My husband, Tom, has always been good with animals, but I was still amazed when he befriended a female grouse (松鸡). It's 1 for a grouse to have any contact (接触) with people. In fact, they're hard to spot, 2they usually fly off when they hear humans approaching.

    This grouse came into our lives in 3. Tom was working out in the field when he 4 her walking around at the edge of the field. She was 5 unafraid and seemed to be 6 about what he was doing.

    Tom saw the 7 bird several times, and she got more comfortable around him. We quickly grew 8 of the bird and decided to call her Mildred.

    One day, as Tom was working, Mildred came within a few feet of him to watch. Tom 9 he didn't see her and kept working to see what she would do next.

    Apparently, she didn't like to be 10. She'd run up and peck (啄) at Tom's hands, then 11 off to see what he would do. This went on for about 20 minutes, until Mildred became tired of the 12 and left.

    As spring went and summer came, Mildred started to 13 more and more often. 14 Mildred felt comfortable enough to jump up on Tom's leg and stay long enough for me to get a  15 of the two of them together. This friendly grouse soon felt 16 not just with our family, but with anybody who walked or drove by.

    When hunting season started, we put a 17 at the end of our driveway asking 18 not to shoot our pet grouse. My father, who lived down the road, 19 warned people not to shoot her. 20, hunters would stop and take pictures, because they had never seen anything like her.

    I was a single parent of four small children, working at a low-paid job. Money was always tight, but we had a 1 over our heads, food on the table, clothes on our backs, and if not a lot, always 2. Not knowing we were poor, my kids just thought I was 3. I've always been glad about that.

    It was Christmas time, and although there wasn't 4 for a lot of gifts, we planned to celebrate with a family party. But the big 5 for the kids was the fun of Christmas 6.

    They planned weeks ahead of time, asking 7 what they wanted for Christmas. Fortunately, I had saved $120 for 8 to share by all five of us.

    The big9 arrived. I gave each kid a twenty-dollar bill and 10 them to look for gifts of about four dollars each. Then everyone scattered(散开). We had two hours to shop; then we would 11 back at the “Santa's Workshop”.

    Driving home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits(情绪), 12 my younger daughter, Ginger, who was unusually 13. She had only one small, flat(瘪的) bag with a few candies—fifty-cent candies! I was so angry, but I didn't say anything 14 we got home. I called her into my bedroom and closed the door, 15 to be angry again. This is what she told me.

    “I was looking 16 thinking of what to buy, and I 17 to read the little cards in the ‘Giving Trees.' One was for a little girl, four years old, and all she 18 for Christmas was a doll(玩具娃娃). So I took the card off the tree and 19 the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn't have anything.”

    I never felt so 20as I did that day.

    I'm always inspired by kids who look at the world and decide to start changing it for the better. They don't need to 1 until they become an adult-they look for ways to solve problems 2 they see them.

    A group of high schoolers in Chicago, US, 3spring break in Puerto Rico helping rebuild the island, which is still 4 from a hurricane that struck six months ago. Eight students traveled with a teacher, Lou Ramos, to help rebuild homes and 5 resources among the victims.

    “You read a lot about how we're in a 6of self-focus and iPhones and i-everything,” Lou Ramos told me. “But when we put this idea out there, the 7was amazing. They don't see this as 8anything. They see this as a great opportunity to make a 9.”

    Ramos' daughter, Faith, also went on the trip. I asked her if the 10 of spending spring break doing work—probably, 11, hot work rather than spending time with friends left her feeling conflicted (矛盾的). “12, I'd much rather help other people out,” she said. “I just feel more 13 being able to go and make a difference.”

    Her family 14to Puerto Rico two years ago for vacation. After they watched the videos of the hurricane's destruction, she said, they were 15. They wanted to do something, so they started 16 this spring break trip late last year.

    “I think it's going to 17 our young leaders to achieve an even bigger ambition.” Ramos said. “Some of them have 18 flown in an airplane, this is going to be a life-changing 19for them.” I cannot agree more with him and I'm sure it will also change the world more20.

    5- year- old Lucy Green is from California. She didn't 1 to become a(n) hero when she went for a walk with her mom recently. But when some strangers called out for 2, Lucy and her mom ran to their side.

    It turns out that some ducklings(小鸭子) had gotten stuck and the people who found them were unable to 3 them. But luckily for the ducklings, Lucy had just what it took to bring them to 4. Now the 5-year-old's 5 act is being talked about.

