Once, a professor held a test on his students. The professor started with the following question, “Now,1 you are going to cut trees on a hill. One of the trees has a big 2 while the other's small. Which will you cut?” The question got a quick 3, “Of course the big one! No need to4 .”

    The professor5, “The big tree is a poplar（白杨）6seen everywhere, while the small one is a Korean pine. Consider again?” A second7brought students more sense: a Korean pine is much more8than the poplar, so they changed their decision. “9 we'll cut the pine. The poplar isn't worth our10.”  Smile still11on the professor's face. “But the pine's trunk is less12than the poplar.” Rather puzzled, they became13, then said, “While, we'll cut the poplar.” The professor gave more detail. “14the poplar is straight, the trunk became empty within. Then what's your choice?”

    Finally one of the students lost his15and said, “Professor, you have asked a series of questions leading us to change our answers16. What do you want to 17 after all?”

    The professor's smile18. He said, “Why none of you ask me for what purpose to cut the tree? Though my questions 19all the way, they are decided by one thing: your20to take the action. If it aims at making handicraft articles you may cut the pine; if you just want to have some firewood, you'd better cut the poplar.”

    I sat and waited for Kathleen to speak. “Annie,” she said, “A food bank that serves the elderly is asking for 1. I'd like you to organize the event” “Well, errr…sure.” As I stuttered (结巴地说) through my 2, all I could think was, “What? Why me?”

    I walked back to my office wondering where to 3. This was a time when the economy was 4. The rise in unemployment forced many of my coworkers to 5 to survive. How could I ask them for more?

    That evening I drove home with negativity. Then I remembered a time when my father was out of work. Mom wrote a note to Jim, the milkman, asking him not to 6 any more milk. Two days later Jim picked up the 7 and left four liters of milk. He wrote his message, which read, “Kids need milk.” The milk delivery 8 as usual and Jim never collected a cent 9 us.

    The memory of Jim's 10 fired my enthusiasm. Perhaps I'd be in for a pleasant surprise.

    The next morning I 11 signs about our food drive all over the cafeteria and on every notice board I could find. Each sign said, “Food drive to support the poor elderly! 12 of non-perishable (不易腐的) foods are greatly needed.”

    Within a few days I had to locate empty office space to 13 the massive number of contributions we had 14. One of my coworkers, Maggie, made the rounds with me every day from one department to another to 15 the canned goods and other foods. Though over sixty, she pushed our food trolley around with the 16 of a woman half her age.

    I asked her where she got all the enthusiasm. She said, “With the unemployment rate touching 10 percent, I can't think of a better way to be 17 for keeping our jobs when so many have 18 theirs. Sure money is 19. But when isn't it? People need food.”

    As I listened to Maggie, the milkman's words 20 in my ears, “Kids need milk.”

    I sat down at my desk and started writing a letter of thankfulness, but when it came to actually putting the letter into the mailbox... I 1 ...I couldn't do it. I suddenly felt a sense of 2and insecurity (不安).

    The letter was to an old teacher with whom I kept in 3 on Facebook. For months, I read about what she 4 on her Facebook page, which helped me to live my life differently. Her volunteer (志愿者) work wasn't huge. 5, she was doing small, local good deeds.6 , she changed my views on the world and for some reason, I felt I should let her know how her example7 influenced me.

    I could have easily sent her an email, but that seemed not enough for such an important thank-you. That's why I ended up8 the letter. But now here I was, standing before the mailbox, unable to put the envelope inside. What was stopping me? It suddenly hit me that I was 9 of being too nice. I guess I felt strange 10 it wasn't like she was my best friend or a relative. Maybe my 11 was too heartfelt. Thinking this over, I put the envelope in the mailbox 12.

    Weeks later I received a message from her. It turned out she was 13 a hard time and my note 14 a lot to her. She said she had no idea she was playing such a big 15in others' life.

    Not only did this letter make her happier, but her response to it brightened my world and 16my level of happiness as well. I was so 17 that it had such a great influence on her that I decided to write a(n) 18 letter to someone each month. Now it's easier for me to19 the goodness in others and be more20 for this beautiful life I'm living.

