“It's nice having a friend,” said Mole (鼹鼠) to Rabbit as they sat talking in the sun one day.

    “Oh, it is!” said Rabbit.“Very useful, too, 1 if you need help. 2, I think I'd like Bull(公牛) to be my friend.”

    “But I'm your friend!” said Mole, feeling 3.

    “Oh, yes,” said Rabbit.“You are good for talking to and laughing with, 4you are too small. When I need help, I 5 someone big and strong like Bull.He would be a very good friend to have. It would be 6 shouting for him when I need help.”

    Mole went off in anger.

    “Oh，well，I need to 7 something,” Rabbit thought.

    He moved along 8 he found a tiny garden.He had just started on his first leaf when there was a big 9. People were shouting and dogs were barking(吠叫).Rabbit was so afraid and in such a 10 to get away that he ran into the wrong hole.

    The hole was too 11 and Rabbit got stuck(被卡住).He could not 12 at all.

    “Help!” cried Rabbit.

    Mole 13 him.He ran up to see what was the matter.

    “Help!” cried Rabbit.“I'm stuck in this hole.”

    “If you want help,” said Mole，“I'd better 14 Bull.”

    “No!” cried Rabbit.“He's no good! He's too big to get into this 15.You're just the right 16! Please help me，Mole!”

    So Mole began digging around Rabbit.He 17 so fast that Rabbit was 18 soon.

    “I'm sorry, Mole.I was 19,” Rabbit said.“I'm 20 I have you for a friend.” And so the two good friends set off for home together.

    Around twenty years ago I was living in Seattle and going through hard times. I could not find 1 work although I had a lot of experience and a Master's degree.

    To my 2, I had to drive a school bus to 3my family. At the same time, I had some4 with different companies but they all5to say I did not get the job. I went to hit bus barn(车库), feeling6.

    Later that afternoon, 7 doing my rounds through the town I had an inner wave rise from deep 8 me and I thought “Why has my9 become so hard?”

    Immediately after this internal(内心的)scream, I 10 the bus over to drop off a little girl. As she11 she handed me an earring saying I should keep it 12somebody looked for it. The 13 was stamped with words “BE HAPPY” Then I struck me. I had been putting all of my 14into what was wrong with my life rather than what was 15!

    One night there was a phone call for me from the 16at a large hospital. She asked me whether I 17 do a one-day training for 200 hospital workers. I said 18 and got the job.

    My day with the hospital workers 19very well. I got a great 20and many more days of work. To this day I know that it was because I changed my attitude to life.

    One night, when I was eight , my mother gently asked me a question I would never forget. “Sweetie, my company wants to  1me but needs me to work in Brazil. This is like your teacher telling that you've done 2 and allowing you to skip a grade(跳级), but you'll have to 3 your friends. Would you say yes to your teacher?” She gave me a hug and asked me to think about it. I was puzzled. The question kept me 4 for the rest of the night I had said “yes” but for the first time, I realized the5decisions adults had to make.

    For almost four years, my mother would call us from Brazil every day. Every evening I'd 6 wait for the phone to ring and then tell her every detail of my day. A phone call, however, could never replace her 7and it was difficult not to feel lonely at times.

    During my fourth-grade Christmas break, we flew to Rio to visit her. Looking at her large 8 apartment, I became 9 how lonely my mother must have been in Brazil herself. It was then10 I started to appreciate the tough choices she had to make on 11 family and work. 12difficult decisions, she used to tell me, you wouldn't know whether you make the right choice, but you could always make the best out of the situation, with passion and a 13attitude.

    Back home , I 14 myself that what my mother could do, I could, too. If she 15  to live in Rio all by herself, I, too, could learn to be 16 . I learn how to take care of myself and set high but achievable17.

    My mother is now back with us. But I will never forget what the 18 has really taught me. Sacrifices 19 in the end. The separation between us has proved to be 20 for me.

