I joined a club called "Passing Help" last month. Now let me tell you 1 I joined it.

    One2 this February, my old car broke down on my way home. It was far away from my home. I wanted to get a ride in somebody else's car, but it was dark and there was no car. It was also 3 to take a taxi. I decided to take a bus home. I went to a bus stop nearby.

    After a while, a bus came, but it did not go to my town. The bus driver was a young woman. She was 4 and she told me which bus I should take. I waited there for about half an hour, but no bus came. 5 a car came to me and a woman came out of the car. She was just the bus driver.

    "When I reached the bus station, I 6 to know that there was no bus to your town at this late hour, so I returned here. I just can't 7 you here," she said. "Get in my car and I will take you back to your home."

    "It is a long way, "I said.

    "8^, sir, "she said. "Let's go."

    On the way she told me a story. A few days ago, her car ran out of gas(汽油). An old man drove her up to a gas station and then back to her9^.

    When we got to my home, I wanted to give her some money to thank her, but she didn't 10 it. "I only want to help others and do something nice for somebody. Pass it along," she said.

A Meaningful Gift

    Emily was an eight grader. To pass her Civics course（公民课程）,she had to do some volunteer service in a nursing home for a week.

    One Monday, Emily went to the nursing home after school. When she arrived, she was told she would1an hour every weekday with an elderly lady, Mrs. Blair. She was then led into a room, where an old lady in a flowery dress was sitting on a sofa.

    Emily2awkwardly（别扭地） in front of the lady. She cleared her throat and said,“Good afternoon. I'm Emily.”

    “Good afternoon, Emily. Take a seat,please,”Mrs. Blair replied.

    Then,3filled the space between them. Emily wondered what to say.

    “Tell me about yourself,Emily,”Mrs. Blair said suddenly.

    “Well,” Emily started, “I don't have any grandparents, so I can't relate to elderly people much. I love the performing arts. I'm here mainly because I have to 4here to get a good grade for my Civics class.”Mrs. Blair didn't seem to5.Many people, especially teens, don't seem to care about old people like me. Now you're here, and I'm going to change that about you. Ask me anything.”

    Emily thought for a moment, and finally decided, “What was your job?”

    “I was a Broadway star in the 1950s,”Mrs. Blair answered.

    “Cool! Can you tell me about it?” Emily asked, amazed.

    Mrs. Blair smiled. “Back then, only the lead actress had the honor to wear a 6bracelet. I was the lead in almost all of the plays, so I always wore the bracelet. Till this day, I still have it.”

    Emily smiled along with Mrs. Blair and listened to the other stories, attentively. She had become so interested in Mrs. Blair's7that she decided to come earlier the next day.

    Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday passed by quickly. Then came Friday. As she was leaving, Emily was really8to say goodbye.

    “Don't be sad. You can still visit me,” Mrs. Blair comforted her. She then handed a small box to Emily, “It's my gift to you.”

    Emily9opened the box and was surprised to see what was inside. “It's the bracelet that you wore. Thank you!” Emily said, with tears in her eyes. “I'm sure to visit you whenever I'm free.”

    On her way home, Emily thought of her own love for the performing arts. She touched the bracelet and made a10that she would keep her word to Mrs. Blair.

    Time is very important in our lives. But it never had any importance in my life until I1a watch from my father that made me responsible（有责任）. It2me the importance of time in my life.

    I got this gift on a gray-sky day. I had to go to the3 at 9:00 a.m.to pick up my uncle Ali and take him to my father's house. However, I forgot it4I was playing with my friends. Later on that day, around 11:00 a.m., I5my uncle, but I was late for him. He had got out of the plane and 6 a taxi to my father's house.

    I got to my father's house at 2：00p.m.7.My father looked at me angrily. I said "hi" to him and my8uncle. My father asked me to sit 9 him and handed me this watch which was a gift from10 . It weighed 8 oz and all of it was made of silver. Then he said, "Essa, did you have fun11your friends today?

    What you did was not very nice and you should be sorry for your12."I felt sorry and told my father that I wouldn't do it again. Then he said," This watch will be a reminder（提醒物） for you. I hope today you have learned something13.”

    I learned a lesson from my father to respect（尊重） time and14be late. The watch is important to me, not because of its15, but because of the lesson that I learned from it.

    A very rich man Peter lost his sight(视力). The 1 told him that only by doing a cornea(角膜) transplant operation could he bring his sight back. Peter 2 a lot of money for the cornea, but time passed day after day, 3 came for that. It was all because he was too proud of his money, and had done many dishonest things.

    One day, he took a walk in the park. He raised his head to 4 the long-awaited sunshine. However, he saw nothing but darkness.

    Just as Peter started feeling 5, someone suddenly ran into him. "Don't you have eyes? Don't you see who you hit! I'm millionaire Peter!" Peter said 6.

    The answer was from a little boy, "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't 7. Please forgive(原谅) me!"

    Suddenly Peter changed his mind and said, "I can forgive you, but you must 8 me!"

    The boy said yes repeatedly and Peter nodded with satisfaction and asked, "Is the 9 big today?"

    The boy answered happily, "Yes, it is pretty fine today. The sun is shining 10!"

    Peter smiled. He thought he could feel the sun again. He asked, "Is the park beautiful?"

    "Yes, very! The grass is green and the flowers are pretty. The little 11 are so lovely when the birds sing in them."

    12 he was listening, Peter began to envy(嫉妒) that boy.

    Suddenly, he cried, "God! How I envy this boy! It's 13! Why not give me good sight?"

    "You are wrong!" a woman said to Peter. "My son is 14 just like you. He could only tell you so much because that's all I told him!" Tears suddenly 15 Peter's eyes.

    Since then, the city charity(慈善机构) has got a lot of money every year. It is from a man named Peter.

    When I was 13 years old, a boy gave me an important gift. It was a smile.

    It was the early autumn of my first year at a junior high school, and my old school was far away. As a result,  1 knew who I was. I was very lonely, and afraid to make friends with anyone.

    Every time I heard the other students talking and laughing. I felt my 2 break. I couldn't talk to anyone about my problem, and I didn't want my parents to worry about me.

    Then one day, my classmates talked happily with their friends,    78   I sat at my desk unhappily as usual. At that moment, a boy entered the classroom. I didn't know who he was. He passed me and then 3 back. He looked at me and, without a word, smiled.

    Suddenly, I felt the touch of 4 bright and friendly. It made me feel happy, lively and warm.

    That smile changed my life. I 5 to talk with the other students and made friends. Day by day, I became closer to everyone in my class. The boy with the lucky smile has become my best friend now.

   One day, I asked him why he smiled, but he couldn't remember smiling at me！

    It doesn't matter because all the dark days have gone. Now I believe that the world is what you think it is. If you think you are lonely, you might always be alone. So smile at the world and it will smile back.