I was coming back from home late at night in a 'Sharing' mini van(厢式货车). In Hydera- bad, India, it is a cheap and quick form of 1. The van driver picked up as many as 13 people at times in a vehicle which is 2  for the transport of 8. So our van was very3.

        Making her way to the 4 of the van, a school girl with a bag 5  the driver to stop. While getting down, she slipped and fell. None of us  6  it, as it was dark outside. The driver was 7  for her to pay. It was then that we saw that the girl was on her 8  by the side of the road. Another passenger and l got down9and held her up.

        Even in  10, she held up a note and asked us to pay the driver. The other 11       passenger took the note and paid the driver. My 12 was a few hundred meters away. As a girl, I knew I'd get off and stay with her in the 13. So I paid up the driver for 14 and he drove away with the other passengers.

        I neither  15  her nor did I know what to do. But I was there, giving some 16 words to another girl in pain. I asked her to stand  17 for a few while. I then looked for a place for her to sit. Then I 18 her friend and waited there. She was rushed to a nearby clinic later. Before leaving, she thanked me for 19  and we hugged goodbye.

        The night breezes were blowing  20  upon my cheek as I walked home，with a feeling of relief.

    Four brothers left home for college, and they became successful doctors and lawyers.

    Some years later, they got together again. While having dinner, they 1 for along time. They discussed the 2 they had given their elderly mother who lived far away in another city. The first said, "I had a 3 house built for Mama." The second said, "I had my Mercedes-Benz dealer (经销商) send a 4 to her.” The third said, "I built a beautiful 5 for Mama." The fourth said, "You know 6 Mama loved reading poems and you know she can't read anymore because she can't 7 very well. I met a businessman who had a parrot (鹦鹉) that can recite many 8. It took him 20 years to 9 it to speak and he earns his living by renting it out. I had to pay him $100,000 a year for twenty years, 10 it is worth it." On hearing that, the other brothers were 11 by his good thought.

    After the holidays their mother 12 her thank-you notes. She wrote: "Milton, the house you built is so huge. I only live in one room, but I have to 13 the whole house. It's a tiring job. Thanks anyway."

    "Marvin, I am too old to 14. I stay home and have my foods delivered, so I'll 15 use the car.  The 16 was good, although not practical. Thanks."

    "Michael, you gave me an expensive building for 50 people to 17 plays or watch movies in it, but all my friends are dead. I've almost 18 my hearing and I'm nearly blind. I won't use it. Thank you all the same."

    "Dearest Melvin, you are the 19 son to have the good sense to give a little thought to your gift. The chicken tasted so 20. I liked it very much. Thank you.”

    On a cold winter evening, I was walking home alone, when suddenly came screams (呼喊声) from behind some tress.1 I slowed down to listen, and 2 that what I was hearing were the sounds of a fight. A woman was being attack (袭击) not far from where I 3.

     “Should I go to help her?” I thought. I was worried about my own 4 , and I regretted having suddenly decided to take a new way home that night. “What if I am 5 too? Shouldn't I just6 to the nearest phone and call the police?” But already the girl's 7 were growing weaker. I knew it was time for me to act fast because I could not 8 the life of this unknown woman, 9 it meant risking my own life.

    I am not a 10 man. I didn't know where I found the 11  and physical strength (体力), but once I had finally 12 to help the girl, I changed suddenly. I ran behind the bushes and 13 the attacker off the woman. Struggling, we fell to the ground, where we fought for a few minutes 14 the man jumped up and ran away.

    15 heavily, I came up to the girl, who was crying. In the 16 I could not see her clearly, but I could certainly 17 her shock. Not wanting to frighten her any further, I spoke to her from a distance.

     “It's OK,” I said 18“The man ran away. You're safe now.” There was a long stop and then I heard the words, said in both wonder and 19 “Dad, is that you?” And then, from behind the tree, stepped my youngest 20 Katherine.

    Volunteering abroad comes with a bit of a social stigma(耻辱).  From my 1this couldn't be further from the truth.  Volunteering isn't so expensive that it's only a2 for the well-off. I spent 10 weeks volunteering in Arizona with America Conservation Experience(ACE), helping3America's natural beauty.

    The 4 was arranged through BUNAC, a work and volunteer organization.5it cost me around $1,000 — a sum which I6 mostly by working part-time.

    The self-indulgent(放纵自己的) image is7 to overseas volunteer projects.  However, the work can be8 I spent my time maintaining trails, building fences and carrying out projects in some of the national monuments of America. Summer temperatures in Arizona stay well above 35℃9pleasant if you're carrying 50kg of concrete for 10 hours at a time.  And then there was the wildlife to deal with, which10my strength of character and made my 11of the English household spider disappear.

    12 do most people volunteer for? Probably they want to 13 things to the world.  But in reality, you 14 just as much as the local communities and ecosystems you're helping.

    Spending 10 weeks in America's most beautiful national parks and forests was 15 I gained a far deeper16 of the local environment than the average tourist17 ex-national park rangers(护林者) who knew18 of the area's history and ecosystem.  But best of all, my 10 weeks were spent volunteering with young people from a mix of19 — from Belgians to South Koreans.  When I left Arizona, I returned home having made a lifelong 20with people from around the world.

    A man died and was on his way to another1, either the Heaven or the Hell. He saw an extremely2palace half way and the owner of the palace3him to stay and live in the palace.

    The man said, "I have been working4during my life and now I just want to eat and sleep5any work."

    The owner of the palace said, "6, there is nowhere else better than here for you. There are a wealth of7in my palace and you can eat whatever you want without anyone8you. 9, there is10that needs to be done by you." Then, the man settled down in the palace.

    At the beginning, the man felt very11at the rotation（轮流）of eating and sleeping. But12, he felt a bit lonely and empty. So he went to the owner and complained, "It is13to live by just eating and sleeping every day. Now I show no14in this kind of life any more. Could you help me find a15?"

    The owner replied, "16, there is no job here at all."

    After another several months, the man could not17the present life and went to the owner18, "I really could not stand this sort of life any more. If you do not offer me a job, I would19to go to the Hell instead of living here."

    The owner of the palace smiled contemptuously（轻蔑地）, "Do you think it is the Heaven here? It is20the Hell!"

There was a knock at the door of Great-Grandma Smith's home one Thanksgiving. Since she was the 1 for this family holiday, she got up, opened the door, and shouted with delight, "Look who's here!"

She 2 a young man into the house, hugged him, and said, “It's 3 to see you again! Everyone will be so delighted!" Great-Grandma then hurried to 4 his coat and led him to the table. "Oh, just look who's here!" she 5 with joy. The families 6 to each other. She moved things around and 7 him in a seat between my uncle and herself. He was 8 by families on both sides and faced Great-Grandpa Smith across the table.

"Coralie, get us another place setting!^" Great-Grandma 9"We're so sorry that we 10 without you. No one knew you were coming," she 11. "But you're just going to love everything. We have turkey and many other 12. Oh, and Coralie made an apple and a pumpkin pie for dessert even! So, just help yourself. My dear, it's a long time since I saw you!" She patted his arm again and 13 .

No one had 14 her joyful speech from the moment she left the table to answer the door. After looking around the table at our 15, the young man turned and looked 16at Great-Grandma Smith's face, which was filled with love and joy. He said in a(n) 17 voice, "I don't 18 any of you. I just stopped at your house to get 19 !"

"But I really appreciate your warm-hearted dinner on this special day as I have lost my way here," he added with 20 in his eyes.