I often read of incidents of misunderstanding or conflict. I'm left1.Why do these people create mistrust and problems, especially with those from other2?

    I was growing up in Kuala Lumpur in the early 1960s,3children from different races and religions played and studied4in harmony. At that time my family lived a stone's5from Ismail's. And no one was bothered that Ismail was a Malay Muslim and I was an Indian Hindu-we just6our differences. Perhaps, our elders had not filled our heads with unnecessary advice, well7or otherwise.

    We were nine when we became friends. During the school holidays, we'd8the countryside on our bicycles, hoping to9the unexpected. At times Ismail would accompany my family as we made a rare shopping trip to town. We would be glad of his10.

    When I was twelve, my family moved to Johor. Ismail's family later returned to their village, and I11touch with him.

    One spring afternoon in 1983, I stopped a taxi in Kuala Lumpur. I12my destination. The driver acknowledged my13but did not move off. Instead, he looked14at me. “Raddar?”he said, using my childhood nickname(绰号). I was astonished at being so15addressed(称呼). Unexpectedly! It was Ismail! Even after two16we still recognized each other. Grasping his shoulder, I felt a true affection, something17to describe.

    If we can allow our children to be18without prejudice, they'll build friendships with people, regardless of race or religion, who will be19their side through thick and thin. On such friendships are societies build and20we can truly be, as William Shakespeare once wrote, “we happy few, we band of brothers”.

                                                                                    Emergency on the Mountain

    Ana was a 12-year-old girl living in the mountain. Her 1 was to become a village nurse like Leta, her neighbor. She spent almost all her spare time reading the2 book by herself.

    This morning, Leta went to Santiago to 3 a short-term training class by a group of volunteer doctors for first aiders to learn medical skills. Before she left, Ana begged Leta to take her along but Leta4saying that Ana was too5to learn anything important.

    Ana was very6 this morning, so she decided to wander around to refresh herself. On the hillside, she saw Rafi standing on a donkey's bare back，some kids around him. Rafi was only 13, but he was always doing something to get 7“No wonder adults don't8 kids with anything important”, Ana said to herself. She had just turned away 9she heard a few screams and Rafi fell off the donkey. Ana ran to where Rafi was lying and 10 that one of his legs bent a little sideways between the knee and the ankle and that all the other kids were 11 not knowing what to do. She 12 what the first-aid book said about13legs.

    “Vin!” Ana called to one of the boys.

    “Go and get Rafi's mama and find someone with a truck.”

    She turned14 the other kids. “Give me your shirts. We need something to15his leg with so it doesn't move around.”

Ana found a strong，straight stick，which she'd use to 16 his leg. She carefully wrapped the boys' shirts around his leg and the stick. When Ana was done, Rafi came back to himself. Ana17 comforted him until Rafi's mama came over.

    Behind her was a neighbor in a pickup truck. They lifted Rafi into the truck, then 18 down the dusty hillside toward the hospital.

    The next day, Leta came to Ana's home. “I heard what you did,” Leta said. “You kept your head in a/an19. That's an important skill.” Ana's face burned.

    “Now, listen. The volunteer doctors are coming here tomorrow with vaccines (疫苗). We need some extra 20.Can you help?”

    Ana didn't hesitate. “I would love to and I'll bring my first-aid book.” Ana said excitedly.

    Shayla Mitchell, 16, was diagnosed with the terminal stage of cancer. As a father, Mitchell always stayed home to care for her. He said the 1left them financially worse off. Then a group called Growing Hope 2 in with $1,800 to help with his living costs.

    3, he wanted to pay them back. In his 4, he had been a 5. So at age 40, Mitchell took up the6again, participating in two fights in Fairfax. Mitchell was7out in the first and second rounds, but he still8to raise $ 20,000 that he gave to Growing Hope. During this time, he 9 his daughter. "I fell into a dark bottom," Mitchell said, and for six months, he did little but 10.

One day, Mitchell11 upon a Mark Twain quote— "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you 12why." "After I read that quote, I was going to spend the rest of my life helping kids with 13and their families." he said.

