Are you looking forward to being alone at home? My answer is NO. One day, my parents went {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (到国外) and left me at home. I had three days {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (不上课). During the {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (接下来的) days after they left, I spent the time by {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (我自己). After {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (醒来) up in the morning, it's a time to prepare my breakfast. I couldn't cook, so I ate sandwiches without other choice. Then I went to school and spent the day as usual. When I got home after school, I tried to cook something. It's really difficult for me. {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (不管什么) I cooked, I burned them, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (包括) the rice. Actually, {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(在……之中) all the things, cooking rice is the {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (简单的). I {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (意识到) that I should learn some useful life skills and not depend on my parents too much.

    I was looking through my old photos last Sunday. One photo {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (catch) my eye. In the photo, I was sitting in a chair, hugging Duke, my best friend in the whole world.

    Duke was an interesting name for such a little dog. But he was my friend from the moment I {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (can) walk. He stayed with me near that chair when I read {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (book). When I went outside {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (play) games, he would drive our cats up to the trees and then walk off feeling proud of {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (him). When he was hungry, he would carry his food dish in his mouth and drop {#blank#}6{#/blank#} at my mum's feet. When I was sick, he refused to leave my bed until I got {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (well) than before.

    I learned a lot from Duke. I learned that a short sleep at noon can be good {#blank#}8{#/blank#} you. I learned that the simplest dinner can be delicious {#blank#}9{#/blank#} you eat it with great enjoyment. I learned that life can be good when you live it with love and joy. {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (sad), I also learned that life is short, especially if you are a dog.

    To me, Duke is like a teacher who has taught me how to love and to be loved.

    Two simple words "thank you" have made a big difference to thousands of firemen in New York City.

    Savannah is {#blank#}1{#/blank#} girl from Texas." I was trying {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (think) how I could help them out, "she said. After hearing about sacrifices (牺牲) {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (make) by firemen, she was moved by the risks they face. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Savannah made 200 thank you cards for them. "I want to show how much I care about them.

    "I thanked the firemen, "Savannah recalled." They're always there to help you. "Savannah decided {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (keep) making cards. For the next seven months, she woke up early to paint and color and cut.

    In that time, she {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (send) 1, 600 cards with bite sized candy while meeting her {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (hero). Soon, fire stations started thanking her.

    Once too shy to give a speech at school, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} is now easy for Savannah to speak regularly to firemen and school students. She is quite different {#blank#}9{#/blank#} what she used to be.

"She's saying how {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (thank) she is!" Savannah's mum, Debbie, said, "Savannah sees that stepping out and doing something can really make a difference."