One fall in the mid-1950s, I took some time off and got a train ticket to visit relatives in Cleveland. I was 1 out of school and had begun working as an office clerk. On my return trip, I noticed a couple across the aisle (通道) — a(n) 2 and a young woman — having a conversation.

    3 I realized the two of them weren't traveling together after all, but had just met on the train. The woman finally got off at Rochester, New York, leaving the soldier 4 I couldn't help noticing his good looks out of the corner of my 5

    He asked 6 he could look at the train timetable I was holding, and then if he could 7 next to me so we could chat. He's a fast mover, I thought. I'll have to 8 for this one. I invited him to 9the too-large lunch my aunt had 10 for my trip, and we 11 all the way to my stop in Oneida, and we 12 addresses and he said he would be in 13.

    After a week, I still hadn't heard from him and had begun to think he'd forgotten about me. Then, on Saturday, the phone rang and a 14 voice asked if I would like to see a movie with him that evening. He'd come to Oneida, and we 15 seeing On the Waterfront at the Kallet Theatre.

    We had a few more 16 during his Army leave, and then he was 17 overseas. For the next few years, we 18 and he visited me on other holidays. Today we've been together more than 55 years, raising three daughters who now have daughters of their own.

    Before taking my trip to Cleveland all those years ago, I was warned never to speak to 19 on a train. I'm certainly20 I didn't listen.

    Once upon a time, there was a poor man. His 1 was also very poor — a small and empty house, which was 2 with spider webs (蜘蛛网). People tried to 3 coming into his house as they didn't want to come to such a 4 place. And the poor man thought that poverty (贫困) was the 5 for his unlucky life.

    Then, the poor man 6 a wise man and told him about his poverty. The man felt sorry for the poor man and gave him a vase (花瓶). “This will save you from 7,” the wise man 8. The poor man took the 9 from the wise man and wanted to 10 it at first and then spend the money on drinking, as usual. Besides, why would he 11 such a beautiful thing? But then he started 12 the vase carefully and decided not to take it to the market. He brought the vase back to his 13, put it on the table and started watching it again.

    “It's not 14 for such a beautiful thing to be 15” the poor man thought. So he 16 some flowers and put them into the vase. It became even 17. “Not good that such a beautiful thing stands next to a spider web,” the poor man 18 again.

    So the poor man started 19 his house. He cleaned the dust, washed the floor and whitened the walls. And it became clear that his house wasn't poor, 20 rather warm and comfortable. And the poor man wasn't a poor man anymore, but a hard-working host, who had no time to think about poverty.

    When I was growing up, I loved playing sports. This is partly 1 my dad was a high-school athletic 2 who passed his love of sports down to me. The problem was that in the 1960s there weren't any organized sports for young 3.

    In the seventh grade, I finally had a 4 to try out for a team--the cheerleading team (拉拉队). It was the only sport my junior school offered girls, and that was 5 to support the boys' basketball team. I really wanted to play sports, but I devotedly tried out for cheerleading.

    Actually, trying out for cheerleading was a really big 6. It 7 a very organized tryout and a lot of rehearsing (排演练习). I practiced in front of the mirror in my bedroom for days. "I was very 8 and I was an athlete. Why wouldn't I 9 the cheerleading team?” I thought to myself.

    When the results were posted on the locker-room (衣物间) door, my name wasn't on the 10. I was so 11about such a failure. For a week, I didn't want to go to school. I 12 myself as a great athlete, 13 I couldn't even make the cheerleading team! My parents encouraged me. They 14 me that 15 I got to high school, I'd have a chance to play sports. I would go on with life and do just fine. It was my first lesson in coming back from 16.

    When I got to high school, I played on the field-hockey (曲棍球) and basketball teams. I got a scholarship to play basketball in college, and after college I played 17 in France. I went on to have a very successful career in sports, which all 18 with failing to make the junior-high cheerleading team.

    Life is like that. You don't always get what you want. But if you come back 19 after suffering a 20, you can succeed.

