One autumn morning, I spotted a pair of wild geese on our pond. The beautiful sight caught me by 1 because I'd never seen geese there before. Thinking they would soon leave, I 2 the chance to get close to them. I wondered where they came from and why they had chosen our pond.

    The next morning, the geese were still my 3 I walked round to the mailbox, showing them I meant no harm4I couldn't resist getting a 5 look. I hid behind some trees and 6 the handsome pair quietly through the branches. I was surprised to see they were staring at me, too!

    As days passed, I started 7 to them on my trips to the mailbox. They craned （伸长） their necks and raised their heads 8 but seemed to realize I was their friend. By then, my curiosity about 9 they were staying so long at the pond changed to10. As they were feeding in the grass the other day, I discovered the reason for their 11the male had a broken left wing. He couldn't 12 and his faithful mate wouldn't leave him behind. I asked a biologist what to do. He explained that sometimes a13 wing will heal by itself and suggested letting nature take its course.

    On the first day of November, I was working in the neighborhood of the geese with my tractor. As I bent to fasten a chain from the tractor, I 14some movement from the corner of my eye. Both geese were running towards the pond. Their wings were 15 like crazy, struggling for take off. Gradually, they flew over the pond. They16 enough altitude to fly past a neighbor's house, and then circled back towards me, flying no more than 50 feet over my head as if to say goodbye. Then they were out of my17.

    The season's first snowflakes fell the very next day. The birds must have 18 that winter was coming, and it was time to go. I became fond of them during their 19 visit to our pond, and now I miss them. I'll never forget their 20 to each other.

    I always wondered how people would react if I tried to approach a total stranger for help in a busy place like a street corner or a mall. I have always 1 a stranger who tried to catch my 2 in a busy place.

    Yesterday I was in a busy shopping mall buying a large piece of luggage because I just had the 3 to do it after many days of planning. After the 4, I picked up my phone from my pocket to call my driver waiting in the parking lot but my phone was 5.

    Then I requested the shop assistant who had 6 sold me the merchandise (which was not cheap), if she could ring my driver for me. She 7 that it was the shop policy that they cannot use 8 while working in the shop.

    After I got out of the shop onto the busy street, I 9 a young mother with her two kids to make the same 10. As soon as I said “Excuse me, madam!” she grabbed her kids and ran. I 11 a kidnapper（绑匪）.

    I stood there wondering how many times I had 12 to strangers like the young 13. I stood there in the 14 street with people rushing by, looking at their faces to see if there was a sign of 15 on their face.

    I saw a man pretty shabbily dressed compared to me who 16 to notice me. I just stopped him and made my request. He 17 called my driver and waited till my car came to make sure I was picked up, turned around 18 I could thank him adequately and was gone.

    I was 19 by kindness and hope I will do20 to strangers who try to catch my attention from now on.

    In 2003 I started my work at my local animal shelter's Adoption Department. Over the years, more than 50,000 animals have 1 the doors of the shelter. Most of them, I do not remember. But occasionally there are animals who 2 me so deeply that I could never possibly 3 them. Tabby was one such animal.

    Tabby was an old dog, about 14 years old. What's more, she was blind and deaf. Tabby's chances at adoption seemed 4 at best. After all, we didn't have may adopters coming in5about her. We had all thought that Tabby would 6 the rest of her life at the shelter.

    One day a woman named Loretta came to the shelter. Her son, Gary, had 7 Tabby's picture and stories on the shelter's website. They were 8 in meeting her! It was the only 9 we ever received about Tabby. What could a young child 10 see in a 14-year-old dog who was both blind and deaf? Most boys would want a dog who could grow with him and 11 through grassy fields on summer days. Tabby would 12 be able to do that. But after meeting her, Loretta and Gary decided that she was the right dog for their family. They adopted Tabby!

    If Tabby's story had simply ended with her 13 adoption, it would still have been something very 14indeed. However, it was what happened after her adoption that some might label as "magical". Gary 15 from seizures(癫痫). As Gary and Tabby bonded they became 16 . They did everything together. They became so "intune" with one another that Tabby began to telegraph Gary's seizures 17 they occurred, giving his family warning that one was about to strike. What's more, Gary seemed to be having fewer and fewer seizures since Tabby's 18.

