Christmas 1940 makes me misty-eyed every time I think about it. In the hard times, people 1 one another. We 2 food, clothing, bedding and household items and gave them to the needy.

    That Christmas we students found ourselves 3 toys we collected and lading packages for 4. As we presented the gifts, we saw 5 in many faces, especially those of the children.

    We had a few more 6 to make on Christmas morning. The air was heavy and frozen to the bone. For several hours, we knocked on doors. But as the cold hours passed, our 7 gradually faded.

When we 8 headed home, someone 9 a small house down a canal bank. None of us knew who lived there, 10 we wondered if there were 11 . We still had a doll, two trucks, some small toys, chocolate Santas and a box of groceries. We decided to make one last visit. When we knocked on the door, a young woman answered it, looking at us 12. Three small children watched from behind her skirt—a little girl of about 2, and boys perhaps 4 and 5 years old.

    “Merry Christmas,” we 13 as we bent down and handed the gift-wrapped packages to the children and the box of groceries to the 14 , whose eyes widened 15 . She slowly smiled, then quickly said, “Come in”.

    The room was 16 as the children looked at their mother, wondering if the gifts were really for them. The little girl 17 her doll, and the boys grasped the trucks as they sought a(an) 18 . She put her arms 19 them and said in a 20 voice, “I told you Santa Claus would come.”

    There is a story about a princess who had a small eye problem that she felt was really bad. Being the king's daughter, she didn't like to listen and kept 1 all the time. When the doctors wanted to help her, she always refused any 2treatment and kept touching her eye and it became worse and worse.3 the king announced a big4 for whoever could cure his daughter. After some time, a man arrived. He 5 that he could cure the princess but6 he was not a doctor.

    After he had 7 her, the man said, “There is nothing much wrong with your eye, hut there is something else that is really 8 .” The princess was worried and asked what it was. He 9and said, “It is really bad. I shouldn't tell you about it.” No matter how much she10, he refused to tell her, saying that he could not speak without the king's11 .

    When the king arrived, the man was still 12to tell his findings. After the king ordered him to tell them, the man said, “Well, there is no problem with the 13 . The big problem is that the princess will start14 a long tail very soon. If she15it when it appears, I can prevent it from growing.” Everyone was deeply concerned at this 16. And the princess stayed in bed, day and night, directing all her17 to feeling when the tail might appear. Thus, after a few days, her eye got well.

    This is how we 18 react: we always focus on our  19 problem and it becomes the center of everything. So far, we have done this20, generation after generation.

    When I arrived in Sydney two years ago from Brazil to study, I struggled to find work to support myself. My savings soon became dangerously 1 and I was upset that I might have to 2 my overseas dream.

    One day, I was at the park, worrying about the future and 3 with my own thoughts. A lady sitting next to me noticed the 4 expression on my face and gave me a sincere smile. She asked if something 5 had happened and if I needed any 6. I didn't want to bother someone I had just 7 with my problems, so I 8 that everything was fine. But we 9 chatting nearly two hours later about life in Brazil and what I thought about Australia. This lady gave me lots of tips about places to visit in that country.

    10 we knew it, it was almost five o'clock. She said she had to go to work and 11 invited me to accompany her. Why not? I 12 although I felt a little surprised.

    We arrived at a restaurant and the most 13 thing happened. She said that she 14 the place and needed some help in the 15 as one of her chefs was leaving soon. She asked if I wanted to take a part-time job there. I 16, of course, and started the next day.

    I spent almost one year 17 in her restaurant, improving my English, and 18 my skills. And most importantly, I built a good 19 with my boss. Even now living in different cities, we are 20 close friends and enjoy sharing long chats about life.

    I did very badly at school. My headmaster thought I was1and when I was 14 he said, "You're never going to be2but a failure."

    After five years of3jobs, I fell in love with a very nice middle-class girl. It was the best4that could have happened to me. I 5I wanted to do something positive (积极地) with my life because I wanted to prove to 6that what people said about me was7. Especially her mother, who had said to me, "Let's8it, you've failed at everything you've ever done." So I tried hard with my9and went to college. My first novel10while I was at college.

    After college I taught during the 11in high schools and attended evening classes at London University, where I got a 12in history. I became a lecturer at a college and was thinking of13that job to write full time14I was offered a part-time job at Leeds University. I began to feel 15of myself — here was a working-class boy who'd16school early, now teaching at the university.

    My writing career (职业) took off when I discovered my own style. Now I'm rich and17, have been on TV, and met lots of film stars. 18what does it mean? I19wish all the people that have put me down had20: "I believe in you. You'll succeed."

    Jake was born healthy, but his parents noticed there was something wrong when he was 5. Jake 1 about 20 pounds in just six months. He kept putting on weight 2 eating only salad. In 2015, Jake was diagnosed with ROHHAD, a 3 condition that affects the brain and causes rapid weight gain. Only 75 cases have ever been reported, and 4 of the sufferers is known to have survived twenty years.

    But Jake wants to fight for his 5. Although there is no way to fully 6 the weight gain, he does everything he can to slow it down, including 7 competing in triathlons (铁人三项). Triathlons help him keep fit and active. It's good for his 8 and also gives him a chance to socialize with other kids. He 9 with the Malta Youth Triathlon Association three times a week.

    "He is extremely 10. He never misses a training session without valid 11 and is constantly eager to train," Jake's trainer said. "Jake is very lovable and steals the heart of all who know him. It's heartbreaking to see what he has to 12. I look at his family with a mixture of 13 — despite the hardship they try their best to ensure that Jake gets as 14 a life as possible."

    Everybody is more than happy to help Jake, and they 15 change event dates and training schedules just to make it easier for him to 16. He is always very determined, but due to his condition, he can't 17 himself to push his heart rate too high.

    Jake's 18 is to meet two famous British Triathlon players, 19 due to his disease, he cannot travel. After Jake's story was made public, someone 20 that he would do everything he could to make the boy's dream a reality.

After months of preparation, my husband Bill and I flew to China to welcome our new daughter, our 18-month-old angel "Shirley". But when we picked her up, Shirley missed her Chinese mother so 1 she would barely look at Bill and me. Instead, she'd stand at our hotel room door and 2 for the only mother she had known. 

I was so embarrassed that lunch in a restaurant was out of the 3 . I was afraid people would think I was a "bad mother. " So I 4 our meals from room service. 

One time I chose the noodle plate and tried to use chopsticks for the very first time. The noodles kept 5 off my chopsticks. At this time, Shirley's screaming suddenly stopped. 

Peeking out of the corner of my eye, I saw her sitting in the room corner 6 me attentively. And in no time, a tiny hand came into 7 , took the chopsticks from my big hand. As I looked up, Shirley — with the chopsticks skillfully arranged in her little fingers — began expertly feeding me noodles, without 8 a single one. 

I looked at Bill, who was wide-eyed with 9 . "Do you think she would 10 me?" he wondered 11 . So, trembling with 12 , I asked, "Shirley, will you feed your daddy now?" and 13 to Bob. She nodded "yes" with a big smile on her face!

That meal was definitely a 14 experience. Shirley must have felt that we would 15 without her assistance!