    At two, most children are happy to play with stuffed toys. 1, for Freddie Bawden, life on the farm is not child's play but a labour of 2.

    Feddie likes nothing more than 3 his working suit to join his father James and mother Kayleigh as they 4 their animals. He helps feed the pigs, sheep and other animals. 5 his young age, Freddie takes his duties very 6. He also helps make up their feed and gives the animals water before sweeping up and laying down 7 hay.

    Freddie even has two battery-powered 8 of his own for carrying hay. Mr Bawden said, "He's really 9 actually. It's good for him to 10 up around animals. It gets him outside a lot and he absolutely loves it really."

    Like most children, of course Freddie goes to 11 one-and-a-half days a week, but he spends the rest of his time helping his parents, who also 12 a dog training centre on the farm. The youngster helps to 13 the dogs, as well as feed them and sweep the kennels (狗舍). He also likes to join in the special training sessions, 14 toys for the dogs to 15 after. Mr Bawden said some even 16 better to Freddie than they did to their adult owners who may "overthink" things.

    Mr Bawden 17 most two-year-old are more likely to be found watching TV or playing with 18. But he said, "If he wants to come with me, he can. If he doesn't, he doesn't have to. He's really healthy, fit and strong. He eats well and 19 well because he's doing so much. He loves 20 off, and he loves showing other people his pigs and sheep."

    At the age of 60, my father was hit by a car when he walked to a nearby supermarket to buy vegetables. After 1 for two months in hospital, he finally woke up. His waking up 2 all our family. 3, he didn't know any of us. Doctors said his brain was hurt so 4 that he had lost all his memory. And his mental age (心理年龄) was only five. We were sorry to hear about the bad news.

    Since I was his only child, it was my 5 to look after him. He forgot 6 everything, but he did remember he liked sweets. I used the sweets as a way of 7 bad behaviors. I would gave him one sweet 8 he didn't sit on the ground, a second for stopping painting on the wall, and another for not trying to put clothes on the dog.

    Dad became the 9 child in town. He climbed up the tree to catch a bird and couldn't get down after it 10 away. He broke my window with a ball and 11 our telephone in water like washing clothes. When I told him he was doing 12 things, he would answer smilingly, "I like that!" My son, then aged five, and two eight-year-old daughters, welcomed their 13 playmate. He would happily make them real cigarettes, 14 his sweets with them, and carry them high in the apple tree to 15 apples.

    It is eight years since the 16. Dad has accepted the fact that he is the 17 of his three playmates but not a brother. He has also accepted that they grow taller but his 18 stays the same. Though it is still 19 to take care of him, he brings us a lot of fun. In some way I think it is a(n) 20 thing to look after dad like looking after a child. How many people can have the chance to care for a child-like parent?

    On a recent trip to California, I was introduced to Smile Cards. I promised myself to 1 an act of kindness before I left California. I 2 thinking about it but I didn't know what to do.

    I reached the airport and the 3 was about to begin when I saw an ice cream store. I went in and told the guy at the store that I 4 to do an act of kindness. The guy, named Jose, looked confused. 5 I explained I had just attended a conference, where I was told Smile Cards and 6 to do an act of kindness. Jose showed 7. I told Jose, "Whoever is your next 8, treat them to some ice cream and then give them this Smile Card." Jose 9 read the card and agreed with a smile that was both grateful and 10 at the same time.

    Since this was my first time, I wanted to know the 11 of the receiver. “Jose, I have to catch a 12, but here is my cell phone number. Would you be 13 enough to call me and tell me the person's reaction?" He 14.

    I went to my gate, and as I was about to board, Jose 15, "I did the act of kindness. The person was very 16, and asked me to express thanks to the person who paid for it！" I again thanked Jose and boarded the flight feeling 17.

    I really want to 18 this practice of kindness. I am a professor and I love my work 19 it makes a difference in the lives of others. And now, I realize that I can do that everywhere. The whole world is my 20.