Zigfried, a little mouse, blew his breath on the frosty window of the farmhouse and rubbed it to see the outside. Still nobody came. Maybe today, he thought 1. It was only a few days before Christmas and he was watching for a miracle (奇迹).

    This farmhouse had been 2 too long. It needed a family. Zigfried's 3 made a noise. He realized that he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. He jumped from the windowsill (窗沿), grabbed a 4 from his home, and went next door to Farmer Mike's.

    Farmer Mike's house had been a great place for the little mouse 5 the farmer married a wife who had a cat. Zigfried 6 when he thought of it. He looked around cautiously as he 7 into the room where grain was stored and was quite 8 as he filled his bag with wheat. He was turning to leave when suddenly he 9 a hot breath about his ear. His heart beat  10 , and without thinking he started to run and luckily 11 the cat's paws (爪子).

    The next afternoon Zigfried heard some good news: a 12 family would be moving into the farmhouse soon. Zigfried's granny would arrive on Christmas Eve to 13 with him. He hoped that the family would come before his granny came. Before long, a car came 14 the road leading to the house, with butter sandwiches, cheese and chocolate.

    Zigfried's Christmas miracle did arrive!

    The house came 15 the next few days. Zigfried 16 every single hour of them. 17, the day before Christmas when he was drinking hot chocolate with a 18 smile at the door of his home, he heard the 19of the children of the family about what they might get for Christmas. What? A cat? The 20 froze on his face； his mouth fell wide open. After a long while, he at last found his voice: “Hey! Whose Christmas miracle is this?”

    Many years ago, I owned a service station and roadhouse（路边小店）on the main road between Melbourne and Adelaide.

    One very cold, wet night at about 3:30 a.m., there was a1on the front door of our house. A young man, wet from2to toe, explained that he had 3out of petrol about 30 km up the road. He had left his pregnant（怀孕的）wife and his two children4at the car and said that he would hitchhike（搭便车）back.

    Once I had5a can with petrol, I took him back to his car where his two-year-old and four-year-old children were both 6saying that they were cold. Once the car had started, I suggested that he7me back.

    Before leaving, I had turned the heater 8in the roadhouse, so that when we went in, it was nice and9While the little ones played and ran 10I prepared bread and butter for the children, and hot chocolate for the11.

    It was about 5 a.m. before they 12.The young fellow asked me how much he 13me and I told him that the petrol pump（加油泵）had14$15. He offered to pay “call-out fee”, but I wouldn't accept it.

    About a month later, I received a 15from Interstate, a large bus company that we had been trying to16to stop of at our roadhouse for a long time. It17out that the young fellow I had helped was its general manager, the most 18person in the company.

    In his letter, he thanked me again and 19me that, from then on, all their buses would stop at my service station. In this 20a little bit of kindness was rewarded with a huge amount of benefits.

    One rainy afternoon I was sitting at home feeling so bored.1 feeling sorry for myself, I wanted to meet people and have new2, so I decided to start volunteering. I found a website where I could volunteer on a farm in France.

    Volunteering 3 so many opportunities to have fun and share 4stories. It was the first time for me to work on a farm. It was almost a(n)5holiday as food and accommodation were provided. It was not one6 holiday, however, as I had to 7 fifteen horses and sheep! I soon discovered that I was a(n) 8 farmer but it did not matter because I made some great friends and also improved my9.

    However, you do not 10 go abroad to volunteer. I have had plenty of adventures at home as volunteering can become a11. For example, I love12 so I had a good laugh waving my arms in order to 13my local choir(合唱团). At university, I organized a concert for charity with my friends. It was really 14 to find bands and raise money for a cause.

    It is true that you feel good volunteering but there are also other 15.I once volunteered as a steward (干事) at a charity sports event where the organizers 16 gave me cupcakes from an expensive London bakery to thank me for my 17. I also volunteered in a charity shop so I found loads of nice cheap clothes to 18my wardrobe（衣橱）.

    While this is all fun, my favourite aspect of volunteering is 19and sharing stories. My terrible20  at farming has given me funny stories to tell！

    Jen and Jeff Fisher were a lovely couple with two kids who would soon be faced with a life-changing decision. Not only would it change the1of the family that they already had but it would also change the2of three young children that came into their home.

    The Fishers already had two3of their own: 13-year old Aiden and 10-year-old Macy. The Fishers decided to4another child and were introduced to the foster (寄养的) system. It was through foster care that they'd5three kids who would change everything.

    A social worker who worked with the foster system6the Fishers to an 11-year-old girl named Tannah Butterfield. She and her two younger siblings (弟妹) lost their7and no longer had a home of their own. Tannah wanted nothing more than a8of her own.

    As is9with the foster system, siblings are at risk of being separated from each other and sent off to10homes. But that's when the Fishers did something extraordinary.

    The Fishers11Tannah and her siblings, six- year-old Teagun and two-year-old Tallie, into their home. It was an extremely polite gesture,12since some foster families won't accept siblings together due to their13differences.

    When Tannah and her siblings set foot in the Fisher household for the first14, the switch couldnt have been15. They got along well with Aiden and Macy as if they'd all16each other their whole lives!

    A majority of kids in foster care often17separated. Luckily for Tannah, Teagun, and Tallie, they were able to18with the Fisher family for whole two years. At that point, Jen and Jeff Fisher19that they wanted to adopt the three kids that they had come to20as their own.

In 2015 my husband and I spent some days traveling in Sahara Desert. I was super 1 to ride a camel for the first time and spent a night in a tent in the desert.

2 , the ride started with me hanging upside down from the saddle (鞍) with one3 in the air. Bob, my camel, had decided to stand up4 I could settle in. I held onto the saddle5 as the guide pushed me up onto the camel's back. Bob6 a sound of disapproval and we rode off. I thought it would be bumpy (颠簸的); but it was a very7 journey all the way8 the fact that the camel in front was having a bad case of gas.

After dinner, we returned to the tent for sleep. Even in several thick blankets, I was 9 from head to toe while my husband fell asleep straight away. Thankfully, I drifted into dreamland gradually, only to be 10 by an unusual noise, followed by a(n)11 smell. I tried to go back to sleep, but another unpleasant smell and more 12 , which went on for hours.

After what felt like a 13 night, it was time to rise to watch the sunrise. I dragged my sleepy body out. There, 14 just outside was Bob, who made direct eye contact with me and I promised I 15 a broad grin on his face.