to build a bigger tiny house to live in, but for now, he19in his new home a few nights a week, does homework there, and uses it to take a20from his twin brother.

When I was in second grade, my single greatest fantasy was to fly like a bird. As I grew older, I 1 flying off as part of my childhood imagination, being 2 beyond possibility. But two days after my eighteenth birthday, my childhood fantasy should become a 3.

Once the engines came to 4, I knew there was no 5. In 20 minutes I would be 6 out of this airplane. As I looked out of the window, I could see my brothers videotaping the plane as it 7, and now they were only 8 figures standing next to the runway. Looking across at my jump mate, 9 he had successfully completed over 2,400 jumps, I could see from the look in his eyes that he was still 10. I realized that I was too.

As the door 11, the wind screamed past my ears. Generally, I do not 12 out loud when I am frightened, but as my feet fell from the plane, my mind was experiencing 1, 000 13 per second. After a few seconds, I found myself 14, "Why did I do this?" The only responses that came to my mind were more questions. Did I jump because of the endless lure(吸引) of the sky? Was it to test my 15? Was it to seek a new adventure? 16 through the sky at 165 miles per hour, I did not find my answer.

Finally, I17with a thump (砰然声) as my family ran to greet me. As I 18 the field and drew in my first breath, I knew that having my feet on the ground again would take on a new meaning. Since entering high school, I have felt the need to 19 myself and to constantly push my limits. In this respect, skydiving(特技跳伞) has 20 another door for me to explore and I will continue to leap at the chance to face a challenge.