You Did More Than Carry My Books

    Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed a boy ahead of him had dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with a baseball bat and several other things. Mark 1 down and helped the boy pick up these articles. 2 they were going the same way, he helped to carry some of them for him. As they walked, Mark 3 the boy's name was Bill, that he 4 computer games, baseball and history, that he was having a lot of 5 with his other subjects and that he had just broken 6 with his best friend.

    They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark was 7 in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed 8 with a few laughs and some shared small talk, and then Mark went home. They 9 to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, and then both ended up from the same high school. Just three weeks before 10, Bill asked Mark if they 11 talk. Bill 12 him of the day years ago when they had first met. “Do you 13 wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill. “You see, I 14 out my locker(橱柜) because I didn't want to leave a mess 15 anyone else. I had planned to run away and I was going home to 16 my things. But after we spent some time together 17 and laughing, I realized that 18 I had done that, I would have 19 a new friend and missed all the fun we would have together. So you see, Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more. You 20 my life.”

    Once a little boy found a caterpillar（蝴蝶幼虫）. After he was allowed to 1 it at home, the little boy got a large box from his mother and put plants to eat, and a 2 to climb on. One day the caterpillar climbed up the stick and started acting 3. The boy worriedly called his mother who came and understood that the caterpillar was creating a cocoon（茧）. The mother 4 how the caterpillar was going to go through a(n) 5 and become a butterfly.

    The little boy watched every day, 6 the coming out of the butterfly. One day it happened, a small hole 7 in the cocoon and the butterfly started to struggle（挣扎）to come out. At first the boy was 8, but soon he became concerned. The butterfly was struggling so hard. But it looked like it was making no 9. Longing to see it out, the boy 10 to help. He cut the cocoon with scissors to make the hole 11 and the butterfly quickly flew out!

    To his 12, the butterfly had an unexpectedly large body and small wings. He 13 to watch the butterfly, hoping that the wings would dry out, enlarge and expand to support the huge body. 14 nothing happened! It never was able to 15.

    The boy tried to 16 what had gone wrong. To help him, his mother took him to talk to a scientist. He 17 that the butterfly was supposed to struggle. Without the struggle, the butterfly would never fly. The boy's good wish 18 the butterfly.

    As you go through school, and life, keep in mind that struggling is an important part of any experience for 19. It is the struggle that 20 us to develop our ability to fly.

    I was a single(单身的) parent of four small children, working at a low-paid job. Money was always tight, but I 1 to make ends meet(收支平衡), and if not a lot, 2 we had enough. Not knowing we were poor, my kids just thought I was 3. I've always been glad about that.

    It was Christmas time, and although there wasn't 4 for a lot of gifts, we planned to celebrate with a family party. But the big 5for the kids was the fun of Christmas 6. They planned weeks ahead of time, asking 7 what they wanted for Christmas. 8, I had saved $120 for gifts to be shared by all five of us.

    The big day 9. I gave each kid a twenty-dollar bill and 10 them to look for 11 of about four dollars each. Then everyone went away excitedly. We had two hours to shop and 12 back at the “Santa's Workshop”.

    Driving home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits, 13 my youngest daughter, Ginger, who was unusually 14. She had only one small, flat bag with a few candies —fifty-cent candies! I was very doubtful but I didn't say anything 15 we got home. I called her into my bedroom and closed the door. This is what she told me:

    “I was looking 16 thinking of what to buy when I 17 to read the little cards on the “Giving Trees”. One was for a little girl, four years old, and all she 18 for Christmas was a doll. So I took the card off the tree and 19 the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn't have anything.”

    I never felt so 20 as I did that day.

    My grandfather died in 1970, leaving my grandmother living in their old house alone. Shortly after that, we went to the animal shelter(收容所) and picked out a little 1 to accompany(陪伴) Grandma. The dog was named Penny.

    Grandma and Penny quickly became very attached(依恋)to each other, and that attachment grew much 2 as years passed—they became very close. When Grandma went to 3, Penny walked along and lay beside her until she woke up.4 Penny aged, she could no longer jump up on the 5 to lie next to Grandma, so she lay on the blanket beside the bed. Grandma never went anywhere without her partner by her side.

    The time came when both my grandmother and Penny were becoming 6. Grandma had been sent to hospital several times, and Penny couldn't 7 around very well. When Grandma was in hospital, Penny would sit at the window 8 out for the car bringing Grandma home and would 9 wait at the door when Grandma came through it. Each homecoming was a great meeting again between the two.

    On Christmas Day in 1985, Grandma was again taken to the hospital. Penny, 10, sat watching out the window for the car bringing Grandma home. Two mornings later, I 11 she couldn't stand and wouldn't eat. Later, she had difficulty in breathing. I quickly 12 her to the hospital where Grandma stayed to let her see her owner for the last time. There, as soon as Penny saw Grandma, Penny's eyes brightened suddenly and then slowly 13.Grandma left this world, several 14 later.

    After fifteen years of loving friendship, Grandma and Penny passed away on the same day. God had it all worked out—Penny was waiting at the door to 15 her when Grandma came home.

Pass Your Love On

    Waiting for the airplane to take off, I was happy to get a seat by myself. Just then, an air hostess approached me and asked, "Would you mind 1 your seat? A couple would like to sit together." The only 2 seat was next to a girl with her arms in casts (石膏绷带)， a black-and-blue face, and a sad expression. "3 am I going to sit there," I thought immediately. But a soft voice spoke, "She needs help." Finally, I 4 to move to that seat.

    The girl was named Kathy. She 5 in a car accident and now was on her way for 6.

    When the snack and juice arrived, it did not take me long to 7 that Kathy would not be able to 8 herself. I considered 9 to feed her but hesitated, as it seemed too 10 to offer a service to a 11. But then I realized that Kathy's need was more 12 than my discomfort. I offered to help her eat, and 13 she was uncomfortable to accept, she 14 as I expected. We became closer and closer in a short period of time. By the end of the five-hour trip, my heart 15, and the 16 was really better spent than if I had just sat by myself.

    I was very glad I had reached 17 my comfort zone to sit next to Kathy and feed her. Love 18 flows beyond human borders and removes the fears that keep us 19. When we 20 to serve another, we grow to live in a larger and more rewarding world.

    Until a few years ago, I had what most people would call a good life. I had a 1 job that paid the bills; I had a good family that I was close to, and I had a place to live and money in the bank for trips and 2, and there was nothing much wrong in my life. 3, I was bored.

    I wanted more. I wanted to live 4 and loudly and make sharp memories instead of the 5 ones of everyday life. But I was 6. I had never had any 7 in myself. As a child, even buying something in a shop caused me a great deal of 8, and even though I did get better as I got older, I never quite 9 that childhood shyness.

    And I tried everything, like reading books about confidence. I also took tiny steps leading to my goals. But none of them really 10.

    So I 11 that the small steps weren't enough. I signed up for an internship (实习期的工作) of teaching English in Vietnam, an 12 huge step, one that 13 me as much as it excited me. And then the day came and I left my home and my loved ones. I was alone in a country where the food was 14 and the streets were unfamiliar. I had no idea whether I would be able to 15 everything that this very strange environment would 16 at me.

    I spent five months in Vietnam, teaching, exploring and laughing, I'd learnt to 17 myself, my skills, my abilities and my decisions. I returned home 18, even to myself, let alone to others. The 19 that had controlled my life and the self-doubt were 20.

    That one big chance changed everything for me, and in me.