I remember quite well a day 17 years ago. That day, our twin sons, Chad and Brad, 1 their car and left home to attend college. I realized that our 2 would soon become a "table for two". 3 , the boys would come home on the weekends, but 4 , I knew our family life would never be exactly the same again.

    The boys walked around each room to 5 they hadn't forgotten anything they needed. I packed a cooler with 6 and their favorite cold snacks. I found a box and filled it with essential 7 items. I thought they might go to bed hungry that night. I 8 my wallet and placed the little bit of 9 I had in their hands.

    We all walked 10. Chad and Brad gave me big 11 and quickly got into their car. I 12 as they drove away. When their car was 13, I sat down on the driveway and cried 14 than I had cried in a long time. My husband Roy tried to 15 me, but I could see grief in his eyes, as well.

    There are many parents who would 16 this period. Bittersweet feelings will be 17 while I cannot explain them adequately. I can still remember 18 I felt when we began that new chapter in our lives.

    19 time going by, however, Roy and I are now accustomed to our table for two and we enjoy our lives together. I have to admit I still miss our children and the old 20 we had together.

    When I was only eight, my father decided to work far from home to earn a living for the whole family. He1that he would come back home once a year. Thinking that he didn't love me, I had too much difficulty2 the unexpected and sudden3at that time. No matter how many times mother explained it to me, l could not help4him for his leaving.

    Whenever I saw other parents sending their children to school5while I only had my mother with me, I couldn't6asking myself, “Why can't I have the honor?” Whenever there was a sports meet, I felt that I was the only one7to get encouragement from a father. Obviously I didn't understand my father; 8, I even blamed him for not being there for me. I 9the only way to let him know my feelings was to10him the cold shoulder, so I never gave him any  11. He did not know how to12to my indifferent attitude, which gradually formed a great13between father and me.

    However, one day things14. I was ill. While lying in bed, suddenly my phone rang, and it was my dad. When I answered the phone, to my15, I heard him crying. I never saw him cry. After a while he said, “You don't know how16 I feel. If there is one-in-a-thousand chance that I could get back to you, I will not 17. However, I cannot. Sometimes one must give something up to take his real  18. You don't know how much I 19you. Every time I hear your voice, I cannot stop blaming myself for leaving you.” At that moment, I 20 him and knew that sometimes one has to stop trying something so as to be really responsible.

I'd gone from a tiny village school with a total of 60 students to a huge-school with thousands of pupils. I was a little fish in a very big1. I lived too much of my first year 2 doing anything wrong. I just decided to be the wallflower when it 3 class discussion and answering questions. I was always the one that 4didn't look the teachers in the eye 5 they asked me to answer. I listened well, and6 everything in, but I always liked to be a spectator（旁观者）. It is hard not to 7 what others may think of you when you are speaking in front of many 8. It did take long for me to feel 9 with teachers and make friends with classmates.

Some people 10 straight into a new learning environment.11 most are nervous and feel they don't fit in. It's completely 12so it should not be a worry to you. Be 13and you will adapt to the new school. School life is 14 you make of it. Some 15 it; some love it. But it's only when you leave that you can really appreciate how school16you into the person you become.

It's so important to 17 yourself out of your comfort zone. If you are shy, tell yourself you will raise your 18at least once every lesson; if you are quick-minded, try to give other people a(n)19In time, you will20 how much you loved it or hated it.

    I was six years old. It was Halloween. The school was having its annual Halloween parade(游行) to 1 it. All the kids would march a few 2 through the neighborhood.

    “Just buy him a costume,” my father said. “ It doesn't cost much.”

    But no, my mother decided, 3 it was my first parade, she would 4 me a costume: the mummy(木乃伊), my favorite scary character.

    She 5 white rags(布片) and old towels and wound them 6 me, holding them in place with safety pins. Then she arranged the rags with toilet paper and tape. It took a long time, but I was still 7 enough to see the result. When she finished, I could 8 wait to look in the9 I was a mummy! I moved back and forth in front of it 10.

    “Oh, you're very scary.” my mother said.

    She drove me to school. We started our parade. The more I walked, the 11. the rags got. Then, about two blocks out, it began to 12 The next thing I knew was that the toilet paper was beginning to dissolve (溶解).13 the rags became even looser and fell to my ankles, wrists, and neck and you could see my undershirt and under pants, which made me extremely 14.

    “Look at Charley!” the other kids screamed. They were 15. I was burning red. I wanted to escape, but where did you go in the middle of a parade?

    When we 16 reached the schoolyard, I was all wet, with a mess of rags and toilet paper pieces. The parents were waiting there with 17, starting to take photos of us. I saw my mother first. As she spotted me, she 18 her hand to her mouth. I burst into19.

    “You20 my life!” I cried.

    With New Year approaching quickly, I was so pleased with the resolution (决心) my family had made at the beginning of this year and proud that we were actually able to keep it. For the past year we had made an effort to go 1 and, looking back, we were pretty successful.

    Last year we began recycling all of our glass, paper, plastic, and aluminum cans. We 2all light bulbs throughout our home with energy saving bulbs; we stopped purchasing 3water. In addition, we made it a point to 4 reusable bags when grocery shopping.

    Although I took pride in all the 5, I felt that we could take it a step 6 and do more. I was especially interested in teaching my kids to become more 7 in learning how important it is to take care of the environment. I began thinking about ways I could further the 8. It took a while for it to come to me but when it did I was 9 and excited about it.

    I recognized that, in our own way, we were already 10 to Mother Earth. 11wouldn't it be great if we could give more to organizations that support causes which help the less 12 around the world? What I decided to do was 13 the money we earned from 14 our waste to charity.

    My seven-year-old son, Brayden, would even be able to join in, as he was 15 for sorting the items and taking them to the recycling center with me. To make him more involved, I decided that he would help me 16 which charity to support. Because we sold our recyclable items every month or so, we wouldn't have a large 17; but I loved the idea of teaching my son that however much you give, what 18 is that you give. The smallest donation can make a 19.

    Next year, we will continue doing our 20 to help the environment and make this world a better place.

    The young woman entered the pool where an injured dolphin was swimming. Despite her fear, she felt strong wearing her new leg.

    In her second grade, Maja 1 her cousin, Jasmina. After Jasmina's death, Maja swore she would honor the little girl by 2 with a dolphin, an animal that both girls   3. "Jasmina never got the chance to do it." says Maja, now 32, "so I 4 that someday I'd do it for her."

    In high school, Maja was 5 about sports. She even planned to become an athlete. 6, in 1993, during the civil war in her home country, a bomb 7 her left leg.

    After two years' treatment in the U.S., Maja 8 her first artificial leg. But because it didn't 9 well, walking for Maja was very painful. 10, she managed to graduate from a local high school. Then after receiving a 11 from Saint Francis University, she got a job at an insurance firm and 12 started her own company.

    To relax, Maja 13 often watch the dolphins play at an aquarium（水族馆）near her home. A young dolphin, Winter, who had lost its tail, caught her 14. One day, Maja happened to see trainers fitting Winter with a high-tech 15. When they were done, Winter swam freely in the water. Maja was 16. She managed to find the inventors of Winter's tail. Within ten days, she had a new leg which freed her of the 17 that had troubled her for almost 16 years.

    Now, Maja was ready to keep her 18. She went to the aquarium, lowered herself into the pool and held out a hand to Winter, who approached 19, then swam away. After a few minutes, the dolphin let Maja 20 its back. Finally, the two began to swim around the pool together.