Alia Baker is a librarian in Iraq. Her library used to be a 1 place for all who loved books and liked to share knowledge. They 2 various matters all over the world. When the war was near, Alia was 3 that the fires of war would destroy the books, which are more 4 to her than mountain of gold. The books are in every language－new books, ancient books, 5 a book on the history of Iraq that is seven hundred years old.

    She had asked the government for 6 to move the books to a. 7place, but they refused. So Alia took matters into her own hands. 8, she brought books home every night, 9 her car late after work. Her friends came to 10 her when the war broke out. Anis who owned a restaurant 11 to hide some books. All through the 12. Alia, Anis, his brothers and neighbors took the books from the library, 13 them over the seven-foot wall and 14 them in the restaurant. The books stayed hidden as the war 15. Then nine days later, a fire burned the 16 to the ground.

    One day, the bombing stopped and the17 left. But the war was not over yet. Alia knew that if the books were to be safe, they must be 18 again while the city was 19. So she hired a truck to bring all the books to the houses of friends in the suburbs（郊区）. Now Alia waited for the war to end and 20 peace and a new library.

    I'm always inspired by kids who look at the world and decide to start changing it for the better. They don't need to 1 until they become an adult-they look for ways to solve problems 2 they see them.

    A group of high schoolers in Chicago, US, 3spring break in Puerto Rico helping rebuild the island, which is still 4 from a hurricane that struck six months ago. Eight students traveled with a teacher, Lou Ramos, to help rebuild homes and 5 resources among the victims.

    “You read a lot about how we're in a 6of self-focus and iPhones and i-everything,” Lou Ramos told me. “But when we put this idea out there, the 7was amazing. They don't see this as 8anything. They see this as a great opportunity to make a 9.”

    Ramos' daughter, Faith, also went on the trip. I asked her if the 10 of spending spring break doing work—probably, 11, hot work rather than spending time with friends left her feeling conflicted (矛盾的). “12, I'd much rather help other people out,” she said. “I just feel more 13 being able to go and make a difference.”

    Her family 14to Puerto Rico two years ago for vacation. After they watched the videos of the hurricane's destruction, she said, they were 15. They wanted to do something, so they started 16 this spring break trip late last year.

    “I think it's going to 17 our young leaders to achieve an even bigger ambition.” Ramos said. “Some of them have 18 flown in an airplane, this is going to be a life-changing 19for them.” I cannot agree more with him and I'm sure it will also change the world more20.

    I sat down at my desk and started writing a letter of thankfulness, but when it came to actually putting the letter into the mailbox... I 1  I couldn't do it. I suddenly felt a sense of 2 and insecurity (不安).

    The letter was to an old teacher with whom I kept in 3 on Facebook. For months, I read about what she 4 on her Facebook page, which helped me to live my life differently. Her volunteer (志愿者) work wasn't huge. 5, she was doing small, local good deeds. 6, she changed my views on the world and for some reason. I felt I should let her know how her example 7 influenced me.

    I could have easily sent her an email, but that seemed not enough for such an important thank-you. That's why I ended up 8 the letter. But now here I was, standing before the mailbox, unable to put the envelope inside. What was stopping me? It suddenly hit me that I was 9 of being too nice. I guess I felt strange 10 it wasn't like she was my best friend or a relative. Maybe my 11 was too heartfelt. Thinking this over, I put the envelope in the mailbox 12.

    Weeks later I received a message from her. It turned out she was 13 a hard time and my note 14 a lot to her. She said she had no idea she was playing such a big 15 in others' life.

    Not only did this letter make her happier, but her response to it brightened my world and 16 my level of happiness as well. I was so 17 that it had such a great influence on her that I decided to write a(n) 18 letter to someone each month. Now it's easier for me to 19 the goodness in others and be more 20 for this beautiful life I'm living.

    My 7-year-old daughter always has her nose in a book. She even continued 1 in the car on the long drive to summer camp, where she lost the book. This is the first lost 2 book in my life. In my childhood, my family had always been expected to be 3, but we were poor, and I didn't 4 books. I had to borrow books. My library books lived on a 5 shelf while they were mine, and it 6 me when I had to return them to the library on the due day.

    However, my daughter has 7 books now than I owned my whole childhood. So it's probably my 8 that she didn't cherish the books. “Sorry. I can't find it.” My daughter said with a shrug, “we just pay $20 for the book. What's the big9?” The missing library book just met with a cold 10 from her, but it met with nail-biting 11 from me. I walked into the library in a deep 12 as if I had lost the book.

    Feeling the need to make her feel 13 for the book, I asked her to do the chores. She agreed to clean up all the pets' houses 14 my paying the library book. I'd meant the chore to be 15!

    Surprisingly, she was enjoying herself. I took a picture of her lovely back. So, was I winning or losing at 16? Did I teach her the 17 of keeping a library book if the picture I took shows she is working 18?

    To my 19, my little girl knew what 20 in her life. She could devote herself to the chores as much as books.

    One Saturday morning I decided to walk into Liverpool city center and buy myself something. I didn't1 anything, and I was just going to spend some2! I stopped into a general3 to buy myself some sweets. While I was making up my mind, the door4 and in walked a girl, four years old at the most. She was wearing a summer dress and sandals(凉鞋)5 it was a bitterly cold day. She was not too6, obviously from a poor family. She walked up to the counter(柜台), 7 up and placed a fifty pence coin on the glass. Then, she proudly announced she had8 this up for her little9 a teddy bear as a birthday gift and she10 that one there. The woman behind the11 told the little girl the teddy bear cost12 50 pence. The little girl tried another one, and another one, and another one.

    I knew that13 of the bears on display could be bought for 50 pence. I also knew that I could 14 buy the best bear there 15 the money I was going to waste that day－16 did I want to encourage a little girl to take money from 17？

    The little girl changed her mind when I 18 to buy a teddy bear for her. "Oh, well," she 19 to the world. "I'll just give him mine then."

    "I'll just give him mine." Didn't sound like she was going to give him ONE of her teddies. She was going to give her little brother HER teddy, probably the 20 teddy she had!

    I hadn't even wanted the dog in the first place! My husband insisted I get him to 1 the dog that had died recently.

    Soon, he was "my dog", a friend and 2 companion, not asking for any more than I was willing to give a daily meal and a warm bed. But not my 3! No dogs are allowed on my bed.

    The night after my husband died, I lay there, staring into the darkness, my eyes full of4. The bed seemed so 5all by myself and I was wondering how long it takes for a good case of loneliness to 6. It was cold and moving slowly into my open hand outside the 7. It has prickly (刺痒的) hairs and just before I 8, a familiar call came from the creature that was forcing its cold, wet nose into my trembling (颤抖的) hand.

    "Oh, Shawn! What are you doing on my bed?" I put my arms around his hairy neck and 9 him.

    In the months to follow, I came to realize that this dog I hadn't 10 was a gift of love. He was a warm companion always 11 and available to go for a 12 when I needed to get out of the house. Twice, he snapped (咬) at me 13 I cried loudly and out of control, as if to tell me to be 14.

    Shawn taught me all about love, 15 and forgiveness. That crazy dog 16 me just as I am. And I've learned to help those around me who are 17 and to approach them 18, loving them just as they are. Like a dog curling up by the warm fire, I just want to be there in case I'm 19. I thank life for providing me with a(n) 20 when I felt alone, and for the comfort of a cold, wet nose.