Tom is the son of a farm owner. One New Year's Day， when he was 15， his father 1 him to work on the farm for one year when he was free. Tom was 2 with his father's idea. "That isn't my job. I have 3 school work to do. "Hearing this， his father said， "I promise (许诺) to give you the best present if you 4 finish one year's work. "Tom thought for a while and 5.

       Starting one Saturday， the boy got up early and worked 6 until evening， just like any other farmer. Time passed quickly. Tom' s crops (庄稼) grew well. 7 the last day of the year， the father called his son to him. "I'm happy to see that you have worked very hard the whole year，" said the father.  " Now， tell me 8 you want "

    The boy smiled and showed his father a big piece of bread made from his wheat (小麦). "I've already got the 9 present. No pains， no gains. I think this is what you wanted 10 to know.” His father was quite pleased to hear that.

    When my daughter, Sophie, was admitted to a college we were very happy, but a little worried about becoming empty nesters(空巢老人). I knew I had to do something, starting with the summer before she was away from home.

    Sophie had a pack of colourful blouses. I knew she wouldn't wear them anymore, so I decided to make a quilt(被子) out of them. I tried to work on the quilt when Sophie 1 – which turned out to be often. She was very busy with her friends. Even when she was at home, her door was shut more than usual. This made me feel a bit hurt.2 we didn't have much time together before she went to college.

When we arrived at the college, a wave of emotion flooded me. Sophie saw it in my face. She took a beautiful 3 from her bag. "I made this for you, Mom," she said. Then I knew why she had been staying behind a 4door that summer. It was an album of photographs recording the life of our family over the last 17 years.

    I broke into tears. Some of it was sadness at having to let her go, but some of it was 5I knew that our connection was more 6 than ever as we would always be connected by the strongest link, the love that went into every stitch(针脚) of her quilt and every photo in my album.

In Sophie's dormitory room I unfolded the quilt on her bed. For a moment she was speechless. Then she threw her arms around me. "Mom, I love you," she said. One of her new friends was calling her outside. Sophie turned, and I let her go.

    Denny was a photographer. He travelled around and always did anything he could to take a good photo even if it was 1. He had photos of earthquakes, forest fires and even wars.

    His wife wanted to go with him, 2 he refused. "I travel for my work, not for 3 . I won't have time to look after you. Sometimes there's even nowhere to 4, and I don't often have a good meal or a bath for days. You won't enjoy yourself."

    "I can look after myself. Please take me with you." His wife begged.

    Denny finally 5. When he was asked to go to Africa, he said to his wife, "You can go to Africa with me if you like. I'll take photos of wild 6 there. It should be interesting and not too 7."

    His wife had an enjoyable time at first. Then Denny went to 8 some lions to photo. His wife went with him, but soon she got lost. Suddenly, Denny heard her crying. He ran back and saw a 9 running after her. Quickly Denny took his camera out and pointed it at his wife and the lion. Then he shouted, "10, woman! I can't get you both in the picture!"

    John worked in an office in a small town. One day his boss1him, "John, I want you to go to London, and to2Mr. Black. Here's the address. His office is near the station. "

    John went to London3train. He left the station and thought, "The office isn't 4the station. I'll find it5. "

    But after an hour he was still looking for it, so he stopped and asked an old woman. She said, "Just go along this street, and turn left6the end, and it's the  7building on the right. " John went and found it.

    8days later, John went to the same city,9again he couldn't find the office, so he asked someone the way. It was10old woman! She was very surprised and said, "Are you still looking for that place?"

    The story goes that two friends were walking across the desert.

    During the journey they had a1, and one friend hit the other in the face. The one who got hit was hurt, but2saying anything, he wrote in the sand, "Today my3 friend hit me in the face." They kept on walking until they found green fields and a beautiful river where they decided to4.The one who had been hit fell into the river and started5, but the friend saved him. After he was out of 6, he wrote on a stone, "Today my best friend saved my life."

    The friend who7and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now you write on a stone. Why? "The other8, "When someone hurts us, we should write it down in the sand where wind of forgiveness(宽容)can blow it away.9when someone does something good for us, we must carve(雕刻)it in the stone where no wind can ever blow it away."

    Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your benefits in the stone. Send this phrase to people you will10forget. It's a short message to let them know that you will never forget them.