Since my family were not going to be helpful, I decided I would look for a job all by myself and not tell them about it till I'd got one.

    I had seen an agency (中介机构) advertised in a local newspaper. I rushed out of the 1 in search of it. I was wildly excited, and also 2 as if I were going on the stage. Finding the 3 quite easily, I ran breathlessly through a door which said “Enter without knocking, if you please.”

    The simple atmosphere (气氛) of the office 4 me. The woman looked carefully at me 5 through her glasses, and then 6 me in a low voice. I answered softly. All of a sudden I started to fell rather 7. I wondered why I was looking for this kind of 8. I felt even more helpless when she told me that it would be 9 to get a job without 10. I wondered 11 I ought to leave or to stay when the telephone on her desk rang. I heard her say:

    “12, I've got someone in the 13 at this moment 14 might suit.” She wrote down a 15, and held it out to me, saying: “Ring up this lady. She wants a 16 immediately. In fact, you would have to start tomorrow by cooking a dinner for ten people.”

    “Oh yes,” said I, 17 having cooked for more than four in my life. I 18 her again and again, and rushed out to the19 telephone box. I collected my thoughts, took a deep breath, and rang the number. I said confidently that I was just what she was looking for.

    I spent the next few hours 20 cook books.

    Johnny and I lived in a small neighborhood in 1955. We had bought our two young sons two 1 for Christmas and Johnny would assemble them on Christmas Eve.

    But on Christmas Eve day, Johnny 2 to go to Brookley Air Force Base in Mobile to repair a jet. I had my hands 3 with flour, preparing for Christmas dinner and 4 two energetic boys.

    I was making the chocolate cake when a(n) 5 knocked on the door. It was Beatrice who was the 6 person on our road with a telephone. The base had 7 to say that a heavy torque wrench (扭矩扳手) had come apart in Johnny's hand, making the hone 8 . My sister-in-law Ruth and her husband, Otto, took me to the 9 while my mother-in-law stayed with the children.

    We got there only to10 Johnny with a cast on his arm, eager to get home although the doctor required that he 11. It was Christmas Eve, Johnny 12, and he had bikes to assemble for his boys. The doctor said he'd consider 13 him the next morning if Johnny could find someone to drive him home.

    On Christmas morning, Johnny tried calling the motor pool (车辆调配所). They said 14 must come from higher up, so Johnny15 making calls. 16, a big blue car rolled up to the hospital asking for the man who needed a 17 home.

    Johnny's mother and I were putting dinner on the table when we heard the car. We were 18 to see Johnny. With Otto's help, Johnny assembled the boys' gifts.

That cold Christmas Day, our hearts were full of 19 for those who had gone the extra mile to bring us 20 on the holiday.

    As Mr. Phillips was in a hurry to reach home, he 1 buying some bananas from an old lady on the street.

    He asked the 2 . She said $7 per kg. He told her the store where he usually bought from gave them for $5 per kg, and asked if she could sell at the 3 price. The old lady said $ 6 per kg was the best price she could offer. So Mr. Phillips left in his car for the 4 grocery shop.

    In the shop, he was 5 to be told the price had been 6 to $10 per kg. And they 7 to offer a better price, saying, "We don't bargain." Mr. Phillips felt 8 with that flat attitude. He put those bananas 9 and went back to the old lady. She recognized him 10 , "Sir, I can't match that price. I won't be able to earn any 11 . "

    Mr. Phillips said, "Don't 12 the price. I will pay you $10 per kg! Now, give me 2 kg." The lady packed the bananas saying, "I will take $ 7 per kg. I appreciate your 13 . My husband used to own a fruit shop 14 he got very sick. We had to 15 his shop to cover his medical bills but he didn't survive. Now to support myself I am trying to sell what I can 16 to buy." Mr. Phillips gave her $100 extra, saying, "From tomorrow on I will only buy bananas from you. Take this as a (an) 17 payment. You can earn more 18 you have more choices of fruits to sell."

    Later Mr. Phillips 19 his colleagues to buy fruits from the lady and she made a better living. Mr. Phillips was happy to help someone who works hard to earn and has a 20 for it.

    When the one-year anniversary(周年) of my mother's passing came around, I found myself in the kitchen preparing some of her favorite dishes. I hadn't planned this, 1 there I was, making her famous soup from the turkey I had roasted the day before.

    As I was cooking, some of the deep sadness I was experiencing at this one-year mark moved through me. I loved working with mom in the kitchen but now thinking about her, I began to feel more 2.

    While the 3 boiled in my kitchen, I realized that I was reconnecting with my mother through 4. I laughed a bit at myself when I thought about all the dishes I had cooked that week. 5 knowing it, I had created a beautiful ritual (仪式) to honor my mother and to 6 myself at this time. I suddenly felt my mother at hand and this place was filled with her presence. I was so 7 that I began talking to her, acting 8 she were here with me.

    "What else should we make?" I asked us both, wanting to keep the ritual from 9.

    "Irish Potato Pancakes" was the reply.

    10 I made potato pancakes was two and a half years ago. I had 11 my engagement (订婚) ring to make the dough (面团), and never found it again. Since then, I 12 to use that recipe (菜谱) even though I really liked those pancakes. It's sort of 13 but I never considered making them again, treating them as if they were to blame for the loss of my ring.

    My mom knew how 14 I was about losing my ring. I had always called her whenever I lost something. She had a talent for helping me find my way to lost things, 15 this time.

    I reached for the 16 without another thought of the ring. My mom did love Irish things and these were delicious. I opened the large cookbook and 17 the pancake recipe. At once, 18 at the bottom of the page 19. There, pressed into the pages of the cookbook, was my diamond ring! I slipped my ring onto my trembling hand and a smile filled my soul as I whispered, "Thanks, mom."

    That day, I made potato pancakes 20the shape of hearts.

One teacher had two students. One of them had a positive vision while the other had the 1 one.

One day, the teacher 2 for a park with both the students and while wandering in the garden, they 3 a mango tree from which some ripe and juicy mangoes were 4 . On seeing this, the teacher thought to 5 both of his students. Then, he asked the first one, "My dear child, what do you think of this mango tree?"

The student answered instantly, "Teacher, in spite of people 6 this tree with stones, it gives us sweet and juicy mangoes. It does 7 but still it gives us fruits. I wish all human beings learn this important 8 from the mango tree-to share their 9 even if they have to suffer for this."

After that, the teacher asked the other student the same question. The student 10 answered, "Teacher, this mango tree is no good and will not give mangoes by itself but only when we hit it with stones and 11 . Therefore, we should hit it hard to get sweet mangoes from it. That is the only way to 12 these mangoes. It is also clear from this tree that in order to get good 13 from others, we need to be violent and only when we become violent, then and only then will we get 14 ."

The teacher was delighted with the answer given by the first student because he had an admirable vision and 15 the tree with positive vision.