When I was young at school, I loved to talk, a characteristic not always appreciated by Miss Jordan, my tenth-grade English teacher.

    She was a teacher no one wanted because she was so1 She stood about five-foot-five, was very thin and wore her hair pulled back in a way that gave her a horsy2She wore those half-circular reading glasses. Whenever she got upset, she would lower her head and look at you over the top of her glasses.

    One day in her class I was busy talking. I didn't 3 she had stopped teaching and was4straight at me. “Young lady, I would like to see you after school.”

    Later Miss Jordan5in a low, but very firm voice that showed she expected me to listen when she was talking. For6 she told me to write a thousand-word essay on education and its effect on the economy. She wanted it in by the following Wednesday.

    Well, I met my deadline. I was7. It was a good paper. And I expected a sign of 8 from her. The next day in class9 she was looking at me over her glasses. She called me forward and10 my paper. “Go back and rewrite,” she said. “Remember, each paragraph is supposed to begin with a topic sentence.” When she gave my paper back a second time, she 11 the grammar. The third time, the spelling. The fourth time, it was punctuation. The fifth, it wasn't neat enough. I was12!

    The sixth time, I rewrote the whole paper 13in ink, leaving generous space. When she saw it, she removed her glasses and smiled She finally14 the paper. After that, I put the whole thing out of my15.

    Two or three months passed. One day Miss Jordan came into the class and said to us: Class, do you still16 an essay contest held citywide? They've announced the 17 I am happy to inform you that Mary has won third prize in the essay contest 'On the Impact of Education on the Economy'.”

    I was amazed and18 It was the first time I had ever won a prize. Years later, I told a reporter that story, and my comments — including my unfriendly19 of Miss Jordan's appearance. Miss Jordan wrote me, and said that her appearance wasn't what was important. What was important was the20 I had learnt. When I wrote and rewrote that paper for her, I began to learn how to discipline myself.

    As I was sitting in a coffee shop in a town, a man entered and sat beside me.

    He 1 his order saying, “Two cups of coffee, one on the wall.” I heard this order with 2 and observed that he was served with one cup of coffee but he 3 two. The waiter 4 a piece of paper on the wall saying A Cup of Coffee.

    5 I was still there, two other men entered and 6 three cups of coffee, two on the table and one on the wall. The waiter did the 7; he pasted a piece of paper on the wall saying, A Cup of Coffee.

    It seemed that this gesture was a 8 in this town.

    The next day while I was 9 my coffee in the same coffee shop, a man 10 entered. As he seated himself, he looked at the 11 and said, one cup of coffee from the wall. The waiter served the poorly-dressed man with 12. The man had his coffee without paying. The waiter took 13 a piece of paper from the wall and threw 14 in the dust bin.

    I was deeply moved by the great 15 for the needy shown by this town. Coffee is not a necessity of life. 16, when we take pleasure in any blessing, maybe we need to think about those who cannot 17 to have it.

    I also admire the waiter, who is playing a 18 role to get the communication going between the affording and the 19 with a smile on his face. The poorly-dressed man entered the coffee shop without having to 20 his self-pride. He simply looked at the wall, placed an order for himself, and enjoyed his coffee with dignity.

    "The biggest obstacles (阻碍) in our lives are the barriers our mind creates..." The quote I saw in an old friend's house when I was about eleven has got me through the 1 parts of my life, which has actually been based on it. When I 2 for the basketball team, not 3 it became what I was worried about most. I went to the tryouts but simply sat on the sidelines and 4. I missed out on making the team, not for lack of 5, but because of the rather too big barriers I bore in my head preventing me getting around and then 6 the ball.

    The year continued, and at that age I hadn't overcome the fears 7 in my mind. Football season came and yet again I had to try out for the team, 8 to display myself to the full. Once again the barrier in my head kept me from doing something I loved.

    From that moment on I knew that God wouldn't make barriers if somebody could 9 them. I started training, mentally, 10, and emotionally.

    I went to a small 11 in the county where the teachers didn't care whether you succeeded. I went to practice daily and competed as if it was my 12 day outing on a helmet. Later that week I made the football team. But it was simply 13. In my eyes this wasn't good enough, and I could do much better. In the middle of the season, the coaches said I was 14 to play with the big boys, and before I knew it I was starting as a(n) 15.

