One day, I went to my favorite cafe for lunch. I 1 a burger and went to the outdoor seats. While waiting for my meal, a homeless man on a bicycle stopped to ask if there was a grocery store nearby. After I gave him 2, he asked if I had 3 from Santa Clara University. (I was wearing a SCU T-shirt. )I told him, yes. Little did I know that this 4 response would lead to a 90-minute conversation. The man, Michael, told me he was very intelligent. 5, drug use had ruined both his formal education and his pursuit of 6 in his work. He drifted from one topic to another, 7 the fact that I was ready for my lunch.

    He clearly had more of a 8to talk than I did. I made every 9 to give him my full attention, never 10 our talk would go on and on... Eventually, I did eat my meal, bite by bite 11 responses in our conversation. Michael was a bit strange. 12 his interests and viewpoints. We had little in 13, but he was fascinated with talking with, as he 14 it,“intelligent people.” I have to admit, I wish our conversation had been 15 to ten or fifteen minutes, but when Michael finally 16 off, he thanked me for listening so 17 to him and for my 18 to talk with him for so long. It was then that I 19 that, just maybe, that was my purpose in life for today … to be there, in that place, at that time, to 20 in that conversation.

    Many years have passed, but she still remembers the last day of her whole class. They got together to say goodbye to their 1 schooldays. She wonders herself if any of them still remembers their2, now that time has cloaked the past memories with layers of dust and 3 each fate beyond any expectations.

    The jolly “dwarf” of the class has now4 a successful businessman. The shy skinny “bookworm” is now a talented Ph.D. Trying his luck in some5 land in the Western atmosphere. The naughty, tomboy has6 her carefree laughter in exchange for a sheltered, comfortable life. And7, a literature addict, was driven by an inner force to put her pen aside and become a8 instead.

    She decided to9 her old teacher, who had sowed the seed for the cause of nurturing people in her directionless mind10 his poetical lessons. She used to dream of the enlightened faces of her 11and their round eyes running over every page of the books. Yet, at the most12 turn of her life's course, she didn't 13literature for her career, for she had been told that literature is just like a magical paradise to which the way is extremely 14.

    Her hands are so small; 15 can they hold the depths and the fullness that literature can bring? Still, she promises herself to go16, bearing in mind the last17 of her dear teacher, “Don't18what you give or receive. Learn to live generously to enjoy life, even when it's not generous toward us.”

    Now, she is a teacher, yet she has to continue learning numerous difficult19 of life. The more she20, the better she understands the value of her teacher's last lesson.

    “It's nice having a friend,” said Mole (鼹鼠) to Rabbit as they sat talking in the sun one day.

    “Oh, it is!” said Rabbit.“Very useful, too, 1 if you need help. 2, I think I'd like Bull(公牛) to be my friend.”

    “But I'm your friend!” said Mole, feeling 3.

    “Oh, yes,” said Rabbit.“You are good for talking to and laughing with, 4you are too small. When I need help, I 5 someone big and strong like Bull.He would be a very good friend to have. It would be 6 shouting for him when I need help.”

    Mole went off in anger.

    “Oh，well，I need to 7 something,” Rabbit thought.

    He moved along 8 he found a tiny garden.He had just started on his first leaf when there was a big 9. People were shouting and dogs were barking(吠叫).Rabbit was so afraid and in such a 10 to get away that he ran into the wrong hole.

    The hole was too 11 and Rabbit got stuck(被卡住).He could not 12 at all.

    “Help!” cried Rabbit.

    Mole 13 him.He ran up to see what was the matter.

    “Help!” cried Rabbit.“I'm stuck in this hole.”

    “If you want help,” said Mole，“I'd better 14 Bull.”

    “No!” cried Rabbit.“He's no good! He's too big to get into this 15.You're just the right 16! Please help me，Mole!”

    So Mole began digging around Rabbit.He 17 so fast that Rabbit was 18 soon.

    “I'm sorry, Mole.I was 19,” Rabbit said.“I'm 20 I have you for a friend.” And so the two good friends set off for home together.

Flowers for Miss Benson

    Miss Benson was the kindest, sweetest, most beautiful person on the earth in my mind. She was my second-grade 1 Early in the term, I started asking my mother to put an extra apple in my lunch for Miss Benson.2I never quite worked up the courage to hand my gift to her3. Each day it found its way unobserved to the corner of her desk. And each day the response was the same:

    Miss Benson would come in and sit down. “Good morning, children. Why, how nice!” She would pick up the4 of the day, and then look around the room. “What 5little boy or girl brought me this?”

