Growing up, I always hid my thumbs in my fists because of their unusual shape. 1 they do look more like a big toe（脚趾）2 a thumb. And from an early age, my thumbs 3 another name “toe thumbs” .

    In high school, I served as a cashier in a grocery store. One day, I was 4 a sweet little old lady and as I 5 her change back to her, she suddenly took my hands and said in a thick Polish 6, “You are Polish! Look at those 7 Polish thumbs! They match mine!” She raised her hands and 8 her thumbs to me that 9 weathered and wrinkled, looked exactly like mine! She 10 my hands again and said, “Be11of those thumbs!”

    I'll never forget that 30-second 12 with a stranger that forever 13 my view of a part of me I once was 14 by and now accept. As I was eating dinner with my Samuel tonight, he looked down at my hand 15 on the table next to his and said, “Mommy! Our thumbs 16!” I smiled and answered, “Yes, they do, buddy! Those are strong Polish 17 you have! Take pride in them! Maybe someday you'll have a little boy or girl who will have the same thumbs!” I 18 my son never hides his thumbs like I did. I hope he'll be proud of their “unusualness” and the 19 behind them. He carries on a(n) 20 part of me and that for me will always be beautiful!

    Medical bills were piling, kids needed glasses, cars needed repairs and the dog needed surgery. On top of that, Christmas was almost 1 us so presents needed to be purchased.

    But all of that was 2 when my husband, Brian, was waiting in our local tire shop to have his six truck tires 3 on a snowy night, He overheard the tire salesman 4 a young mom with 3 children that she was in urgent 5 of all new tires, as each one was completely 6 down.7, the young mom said she didn't have the money to replace more than one tire on her car.

    On hearing that, Brian 8 to pay for a tire to be installed,9 of the one tire this woman was able to purchase. Brian knew that even though it was just a start, the young mom would be much 10 driving on the 11 roads with a balanced set of two new tires than they would with just one new tire.

    The young mom was so surprised that she12 choked up. Eyes filled with tears, she thanked Brian and pulled away.

    My husband is a naturally modest13 man who feels rewarded in giving rather than14 in life. So imagine his unexpected15, when he later discovered the salesman had 16 the entire amount spent on the woman's one17 tire to his bill!18 the seven tires my husband bought, the salesman only 19 him for six.

    The simple act of one man making the decision to share what he had, instead of worrying about what he would 20, made a difference that night.

    The family had had a cat for years. Then, one day, the children finally 1 to persuade their parents to get them a dog as well. So a little Labrador（拉布拉多犬）2 .

    The dog was so3that everyone wanted to hold him and he charmed everyone by just loving them. The cat made it very clear she did not welcome another 4 in the house, but the dog just 5 the cat anyway. The little dog 6her anywhere, trying to make friends with the angry cat. No amount of 7behavior from the cat could persuade the dog not to love the cat.

    The family thought the cat would 8like the dog.

    Then one day the family heard horrible 9 from their back yard. They ran to the 10 to see what was happening. They lived in the suburbs and so they saw a real lynx（猞猁）was just planning on11 their cat for lunch. The poor cat had nowhere to run or hide. It would only be a matter of seconds and their cat would be 12.

    And then suddenly a black lightning ran to the rescue. The little dog 13the big lynx with all its strength. It did not14 or stop to think. It saw its 15 in trouble and did what had to be done. The family opened the window and started yelling and the father ran to the yard. The lynx soon disappeared into the16

    And ever since that day the cat's behavior toward the dog17totally. Now it was the cat that followed the hero dog everywhere. They 18in the same basket. The cat even let the dog eat from her bowl.

So we can19: if ever anyone is 20 towards you, don't turn your back on them. They may not rescue your life —but their kindness can certainly rescue your day!

A Wonderful Christmas Gift

    Ann and her mother had lived in a small cottage. Christmas was so close， and so was her birthday.

    Ann wished she could get a new 1with lace as a wonderful Christmas gift. All her friends would be getting new dresses.2Ann did not want to ask her Mom for that.  She knew how hard her mom worked to make both ends meet. Maybe she could make a3maybe Santa Claus would come， even though she knew that Santa Claus is just an imaginary character.