    As we slowly drove down the street on that cold December evening we spotted the porch（门廊）light."This1be the house."I told our "Positive Teens In Action" group with certainty.We2in front of an older home with the porch light shining.We gathered up our3books,walked up the steps,and4on the door.We heard a5voice from inside say,"Come in.The door is open."We opened the door.

    There in a rocking chair6an elderly woman with a big7on her face."I've been8you,"she said weakly. Ruth was one of our "Meals On Wheels" stops I had9.I had phoned her and told her about it.Going along with me were the10church members who11singing carols（颁歌）.We12Ruth the basket of delicious food the teens had prepared earlier that evening.Then I asked Ruth what carols she would like to13.Ruth was smiling cheerfully when she14singing each song.

    15we hugged Ruth good-bye she said to me with tears in her eyes,"The day you16I was still in bed.l had just finished17.I asked God if it would be possible to have some Christmas carolers come to my home and18this year.Thank you for being the19to my Christmas prayer."

    Wow,what an awesome20to have the opportunity to make Ruth quite content!

    Frederick Albert is not a name you will find in a history book. It is,1, the name of a German farmer who was such a hero in Reynoldsburg, Ohio during the Great Depression that people there2 him a lot. He was also my great-grandfather.

    Although my great-grandfather died before I was born, he has had a 3 influence on my life. I always hear stories about his4. My favorite one that my mother has often told me brings 5 to my eyes as I'm so moved.

In 1935, my great-grandfather planted watermelons for extra money. To cut6, he always saved the seeds for the next season. While 7 supplies at the feed store(饲料店) one fall morning, my great-grandfather learned of a young girl who was ill with kidney(肾) disease. Her mother had 8 from a local amateur doctor that watermelon seeds could be crushed(压碎) into tea to help 9 her daughter, she 10 my great-grandfather and asked if she could have some of his watermelon seeds. Without hesitation, my great-grandfather gave all his watermelon seeds to the mother — he was such a(n)11 man.

    Unfortunately, all the watermelon tea in the world could not 12 the child and with winter's first snowfall, she died. The girl's mother remained 13 to my great-grandfather and his family. News of the child's death spread, and so did the story of my great-grandfather's 14 and kindness. Many local farmers 15 him with free watermelon seeds.

    In my eyes, my great-grandfather is a real hero 16 he followed his heart and did what was best for others. Although he was a poor man monetarily(在金钱上)， he was17 in the love he gave to others and the 18 he received.

    Whenever I find myself in19 or confusing situations, I will remember his story. I smile with 20 when I follow his wisdom.

    My father was a highly educated, intelligent gentleman. He could debate or discuss for 1on almost any topic and hold your attention in the process. I thought there was 2 he wasn't able to do.

    A few days 3 my younger brother's 7th birthday, Dad planned to put together a shiny new 4 as a special birthday surprise. After nearly an hour of 5 the instructions, Dad was still unable to put the new bike together. Later he folded up the paper of instructions, 6 his tool box, and decided to take the bike back to the local toy store and pay extra money to have it 7 assembled(组装) there. Then, a(n) 8 came to him, as he called out to Lovett, the quiet little man who mowed our grassland.

    "Lovett, have you ever assembled a boy's bicycle?" As Lovett walked towards the bike, Dad handed him the paper of instructions. Lovett handed it 9 to him, saying," No, thanks. I can't read. When you can't read, you have to 10." Less than 15 minutes later, the new bicycle was fully assembled, with no spare parts 11. Dad shook Lovett's hand, patted him on the back, thanked him and hid the bike.

On the night after my brother 12 his simply new gift. Dad announced at the family dinner table 13 had happened several days earlier. He took great delight in telling it 14 —he used it as an example of thinking.

    He did not 15 illiteracy (文盲) , but strongly taught us to use our 16. The joke was on my father, 17 he was able to turn it into a learning tool, and I liked him even 18  after the incident. I also gained a respect for Lovett. To me he had always been the old yard man who didn't say much, but after that day, he seemed to smile 19 , even walk taller. It's amazing what a real nod of  20 can do to lift people up.