    It all 6 when a family found a mother duck 7 with only one duckling. The father duck was nearby, but strangely, there were no 8 ducklings following them. 9 the family knew that ducks often travel in flocks (群), they 10 that something was probably wrong.

    Then suddenly, there were strange sounds coming from a drainage pipe (排水管). They were the 11 of ducklings. It turned out that the other ducklings had 12 into the pipe and gotten stuck. Unluckily, no one in the family had 13 enough arms to reach down and pull out the ducklings but 14, there was a hero nearby.

    The family 15Lucy and her mom, who rushed to them in a hurry. The family filled Lucy and her mom in on what had happened, and Lucy decided to take 16immediately and try to bring the ducklings out.

    Lucy put her arm down into the 17 and carefully 18out the first duckling. And the next…until she had brought all eight ducklings out.

    After Lucy saved the little creatures from 19, the 20mother duck went off with her beloved ducklings.

    One evening, Catherine was at home as usual. As her1swung between what she was going to do with her life and their dinner plans for the evening, she was unexpectedly2by an urgent call from her sister "Get over here! Turn on NBC and check these guys out. They are just like you…" One Facebook message and a phone interview later, Catherine3herself on a bus with 8 strangers in the middle of the sweltering desert heat of Utah, picking up trash and4awareness about zero-waste and climate change.

    With a deep5of the environment and a desire to make a6, Catherine, Davey, and a group of self7"environmental pick-up artists" went on a coast to coast road side trash pick-up. As they walked, sometimes only80.9 miles in an entire day, they9and steadily made their way across the United States for three years, picking up a total of 201,678 pounds of trash.

    Catherine and Davey10with us wonderful stories of hope and inspiration that fueled their11to continue their journey. After spending weeks silently12how she would have enough13to fly home for their two-week spring break, Catherine found a blank, unidentified envelope14with $850 cash in the desert. Just enough to get her home and back. After their bus15outside of Denver, they unexpectedly got16and arrived in Yosemite National Park three weeks later, just in time for the "Yosemite Facelift" where17from all over the state came together with a18of cleaning up trash all over the park.

    Being at the right place at the right time became almost normal, and they realized that much of what they19was more than just a coincidence. Together, their team learned to simply20themselves to their task, and surrender to the journey.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(随着…的临近) Qingming, we students became restless as {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(已被宣布) that we would have a two-day break. On Qingming, it is {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(一个古老的中国风俗) to pay a visit to the family graveyard in memory of ancestors. It is also a good opportunity for us students to escape from the boring life at school. We waited and waited until the bell rang, indicating the class was over. We rushed out of the classroom like caged birds, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(渴望) get home earlier.

Since my parents had attended the family memorial service two days before the Qingming Festival, we decided to make a short road trip to Cherry Valley instead. The valley is just a stone's throw from where we live. When springs comes, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(成群的人们) flock there, admiring cherry blossoms. My family is no exception. Every year, we drive there to {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(大饱眼福). After about half an hour, we made it to the entrance to the valley. Having arrived there, we found huge numbers of people had gathered. Wherever I went, I was drowned in {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(大量的) noise. No wonder tons of people rushed over to take a closer look at cherry blossoms, for the entry here is totally{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(免费的). But people had to wait for their turn. After what seemed like two hours, finally it was our turn. Once inside, we {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(受到问候) tweets of birds perching on cherry trees. It was like stepping into a fairyland with all those cherry blossoms{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(bloom) around us. At the sight of this, we couldn't wait to explore more together. The air was filled with sweet, intoxicating fragrance. Standing under the trees, I felt my skins {#blank#}11{#/blank#}(caress) gently by the falling pink petals. Birds were jumping here and there among cherry trees, {#blank#}12{#/blank#}(twitter) happily. Everyone was holding their phone, trying to capture the amazing view. Strolling with my family down the trails, I found myself in a totally different world. There was no worry, no trouble, and above all no pressure from study. It{#blank#}13{#/blank#}(一点也不令人吃惊) such a small place is packed with so many visitors every spring. The scenery is amazing and impressive. Cherry Valley is also a paradise for foodies in spring. Local restaurants have a lot {#blank#}14{#/blank#}(offer), which can suit different tastes. 

Places like Cherry Valley are ideal destinations for visitors in spring, for they make life truly special and relaxing. It {#blank#}15{#/blank#}(大自然很慷慨) to provide us with such magical and charming places in the world.