In the town of Swedesboro, New Jersey, 5th grade students are determined to make 2,000 paper cranes（纸鹤）by the end of the school year. Their 1 is to put smiles on kids' faces.

    The idea of 2 the paper cranes started when their 3, Tara Milward, read them the story Sadako and the One Thousand Paper Cranes in class. Sadako was 4 with leukemia（白血病）at a very young age. She 5 folding the paper cranes along with her family and friends, 6 this was a symbol of hope for Sadako to get 7 one day.

    The students of Harker School wanted to 8 Sadako's story. They began buying paper, 9 paper cranes, and decided to make 2,000! They want to send the 10 1,000 cranes to Hiroshima, Japan where Sadako lived. The next 1,000 cranes are11 to a local hospital. Wherever a paper crane is made, the students are12 that something so simple can help someone 13 hope.

    They are so devoted to the 14 that they work on it in every minute of their 15 time to help them towards their big goal of 2,000 paper cranes. To achieve their 16 goal, all of the students are coming together and working very 17. They are eager to spread the hope to their friends and families, also a 18 of this extraordinary project.

    The students are 19 by Sadako's story and are making their impossible dream come true. They hope to make a 20 around the globe to show that everyone can make the world a better place.

    After the quake hit northeast Japan on March 11, many moving stories that I saw with my own eyes happened around me.

    I had to walk home since all the 1 had stopped after the earthquake. On my way home I 2 an old lady at a bakery shop who was giving out free bread, which made my heart 3. A man was holding a sign that said, “Please use our 4.” He was 5 his house for people to go to the restroom.

    My friend wanted to 6 others. He stood in the cold with a sign “If you're okay with a motorcycle, I will 7 you to your house.” And then I saw him take one gentleman home, all the way to a faraway place! 

    Then next day I drove to 8 my car with gas. There is a lack (缺乏) of 9  now and many gasoline stations are either closed or have very 10 lines. I got 11, since I was behind 15 cars. Finally, when it was my 12, the man smiled and said, “13 this situation, we are only giving $30 worth gas per person. Is that alright?” “14. I'm just glad that we are all able to 15,” I said. His smile gave me so much comfort.

    I saw a man at the evacuation (疏散) center 16when people brought food to him. It was the first time in three days that food was brought to their center. However, after he wiped the tears, his next 17 surprised me. “I am very 18 that we are provided with food. But people in the city next to us haven't 19 any food at all. Please go to that center as well.” And when hearing that, I realized there is a bright future in the 20.

    A humpback whale is struggling hard in the sea. The humpbacks can weigh 40 tons and stretch 50 feel from nose to tail. That's the kind of 1 and size that easily overturn small boats. To jump onto the 2 of one of these giants is 3 to result in a disaster. But that's just what Sam Synslelien did when he saw a humpback 4 caught in a rope that was 5 to a buoy (浮标) in Central Californians Morro Bay this week.

    Sam, along with crewmate Nicholas Taron, had already tried 6 the unfortunate whale to the U.S. Coast Guard 一 but they were told it would be hours before 7 could be sent. 8, the commercial fishermen 9 this whale didn't have. If the whale was to 10 they had to go get it. There was no other 11 for the whale. They decided to go for it, totally 12 the fear. Turon's 13 in the rescue was mostly in the 14 cheering department. In the clip, you can hear him directing the operation from the side of the boat while filming the entire 15.

    "Swim! Swim!" He yells, "Move! Just get it! Get it!"

    The anxious whale was just swimming in counter-clockwise circles, 16 and being held to the bottom. It threw its heavy tail against the boat. But Sam 17 it and jumped onto the whale's back to save its life. He managed to hang in there, 18 cutting through the rope that 19 the creature. And then with a whoosh (击水声), it dove deep down beneath the great 20. It wasn't much of a thank you, but Synstelien and Taron were left with a whale of a tale.

    Reggie couldn't hear a thing. He was a1boy, but he had been born deaf.  He was well-known to everyone in town, and they were all2him. Unfortunately, though, he3seemed to end up being treated differently from everyone else. Children worried they would4him, and that maybe because he wouldn't hear the ball being hit in his5. Adults acted like he was unable to6them, as though he was some kind of baby.