    How could it be? Nobody could explain 19 Tabby did it. But those of us who were 20enough to know her and her family had seen a real miracle(奇迹), the kind that has its roots in love.

    I was driving to a business appointment when I came to a very busy crossroad. The traffic light had just turned red. Suddenly, an unforgettable 1 caught my eye. A young couple, both blind, were 2 arm-in-arm across this busy crossroad with cars racing by in every direction. Each of them had a walking stick extended, searching for clues to 3 them.

At first I was moved. They were trying to 4 what I felt was one of the most scary disability—blindness. It 5 be terrible to be blind. My thought was quickly interrupted by 6 when I saw that the couple were directly walking toward the middle of the crossroad. Without 7 the danger they were in, they were walking right into the path of oncoming cars. I was concerned because I didn't know 8 the other drivers understood what was happening.

    To my astonishment, I saw a(n) 9 scene unfold before my eyes. Every car in every direction came to a(n) 10. No sharp sounds of brakes or noisy horn were heard, 11 did anyone yell, “Get out of the way!” Everything 12. At that moment, time seemed to stand still for this couple.

    Amazed, I 13 the cars around me. I noticed that everyone's attention was fixed on the couple. 14 the driver to my right yelled, “To your right! To your right!” Other people 15 in union, shouting, “To your right!”

    The couple 16 their own course and they made it to the other side of the road. 17 they arrived at the roadside, one thing impressed me--they were 18 arm-in-arm. I was taken aback by the 19 expressions on their faces and judged that they had no idea what was really 20 around them.

    As I drove away, I did so with more awareness of life and care for others than ever before.

Careers in science are often considered as difficult for students lacking talent or intelligence, yet the experience of Scott Kelly, commander of the International Space Station, stands as an example to prove it's 1 .

As a child, he displayed little interest in science or any other 2 . He spent most of his school days daydreaming because he was unable to 3 the lessons. As a result, his grades were terrible and he barely graduated from high school, doubting whether he would ever 4 his dreams.

That all 5 when he picked up and read The Right Stuff, Tom Wolfe's book of the pioneering Americans who first explored space. 6 at last, he was determined to be an astronaut, which meant doing well in science classes. Therefore, he 7 his mind to perform well in his science classes. 

After years of daydreaming, it was not a(n)8 task. But he approached it like a game. The more he 9 his study skills, the more he gained knowledge and improved. 10 , it became a personal 11 to see how capable he could become. No one was more surprised than him when this 12 daydreamer began to get straight A's in his science exams, which is significant for him to become an astronaut. 

We'd better stop 13 the statement that science is just too hard. If you are a student who has been told "you're not a science person" or "your mind doesn't function that way", just 14 such comments! Anyone who desires to learn can master these subjects —they just need to be 15 to do the work. 

Cruz Genet,11, and Anthony Skopick, 10, couldn't agree. Were the birds out on the ice ducks or geese? So on a 1 January evening last year, the two friends ventured onto the 2 pond near their homes, to get a better look. First they tossed a rock onto the ice to3 it. Then they stepped on it. 4 the ice would hold their weight, Anthony took a few steps, then…FOOMP. He crashed through the 5 frozen surface." There was no sound, no crack," he recalled,"I just fell through instantly". Cruz 6 to help his panicked friend. FOOMP— the pond 7 him too.

 The boys were up to their necks in icy water and quickly losing feeling in their limbs. Any chance of their 8 themselves was slipping away. Cruz was sure he was going to die. Anthony's older sister was nearby and started screaming for help.

 John Lavin, a9 driving nearby on his way home, heard her. He quickly 10 . Seeing the boys, he grabbed a nearby buoy (救生圈), 11 off his shoes, and ran into the cold water, chopping(劈) his way through the ice with his free 12 .

 Lavin made his way to Cruz and Anthony and pulled them back to land. When in hospital, doctors discovered that their five- minute 13 in the water had lowered their body 14 nearly ten degrees.

 Fortunately, the boys have fully recovered, though they are still a little awestruck by their 15 neighbor." Just to think," says Cruz," If he weren't there, we could have died."