A friend of mine opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package: "This," he said, "isn't any1package." He unwrapped the box and2both the silk paper and the box .

"She got it 3 we went to New York 8 or 9 years ago. She has 4put it on. And she was5 it for a special occasion(场合)", he told me.

    He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other6 he was taking to the funeral home(殡仪馆); his wife had just died. Then he turned to me and 7:

"Never save something for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a8occasion".

    I still think those words 9my life.

Now I spend more time with my10, and less at work. I"ll wear 11clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like my new clothes. I don't save my special perfume(香水)for special occasions; I use it 12I want to. The words "Some day ..." and "One day ..."13 gradually from my dictionary. If it's worth seeing, listening or doing , I want to see, listen or do it now.

    I don't know what my friend's wife would have14if she knew she wouldn't be there the next morning, and this 15can tell. I think she might16her relatives and closest friends. She might call old friends to make peace over past17. She might go out for a Chinese, maybe her18food. It's these small things that I would regret(后悔) not doing, if I knew my19had come. I would regret it because I would no longer see the relatives and the friends, even the delicious food.

    Now, I try not to20anything that could bring laughter and joy into my life. And on each morning, I say to myself that this could be a special day. Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.

    I used to abandon myself to despair. Last year my mother 1from stroke(中风)and had an operation on her brain. I felt my whole world turn upside down and I had no2what I could do to help her to reliever her3 . Tears welled up in my eyes whenever I was alone.

    Last month I4 a precious watch, which was an 18-year-old birthday gift from my father. I could not fall asleep for a couple of nights because I felt 5about the loss.

There have been many6like these in my life. I could never figure out how to deal with such tough things 7I read "If You Have a Lemon, Make a Lemonade" by American writer Dale Carnegie.

"When the wise man is handed a lemon, he says, What 8can I get from this? How can I 9my situation? How can I turn this lemon into a lemonade?" he wrote.

    I suddenly10that life is full of ups and downs, so I need to stay 11all the time.

    Now when I think of my past, I wish I could have handled things 12. When my mother was fighting for 13, I should have held her hands in mine, telling her things would get better instead of 14and crying.

    Several weeks ago, I took part in a campus singing competition. I didn't15a prize. If I had not16this article, I would definitely have felt 17again. But instead, I smiled after the competition. I was happy that at least I had got some stage18.

    Life is not just a bed of roses. There are thorns（刺）as well, but these thorns help us become 19and strong. When life20us a lemon, let's try to make a lemonade.

    Kindness is the golden chain by which society is linked together. However .I was not thinking about the golden chain when l had to help people who1their way, and parked in front of my house.

    I was growing tired of helping so many people. Almost every2I was awaken during a sound night's sleep and bad to3 someone out, Many tints l was4by some penniless motorists who did not even hank me for the help that they received and some even complained that I could have done5.

    One day, a young man with a week old beard climbed out of a6automobile. He had no money and no food. He asked if I could give him some 7offering him gasoline and a meal. I told him that if he wanted to work for me, he could cut the grass, but 8the work wasn't necessary.

    Though sweaty and hungry, he worked hard. After working all day, he sat 9to cool himself. I thanked him for his work and gave him the money he10. I then offered him some11money for a task particularly well done, but he 12, shaking his head.

    I never saw him again. He probably thinks I helped him out that day, but that is not13it was. I didn't help him. He helped me to 14people again to repay their trust in me. He helped me to once again want to do something for those who are 15I wish I could thank him for 16some of my belief in the basic 17 of others and for giving me back a little of the18 I had lost. Because of him, I once again felt part of a golden chain of kindness that 19us to others. I may have fed his body that day, but he fed my 20.

    I still remember that the year when I started university. It was a very 1 time for me. Like many other new students I missed my mother's cooking and my friends, got quite homesick and 2 thought of leaving university and going home.

    The 3 me for many students was getting letters from home, and at first my mailbox was full. But 4 the letters gradually became fewer and finally the day came when I found my mailbox was 5. It made me feel quite miserable. Then one day while I was waiting for the postman I saw that I had a postcard in my box. Happily I sat down to read it, 6 that it was from one of my friends. 7 it was 8 of a young woman called Annie and her new baby. I took the card back to my room, put it into my desk drawer and 9 all about it.

    Several days later, I 10 another postcard. This time it was about Antonio, Annie's cousin. Soon later, another card came and then another, 11 full of interesting information about people I had 12 met. I began to really look forward to them,13 to see what the writer would 14 next. They made me feel 15 unhappy with my own life and I even began to smile. 16 while the cards 17 coming, I joined some societies and made some new friends. At last I was beginning to enjoy 18life. The postcards had made me feel happy and helped me begin a new life so I 19 all the cards and even now bring them out 20 I feel miserable.

    Bowen was grown-up, and for his birthday that year his father gave him a1without any pictures in it!

    Bowen's father found he was not2about it, and told him, "Son, this isn't just any3book; it's a magic (有魔力的) book. But to discover its magic you'll have to4it."

    Well, that was better. Bowen liked5to do with magic. He started reading it, 6he wasn't very willing to.

    The next morning, his7asked him, "Have you found the magic8?"

    So… there was a key to find! Bowen flicked through (快速翻阅) the book, but there was no9of the key.

    And then his father10him, "You won't find it like that. You have to read the book. "

    Bowen didn't have much patience (耐心) , thinking his father just told a11A little later, his little sister, Rainer, asked him12the book. After several days, she13shouted, "I've found the key! " And she wouldn't stop14all the places she had visited using the magic key.

    This made Bowen read the book again. At first it was a15; there wasn't even one single16in the book. But, gradually, Bowen became17the adventurous (冒险的) prince's life. Then, suddenly, he was there.

    The book18was the key!

    It was true that every time he19it, he felt going to its valleys and seas, and he lived the adventures of the prince.

    From then on, with every new book, Bowen never20being attracted by the letters and words inside.

    Right after lunch, Mother found she had got a cold. She did need a rest in bed. But first she had a few things to do. Prepare the meat for 1. Leave a note for the cleaners…

    At last, she fell into bed, soon asleep…

    Then the door banged(砰地一声) open as the 2 came home from school. "Mom! Mom! Where are you?" "Didn't you even get up yet?" "What about dinner?"

    "I'm sick. And I can't do anything. I'll have to leave all to 3 . Cook the potatoes. Take care of the baby. Put plates, spoons and forks on the table."

    "Wonderful!" "No problem!" The children ran off 4. Mother was left in her quiet room. She felt terrible! But everyone else seemed great. In fact, there seemed to be a party going on with loud laughs 5 the children.

    There was a sudden crash (破碎声). Then a voice shouted, "Get the baby out of the way —6 he cuts himself. Don't break Mom's rest!"

    Another crash came! The younger girl rushed in with news. "They 7 your plate and the dog ate all your dinner."

    The girl ran off. There was more noise until, finally, the children appear, 8. They were proud of what they brought. There is a glass of water, three beans, a cold boiled potato and a small piece of burned meat.

    Suddenly, Mother felt 9. As the children watched carefully, she ate her cold dinner. "Everything 10so good," Mom smiled. "Thank you, my kids. I feel better now."