    “Everything happens for the best,” my mother said whenever I faced 1. “If you can 2, one day something good will happen. And you'll realize that it wouldn't have happened if it were not for that 3 disappointment.”

    Mother was right, which I 4 after graduating from college in 1932. I had decided to try for a/an 5in radio, then work my 6 up to sports announcer. I hitchhiked（搭便车） to Chicago and knocked on the door of every station and got 7 every time.

    In one studio, a kind lady told me that big stations couldn't risk hiring 8 persons. “Go out in the sticks and find a 9 station that'll give you a chance,” she said.

    I went home to Dixon, Illinois. While there was no radio-announcing jobs in Dixon, my father said Montgomery Ward had opened a store and wanted a local athlete to manage its sports department. Since Dixon was 10 I had played high school football, I 11. The job sounded just right for me. But I wasn't 12.

    My disappointment 13. Although I didn't say anything, Mom reminded, “Everything happens for the best.” Dad 14me the car to job hunt. I tried WOC Radio in Davenport, Iowa. The program director, a wonderful Scotsman named Peter MacArthur, told me they had 15 hired an announcer.

    As I left his office, my 16 boiled over（沸溢，发怒）. I asked aloud, “How can a fellow get to be a 17 announcer if he can't get a job in a radio station?”

    I was waiting for the elevator when I heard MacArthur 18, “What was that you said about sports? Do you know anything about football?” Then he stood me before a 19 and asked me to broadcast an 20 game.

    My 9-year-old daughter and I were flying from our home in Carolina to spend a week with my husband in Florida. We were 1 about the trip because we hadn't seen him for five months, and my daughter 2 her Dad terribly.

    As usual on the Charlotte-to-Miami flight, the plane was totally 3. Because we did not get our boarding passes until we 4 at the gate, Kallie and I could not get seats together and were 5 by the aisle (过道). I asked two passengers in my row if they would switch places with Kallie and me, 6 we could be together. They 7, saying they thought they should stay in their assigned seats. Meanwhile, a mother and her three children were in a 8 several rows ahead of us. There had been a mistake in their boarding passes, and 9 the whole family had been split up. The passengers in her row10 refused to move elsewhere. She was very 11 about the younger boy sitting with strangers. She was in tears, yet nobody 12 to help her. There were a troop of Boy Scouts(童子军) on 13. Suddenly the Scout leader stood up and said, “Ma'am, I think we can help you.” He then14 five minutes rearranging his group so that enough space was  15 for the family. The boys followed his directions cheerfully and without 16, and the mother's relief was obvious.

    Kallie, however, was beginning to panic at the 17of not being next to me. I told her that there wasn't anything I could do. 18, the man sitting next to the Scoutmaster, 19to me and asked, “Would you and your daughter like our seats?” 20 to himself and the Scoutmaster. We traded seats and continued our trip, very much relieved to be together and watch the scenery from Kallie's window sea.

    I've been taking a bus to school for years. I found that most passengers keep to themselves and no one ever has a 1 with anyone else.

    About a year ago, an elderly man entered and said 2 to the driver, "Good morning!" Most people looked up, confused and 3, and the bus driver took it for granted and 4responded with a grunt (哼声). The next day the man 5 and again he said in a loud voice, "Good morning!" to the driver. Another grunt. By the fifth day, the driver finally agreed to accept the elderly man and 6 him with a little cheerful "Good morning!" Then the man 7,"My name is Benny." The driver told the man he was Ralph.

    That was the first 8 any of us heard the driver's name and soon people began to talk to each other and say 9 to Ralph and Benny. Soon Benny 10 his cheerful "Good morning!" to the whole bus. Within a few days, his "Good morning!" was 11 by a whole bunch of "Good mornings" and the entire bus seemed to be more 12. People got to know each other.

    "If a 13 is someone who makes something happen, Benny was the one who took a lead in showing friendship 14 us," I thought.

    A month ago, something 15 happened and Benny didn't 16 in the bus. Everyone began to 17 about Benny and lots of people said he may have passed away. No one knew what to do and the bus got 18 again. So last week, I started to act like Benny and say, "Good morning!" to everyone and the whole bus cheered up again. I guessed I was the leader now. 19 Benny could come back to see what he had started really 20 a lot.