A Person Who Has Influenced My Life

    There is always a time in one's life when a hero comes along. Someone who has inspired you can really help you learn what life is about.

    I 1 it as if it was yesterday. I was fifteen years old that year. It was around eight o'clock one evening when my mother 2 a phone call from her brother-in-law, who told us my aunt was in hospital and that the doctor 3 them she would need an operation immediately. My family became very 4about my aunt's situation.

    While my aunt was in the hospital with special 5 , my cousin Mark, who is mentally disabled, spent time with my family. Mark was seventeen at the time, and had been born with severe mental disorders, which 6 a wide range of social and physical problems for him throughout everyday life. He never had any true friend 7 no one could relate to him. I must 8 that at the beginning I was filled with uncertainty as to how much of a 9 my cousin would bring on my family. Now looking back it saddens me to see the 10 I once showed.

    Over the two weeks when Mark lived with my family, I probably 11 more about life and its meanings. Thinking back, I took 12 in daily life for granted, believing it would always be there. I never even thought about being able to do things like walking, brushing my teeth, or going to the bathroom on my own. Now I see how 13 I am to be able to do these things independently.

    Mark was seventeen, but learned on a nine-year-old 14. Although his learning ability was slower than most, he could still learn. He explored 15 to do most of the things everyone else did. 16 he did pretty well and succeeded in almost everything he tried to do. He 17 his illness and showed an ambition to love life. To him, having a successful life means achieving goals on his own terms and at his own 18.

    Mark is my hero, for his disability has forever 19 my viewpoint on life. It seems like a well-deserved life when you're fifteen, and it is amazing how in a period of time your point of view can change so 20 .

    Mother's Day, 2017 was the last time that all my three kids would be kids at home. I was1a Mother's Day to remember.

    That morning, I got up early and left for2.The boys and I were going3,not unusual,so I expected the time I'd have with the three of them surrounding me during break. I entered the office after my class,4the crowd for their faces.I didn't find the boys,but wasn't too worried5their classes often ran late.I found a row with plenty of room for all four of us,6spots for my handsome young men.

    The longer I sat there,the more7and angry I got.How could they8their mother on this of all days?I couldn't9my work,only on how I'd been wronged.10the time the last morning class ended,I could hardly wait to get home and give them a piece of my mind.

    Arriving home,I noticed a pile of roses on the ground.I looked closer and saw they were the11of a track made from fresh flowers,which led to our room.As I12the flowers,the door got opened and three13faces greeted me. They let me see what they'd been working on all14.

    15the entire floor were the words,Happy Mother's Day,We Love You.They were spelled out with16.The space was17with sweet of roses and other flowers.They'd asked for a leave and worked all morning,gathering the fresh flowers and18them into a surprise message.

    I immediately realized I'd been much too hurry in my19of the situation.While I had been feeling unloved, they'd spent their time writing a20to show how much they really cared.

    Tim Becker and his neighbors are doing something to make their neighborhood a safe area.

    When Tim Becker gets in his car to go shopping, he doesn't1 drive to a store and back home. He always looks 2up and down the streets of his neighborhood. He looks for anything 3 such as strange cars, loud noises, 4 windows, or people gathering on street corners.

    Tim 5 to a neighborhood watch group（巡逻小组）in Strongsville, Indiana, USA. The neighborhood watch group6 on his third Wednesday of every month. That's 7 Tim gets together with about ten of his neighbors to discuss community 8 Members of the neighborhood watch group want to help the police 9 their homes, streets, and families.

    Tina Stedman,10president of neighborhood watch group, agrees with Tim. “People seem to think that crime happens to other people but not 11them. Actually, it really happens,” she said, “and I think nobody has the12 to steal from other people or to make them feel 13 at their own homes.”

    Alex, a member of the group, said that all the neighbors were14to help one another, “We15 each other's homes. We keep watch on the neighborhood at night and on weekends. Usually a16 of four or five of us goes out together. If something doesn't look right, we will call the 17 For example, if we notice a group of teenagers who seem to be looking for 18 or someone destroying property（财产）, we report to the police.”

    Alex feels the neighborhood watch group19a lot in reducing crimes. Her husband Jim agrees, “Police are good people, but they can't do20.

