I went to a dinner party at a friend's home last weekend and met her five-year-old daughter for the first time. Little Maya was all curly brown hair, dark eyes, and lovely 1 her shiny pink nightgown ( 睡裙) .I wanted to say, “Maya, you're so2!

    Turn around and model that pretty gown for me. You're beautiful!” But I didn't.

    “Maya,” I said,3into her eyes, “it's very nice to meet you.”

    “ Nice to meet you, too.” She said, in that4, talking-to-adults, good girl voice.

    “Hey, what are you reading?” I asked. Her eyes got bigger, and the practiced, polite facial 5gave way to real excitement over this6. But she seemed too7 to answer me.

    “I love books,” I said. “Do you?”

    Most8do.

    “Yes,” she said. “And I can9them all by myself now!”

    “Wow,10!” I said. And it is, for a five-year-old.

    “What's your favourite book?” I asked.

    “I'll go and get it! Can I read it to you?”

    Purplicious was Maya's11, and a new one to me, as she sat next to me and12read aloud every word. Then I told her that I'd just13a book, and that I hoped she'd write one, too, one day. She was crazy14 that idea. We were both sad when Maya had to go to bed,15I told her next time to choose another book and we'd read it.

    Try this the next time you meet a little girl. She may be16and unsure at first, because few people ask her about her17, but be patient and stick with it. Ask her what she's reading. What does she like and dislike, and why? You're just18 an intelligent (明智的) conversation that respects her brain. Tell her about your19 and accomplishments, and your favourite books. Set a good example for her of what a 20woman says and does.

    I lifted my wet woollen gloves to my face and wiped the snowflakes from my eyes. I could not feel my nose and my 1 formed a thick fog in the air. The biting wind was making me2. I was fed up! I didn't want to be here. I wanted to go home. But Mum and Dad had 3me to go for a Sunday afternoon walk in the park. I could see my 4 in the snowy path, like a trail of breadcrumbs (一串面包屑) in the forest showing me the way 5.

    I stopped and listened to my 6. I could 7 the wind crying like a homeless dog hungry for a delicious 8. The once-green tree 9, which used to wave gently in the breeze, had become bare, and the grass was covered with a 10 blanket of fresh snow. Then I saw a broken spider's web shining golden beneath a pale sun. My breath was like silky soft 11 floating up into the freezing cold air.

    Suddenly there was Mum, 12 handing me a big cup of hot chocolate. Her big smile immediately 13 my heart.

    "Here you are, Jo. This will keep you 14," she said as she placed a comforting arm around my shoulders and 15 her cheek against mine.

    I slowly took a mouthful of the hot 16 and felt it slowly dripping down my throat like lava (熔岩) 17 down a mountainside. My wet woollen gloves were now warm, not 18. My breath warmed, and I was 19 fed up or cold. I was happy and 20.

    Ann's neighbor Tracy found a lost dog wandering around the local high school. She asked Ann if she could keep an eye on it. Ann said that she could 1 it only for the day.

    Tracy took photos of the 2 and printed off 400 FOUND fliers (传单), and put them in mailboxes. Meanwhile, Ann bought some pet 3 in the dollar store nearby, and warned her two 4 not to fall in love with it. At the time, Ann's son Thomas was 10 years old, and Jack, who was 5 from a heart operation, was 21 years old.

    Four days later Ann was still 6 the dog, whom they had started to 7 Riley. When she arrived home from work, the dog 8 itself against the screen door and barked 9 at her. As soon as she opened the door, Riley 10 into the boys' room where Ann 11 that Jack was suffering a heart attack. Riley ran over to Jack, and as soon as Ann bent over to 12 him the dog went13.

    "If it hadn't come to get me, the 14 said Jack would have died," Ann reported to a local newspaper. At this point, no one had called to 15 the dog, so Ann decided to keep it.

    The next morning Tracy got a call. A man named Peter 16 his dog and called the 17  on the flier. Tracy started 18, and told him, "That dog 19 my friend's son."

    Peter drove to Ann's house to 20 his dog, and saw Thomas and Jack crying in the window. After a few moments Peter said, "Maybe Odie was supposed to find you, maybe you should keep it."

    The day I received my letter of acceptance to NewYork university, I was extremely excited. It was my dream university. And my1 were pleased for me. But they also hadn't2 me to get into such a competitive school. In fact, the best thing they ever did for me was to 3  me from doing things4 - indeed, when I was in elementary school, they offered to buy me a present5I got a C.

    It 6 when I was in the third grade. An only child in an Asian family, I had just 7 with my family to Los Angeles. Months into the third grade, I developed a strong feeling of8 about getting bad grades. Seeing my anxiety, Dad said, "Kate, tell you what. If you get a C or 9, I'll buy you a present. If you score higher than that, I won't buy you anything, because you won't10 it."

    Clearly dad wasn't the 11Asian tiger parent, pressuring me to work tirelessly for the best12, and neither was my mom. They didn't want to push me. They wanted me to be13 and healthy. Dad's 14  of a "failing grade" gift amazingly15 my worries and reassure. What's more, I16getting A's and B's throughout high school, but without the added stress and fear of failing. I think it was my parents' lack of stress on grades that gave me 17 to encourage my own desire for achievements. I now realize I was 18 when I thought I didn't receive a present from my dad that day. He gave me two invaluable19 : the space to develop my own desire for excellence, and the healthy mind to 20it.

    Last December, just a week before Christmas, I went to a local KMart store to pick up my layaway(预付定金购物). Upon reaching the counter, I 1 the clerk my layaway receipts and told her I was there to pay off the balance and take the  2 home with me. She grabbed my receipts, and kept messing with the computer 3 something was wrong. I felt a little uneasy. I was4 her to tell me my layaway had been misplaced or something of the sort.

5, after about ten minutes, she said. "Oh, that's why I can't find it in our 6. You should have 7a phone call a few days ago that your layaway was paid off by a(n) 8 Santa. "I couldn't believe what I was hearing! This kind of story only happens in the 9. Why was my family 10 to receive such a blessing?

    Immediately I asked the cashier if there was a 11 that I could leave something for the Santa 12 his random act of kindness, but she said that the individual wanted to 13 completely unknown. It definitely 14 my heart. However. I felt 15. I kept thinking that perhaps some family out there was not going to have a Christmas because they really couldn't 16to pick up their layaway.

    I decided to pay it 17, so I used the money I had for the balance on my account to purchase some 18 and on my way out, I gladly 19 them off inside a huge toy donation box. Since I had received such a nice, heart warming gesture from someone, I wanted to keep the 20 going. And it felt nice to receive and to be able to give right back.