“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.

The Fitting-in of Suzy Khan

    The first time I saw Suzy Khan, I knew I had to help her. She was really small for her age of 12. The boy in my class often 1 about her and laughed their heads off. She would open a book, pretending to read, with tears dropping on the open page.

    All I knew was that she was an orphan (孤儿) from Africa. She had just been adopted by a family in town who 2 that the best way for her to learn American ways of life was to be with American kids. I looked down at this 3 girl and promised myself that somehow I would help her.

    But how could I help her 4 in with us? There had to be a 5 .

    One day, when I went into the classroom, I saw that Suzy had 6 her geography book to a picture of a train, and in her notebook, she had made a(n) 7copy.

    I was surprised and thought that she could do something in the coming 8 show. So, I took her to see the art teacher, Miss Parker, and showed her what Suzy had 9. “Why, it's wonderful,” said Miss Parker, who then showed us a poster she had painted 10 the talent show. “I need more of these, but I just don't have enough  11. Could you help me, Suzy?”

On the day of the talent show, Suzy's 12 were everywhere —- all over the hall and all over the school, each one different.

     “And finally,” said Mr Brown, the schoolmaster, at the end of the show, “we have a (n) award. I'm sure you've all noticed the wonderful posters.” Everyone nodded. “One of our own students 13 them.”

    I could hear everyone whispering. “Who in our school could draw 14 well?”

    Mr. Brown waited a while before saying, “ 15 this student worked so hard on the posters, she deserves a 16 ,too. Our mystery(神秘) artist is our new student 17 Suzy Khan!”

    Mr. Brown thanked her for all the wonderful posters and gave her a professional artist's set. “Thank you,” she cried.

    I 18 , at that time when I was looking at her excited face, she'd probably never 19 anything in her whole life.

    Everyone started to 20 their hands. Suzy Khan gave them a shy smile and the applause was defining. I knew then Suzy was going to be all right.

    A young man had a traffic accident and got his arms removed. He had to 1 his brother, who stayed with him for years. Except for 2 with his toes, the man could do nothing else. However, one day his brother 3 with him and went away, 4 him   heartbroken and at a loss what to do.

    5, an accident befell (降临) a girl. One night the stove in her kitchen was overturned, resulting in a fire which took her 6 away. Having 7 her sister's offer to help her, she determined to be 8. She tried 9 and soon learned to be self-reliant. “Though my wings are broken, my 10 can still fly,” she wrote in her diary.

    One day, the young man and the girl were both 11 to a TV talk-show program. The man told the hostess about his 12 future, while the girl was full of enthusiasm (热情)for life. They were both 13 to write something on a piece of paper with their toes. The boy: My14 arms are my arms. The girl: Broken wings, flying hearts.

    They had both 15 the same sufferings, but their different 16 determined the nature of their lives. Unexpected disasters can happen at any time. How you 17 the disaster is the true test of your character. If you choose to complain or escape, difficulties will 18 wherever you go. However, if you choose to be 19, difficulties will turn out to be a fortune on which new 20 will arise.

    As a student in my final year of high school, I am very concerned about college. I spend most days thinking about the 1, hoping that I am on the right path.

    I am interested in a career in 2, so I decided to volunteer for service at the local hospital. I thought it would be the best of both worlds:3 people while getting valuable on-the-job experience! So I went to the business office. 4, the hospital director was quite willing to let me help out, and he said I could 5 that summer as soon as I finished my finals. I accepted his 6 immediately, thinking to myself that here lay all the 7 I could ever want!

    Soon enough, I 8 for my first day at the 9. The director gave me a brief tour of different departments 10 we stopped right in front of maternity ward（产科病房）. “This is 11you are going to work,” he said. I was overwhelmed(不知所措的) by the sounds. Women shouted and newborns 12. I got nervous and wondered if I had been in a hurry when I was 13 to go for such a (an)14 job.

    My 15 must have shown clearly on my face because the director said, “Don't worry. You are going to help in the nursery.” 16 that, we walked down a hallway filled with balloons, beautiful flowers and into the 17 room I've ever seen. The soft colors provided a quiet backdrop to the sleeping babies. The nurse in charge of the nursery 18 me, thanked me for 19, and asked me to start putting some baby things away in the drawers. The director gave me a (an) 20 look, which I returned with a quiet nod. I got right to work.

    William Franklin came to my class half a year ago. But from his first day here, he 1 himself in his own world and he never spoke to others. As his teacher, I tried to start a talk with him but 2. It seemed as if he just didn't want to break his3.

    After the Thanksgiving holiday, we received the news of the4 Christmas collection of money for the5 in our school. "Christmas is a season of6, "I told my students. "Some poor students in our school might not have a7 holiday. By giving a little money, you will help8 some toys, food and clothing for these needy students. We will9  the collection tomorrow."

    The next morning, 10, I found out almost everyone had11 this matter except Willard Franklin. He came up to my desk with his head down. 12, he dropped two coins into the small box. "I don't need milk for lunch," he said in a13 voice.

    After school I couldn't help sharing what had14 in the morning with our headmaster. "I may be wrong, but I 15 Willard might be ready to become part of our class. "I am 16 to hear that, "he nodded. "And I just received a list of the poor families in our school who most need 17. Here, take a look at it. "

    As I sat down to18, I found Willard Franklin was at the top of the list. At that moment, I felt I really 19 Willard for the first time：a cold face with a warm heart. From this20, I also learnt that whether rich or poor, every child has a kind heart.

    It's about 250 miles from the hills of west-central Iowa to Ehlers' home in Minnesota. During the long trip home, following a weekend of hunting. Ehlers 1about the small dog he had seen 2alongside the road. He had 3to coax(哄) the dog to him but, frightened, it had 4.

    Back home, Ehlers was troubled by that 5dog. So, four days later, he called his friend Greg, and the two drove 6. After a long and careful 7, Greg saw, across a field, the dog moving 8away. Ehlers eventually succeeded in coaxing the animal to him. Nervousness and fear were replaced with 9. It just started licking(舔) Ehlers' face.

    A local farmer told them the dog sounded like one 10as lost in the local paper. The ad had a 11number for a town in southern Michigan. Ehlers 12the number of Jeff and Lisa to tell them he had 13their dog.

    Jeff had 14in Iowa before Thanksgiving with his dog, Rosie, but the gun shots had scared the dog off. Jeff searched 15for Rosie in the next four days.

    Ehlers returned to Minnesota, and then drove 100 miles to Minneapolis to put Rosie on a flight to Michigan. "It's good to know there's still someone out there who 16enough to go to that kind of 17,"says Lisa of Ehlers' rescue 18.

    "I figured whoever lost the dog was probably just as 19to it as I am to my dogs," says Ehlers. "If it had been my dog, I'd hope that somebody would be 20to go that extra mile."