Several years ago, 1 a cold winter morning, I was shopping alone. I tried to buy some winter socks to 2 my cold feet warm. When I went around the corner in the store, I saw a Christmas tree 3 paper angels(天使). On each angel was the name of a poor child 4 family couldn't afford to buy him/her a gift that year. Shoppers who picked an angel could buy a simple toy or gift and the store would 5 it up and send it to the child that Christmas.

    Around the tree, I saw a boy and a girl picking out several angels each. Their mother was smiling while she was watching 6. I walked up next to her and started talking with her. She told me that her children 7 this several years ago when she first explained to them what the Charity Angel tree was for. Each offered to give up one of their toys that year 8 a poor child could have one. Since then, the two have 9 money the whole year in order to buy gifts for more children. It has become a family tradition.

    When we finished talking, I smiled. I walked over m the tree, and picked out a few angels, too. I left the store, feeling 10 and love for that Christmas.

    I am Frank. In our western countries, there are four seasons or 365 days in a year. Usually, we sleep 8 hours every day. So we have 122 days for sleeping. Then our study or work time is only 243 days left. But there are 52 weekends in a year. Each weekend is two days. We lose another 104 days a year for work. It takes up about one hour to have breakfast and supper. This comes to 15 days over a year. Four free hours each evening takes up 61 days. But we can't work all the time, so we need holidays. We have to remember that we get 2 days' holiday at Easter, 3 at Christmas and 1at the New Year. There are also 4 Bank holidays. Take those 10 days away and we have 32 days for work. But then we have one and a half hours' lunch every day, and half an hour's coffee break. That comes to 30 days a year. This means that we have only a few days left for study or work every year. What about you in China?

When I got the driving license last summer, Mom and I took our first trip around an empty car park. Then I found that my mother was not the best 1 for me. It wasn't because she shouted at me, or told me that I was doing2 . As you can imagine, my mother's "helpful instructions" only managed to make me more nervous. 

Since I could no longer3 with her, the job was placed in the hands of my father. I loved him,4 I just did not see Dad as someone I could be comfortable learning from. He almost never talked. We shared a（n）5 father-daughter relationship. He'd ask how school was, and I'd say it was fine. Unluckily, that was the most of our conversations. It was just like spending hours with a 6 silently. 

As we got into the car for the first time, I was not 7 at what happened. Dad and I drove around, saying almost 8 , besides a few instructions on how to turn. As my lessons went on, however, things began to change. Dad would 9 the radio so I could enjoy his favorite Stones music. And he gradually began talking. I was soon hearing about his first meeting with Mom, "basic body" gym class, and other 10 from his past. 

Dad's sudden talk was shocking until I thought about 11 he was telling me so much. In all the years, I always 12 why my father never spoke that much. I never considered it was because I had never spent time 13 . Homework, friends, and even TV had all called me away from him, and I never thought my 14 father had anything to say. 

Since I began driving with him, my driving ability has greatly improved. More importantly, the 15 between my father and I has also improved. Just living with him wasn't enough—it took driving with him for me to get to know someone who was a mystery. 

Mum and I were just going out when it began to rain. We had to stay at home, and I {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (feel) quite bored. Mum got an idea. She suggested {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (teach) me to make dumplings. I thought it could be fun, so I said OK. Mum cut the meat and cabbages into small pieces {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (quick) . Then she showed me how to mix them with salt and oil. "Mixing is the {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (important) of all the steps," she said. I also made some other {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (prepare) with her help. When everything was ready, Dad came back home from his office. Together the three of {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (we) wrapped (包) the dumplings. {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (final) , we cooked them. They were so delicious that I ate {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (many) than twenty. That was the {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (one) time I learnt to make dumplings. It was {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (enjoy) ! I will learn more life skills in the future. 

Bill Bird is a shoemaker in London. He makes shoes for people with feet of unusual. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}very large, very small, very fat or very thin. The shoes are as beautiful as those found in shopping centers. His shop is so popular that he {#blank#}2{#/blank#}he can＇t make shoes fast enough for his growing number of customers（顾客）. 

Mr. Bird says, "My {#blank#}3{#/blank#}is that I need more workers and I can't find therr. Young people ali want to work {#blank#}4{#/blank#}computers these days. I'm afraid shoemaking will {#blank#}5{#/blank#}a lost art because there are fewer and fewer shoemakers nowadays. I am 45, and now I want to teach young people {#blank#}6{#/blank#}Iknow about making shoes. It's a good job, and a lot of people want to buy beautiful shoes specially made for them. "

Mr.Bird{#blank#}7{#/blank#} making shoes 19 years ago and now he employs（雇用）three people. "Our customers come because they want {#blank#}8{#/blank#} shoes which are the right size," he says. His customers pay about £500 for {#blank#}9{#/blank#} first pair of shoes. Extra（额外的）pairs of shoes are between £320 and £450. They are never cheap, as it takes one employee about a week to make{#blank#}10{#/blank#} one shoe.

 Sammie Vance, 14, knows there's nothing worse than being without friends. For years, she has been helping1 kids. She is running the Buddy Bench2 .

 Anyone who is alone could sit on the buddy bench. It tells other kids he or she needs a3 . It's helpful to make other people notice someone in need of care.

 Sammie thought about the Buddy Bench programme in 2017. First she introduced the 4 to her teachers and parents to get their support. But there have been small challenges, like5 . To make the cost less and be eco-friendly, Sammie decided to make the bench from recycled materials(回收材料). She called on people to 6 bottle caps. In the end, she got over 1200 pounds of them. A company called GreenTree Plastics recycled these into three benches. The benches 7 became popular and soon brought kids together. From then on, Sammi e helped communities(社区) around the country 8 buddy benches.

 Sammie has some changes herself. She has learned to accept her weakness and become a better person. "I used to be really 9 ," she says, "but I'm more outgoing now. It helps me10 in different parts of my life."

 Sammie's story shows helping people can start at any age. Even small acts of kindness can be powerful.