On the first day of my high school, I ran into my new English teacher, Ms. Kirschmann. I really mean that – I almost knocked her 1 .

    On entering my English classroom, I hit somebody hard. She was tall with red hair, and she was2a black and white skirt. As I began to3, she started “yelling” at me. But soon I realized that she was,4, saying hello and welcoming me to her class in a very 5voice. I realized that I had just met my new English teacher a moment ago.

    Kirsch, as she wanted us to call her, had a6and fascinating character. Her hair color, fashion sense and energy took up the entire room. When we read the play Macbeth by Shakespeare, Kirsch let us play7and wear masks. There was a big drum in the classroom. Every time we read the word “thunder” in the text, she would hit 8 on the drum, making a loud noise! My classmates and I would 9 loudly.

    During group discussions, Kirsch often told us to sit in a10 on the floor. We talked about the 11 while she just sat in a corner and took notes of what we said. Doing so made us feel independent and 12 ourselves more with critical thinking. It is the strangest 13 the most entertaining class I have ever had.

    Kirsch is really a “social butterfly”. She smiles, laughs and tells jokes 14 she goes. But I found out about another 15 of her the other day.

    After school that day, I was walking by my English classroom 16 I saw Ms. Kirschmann with her son. She was trying to 17 him to put on his jacket in a low voice. She spoke in such a gentle manner that I was quite 18 . Until then, it never 19 to me that Ms. Kirschmann could be quiet. I had thought she was 20 energetic, calm, intelligent and caring all at once. All I know was that I couldn't wait for the next day of her English class.

    Volunteering abroad comes with a bit of a social stigma(耻辱).  From my 1this couldn't be further from the truth.  Volunteering isn't so expensive that it's only a2 for the well-off. I spent 10 weeks volunteering in Arizona with America Conservation Experience(ACE), helping3America's natural beauty.

    The 4 was arranged through BUNAC, a work and volunteer organization.5it cost me around $1,000 — a sum which I6 mostly by working part-time.

    The self-indulgent(放纵自己的) image is7 to overseas volunteer projects.  However, the work can be8 I spent my time maintaining trails, building fences and carrying out projects in some of the national monuments of America. Summer temperatures in Arizona stay well above 35℃9pleasant if you're carrying 50kg of concrete for 10 hours at a time.  And then there was the wildlife to deal with, which10my strength of character and made my 11of the English household spider disappear.

    12 do most people volunteer for? Probably they want to 13 things to the world.  But in reality, you 14 just as much as the local communities and ecosystems you're helping.

    Spending 10 weeks in America's most beautiful national parks and forests was 15 I gained a far deeper16 of the local environment than the average tourist17 ex-national park rangers(护林者) who knew18 of the area's history and ecosystem.  But best of all, my 10 weeks were spent volunteering with young people from a mix of19 — from Belgians to South Koreans.  When I left Arizona, I returned home having made a lifelong 20with people from around the world.

    Steve was a seventh grader, a big boy, looking more like a teenager than a 12-year-old. Yet, he went unnoticed-- he had been 1every examination since first grade—until Miss Wilma.

    In the middle of the first semester of school, the entire seventh grade was2for basic skills.

    “You all did pretty well," Miss Wilma told the class after going over the3 "except for one boy. And it4my heart to tell you this, but…" she5 ， “the smartest boy in the seventh grade is failing my class." Steve6his eyes an carefully examined his fingertips.

    After that, Steve still wouldn't do his homework. Even if Miss Wilma7punished him, he remained8.

    “Steve, please! I care about you!” 9, Steve got it! “Someone CARES ABOUT ME?!”

    One Monday a couple of weeks later, Miss Wilma gave a10on the weekend homework. Steve11through the test and was the first to hand in his paper. With a look of12 ， Miss Wilma 1ook his paper and began to look it over.

    Miss Wilma's face was in13shock! She glanced up at Steve, then14, then up. The smartest boy in the seventh grade had just passed his first test!

    From that moment, nothing was the same for Steve. He discovered that not only could he remember and understand15, but he could translate what he learned into his life. He became16.

    After high school, Steve enlisted in the Navy, and he had a(n)17military career. During his naval years, he inspired many young people who might not have 18 themselves without him. A19took place within the heart of a boy all because of one teacher, who 20 .

