Last week I talked with Mandy, a mother of a young teenager in my class. She was telling me how 1 it was for her son at school, because he is in a school uniform that doesn't 2 him as he's outgrown it. Since her husband and she both lost their 3 in the last couple of years, they have been searching and interviewing persistently (坚持不懈地). 4, unfortunately they are still out of work.

    Now I know the fact that they just can't 5 a new one. She wiped away 6 as she told me sadly that she is 7 trying to buy a new shirt, then trousers, then… then shoes.

    I know her well enough to know that she doesn't 8 want to get my sympathy or help. She's 9 asked for anything from me, either. She was just telling me the honest 10. I felt moved to go to the 11 to draw money out from my own account through ATM and come back with a bit of savings of my own 12 I believe I can spare. I told her to just go and buy the 13, and not to tell anyone that I did this but her husband.

    I also made it clear to her that nothing is 14 —no payback, nothing. It's a gift done, so I can enjoy 15, and that is all I need right now. I told her that she was also doing me a favor, 16 she let me know everything. She was so 17 for what I had done for her that she was moved to tears, but I really just feel happy that her boy won't continue to be 18 for his ugly uniform. I know what that is like, and as a victim of school bullying (恃强欺弱) when young, I can say 19 it hurts for a long time. I felt so 20 to be able to do this!

    Mum said they might not be back until after eleven. My brother Greg and I 1 to play hide -and- seek (捉迷藏). But there was not much 2 except in the front room. The3 was that we were not allowed in there by ourselves.4, we just took the risk.

    Once there, both of us were cautious and moved about 5 for some while. Then, when I hid behind a tapestry(壁毯), 6 by my brother, I jumped out. With a sense of 7, I felt my right elbow (手肘) striking (撞击) something hard. We heard a crash. Even 8 we dared to look, we knew that the vase lay broken.

    When Mum and Dad came home and viewed the pieces, we knew any 9 would only serve to fuel their anger. Mum ordered us to sit on the bare floor, beside the ruin. She cried, “How 10 the two of you have done this?” Greg and I, too 11 to cry, could voice no answer. After a while, she 12 us and stayed there alone by herself, much like a statue.

    Greg and I 13 throughout that night, struggling to decide what we might do to 14for it. We hoped with the money we had saved we might just have 15 to buy a vase. The next day, we set off to search 16 every local shop until we found a good copy.

    When we 17 home in silence, we 18 Mum and Dad with what we'd bought. Dad 19 out, took it from Greg and then passed it to Mum. She sighed, “You broke our Ming vase.” But we believed they knew we were 20.

    I stopped to watch my little girl busy playing in her room. In one hand was a plastic phone; in the other a toy broom. I listened as she was speaking to her make-believe(假想的) little friend and I'll never forget the words she said, even though it was1.

    She said, “Jane's in the corner because she's not been very 2. She didn't listen to a word I said or do the things she should.” In the corner I saw her baby doll all dressed in lace and pink. It was clear she'd been put to sit 3and think.

    My daughter continued her “4”, as I sat down on the floor. She said, “I'm all5up. I just don't know what to do with her any more. She cries whenever I have to work and wants to play 6, too. She never lets me do the things that I just have to do. She tries to help me with the dishes, but her arms just cannot7. And she doesn't know how to fold towels. I don't have the8to teach. I have a lot of work to do and a big house to keep clean. I don't have the time to sit and play — Do you see what I 9?”

    And that day I thought a lot about making some 10in my life, as I listened to her words that cut me like a knife. I hadn't been paying enough 11to what I hold most dear. I'd been caught up in responsibilities that increased over the years.

But now my 12has changed, because, in my heart, I realize that I've seen the world in a different light13my little darling's eyes. So, let the cobwebs(蜘蛛网) 14the corners and the dust rabbit rule the floor. I'm not going to worry about keeping up with them any more.

    I'm going to fill the house with15of a child and her mother, for we are granted only one childhood, and we will never get another.

    More than 700 years ago, Scotland was fighting with England. The king of England wanted to 1 Scotland. He had a strong army so it was 2 for the Scots to fight. They lost many times, King Robert of Scotland had to run from the English army.

    One rainy day, King Robert lay in an old house. He thought that he was not good enough to be king. He was so 3 that he didn't even see a spider (蜘蛛) near him. He 4 when he saw the spider climbing. It was trying to climb up its web at the top of the house but it fell down.

    "How sad," thought King Robert. "The spider is like me. It's not 5 enough." He watched while the spider climbed up again. It fell down a second time.

    "Be careful, little spider, or you might die," he said. "Life is so hard. You'll never get back to your web." But the spider 6 again and again. King Robert watched while it 7 climbed back to its web. After an hour, the spider got to the web.

    "You are such a great 8," he said. "If you can keep trying. I can too. I must keep on fighting. I won't let the English win." His 9 grew strong and they 10 the English army. Scotland was free.

    Nobody knows if this is a true story. Many parents tell it to their children because they want them to keep trying.

    A couple in ordinary clothes walked into the Harvard's outer office. "We want to see the president," the man said softly. "He will be busy all day," the secretary spoke 1, concluding that the couple had no 2 with Harvard from what they wore. "We'll 3," the lady replied.

    Four hours, the secretary 4 them, hoping that the couple would finally become 5 and go away. They didn't. And the secretary grew 6 and finally decided to disturb the president. Someone of his 7 obviously had no time to spend with nobodies, but he 8 people in such clothes filling in his outer office.

    The president, frozen-faced, walked 9 toward the couple. The lady told him, "We had a son that 10 Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard and was very happy here. But he was accidentally 11. And my husband and I would like to 12 a memorial (纪念物) to him somewhere on campus." The president wasn't 13; he was shocked, "Madam," he said 14. "We can't put up a statue for every person who studied in Harvard and died."

    "Oh, no." the lady 15 quickly, "In fact, we thought we would give a building to Harvard." The president 16 at the couple and then shouted, "A building! Do you know how much a building costs? The cost of the Harvard's buildings is over 7.5 million dollars."

    For a moment the lady was 17. The president was pleased. He could 18 them now. The lady turned to her husband and said quietly. "Is that all it costs to 19 a university?" Her husband nodded. Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California, where they established the university 20 after them—a memorial to a son.

The first day at school has left a deep1 on me. I'll never forget it.

As soon as I rushed into the classroom, the bell 2. A young beautiful woman came in, but she was 3, no smile on her face. "You are not permitted to 4 me in the course of class unless…"She was speaking when I heard a 5 "Lily, Lily" from outside the door. My grandmother was standing there with a pair of socks in her hand. I didn't realize I was bare feet 6 then. I wanted to 7 them. But I dared not do that. I shook my hand, 8 "Don't wait here any longer. Leave quickly." As I did so, I still 9 my eyes on my teacher. I really didn't want her to take 10 of me, but she did. She went out to get the socks. When she gave them to me, she looked at me for a while. My face suddenly turned 11 and my heart beat faster. I began to put the socks on. Unfortunately I was so nervous that my 12 hands couldn't get them 13 my feet easily. Just then I heard my name called. I 14 from my seat quickly. "Can you count the numbers from one to one hundred?" the teacher asked. I nodded. 15 her surprise, I did very 16. Finally she said, "Be seated, please. Study hard." I looked 17 her to find a smile on her face. I felt 18 at last.

The first day at school has stayed in my 19 as something 20 but sweet.