Once when there was a famine (饥荒), a rich baker sent for twenty of the poorest children in the town, and said to them, “In this basket, there is a loaf (一条面包) for each of you. 1 it, and come back to me every2at this hour till better times come.”

    The hungry children 3 eagerly around the basket, and quarreled for the bread 4 each wished to have the largest loaf. At last they went away without even 5the good gentleman. But Gretchen, a poorly-dressed little girl, did not 6 or struggle with the rest, but remained 7 modestly in the distance. When the ill-behaved children had left, she took the 8 loaf, which alone was left in the basket, 9the gentleman's hand, and went home.

    The next day the children were as 10 as before, and poor, shy Gretchen received a loaf only nearly half the 11 of the one she got the first day. When she came home, her mother cut the 12 open, and then many new, shining pieces of silver fell out of it. Her mother was very much 13 , and said, “Take the money back to the good 14at once, for it must have got into the loaf 15 . Be quick, Gretchen! Be quick!”

    But when the little girl gave the rich man her mother's 16 , he said, “No, no, my child, it was no 17 . I had the silver pieces put into the smallest loaf to 18 you. Always be as contented (满足的), peaceable, and 19 as you now are. Go home now, and the 20 is your own.”

    On Sunday I had my own Father's Day celebration. Suddenly I 1 about my dad a lot. My dad is 2 the kindest man in the world. He would never 3 anyone in trouble.

    Every Thursday night, my dad would 4 Shreveport, to a church there. I always drove the car for him.

    Although this happened many times, I 5 one incident on one of those trips to Shreveport. That time on the 6 , my dad saw a hitchhiker (搭便车的人 ). Dad asked me to pull the car over and offer him a 7. Dad asked him his name and address, told him ours, and talked to him about all sorts of things.

    At first the hitchhiker was hesitant (迟疑的 ), but he changed his 8 as he could tell we were really listening to him. I did know that it was quite 9 outside and the hitchhiker was very happy to be able to get a lift in our warm car.

    We 10 another forty-five minutes and learned that the hitchhiker was 11 many difficulties in life. Dad told him to keep his head up and said that 12 would become better for him soon. He 13 into his pocket and handed the hitchhiker a twenty-dollar bill, leaving only a ten-dollar bill for himself. The hitchhiker then became very 14 .

    I was always told never to 15 a hitchhiker and yet my dad did it every time he saw one. Dad always gave them money 16 he did not have much of his own.

    From that I've learned a lot about my dad and 17 . I've learned that if you come from a place with 18 , you will show a lot of kindness to people who are 19 . Just one single kind act may 20 someone's life.

    Herman Travis, 55, lives in Holly Courts, a low-income neighborhood in San Francisco. Every Tuesday, Travis 1a shopping cart with groceries from a local food bank (食品赈济站). Then he makes home 2 to his elderly and disabled 3. He started doing it in 2007 and when he first 4, people were doubtful. They didn't welcome it as he had 5. "At first people were 6. They didn't let me in. However, 7 they got to really know me they would just be 8 to see me," Travis once told me.

    I am one of Travis' neighbors who 9deliveries from him. Like everyone else, I 10 appreciate his help, and love to see the joy Travis gets out of making his rounds. I'm 11 with the way he handled himself with the people here. He's so very kind and warm, always smiling, as if he's 12 a favor for his own family. 13 , people are happy when they see him coming, knowing they are treated with 14.

    There are people in nearby15that have been trying to steal Travis for years. They suggest 16 him to go and deliver food for them. But he simply wouldn't do it for money.

    What Travis does for us might be 17 things, but he does them with big love. It's 18 rewarding for himself. And for those of us who receive his 19every week, it is truly20. He's a modern-day hero.

    My dad is my hero because he is brave, skilled, and respectful. I know many people say their dads are their heroes, but my dad 1 me about becoming a man, which is 2 important for a young boy.

    Respect goes a long way with my dad, as does patience. As a(n)    3, my dad must 4 people every day, some of whom are nice and some are not. Either way, he 5 his well-mannered attitude.

    Dad is not afraid of many things, or if he is, he doesn't tell me 6 he wants to seem tough. He may not be a big guy but since he works with his 7 all day, he is very strong. Dad works outdoors in all kinds of 8 but the worst thing he has to do is 9 up and work in an attic (顶楼) in the middle of the summer. Trust me, this is the 10 place you will experience as an electrician and when you come back 11, what is in your lungs will make you 12 for hours.

    My dad and I have a very good 13. We talk about almost everything. We go hunting, fishing, and everything a dad and son would do. My dad and I enjoy hiking 14 because it gives us time outdoors together and there is nothing like that. He has 15 and taught me everything I need to know about 16.

    I am 17 to be the son of Mike C., and would not have it any other way. People come up to me all the time to 18 me I have a good dad. It makes me feel 19 that a lot of people think so 20 of him. He is a good teacher of my life and would do anything for me. This is why my father is my hero.

    Brian Peters had one thing to do before leaving his job as a police officer in Brooklyn. He decided to spend $500 he 1 for his service to buy 10 gift cards and handed them out to strangers in Brooklyn Center on his 2 day.

    It took him about two hours to 3 the cards and that he could put smiles on a lot of people's 4, including one woman he stopped 5 noticing the condition of her car. "Her car was really old and really 6. I saw her screen wipers were 7 in the up position," Peters said. "I 8 what I was doing and gave her a gift card, and 9 she lit up with a smile."

    Once people 10 the initial shock of what he was doing, Peters said he 11 a lot more hugs that day. Monique Drier, who 12 with Peters, said Peters has 13 wanted to give back and didn't really want the attention. "He didn't even have a going away 14," Drier said. "He has always tried to 15 the human side of law practice. He was a great 16 and will be dearly missed."

    Peters, who started his 17 job three days ago, said he still wants to continue giving back to the 18. "Community service is extremely 19, and when you're fortunate in life, you should give back to others who aren't as fortunate as you, Peters said. That's what 20 the world go round."

You Did More Than Carry My books

    Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with a baseball bat and several other things. Mark 1 down and helped the boy pick up these articles. 2 they were going the same way, he helped to carry some of them for him. As they walked Mark 3 the boy's name was Bill, that he 4 computer games, baseball and history, that he was having a lot of 5 with his other subjects and that he had just broken 6 with his girlfriend.

    They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark was 7 in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed 8 with a few laughs and some shared small talk, and then Mark went home. They 9 to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, and then both ended up from the same high school. Just three weeks before 10, Bill asked Mark if they 11 talk.

    Bill 12 him of the day years ago when they had first met. "Do you 13 wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?" asked Bill. "You see, I 14 out my locker because I didn't want to leave a mess(脏乱) 15 anyone else. I had planned to run away and I was going home to 16 my things. But after we spent some time together 17 and laughing, I realized that 18 I had done that, I would have 19 a new friend and missed all the fun we would have together. So you see, Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more. You20 my life."