    It was a cold and rainy day. I had no 1 to drive up the winding mountain road to my daughter Carolyn's house. But she 2 I come to see something at the top of the mountain.

    3as I was, I made the two-hour journey 4 the fog that hung like veils (面纱). By the time I saw how 5it was near the summit, I had gone too far away. Nothing could be worth this, I 6 as I drove slowly along the dangerous highway.

    "I'll stay for lunch, but I'm heading back as soon as the fog 7." I announced. "But I want you to drive me to the garage to pick 8 my car." Carolyn said. "How far is it?" I asked. She replied:" About three minutes and I'll drive you there."

    After ten minutes on the mountain road, I looked at her 9. "I thought you said three minutes." She smiled. " This is a detour (绕行路线)." Turning down a narrow track, we parked the car and got out. We walked a long path that was thick with pine trees. Gradually the peace and silence of the place began to fill my mind. Then we turned a corner and stopped. I was 10.

    From the top of the mountain to the folds and valleys 11 several acres of daffodils (水仙花) rich in a variety of colors. It looked as if God had painted something gorgeous in front of us. Many questions 12 my mind. Who created such beauty? Why? How? As we approached the home that stood in the centre of the property, we saw a 13 that read: " Answers to the Questions I know you are asking." The first answer was: "One Woman-Two Hands, Two Feet, and Very Little Brain." The second was: " One at a Time." The third: "Started in 1958."

    As we drove home, I was so 14 by what we had seen. I could 15speak. "She changed the world." I finally said, "one bulb (水仙球茎) at a time. She started almost 40 years ago, probably just the beginning of an idea, and she 16at it.

    The 17 of it would not let me go. I said:" Imagine if I'd had a 18 and worked on it, just a little bit every day, what might I have 19? Carolyn looked at me sideways, smiling. "20 tomorrow," she said. "Better yet, start today."

I went to a group activity, "Sensitivity Sunday", which was to make us more1the problems faced by disabled people. We were asked to "2 a disability" for several hours one Sunday. Some members, 3, chose to use wheelchairs. Others wore sound­blocking earplugs (耳塞) or blindfolds (眼罩).

Just sitting in the wheelchair was a4experience. I had never considered before how5it would be to use one. As soon as I sat down, my6 made the chair begin to roll. Its wheels were not7. Then I wondered where to put my   8. It took me quite a while to get the metal footrest into9. I took my first uneasy look at what was to be my only means of 10for several hours. For disabled people, "adopting a wheelchair" is not a temporary (临时的)    11.

I tried to find a12position and thought it might be restful, 13 kind of nice, to be14 around for a while. Looking around, I15 I would have to handle the thing myself! My hands started to ache as I16the heavy metal wheels. I came to know that controlling the17 of the wheelchair was not going to be a (n)18task.

My wheelchair experiment was soon 19. It made a deep impression on me. A few hours of "disability" gave me only a taste of the20, both physical and mental, that disabled people must overcome.

In a small village called Brightville, there lived three friends: Kimberley, John and Alicia. They were all students at Brightville High School, each displaying unique 1 . Kimberley, a hardworking girl, always 2 for excellence. John, with his 3 spirit, always sought new experiences. Alicia was a kind and helpful girl. They shared a common dream of achieving their goals through 4 .

On a sunny day, the three friends 5 at their favorite spot near the village river. They often met there to discuss their dream and 6 each other. Kimberley always stressed the importance of setting goals. John loved exploring new things and finding 7 ways to learn. Alicia, with her caring nature, listened 8 and offered words of encouragement.

One day, they 9 an old abandoned（废弃的）library in the heart of village. Kimberley saw this as a（n）10 for their dream to come true. She suggested turning the library into a learning center for the village.

The three friends spent months cleaning and 11 the library. They reached out to the villagers, and soon, volunteers 12 them to set up the learning center. They created a friendly and 13 environment where students could come to study, read books, and seek help.

News of the learning center spread quickly, 14 students of all ages and backgrounds. The three friends devoted their after-school hours to tutoring the students. They understood that education was about developing curiosity and 15 for learning.