My First Part-time Job

    It's been a month since the summer vacation started. We had a long holiday1most of us planned to find a part-time job in order to kill the boring time. I've been2 to take a part-time job since I was in junior high school, more to get some valuable3 than money.

    Lots of my friends have had some work experiences and have a more 4life as a result. They always share their work experiences with me. In their work life, they met many 5 but those setbacks made them stronger and everything easier afterwards6 they would also try to do something on their own in their work. I felt somehow 7of myself because I depended on my parents for everything. For this 8I took a part-time job together with my friends. Our9was demanding（费时的）. Sometimes we felt disappointed, made many complaints, and10 thought about giving up. But we11doing it.

    While working, I met some really 12people. There was a warm-hearted old man, who was a security guard. He took good care of us, which made us feel 13 in another city. We were very grateful to him14 I got a bad headache and a high temperature when I was planning to go back. That was 15the hot weather and the hard work. When I was ill, my friends16 me, as if my mother was around. They made me feel deeply about the importance of 17.

    When I got the first salary of my life, I18 how difficult it is to make 19Now, my first work experience in life is over. I 20 lots of things. It's been meaningful.

    Walking down a path through some woods in Georgia, I saw a water puddle (水坑) ahead on the path. I walk around to the side of the path that wasn't covered by water and1.As I reached the puddle, I was suddenly attacked! Yet I did nothing for it was so2I stepped back and my attacker stopped attacking me3attacking more, he flied in the air with its graceful4in front of me. Had I been hurt, I wouldn't have found it amusing but I was unhurt, it was5 and I was laughing. After all, I was being attacked by a butterfly!

    I took a step forward, and my attacker rushed me again. He pushed and 6.Me in the chest with his head and body over and over again with all his might. It's just not everyday that 7is attacked by a butterfly, so I stopped to find out the 8My attacker moved back as well to9 on the ground. That's when I discovered why my10was charging me only moments earlier. He had a mate beside the puddle11he landed and she was dying.

    Sitting close beside her, he opened and closed his wings as if to fan her. I could only12the love and courage of that butterfly in his concern for his mate, even though she was 13dying and I was so large. He did so just to give her those extra few 14moments of life. Now I knew why and what he was 15I couldn't do anything other than reward him by changing my 16 to the more difficult side of the puddle. He had truly 17 those moments to be with her, undisturbed. I cleaned the mud from my boots and left.

    Since then, I've always tried to remember the 18of that butterfly whenever I see huge 19 facing me. I use that butterfly's courage as an inspiration to 20myself that good things are worth striving for.

    When most of us get a text message on our cell phone from an unknown person, we usually say "sorry, 1 number!" and move on. But when Dennis Williams 2 a text that clearly wasn't intended for him, he did something 3.

    On March 19, Dennis got a group text 4 him that a couple he didn't know were at the hospital, waiting for the 5 of a baby.

    "Congratulations! But I think someone was mistaken," Dennis 6. The baby was born and update texts were 7 quickly from the overjoyed grandmother, Teresa. In her 8, she didn't seem to realize that she was 9 the baby's photos with a complete stranger. "Well, I don't 10 you all but I will get there to take pictures with the baby," replied Dennis before asking which room the new 11 were in.

    Much to the family's surprise, Dennis stuck to his 12! He turned up at the hospital 13 gifts for the new mother Lindsey and her baby boy. Lindsey's husband was totally 14 by the unexpected visit. "I don't think we would have randomly invited him over but we 15 it and the gifts."

    Teresa 16 a photo of the chance meeting on a social networking website 17 by the touching words: "What a 18 this young man was to our family! He was so 19 and kind to do this." The post has since gained the 20 of social media users all over the world, receiving more than 184,000 shares and 61,500 likes in just three days.

    I always come across random acts of kindness in my life. Many years ago, I was 1Costa Rica when I found myself in an 2situation: my credit cards and bank cards went out of 3 abroad, and I only had $5 to my 4.

    I had no way to get money. I didn't know anybody in this country. I only knew basic Spanish, and besides the cash the only 5I had was a return ticket to my country in almost two 6. Back then, there was no such thing as mobile phones, and7email was very limited. To find help, I decided to go to the countryside. With the only coins I had, I 8the bus terminal(终点站)and found a village, which 9almost the exact amount. About 4 hours later, I arrived at Santa Rosa Abajo at midnight.

    I knocked door to door,10in my very poor Spanish that I was a foreigner travelling in Costa Rica with no money but I 11to stay here for over ten days. I begged them for a 12－such as cooking , cleaning and looking after their kids, anything like that. Everybody 13, “oh my, but so poor are we that we have no 14 food or space. Maybe you can try the next 15.” And they'd point me to another house.

    16, I arrived at a Chinese restaurant. The owner of the restaurant was very 17. She gave me food and called the Red Cross to come to 18me. With the help of the Red Cross, I spent my19days in Costa Rica.

    This is one of the best trips I've ever had, because I realized that when you're in a position to be able to 20, it actually makes you feel happy.

    One night, when I was eight, my mother gently asked me a question I would never forget. "Sweetie, my company wants to 1 me but needs me to work in Brazil. This is like your teacher telling you that you've done 2 and allowing you to skip a grade, 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 the 5 decisions adults had to make.

    For almost four years, my mother would 6 us from Brazil every day. Every evening I'd 7 wait for the phone to ring and then tell her every detail of my day. A phone call, however, could never replace her 8 and 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 9  apartment, I became 10 how lonely my mother must have been in Brazil herself. It was then that I started to appreciate the tough choices she had to make on 11 family and work. 12  difficult decisions, she used to tell me, you wouldn't know whether you made the right choice, but you could always make the best out of the situation, with passion and a 13 attitude.

    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 learnt 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.

Following My Dream

I grew up in a poor family with six brothers, three sisters, my father and mother. We had little money and few goods, but plenty of love and attention. I was happy and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, he could still afford a dream. 

My dream was athletics. By the time I was sixteen, I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and hit anything moving on the football field. And I was so lucky that my high-school coach was Ollie Jarvis, who not only believed in me, but often told me "The dream is priceless." However, when I was about to get off the ground, one particular thing happened, which almost ruined (毁坏)my long-held dream. 

It was the summer holiday in Senior Two and a friend recommended me for a summer job. I was offered $12.25 per hour. Compared with the average $3.5, that was a big sum. I was so excited, because this meant a chance for money in my pocket, certainly, money for a new bike and new clothes, and the start of savings for a house for my mother. The prospect (前景)of the job was inviting, and I wanted to jump at the opportunity. 

Then I realized I would have to give up summer baseball training to handle the work schedule. I didn't dare to tell my coach. I thought of the advice my mother often gave me when I lacked courage, "If you make your bed, you have to lie in it." I decided to talk to my coach by myself. After all, my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his disappointment to me. I gathered my courage and knocked at his door…

What should one do even if he was poor in the author's opinion? {#blank#}11{#/blank#}

Why did the author want to give up summer baseball training? {#blank#}12{#/blank#}

What is the coach's attitude towards the author's dream? How do you know that? {#blank#}13{#/blank#}

What would happen when the author knocked at his coach's door? {#blank#}14{#/blank#}