    It was not just gift that4Ann. It was her mother. Nowadays she was working overtime and looked pale and worn out.

    The days passed and soon it was Christmas Eve. In everyone's house， except Ann's ,a Christmas tree  adorned(装饰)the living room. In the5there hung the baked cakes and turkey. But6lovely was being cooked in Ann's house. Every child went to bed eagerly waiting for the lovely gifts that he or she would 7the next day. Ann went to bed with a8heart. She knew that there would be no gifts for her.

    Ann wished with her whole heart that at least this time she would get a gift from Santa Claus. Ann slowly drifted off to sleep. She dreamt of Santa riding in the snow on his reindeers.

    Ring.…Ring.…Ann jumped， hearing alarm.

    She suddenly remembered that it was Christmas morning. Without much hope she looked 9there were any gifts for her. Wonder of wonders! There lay a beautiful packet tied with a red ribbon.

    Ann excitedly opened the package. It was a pretty white dress with attractive lace. She 10the gift carefully to find out who gave it to her. Suddenly a small piece of paper fell out from it. Ann11started to read the note.

“Dear Ann ，

    This dress is given to you as a12 for being a good girl. Hope you continue to do good things and help your mother.

Your Loving friend ，

Santa Claus"

    Ann felt that there was something familiar about this note. She looked into the note carefully. Then it13 her. It was her mother who had worked overtime to save money to buy this expensive gift. Ann was happy 14words. She knew that she was the15girl to have such a wonderful mother as a wonderful Christmas gift.

    After my husband's Chinese kung fu school was open for about a week, my daughters and I decided to see how it was going. We were deeply 1 to see there wasn't a single student in the school. My husband was standing 2 in the school waiting for customers.

    We had to 3! We decided to be his 4 until he got some "real" ones. We thought it was better to have five people in the school 5 just him if a passerby looked in the window. He started teaching us 6 and forms. We found that some of them actually were 7 to ballet moves but much more difficult. It was kind of fun but 8, too! We were attracted by then, so we 9 as learners.

   10, we got actual students in our school. There were many men and teenage boys, and we 11lots of other girls and women as well. One special student was a 12 seven-year-old girl. She was going 13 and had other health problems. With my daughters' help and 14, this little girl got to be a real kung fu kid. Although she is now a sightless, grown adult, I'm confident she can 15 herself if she needs to.

    I am 16 to say my daughters are more confident in every area of their lives. This experience taught me to 17 things I never would have 18 before kung fu. I haven't been 19 in all of my efforts, but I'll give almost 20 of niceness a try!

    I grew up in a nice house in a middle-class area in Boston, England, and had a very happy childhood. My mother 1 herself to bringing me and my siblings up.

    As a child I was overactive and 2 in school. I wouldn't listen to anyone and thought I 3 everything. At home, I was always breaking things and 4 everyone. Dad was worried, so when I was eight, he took me to boxing classes in an 5 to divert (转移) my energy and keep me out of trouble. It made a huge 6 to the way I saw life and taught me discipline. It also taught me respect, because Dad made it clear that if I didn't 7 properly, I wouldn't be able to go back to the gym. 8 it hadn't been for him, there is no doubt I'd have just 9 my life.

    Dad was surprised when people at the gym started saying that I had the 10 to be a champion. His 11 had been to keep me off the streets, not to make me a world-class boxer. But he was so proud, 12 when I won a silver medal in the 2004 Olympics. I was only 17 and I know Mum and Dad were 13 for me because I was just a boy, yet I was fighting men.

    I don't have to 14 the business side of my career, because Dad oversees all that. He deals with the lawyers, making sure my fight contracts (合同) are all up to date and 15 properly.

    Dad's always at the ringside during my 16—his main priority is that I'm safe. Mum 17 coming when the fights got harder, because she couldn't bear to see the blood. She'll 18 sit at home or in the hotel, waiting until it's all over.

    The boxing world can be a very lonely one, and I'm so 19 every day to have Dad and my whole family behind me. It would be unthinkable if I didn't have their 20.