    It was a cool October evening. Excitement and family members1the hall. I was only a 7-year-old girl, but I was the center of2. Finally, after weeks of preparation, I would3all my hard work in a dance of performance. Everything would be4—so I thought. I waited backstage all5 in my black tights with a golden belt. In a loud and clear voice, the master of ceremonies6that my class was next.

    My dance class was doing a routine on wooden boxes two feet by two feet, facing the7. All I had to do in the next move was to put one foot on the box next to mine and keep my other foot on my box. It really was an 8move. I was concentrating so much 9the huge smile on my face and holding my head up that I did not look 10I was going. I missed my partner's box altogether and 11.There I was standing on the stage floor when my classmates were on top of their boxes. I could hear giggles(咯咯笑) coming from the audience, and I felt the12rush to my face. I remembered my dance teacher had told us, “If you make a mistake, keep smiling so the audience will not13.I did my best to follow her14as I continued with the routine.

    When the curtain dropped, so did my15for the evening. I16bitterly, tasting the salt from the tears that streamed down my face. I ran backstage, but no one could17me down.

    Recently I realized I had been a18that night. I was 19but I fought the urge to run off the stage.20I finished the routine with a smile on my face. Now when friends and family laugh about the time I slipped during a dance performance, I can laugh too.

    It was our first Thanksgiving in the new house and I wanted everything to be perfect. But my plan for everyone to contribute some preparation work had been 1 by my husband's business trip. Even worse, a critical project for me that week had2two days of planned vacation. By Wednesday, my vision of a table with fresh flowers, 3drinking glasses and various homemade desserts had already4 away, I just hoped that I'd find a clean tablecloth and eight5forks.

    In my perfect Thanksgiving, there wouldn't be any orange in my salad because It hadn't made the grocery list. There would be no perfect family photos to record that day because I hadn't got the broken camera6. Someone had brought home the wrong toilet paper, which was the last straw that made me7.

    I don't remember what my son asked me as he was vacuuming(吸尘), 8I do remember twisting into that mean-and-tight mom-face before barking out an 9. This combination of noise and anger is a universal signal to kids everywhere that they might as well 10 me. But he didn't.

    Instead of disappearing from view, my second-grader turned 11 the vacuum and walked across the room to12me. He never said a word. He just13 his arms around me, making me feel 14of myself until today.

    It turned out a(n)15 Thanksgiving. The people I loved gathered around my table and dined just one choice of the pie. My dad used a mismatched fork without 16. My daughter drew a picture of us where everyone smiled.

    My son took a(n)17 to teach me that sometimes we need a hug most when we are 18huggable. This is the best gift you can give. One size19 all and no one ever minds if you 20 .

    It was a snowy day. I 1 the friend who sat with me on winter evenings, talking about our experiences and thoughts—a true 2.

    I had almost given up hope of finding another 3 like that after I 4 to this city. I wanted to invite a woman I'd met only twice to come share my dinner, 5 she lived an hour away, and it was snowing. I was sure she wouldn't 6 to come. However, I decided to have a try. So I made the 7.

    "Don't feel you have to come if you don t want to."

    "Is it snowing? I have a 8, and I'm in bed. I'll think about it later, if that's OK with you"

    "Of course it is. And here are your 9, if you decide to come. I've just been shopping, so I can 10 you macaroni and cheese or fresh vegetable salad."

    There was a 11 for a moment. She was thinking

    "Since I'm sick, not the macaroni and cheese. Too rich for a cold. I 12 the vegetables," she said, "Vegetables. If it's not snowing too hard."

    An hour before dinner, the phone rang.

    "I've 13. I've been in bed all day. Looking forward to the 14."

    I was 15.

    An hour later, she 16, holding a piece of chocolate.

    We sat by the fireplace, eating and chatting. The smell of the vegetables filled the house. And we 17 love, art and travels. Everything was warm and good.

    As she left, she said. "Those vegetables were delicious. They kept me from 18 I didn't choose macaroni and cheese."

    "Next time," I promised. And I went inside, quite 19 , because I knew there would be a next time, and I didn't feel 20 anymore."