    His friend Michael didn't like this. He decided that things had to be7. Michael's father was the town's mayor(市长)  and Michael8to convince him that this year, in honor of Reggie, they should offer one day as a 9to deaf people. During that whole day everyone would have to wear earplugs(耳塞).

    People liked the10. The day became known as The Day of Silence, and when it arrived, everyone stuck plugs in their11, in a spirit of great fun. That morning was filled with12and laughter. But, as the hours passed, people became more and more aware of how13life was when they couldn't hear anything.

    On that day nobody was thinking of Reggie as just a14person. This meant he could be15just like any other boy, and people saw a whole new side of16. Not only that, but Reggie had a bright and sharp mind. On that day, using his usual17, Reggie was the one who could communicate best with everyone. This meant that people paid more attention to what he was saying, and they were18by his intelligence and his ability to find solutions to almost any problem.  They19that he had always been like that, and that in normal life all Reggie needed was a little more time than others to20. That was the only difference.

    "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me."

    A long time ago, my friend Joan believed it. At least, she 1 to. When she was young and fat, she was2 being laughed at.

    Then things changed. Joan grew up. Her friends politely say she's  "3 ", Her doctor calls her "morbidly obese (病态地肥胖)The rest of the 4 calls her fat.

    Some people say it out loud to her face. Some people 5 the word. And there are some people who say things even worse.

    Don't think she hasn't heard the words. She has. 6  they hurt her deeply. But Joan has learned how to avoid the cutting (刻薄的)7: She simply stays home.

    One day, her husband 8  her to have an eating out. The restaurant was Perfect. 9 , the servers weren't.

    Joan 10 not to hear the unkind words. But she couldn't overlook the young girl at the table across from them. When the girl 11toward their table  Joan felt uncomfortable. 12 had taught her that kids could be especially 13.

    The wide-eyed little girl stopped next to Joan. Reaching out a single finger, she14Joan's blouse.

    "You're so 15in that blouse?" The little girl smiled and walked back to her seat

    Simple praise. That was all. But it was enough to change her life and her 16.

    "Now," Joan says, "when people speak in a low voice behind my17, I can bear a young angel's 18reminding me that I'm pretty. And I'm equally sure the words everyone whispers are19.

    "That's all I hear now," Joan says: "Only praises. Words that can never20 me."

Bill Sumiel was having a tough Friday. It was October 2020, and the 71-year-old, who was dealing with kidney(肾)failure and had been on dialysis( 透 析 )for a few years, found himself away from home. 

He'd been diagnosed with diabetes(糖尿病) over 20 years before, which led to his kidney problems. He was on the transplant list, but no matches had yet appeared. So he continued with his treatments periodically. Without a ride lined up for Friday's do-over, Sumiel took Ubers to and from his appointment. 

Timothy Letts, 31, was driving to visit a friend when his phone received the request for Sumiel's ride home. When Sumiel got into his car, Letts could see that the older man was unenergetic but in good spirits. And as they set out to Sumiel's home, the pair got to chatting. During conversation, Sumiel revealed that he was searching for a kidney donor. Letts joked that he'd be a good donor candidate, given that he didn't drink or smoke. 

Sumiel agreed, though he didn't think much of it. Letts, however, couldn't stop thinking about it and it was always on his mind. So, Letts said:"I'd like to see if I could be a match to give you a kidney. "

"I was shocked, "Sumiel recalls. He was shaking so hard that he could barely write his name when they exchanged contact information. After the initial excitement, Sumiel started feeling less optimistic. He was touched by Letts's offer, but he wondered if it had just been an emotional moment. Would he hear from him? And what was the likelihood of a match?

But Letts was true to his word. He got in touch with Sumiel just a few hours later, and by the next week, Letts had contacted the kidney transplant program. After a series of testing, the results were in: Letts was an ideal donor, and he and Sumiel were a perfect match. 

In December 2021, 14 months after their chance encounter, Sumiel and Letts had their surgeries. It was a success. Today they live respectively and healthily and anticipate the day they can reunite.