    I'd come a long way from the little boy that was scared from his own 16 I had 17 in whatever I did. I tried out for wrestling and made the team, the AAU basketball team and made that 18. I then realized I was a(n) 19 athlete, and that the obstacle course started to become smaller. I chose to 20 myself and let nothing get in the way.

    "Where is the bus?" I asked myself. I was going to be late and the manager wasn't going to be 1 ." Thank God. Here it is." The bus  2 round the corner and I got on. Ten minutes later I was walking into the 3 where I work. Twenty-five past nine. I hope the manager doesn't notice. But no 4luck.

    "Smith!" shouted the manager. "Late again. What's your 5 this time?"" I'm afraid the bus was late, Mr. Brown." "6 up earlier tomorrow! Anyway, get to business at the counter. We'll be opening in a few minutes."

    My first customer was a pretty girl 7 a red dress. Behind her was a young man of about 25. He seemed very 8 , and 9 few seconds he looked towards the main entrance. The girl asked about opening a bank account. I gave her the necessary 10 and she walked out. 11 , I noticed a tall man by the door, carrying something 12 with brown paper. Turning to my next customer, I was terrified to see a gun 13 out of his coat. The next moment a loud noise 14 my ears. Everything went black. I was falling.... After 15 seemed a very a long time, I opened my eyes and found myself in bed! 16 shaking from the memory of this terrible dream, I got dressed and ran out of the house. As 17, the bus wasn't on time, and I arrived at 9:25.

    "Smith!" the manager cried out in a voice like thunder. " Later again! Go and start work at once!" To my 18 , the first customer was a girl 19 a red dress and behind her stood a man carrying something wrapped in brown paper. The dream!  20 that the surprise of my life!

    This is so easy, inexpensive, and has always brought either of two 1: a look of shock or a big smile. I am a cane(手杖) walking senior lady with mobility 2, especially in cold weather but I have a sharp 3 for useful bargains and since I still 4, I can do this without having to get in and out of the car to help people.

    Here is how it "works". When I see gloves, warm hats and scarves on sale (new or in good condition from a second-hand store), I buy them very 5. If laundering(洗涤)is 6, I do it to 7 tiny stains, so everything looks good.

    I have a large basket that I keep in the passenger side of my car and I "file" these things in it, where I can 8 reach over and get whatever I determine is most 9 for someone who is without and out in the cold.

    I am always 10 of things and people around me in parking lots and along the walkways of my small hometown. But when I see someone obviously 11 and without what will help them, I 12 beside them, roll down my 13, and ask if they will 14 and wear all three things or whatever is needed...and then as they stare at me in 15, I always add: "I have things right here in my 16 to share. Please me by 17 them to stay warm when you are outside."

    Not yet have I 18 hostility (敌意)or felt in any danger, but since so many of the items are "cheerful" colors, I often see the persons I gave them to walking down the street. It 19 my heart to know that my items are being used and 20.

Anytime I travel on my bicycle across the country,I'm always amazed by how kind people can be to strangers.

One night,my friends and I were camping in a town in Missouri.There was a severe storm and we were getting  1 .A complete stranger came by to2 us that there were tornadoes(龙卷风)heading  our  way.The stranger invited us to his home.We were surprised by his3 for our safety.Later we learned that there had  been a lightening strike near the place where we had camped and several cattle had been4 .

Fortunately,we spent the night in a nice dry home.We were5 given the opportunity to take a shower. The next morning we had breakfast with the family and6 contact  information.In  a way we  felt  like  the family had become a part of our journey.This was one of the most heartwarming7 of my life because this  family had nothing to8 by being so kind to us.We were9 not the type they would usually10 but they treated us with respect and kindness.  The kindness of a stranger always11 my faith in humanity.Whatever the person12 always comes with no strings attached and that's the most13 part.

That family 14 us so much that during the rest of the trip,we 15 others out every chance we got. We even bought food with our busking(街头卖艺)tips for the homeless.It's always heartwarming when giving feels  as good as receiving.