“I don't feel right about this,” I said to one of my cousins in a low voice. She nodded in 1 . Not wanting to be the first to touch the food, I waited for one of the older adults to start.

    Thanksgiving usually meant 2  and full stomachs, however, this year was 3. My family sat around the dinner table 4 at our feast. Everyone had a full plate, everyone except for Grandma. The treatment for throat cancer would 5  one of her great pleasures, eating. This was the first 6of many food-focused 7  to come. I could not imagine what it would be like to never taste food again. My cousin Molly broke the 8 with a raise of her glass, “To Nat.” We all followed her lead. “Your 9 and strength encourage us all,” she continued. Grandma smiled, holding back her tears with great 10 . “Thank you. Please, please eat.” And with that, we all began to eat. Conversation broke 11around the room while Grandma laughed and talked with us all. Cancer would take away her ability to eat, but not the gift of being the best hostess. The evening went on as 12 Thanksgivings do. By the time the night was over, I felt 13 to my family than ever before. I learned that we gather together on holidays not to eat rich feast, but to 14 and share with one another. We 15 my Grandmother's courage, but we all learned a lesson in grace. In the years following, my Grandma 16 to create meals for family events. She told me once with a laugh, “I may not be able to eat, but I can 17 taste things.” With a 18 heart, Grandma prepared what she could not have for the only purpose of making us 19 . She inspired me to learn to cook and helped me find the 20 to make everything come together: love.

    What do you think of that? One man donated(捐赠) his stem cells (干细胞)to a(n) 1 living on the other side of the world.

    A man working as a taxi driver in Shanghai 2 an activity about stem cell donation. Shortly after, he received the 3 that his stem cells had been matched to a boy in England. The receiver is just seven years old. The driver, Jiang Yongfeng, 4 to donate his stem cells at once. “I did not expect it to happen so 5. I was so excited to get a match so soon.” He says. “6 I learned the boy was only born in 2008, I was silent. And I 7 I made the right decision. I must help him.”

    Some people 8 stem cell transplants to treat cancer. They must 9 a donor with nearly the same genes(基因). It means the matched 10 must have the very similar gene. The possibility of the long-distance match between Jiang Yongfeng and the little boy is 11. It sounds like a 12miracle（奇迹）. “ The little boy receiving Jiang's donation is very 13, ” doctors said.

    Some donors were 14 to donate stem cells in out-dated ways because of poor health care systems years ago. It was a(n) 15 experience that many people couldn't stand. 16, Mr. Jiang was able to use a simpler and safer method.

    Usually donors and receivers do not meet, nor do they know each other's 17. Does Jiang Yongfeng mind that he doesn't even know the little boy's name? “ No,” he shakes his 18. “ I just want the operation to be done as soon as possible so that they can send my 19 to the UK and help the little kid 20 as soon as possible. I hope he can be brave and strong and that he can live a good life.

    I came into the head teacher's office, where my brother was waiting for me. He was filling out papers for me to 1. He turned to face me and his eyes were red. I knew that something 2 had happened.

    “Amanda had a car accident, and now she is in hospital.” he said. I was astonished. How could that happen? Amanda was the 3driver I knew.

    Without a thought in my head, I got out of the school and 4 to the medical center. She was lying on a bed with her 5 covered from the eyebrows up. Nothing could explain my feeling 6 she looked up at me with blood-filled eyes. In her eyes, where I had expected to see7, I saw strength. She said to me, “I love you, Renee.” I was shamed and speechless realization that I 8 told my sister I loved her.

    As the doctors 9 her down the hallway to the X-ray room, I wanted to scream out to her that I loved her, but I couldn't. I cried with tears of 10.

    Everyone kept telling me she would be all right. 11, something in their voices spoke loudly of the doubt that everyone was trying to 12. Finally, the doctor came, “She's going to be fine.” Great! I knew that the accident could leave a large scar(伤疤) on her head but she was 13, and that's all that 14to me.

    A year later, I still have a(n) 15, even though we complain about each other. Every time I see her face and the large scar, I remember to tell her that I love her. I almost lost the opportunity to tell her that, and I am thankful I still can.

    You may not realize it, but you are doing much more than just studying when you are at school. School is also the place 1you socialize and learn to get along with people. But this is  2easy. What can you do 3you just don't like one of your classmates?

    If you discover that you have problems 4your classmates or friends, the most important thing to learn is tolerance. Tolerance is the 5to recognize and respect the 6in others. We cannot change the way that other people act , 7it is important to learn to live happily with them.

    Practicing tolerance will allow everyone to form better 8with each other. Getting to know someone may help you 9 why they do things 10from you. It is important to remember that just because something is different does not mean that it is bad. 11 teaches us to keep an even temper and open mind.

    One thing to  12is the old saying, "Treat others how you want  13". You would like to be treated kindly by your classmates, so it is  14to treat them with equal kindness. If you tolerate 15 it does not mean that you have to like it. No one is asking you to 16who you are or what you believe in. Tolerance just means that you will be 17of the differences in others and not try to make them change.

    It is important to 18tolerance because it will make everyone's lives easier. Learn to 19people for their different abilities and interests. The world is a very  20place, and practicing tolerance in your own school and city can help make a difference.

    My father sold everything we owned, took all the money and disappeared from our lives. My mother suddenly found herself 1 to care for five boys. I worried about the situation, but my mother stayed2 ， and assured us that she would keep us together as a 3and safe from harm. Although small in size, she could 4heavy horse ­ drawn plows. Besides, she 5found time to help us with homework.

    As Christmas approaching, my mother didn't seem to smile as much. I 6she had no money to buy us presents. Considering myself practically grown, I hid my7.

    One day, my mother took a saw (锯) into the forest and 8with some tree branches. She left them in the barn (畜棚) and didn't tell her 9children what they were for. She worked on her project10I was in school, but I looked 11into the barn when I had a chance. Several days later, I still couldn't 12her purpose. When later I saw she used nails and paint, I 13that she must be making presents.

    By Christmas week, my mother was her 14happy self again. Her project was apparently 15 ， and she obviously kept it secret because I'd looked everywhere without16.

    On Christmas Eve, I lay awake for a long time,17 Christmas morning.

    The next morning, my mother handed out the handmade presents happily in front of her delighted kids. Many difficult years would follow that particular Christmas, but I never again doubted my mother's 18to care for us. We were never hungry, and she made sure we got a(n)19 in school. She taught us to have faith in our own abilities. That faith still 20me.

After getting married nine years ago, I moved to an absolutely new town.1as I was, with various new things to explore, I was still lonely. I was desperate to establish2.

This could explain my enthusiastic "Count me in!" when3to participate in a half marathon. Considering my usual 3 miles, I must have been4—13 miles seemed a（n）5task.

However, the initial6gradually wore off. I found comfort in burying myself in training. Though taking it slow, one mile, and then two, I gradually made7. Mile after mile, I managed to step beside my new friends. We talked about our favorite music and8funny stories about our children. At about mile 10, the conversations9. We shared our past and hopes for our future, our fears and regrets. By the time we were running 12-mile legs, I was10that I'd made lifelong friends.

11, the day of the race arrived. At the start line, armed with my friends, I already felt like a champion. My time training had12. I managed to hold a steady pace and kept up with my13. Finally, we crossed the finish line together.

Although it started as a14of building social ties, running not only provided me with friendships, but with a skill that would15me the rest of my life.