    No one6the honor, least of all me. I kept my head down, looking at my desk.

    “Can it be that I have a secret admirer?” she would ask.

    I would feel the7rising in my face. I was certain that everyone was looking at me, and I would sigh with 8 when Miss Benson started the lesson after putting the fruit away.

    One fall morning, the class was boiling with 9. As was said, the next day, Friday, was Miss Benson's birthday. Everyone wanted to get her a present. My heart gave a jump; at last I could give her something 10. That afternoon was spent combing the fields for wild flowers.

    In the morning I hung back as others 11their gifts. Finally I went to the desk and gave the flowers to Miss Benson. My reward was a smile and a pat on the head.

    The next Monday, Miss Benson didn't 12. Later on, I was asked to go to the principal's office. He, clearly and slowly, told me that because of the poison 13I gave her, Miss Benson was in hospital.

    I 14 all the way home because of the tragedy to my loving teacher. I begged my mother to take me to visit Miss Benson.

    Miss Benson was sitting up in bed when we arrived. Her15was covered with bandages. Only one eye was showing.

    “I didn't know they were poison flowers,” I burst out. “I didn't 16to make you sick. I only wanted to give you something.....” I stopped talking and swallowed hard.

    Miss Benson 17me with the eye. “You wanted to give me something 18 didn't you, Paul?”

    I nodded.

    “All those 19 were from you, weren't they?”

    Again I nodded.

    “I'll tell you a great big secret, Paul,” she continued, “When I am married, if I have a son, I would like him to grow up just 20you.”

    I wasn't certain that I saw tears in her eye as Mother led me out of the room.

    I truly feel that my mother led me here, to Morzaine, and to my future as happy wife and business woman. When Mum 1 in October 2007, I was a cook. In December that year, while I was working for a wedding, a pearl necklace Mum had left me 2. I was distraught（忧心如焚的）. Some days later, I was 3 that a guy who was working with us that day could probably have made a fortune 4 the necklace he found. 5, he returned it. Hearing how I'd 6 Mum for six months before her death, he said, "Christmas is going to be 7 —why not go out to the Alps for a couple of weeks?"

    I come to Morzaine, a small, friendly village in the Alps and 8 fell in love with it .What was 9 to be a stopgap (权宜之计) trip 10 a new life .I kept travelling between London and here and felt 11 than I had in months. In December 2008, I was 12 as a hotel manager and moved here full time.

    A month later, I met Paul, who was traveling here. We fell in love. In the beginning, I didn't want to discuss marriage, because the sadness of losing Mum still felt 13. Paul understood that and never 14 me. But, by summer, we got married. A year later, we used his savings, and the money from the sale of Mom's house, to build our own 15.

    We want to give our guests a 16 feel, so each room is themed(以……为题) around memories from our lives. There are also styles to remind me of Mom - a tiny chair which 17 be in her bedroom is set in one room.

    We are having a wonderful life and Mum 18 naturally part of it, 19 there's no way we would be here if it wasn't for the 20 she gave me. I know she's here in spirit, keeping an eye on us.

I still remember that busy fall evening as I hurried with my eldest daughter, Athena, to get to her classroom on time for a parent-teacher night. We walked in and all 1 were on me. A few adults quickly quieted their kids' 2 . A classmate 3 my daughter, "What's wrong with your mom's 4 ?" Shocked, I started to explain my 5 , but my six-year-old daughter looked at him and said, "It's my mom's birthmark! Don't be rude!" I was extremely 6 of how she handled that situation. 

I was quite young when I realized I looked 7 . I always thought I would be alone because of birthmark, but I was lucky enough to meet my 8 who saw me for who I am inside. When I had my first daughter, I was overjoyed, but I began to 9 if the world would judge my children. 10 , my facial difference has 11 my children. My daughters get disinvited from birthday parties or certain kids are no longer friends with mine. 

When my kids were 12 , I explained how my special purple skin was rare, and we talked about acceptance and never 13 others on how they look. With time, both my daughters have become my strongest 14 : we see the world a little differently and with a kinder, more 15 heart.