It was a cloudy day, and the terrible experience happened when I was studying in Bangalore. I got a call from my mom that my brother's1was fixed and they were arranging the wedding ceremony in the next few days.My 2was pretty far. So the next thing I was 3 to do was to book my 4 ticket as there was no direct flight to my hometown. The 5 was done by an agent in my neighborhood. I paid the whole amount 6. But when the day approached the 7 disappeared, leaving me without the train ticket, and thus 8all my travel plan.

    But as it is said, once you face such 9 situations, you realize your inner strength. I 10 decided I would complete my whole journey by bus. Without further 11 ， I took a bus to the first city stop. The next bus was again not 12 —it was 8 hours to a city near my hometown, where my aunt lived. They were also going to 13 my brother's wedding ceremony. So I called them and 14 them to accommodate me. They 15. Half the battle was won.

    Then next day, I was just a few hours from my hometown. When my aunt's family and I were boarding our car, my 16 asked me to switch places with her.

    The journey continued. We were trying to overtake(超越) another car when 17 a truck appeared in front of us and we went directly head on in front of it. We 18 with the truck. In this accident, almost everyone in our car was 19. Fortunately, I didn't have any injury, 20my cousin who switched places with me was seriously injured!

    Peter and Paul had got permission(允许) from their parents to camp in a field close to their farm. But, being adventurous boys, they know it would be more 1to camp in the forest that lay beyond the river. Excitedly, the boys 2 with their tent and food.

    Carrying their heavy 3, the two brothers walked along the riverbank, hardly noticing the distance or the sun beating down. They were eager to reach their 4 before lunchtime. As they entered the cool, shadowy forest, they began to search for a suitable camping place. Peter wanted to 5 close to the river at the edge of the forest, 6 Paul, who was older, insisted that they camp further away. 7, Peter followed his brother deeper into the 8. “This really is a wonderful setting!” said Paul in excitement. They 9their tent, and settled down to eat the sandwiches they had made, then decided to find their way 10 to the river to catch some fish.

    “Are you sure that this is the right 11?” whispered Peter shakily. “I'm sure we passed that hollow tree just a while ago.” Paul walked12 silently. “Look, there it is again. We're lost, aren't we?” complained Peter. Paul had to admit that he didn't know where they were. 13, they were a long distance from where they were 14 to be. They were not even 15 of where they had set up their camp. They sat in 16for a few minutes until Peter had a bright idea. “Why don't we look for clues（线索） the way trackers 17 in the movies? We weren't careful about how we walked, so I'm sure we would have left18 some broken tree branches and leaves. ”

    Carefully, the boys 19the marks that they had left, until finally they found their campsite. Hurriedly, they packed their belongings and set off 20 the direction of the river.

What would their parents think of their adventure（冒险）?

    Terror attacked the heart of the World War I soldier，as he saw his lifelong friend falling in the battle.Caught in a trench（战壕） with 1 gunfire whizzing（飕飕地移动）over his head，the soldier asked his 2 if he might go out into the “No Man's Land” between the trenches to bring his 3 partner back.

    “You can go，”said the officer，“but I don't think it will be worth it.Your friend is 4 dead and you may throw your own 5 away.”

    The officer's words didn't 6 to him，and the soldier went anyway. Surprisingly he 7 to reach his friend，lift him onto his 8 ， and bring him back to their own trench.As the two of them 9 in together to the bottom of the trench，the officer 10 the wounded soldier，and then looked kindly at his friend.

    “I told you it wouldn't be worth it，” he said.“Your friend is dead，and you are terribly wounded.”

“It was worth it，11 ， sir，” the soldier said.

    “What do you mean by 'worth it'?”12 the officer.“Your friend is dead!” “Yes sir，” the soldier answered.“But it was worth it because when I got to him，he was still 13 ， and I had the 14 of hearing him say，'Jim，I knew you'd come.'”

    Many a time in 15 ， whether a thing is worth doing or not really depends on 16 you look at it.Take up all your 17 and do something your 18 tells you to do so that you may not 19 doing it later in life.May each and every one of you be blessed with the company of 20 friends.

    Growing roots

    When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn't look like any doctor I'd 1 known. When Dr. Gibbs wasn't 2 lives, he was planting trees.

The good doctor had some3 theories on planting trees. He believed in "No pains, no gains". He never 4 his new trees, which was5 many people. Once I asked why. He 6 that watering plants spoiled them, and that if you water them, each following tree generation will 7 weaker and weaker. So you have to make things8 for them. He talked about how watering trees

    9 shallow roots, and how trees that weren't watered had to grow deep roots in

    10 of water. I came to understand that he meant deep roots were to be 11 I planted a couple of trees a few years back and I took good care of them. Two years of12 has resulted in trees that expect to be waited on hand and foot. Whenever a cold wind blows, they 13and tremble their branches. Funny things about those trees of Dr. Gibbs'. The lack of water seemed to 14them in ways comfort and ease never could.

    I used to15for my sons that their lives will be easy. But16 I've been thinking that it's time to17 my prayer. I know my children are going to meet

    18 and I'm praying they will be strong. The prayer for comfort is seldom met. What we need to do is to pray for deep roots,19when the winds blow, we won't be20away.

    Mum said they might not be back until after eleven. My brother Greg and I 1 to play hide -and- seek (捉迷藏). But there was not much 2 except in the front room. The3 was that we were not allowed in there by ourselves.4, we just took the risk.

    Once there, both of us were cautious and moved about 5 for some while. Then, when I hid behind a tapestry(壁毯), 6 by my brother, I jumped out. With a sense of 7, I felt my right elbow (手肘) striking (撞击) something hard. We heard a crash. Even 8 we dared to look, we knew that the vase lay broken.

    When Mum and Dad came home and viewed the pieces, we knew any 9 would only serve to fuel their anger. Mum ordered us to sit on the bare floor, beside the ruin. She cried, “How 10 the two of you have done this?” Greg and I, too 11 to cry, could voice no answer. After a while, she 12 us and stayed there alone by herself, much like a statue.

    Greg and I 13 throughout that night, struggling to decide what we might do to 14for it. We hoped with the money we had saved we might just have 15 to buy a vase. The next day, we set off to search 16 every local shop until we found a good copy.

    When we 17 home in silence, we 18 Mum and Dad with what we'd bought. Dad 19 out, took it from Greg and then passed it to Mum. She sighed, “You broke our Ming vase.” But we believed they knew we were 20.

    I've learned a lesson that accepting kindness is important, too. I'm a social worker and have been 1 more time recently with those unlucky people that some might say are less 2. I had a wonderful interaction (互动) this past week, when I had the 3 of being the receiver of kindness. I was speaking to a gentleman who has bad luck and is in 4. We were just talking for a while and getting to 5 each other.

    Towards the end of our evening he said he wanted to 6 me a hamburger at the nearby fast food restaurant. In time before, I would have 7 that he let me buy him a meal, since he had a greater 8 than I. But my kindness experience has taught me the 9 of being a good receiver, too. So I told him if he 10 wanted to do that I would be 11 to share a meal with him.

    It was great! He was so happy to be able to 12 something like that and he was 13 the entire time. I felt glad to 14 the wonderful feeling of someone's giving. We 15 some great conversation and I could see it 16 so much to him.

    As we parted ways, instead of me feeling bad that he probably spent his last few 17 on our meal, I smiled and felt with a wonderful 18 of connection and gratitude. It's not only fun to be a receiver of kindness, 19 this also gives someone else the chance to be the 20. That is important, too.