Learning experiences happen to us throughout our lives, and not too long ago, I had one that I would like to 1 . This story began with a 2 three years ago. It's a story of pizza and being3of buying ice cream with a US $20 bill.

    I was going to Marblehead, Massachusetts, with my racing team on the highway and we were all 4Luckily, we saw a rest area5. I had a brand-new US $ 20 bill, and I had 6had that kind of cash before. Spending it on food 7to me like throwing it away.

    We all rushed into the pizza line. 8 I got a cheese pizza and drink. Halfway through the 9, I realized I had not actually 10 any money to the cashier. I felt terrible. I just couldn't go back to the cashier and11my stolen pizza. I would feel embarrassed.

    I was so upset that I refused to give myself the12of an ice cream in fear that someone would say, "Hey, Jeff, why don't you 13 the change from the pizza instead of that nice, new US $20 bill?"

     was not so proud of my 14 now.

    For the next two years, whenever I was15of the "Pizza incident," I 16my eyes and said to myself, "Not gonna think about it, not gonna think about it…"

    I think this 17the saying, "A coward (懦夫) dies a thousand deaths, a hero dies 18." I was a coward and have felt19 about that incident at least a thousand times. If I had been a "hero" and gone 20up to pay for the pizza, then I would have felt a little embarrassed about it only once, or maybe twice.

    Our school club “Poets of the Next Generation” is a literary club that was started by our English teacher Mr. Owen. We 1 on the last Friday of every month to 2 about poem and poets that we like. In the club meetings, we 3 select poems that we love, and then read 4 aloud. We also discuss poems in our meetings.

    5 I attended the first meeting, I 6 to write a poem and I had to read it to the club. I was a little 7 at first, but everyone was so nice and friendly that I soon stopped worrying. I once read a 8 about nature in the school courtyard. I chose an old tree and gathered everyone under it before I 9.The club 10 said it was one of the best compositions they had heard.

    Here is a story. A young man while walking in the desert1a spring of delicious crystal-clear water. The water was so2, he filled his leather canteen so that he could bring some back to a tribal（部落）3 who had been his teacher.

    After a four-day4 he presented the water to the old man who took a deep drink, smiled 5 and thanked his student sincerely for the sweet water. The young man returned to his village with a 6 heart.

    Later, the teacher let another student 7 the water. He spat(吐) it out, saying it was 8. It obviously had become smelly because of the old leather 9.

    The student asked his teacher, "Master, the water was smelly. Why did you 10 to like it?" The teacher replied, "You only tasted the water. I tasted the 11.The water was 12 the container for an act of loving-kindness and 13 could be sweeter."

    I think we understand this 14 best when we receive gifts of love from young children. Whether it's a post card or a birthday cake, the natural and 15 response is appreciation and expressed thankfulness because we love the idea 16 the gift.

    Gratitude(感恩) doesn't always come naturally.17, most children and many adults value only the thing given 18 the feeling included in it. We should 19 ourselves and teach our children about the beauty of feelings and expressions of gratitude.20, gifts from the heart are really gifts of the heart.

    I had worried myself sick over Simon's mother coming to see me. I was a new 1, and I gave an honest account of the students' work. In Simon's case, the grades were awfully low. He couldn't read his own handwriting. 2 he was a bright student. He discussed adult subjects with nearly adult comprehension. His work in no way reflected his3 .

    So when Simon's mother entered the room, my palms(手掌心) were sweating. I was completely4 for her kisses on both my cheeks. "I came to thank you," she said, surprising me beyond speech. 5 me, Simon had become a different person. He talked of how he6 me, he had began to make friends, and for the first time in his twelve years, he had 7 spent an afternoon at a friend's house. She wanted to tell me how grateful she was for the 8I had nurtured(培养) in her son. She kissed me again and left.

    I sat, stunned (惊呆), for about half an hour, 9 what had just happened. How did I make such a life-changing difference to that boy without 10 knowing it? What I finally came to 11 was one day, several months before, when some students were 12 reports in the front of the class, Jeanne spoke 13 , and to encourage her to raise her voice, I had said, "Speak up. Simon's the expert on this. He is the 14 one you have to convince, and he can't hear you in the 15 of the room." That was it. From that day on, Simon had sat up straighter, paid more attention, 16 more, and became happy. And it was all because he 17to be the last kid in the last row. The boy who most needed 18 was the one who took the last seat that day.

    It taught me the most19 lesson over the years of my teaching career, and I'm thankful that it came 20 and positively. A small kindness can indeed make a difference.

    I made a request of my Guide to direct me someone who was badly in need. Then I was1in a huge traffic jam at a stoplight. "Rush hour." I thought. But it was an overheated car,2on the middle lane(车道).With cars driving all around it, I couldn't stop anywhere without making things3I had to turn left in the thick traffic and couldn't pull over for a couple of blocks. I thought," maybe this is one I should let someone else4But I blamed myself for that.

    I turned around and parked my car on a far entrance road. Then I thought about how to help the girl in the broken car. Letting her car off the highway seemed 5, but luckily, cars in multiple lane going both6opened wide for me to approach her car. So I asked her to release(松开)her brake and steer(掌控方向盘) across two more lanes of rushing cars while I7her car to the highway' s right side. I saw the fear and8in her eyes. I9my fear from her, so she might think I knew what I was doing. But only my Guide knew.

    I just pushed and she steered. Once again the sea of rushing cars10and her car finally was stopped at a safe11just before a police car12up behind us. The policeman was13at what he had witnessed. The girl thanked me with a14and said her friend was on the15and didn't need my help anymore. Suddenly, the officer began to16thinking my car was17parked in the ocean of traffic. I explained I parked my car across the highway. I then drove away after helping out for only a few18.

    My Guide sought the "kind act"19and cleared the way. All I had to do was20being a bystander(旁观者).

    A young student was one day taking a walk with a professor, who was commonly called the students' friend. As they1along, they saw a pair of old shoes2on the road, which they thought belonged to a poor man who was working in a field nearby. The student3to the professor, saying, "Let us play a4on the man: we will5his shoes, and conceal (隐藏) ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his anxiety6he cannot find them."

    "My young friend," answered the professor, "we7never enjoy ourselves by8the poor. Since you are9, why not give yourself a much greater pleasure by helping the poor man? Put a(n)10into each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and11how the discovery affects him." The student did so, and they both hid themselves behind the12.

    The poor man soon13his work, and came across the field to the road14he had left his shoes. While putting on his shoes, he felt something15. He stooped (弯腰) down to see16it was, and found the coin. He was greatly surprised. He then17him on all sides, but found nobody. He then put the coin into his pocket, and his surprise was doubled when he found18coin. He fell upon his knees, looked up to heaven and uttered aloud a fervent (热烈的) thanksgiving, in which he19his sick wife and his children without bread.

    The student was20moved and his eyes were filled with tears.