Even though my grandpa was a farmer, my grandma would iron his work clothes every day. Grandma mixed up her own starch (淀粉浆) in a glass Coke 1 with a metal cap that had lots of 2 like a salt-shaker. She would spray grandpa's pants with the starch, 3 them over a chair for a few minutes for them to dry a bit, and then 4 the iron to them.

    As I was watching, I began to question this 5 Why on earth did grandpa need his work clothes 6? Most days, he never 7 anyone but me and maybe a few other farmers nearby. One day when I was about 13, I asked grandma why she thought it necessary to 8 time and effort to clothes that were rarely seen and would be 9 in just an hour or two.

    She gave me a girlish smile, the kind you wouldn't 10 from grandmothers at their age. She said that grandpa was the most 11 man in the world. She loved every chance she got to 12 and make the rest of the world jealous of her. “I want him to look the most handsome man God had 13 made.”

    Later that day, I looked 14 at grandpa, who surely didn't15 at all handsome to me. He was short and skinny, and his false 16 didn't line up. “You just aren't looking in the right light.” Grandma laughed.

    I decided to 17 it. Sheesh, I thought, old people.

    The years 18 and I watched grandma and grandpa grow old together. I was probably 30 when it 19 on me what love really was – it was grandma ironing grandpa's pants with 20 from a Coke bottle.

    A little girl lived in a simple and poor house on a hill. Usually she 1play in the small garden. She could see over the garden fence and across the valley a wonderful house with shining golden windows high on another hill.  2she loved her parents and her family, she desired to live in such a house and 3all day about how wonderful and exciting 4must feel to live there.

    At the age when she gained some 5skill and sensibility (识别力), she 6her mother for a bike ride 7the garden. Her mother finally allowed her to go, 8her keeping close to the house and not 9too far. The day was beautiful. The little girl knew  10where she was heading!  11the hill and across the valley, she rode to the 12of the golden house.

    13she got off her bike and put it against the gate post, she focused on the path 14to the house and then on the house itself. She was very disappointed when she 15that all the windows were 16and rather dirty.

    So 17and heart-broken, she didn't go any further. She 18and all of a sudden she saw an amazing 19. There on the other side of the valley was a little house and its windows were golden. Looking at her little home, she 20that she had been living in her golden house filled with love and care. Everything she dreamed was right there in front of her nose!

    After the birth of my second child, I got a job at a restaurant. Having worked with an experienced 1 for a few days, I was 2 to wait tables on my own. All went 3 that first week. When Saturday night came, I was luckily 4 the tables not far from the kitchen. 5 , I still felt a little hard to carry the heavy trays (托盘)。

    Before I knew it, the6was full of people. I moved slowly, 7every step. I remember how 8 I was when I saw the tray stand near the tables, it looked different from the one I was9 on. It had nice handles (手柄)，which made it 10 to move around. I was pleased with everything and began to 11 I was a natural at this job.

    Then, an old man came to me and said, “Excuse me, dear, my wife and I loved 12you work. It seems your tray stand has been very 13 to you, but we are getting ready to14 now, and my wife needs her 15back.”

    At first his 16did not get across. “What was he talking about!” Then I got it. I had set my trays on his wife's orthopedic walker (助步器). I stood frozen as ice, but my face was17. I wanted to get into a hole and18.

    Since then, I have learned from many mistakes such as the one I just 19, I have learned to be more 20and not to be too sure of myself.

    In mid-January the weather stayed clear and cold for several days. Jess had to 1 a week of school to stay home and2 his father to manure（给……施肥） the fields. This was his bad3, for he would have to make up his lessons as best as he could. It wasn't4, though. All the boys and girls at Pumpkin Hollow School were often kept home when they were needed.

    Jess5 manuring, but he couldn't get out of it. Filling the wagon（马车） with heavy manure was a tiring 6. With a full load（装载）, his father drove over the fields; Jess stood in the back and spread the manure.

    After several days at this job, both Jess and his father grew7 and impatient. It seemed as though life was too8 to stand. They fell into bed at night worn out, with nothing to 9 but another day of the same hard work. Jess was even 10with it. "Why does brother Ben stay in a warm prison while I myself tried to do his work？ It's 11!" Jess thought.

    His mother watched him 12. "You're looking thin," she said. Then she turned to Jess's father and said," Joseph, couldn't we hire（雇）somebody to help13the manuring is done？"

    Mr. Wright didn't 14, and Jess guessed why. His father couldn't15 to hire a man. The hundred dollars he had paid for Ben's fine had wiped out the family's savings. Jess said, "No, Ma, we don't 16 to hire anybody. Pa and I can manage.17 I'm tired, and so is Pa. We'll18 it in a few days."

    The19 look his father gave him for understanding the problem was reward enough. When they went to the fields and were silently working together, Jess was 20 he'd spoken up.

    Trees play a special role in my life. They accompanied my growth, and my personal experiences and memories often 1with them. There was a row of poplars（杨树）in my first childhood home; I never2the house without the trees.

    Out on the farm, my grandparents always cut a Christmas tree from the fields. They were always short. Those trees were a family 3; I can still 4 their smell all these years later.

    The pines in our backyard were only 1.5 meters tall when we moved in. They grew right alongside our kids, and in the same 5: silently and quickly. Those pines once stretched a hammock（吊床）6 the two of them. They watched over our rounds of hide-and-seek, snowfalls, and 7 family gatherings.

    A huge willow tree once 8 in the backyard as well. The kids had a tree-house in it for a long time. Other kids in the 9 enjoyed it too.

    There is a sadness to a 10 tree; to the ground it makes when it hits the ground.

    My husband and I were working as newspaper photographers 11 the active volcano Mount St. Helens exploded. Many nearby forests were 12 destroyed by the effects of the explosion. The loss of all the trees can somehow be as 13 as the loss of lives and homes.

    Trees tend to be 14 of strength and beauty.

    The trees returned to Mount St. Helens -- and they returned 15 than the experts predicted. To all who had witnessed the disaster, the 16 was encouraging. Those small trees 17 us of the beauty of new beginnings.

    We've filled in the empty holes 18 the pines stood and dug a new hole that will soon be home to a new tree.

    One of the grandchildren asked how tall the new tree is.

    “Not much taller than I am,” I said.

    “Can we decorate it for Christmas?” she asked, eyes 19.

    The old trees may be gone, but the new one will soon become part of my grandchildren's 20 for many years to come.

    Everybody seems to pay more attention to my little sister Lisa. I've 1 enough of this big-sister thing!

    So I decide to 2, with my favorite toys and other 3 like clothes. Mother 4 my running away. However, she's not as upset as she 5 be, "Are you going to Grandma's?" I can't believe she can even 6 this out. She's like a witch!

    I don't 7 her and go out. So 8 on my leaving, I'm unaware Mother is 9 me. Finally I get to Grandma's. 10 I even knock, the door opens. I realize Mother has 11 ahead.

    Mother comes in and sits down, patting her thigh (大腿), "Come here." I don't want to, but I'm hot and tired, so I 12 her thigh. She pushes my hair behind my ear and asks 13, "Dear, why have you left?" And it all comes out: "It's 14 and all the time with Lisa, I get into trouble..."

    Taking my face in her hands, Mum says, "I don't want you to be so 15. If it's hard for you, I'll call the orphanage and send her away tomorrow." I start to 16 and I beg her, "No. Don't send her away!" Seeming 17, Mother agrees.

    18, whenever we have a(n) 19, if I say, "Mum, Lisa's being mean to me!" Mum smiles, "You had your 20."