I used to abandon(放弃) myself to despair(绝望). Last year, my mother 1 from a stroke(中风） and had a operation on her brain. I felt my whole life turn upside down and I had no 2 what I could do to help her to relieve her 3. Tears welled up in my eyes whenever I was alone.

    Last month I 4 a precious watch, which was an 18-year-old birthday gift from my father. I could not fall asleep for a couple of nights because I felt 5 about the loss.

There have been many 6 like these in my life. I could never figure out how to deal with such tough things 7 I read " If You Have a Lemon, Make a Lemonade" by American writer Dale Carnegie.

"When the wise man is handed a lemon, he says, ‘What 8 can I get from this? How can I 9 my situation? How can I turn this lemon into a lemonade?'" He wrote.

    I suddenly 10 that life is full of ups and downs, so I need to stay11 all the time. Now when I think of my past, I wish I could have handled things 12. When my mother was fighting for 13, I should have held her hands in mine, telling her things would get better instead of14 and crying.

    Several weeks ago, I took part in a campus singing competition. I didn't 15 a prize. If I had not 16 the article, I would definitely have felt 17 again. But instead, I smiled after the competition. I was happy that at least I had got some stage 18.

    Life is not just a bed of roses. There are thorns as well, but these thorns help us become 19 and strong. When life 20 us a lemon, let's try to make a lemonade.

    It's amazing how one dollar can change the culture of a school.

    We have a1school of about 30 students. It is really full of2and pressure as most of the kids get good3and try to be the best ones. It's4except that a lot of us middle kids felt really pressured. We got the feeling that we are so selfish—it's every man for5.

    6,my friend and I set out to find a way to7the culture. We decided doing things for others was the only way to8our depression（沮丧）about school.

    On the first day of school we put a9folded into a heart into one of the leaders' lockers with a piece of paper that 10“ Buy yourself a snack.” We11to give away small gifts every day. We didn't know the 12it would have.

    People went 13over it and everyone was talking about who it might be doing the acts of kindness and 14that they should do something too. It is so much fun to see the 15on everyone's faces now! Lots of other people have started sharing16now too: Chocolate bars, cookies and money left17in the vending machine（自动售货机）.And lots of notes are on the thanks board saying: “thanks to whoever started.”

    Now I actually expect to go to school to have the chance to18people up. I hope kindness will19to the other schools.20anybody is struggling with being depressed  At school and work, I totally suggested doing acts of kindness.

    I first went to hear a live rock concert when I was eight years old. My brother and his friends were all 1of a heavy metal group called Black Wednesday. When they 2 that Black Wednesday were going to perform at our local theatre, they all bought 3 for performance. However, at the last minute, one of the friends couldn't go, so my brother 4 me the ticket. I was really 5!

    I remember the buzz (嘈杂声) of excitement inside the theatre as we all found our 6. After a few minutes, the lights went down and everybody became 7. I could barely make out the stage in the 8. We waited. Then there was a roar from the crowd, like an explosion, as the first members of the band 9 the stage. My brother leaned over and shouted something in my ear, but I couldn't 10 what he was saying. The first song was already starting and the music was as11 a jet engine. I could 12 the drum beats and bass notes in my stomach.

    I can't recall any of the songs that the band played. I just 13that I really enjoyed the show and didn't want it to 14. But in the end, after three encores (加演), the show finished. We left the 15 and walked unsteadily out onto the pavement. I felt a little dizzy, as if I had just 16from a long sleep. My ears were still 17with the beat of the last song.

    After the 18, I became a Black Wednesday fan too for a few years before getting into other kinds of music. Once in a while,19, I listen to one of their songs and 20 I'm back at that first show.

    My husband and I changed our front yard with something eatable, adding apples, bananas, oranges, and pomegranates(石榴).

    Every crop brought us1 to neighbors and strangers. The food was a(an) 2to communicate. Kids in the neighborhood (including our son) learned 3and gentle timing. When we had extra, we would 4it. Then, we received a powerful lesson: a gift hidden as a 5. Our first-ever crop of pomegranates had ripened(成熟).6at harvest, they all disappeared in the middle of the night. We were 7 sad and angry. Friends had fun suggesting deterrents(为摄物). One 8 suggested we post a sign to curse (诅咒) those who 9 our fruits.

   And suddenly, the 10 was clear. We did need a sign. But our sign would encourage sharing and community. Last autumn, we had a larger crop of pomegranates. We put11 a sign that read, "If you'd like one, please knock and 12 yourself, and we would be  13 to cut one off the bush for you. Cutting saves the branches and is good for future growth, so we can 14 to share pomegranates with15friends like you. Thanks, the Green Family. "

    Out of eight fruits, one pomegranate was taken, and most of others were16to new friends. This year, we won the Kindness Contest award, 17we planted three trees-a peach, a pear, and a plum. Before they fruit, I'll 18 a big sign to the yard to encourage sharing. Today. I'm happy to be a role model of 19 for my young sons and to have the opportunity to20an eatable front yard for others.

    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?

    From the time each of my children started school, I packed their lunches. And in each lunch, I1a note. Often written on a napkin (餐巾), it might be a thank-you for2moment, a reminder of something we were happily expecting, or a bit of3for the coming test or sporting event.

    In early grade school they4their notes. But as children grow older they become self-conscious (有自我意识) and5he reached high school, my older son, Marc, informed me he no longer6my daily notes. Telling him that he no longer needed to7them but I still needed to write them. I8until the day he graduated.

    Six years after high school graduation, Marc called and asked if he could move9for a couple of months. He had spent those years well, graduating from college,10two interships (实习) in Washington, D.C., and11, becoming a technical assistant in Sacramento.12short vacation visits, however, he had lived away from home. With his younger sister leaving for college, I was13happy to have Marc back. Since I was14making lunch for his younger brother, I15one for Marc, too. Imagine my16when I got a call from my 24-year-old son,17his lunch.

    "Did I do something18? Don't you love me19, Mom?" were just a few of the questions he threw at me as I20asked him what was wrong.

    "My note, mom," he answered. "Where's my note?"