    Mitchell thought of creating a foundation, though boxing did not seem 14anymore for fund-raising due to his age. Then he found that 15 could be a source to raise money. In the Corps Marathon, he cut a striking figure on the course.16by this success, he set his sights higher. He 17each of the miles of the race to a different child with cancer, and he carried their 18with him. Years after his daughter's death, Mitchell now 19up in the morning knowing his 20.

    The family had had a cat for years. Then one day, the children finally1 to persuade their parents to get them a dog as well. So a little Labrador(拉布拉多犬)2.

    The dog was so3that everyone wanted to hold him and he charmed everyone by just loving them. The cat made it very clear that she did not welcome another4 in the house, but the dog just5the cat anyway. The little dog6her everywhere, trying to make friends with the angry cat. No amount of7 behavior from the cat could persuade the dog not to love the cat.

    The family thought the cat would8 like the dog.

    Then one day the family heard horrible9 from their back yard. They ran to the10 to see what was happening. They lived in the suburbs and so they saw a real lynx( 猞猁) was just planning on11 their cat for lunch. The poor cat had nowhere to run or hide. It would only be a matter of seconds and their cat would be12 .

    And then suddenly a black lightning ran to the cat. The little dog13 the big lynx with all its strength. It did not be14or stop to think. It saw its15in trouble and did what had to be done. The family opened the window and started yelling and the father ran to the yard. The lynx soon disappeared into the16 .

    And ever since that day the cat's behavior toward the dog17 totally. Now it was the cat that followed the hero dog everywhere. They18in the same basket. The cat even let the dog eat from her bowl.

    So we can 19: if ever anyone is20 towards you, don't turn your back on them. They may not rescue your life—but their kindness can certainly rescue your day!

    Think of the ways you use your eyes every day. Imagine your life  1sight. Cover your ears, and  2being deaf and blind for the rest of your life. Think about the songs, the voices, the music you will never  3again.

    For the first 19 months of her life, Helen Keller was  4to see and hear. But then a sickness struck her. She became  5blind and deaf. For the rest of her life, she was never to see or hear. She didn't have memories of sight or 6. And the sickness struck her when she was a baby 7she learned to talk. But Helen Keller became a teacher and writer. She was in the hearts of millions of people.

    8did this miracle (奇迹) happen? For the first seven years of her life she was almost like a 9animal. Her mother and father did not know how to  10her. She screamed, kicked and cried. She wanted very much to have others understand her, but there was no way she could do. 11her parents decided to send for a family 12to treat her. Some went away shortly after they spent a few days with her, until the 13one — Annie Sullivan came, who seemed to be sent here by  14, for during the rest of Helen's life, she stayed with Helen to overcome (克服) a lot of unthinkable 15.

    Sullivan was a lovely young woman with great patience and imagination. She was a born teacher, 16of turning a deaf-blind creature into a useful human being. It was this teacher that did not let Helen's world be  17. Through the teacher's hands and fingers, Helen heard the sounds 18one can hear on a farm, the noises made by cows, horses, chickens and pigs.

    19back on those years, Helen once said, she was greatly struck by her teacher's wisdom and she was very grateful 20 her teacher.

    After all of these years, I still remember my first moment of kindness. It was the first day of kindergarten. I walked in with my mom and was 1 at all the toys against the walls. I 2 ran over to play. Most of the other kids were doing the same.

    In the corner 3, I saw one girl, sitting by herself. She was small and looked 4. She was the only one in the class shorter than me. Her 5 eyes looked like she had been crying. None of the other children seemed to 6 her there.

    I went back to 7 the toy cars but after a minute, I looked up at her again. She seemed so 8. Something inside started to stir(搅动). After a moment, I 9 two of the toy cars and 10 her. "Do you want to play?" I asked. She smiled and 11 her head yes.

    What made me remember that first unselfish act was a 12 that little girl wrote me after we were both grown. She told me how her illness made the other kids 13 her and how that moment of kindness had 14 her life. She had valued the 15I had offered her and carried it in her 16 even after she moved away. I wrote her back and we continued our friendship through the mail for several years 17 the disease finally took her life.

    Today I still thanked my unselfish little heart for 18 me to be kind to a little girl who needed a friend. I thought of how a moment of kindness can 19 so much to another, and of how 20 act can make the world so much better. May your life be full of giving, caring and helping that bring joy to you while you bring joy to others.