Last weekend, I had an opportunity to serve as a volunteer at a nursing home in another city. I don't have a car, and even the 1 train station is far away from my house. 2, I wasn't sure how to get there.

    I posted a(n) 3 for a ride on the ride share board. Soon an individual I'd never met 4 that he'd be able to pick me up and drop me off at the station. He said he'd wait until my train arrived5 he drove away. My heart 6 and the stress I'd been feeling disappeared 7 and thus our friendship began.

    I ended up arriving at the nursing home in 8. The tiny team of servers there were 9 for the additional help. We all worked together as a team. I was glad to be a part of this and be of 10 to the elderly.

    That evening when my new 11 dropped me off at the station, he 12that it was in a deserted area. So he parked his car and said. “We will wait for the 13 to come together.” I couldn't believe is his 14.

    With five minutes left before the train arrived, he 15 with me stories of his childhood. As a young boy, he 16 to sit near the edge of the train tracks, waiting 17 for the trains to rush by with all their force. That night he waited with me as my train 18. It didn't rush by with full force but I left that station 19 the full force of his kindness and generosity. People like him would always 20 me how to love and how to give.

    A little boy almost considered himself as the most unfortunate child in the world because a terrible illness made his leg lame（癖的）. He 1 played with his classmates; and when the teacher asked him to answer questions, he always 2 his head without a word.

    One spring, the boy's father got some saplings （树苗）3 the neighbor and told his 4 to plant one each person. The father also 5 to buy a favorite gift for whoever grew best. The boy also wanted to get his father's 6. But seeing his brothers and sisters carry water actively, he lost 7. So after watering it once or twice, he never8 it.

    A few days later, when the little boy went to see his tree again, he was 9 to find that it appeared greener and 10 than his sisters' and brothers'. His father 11 his promise, and said that he would surely become an outstanding botanist（植物学家）when he 12 up.

    From then on, the little boy slowly became 13. One night, looking at the bright moonlight outside, he suddenly recalled what the 14 teacher once said: plants generally grow at night. Then he came to the courtyard and unexpectedly found his father 15 under his tree with a big spoon. 16, he understood: his father had been secretly watering his small tree! He 17 to his room, tears running down out of control.

    Decades passed. The little boy didn't become a botanist, 18 he was elected President of the United States. His name was Franklin Roosevelt.

    19 is the best nutrition （营养）of life; even if it is just one spoonful of clear 20, it can make the tree of life lively.

    When I was a boy we had several gardens around our old house. The largest one of all was used just for 1 potatoes. I can still remember those potato 2 days. The whole 3 helped.

    4 my Dad had tilled(耕地)the soil，my Mom，brothers，and I went to work. It was my job to 5 the little seed potatoes in the rows while my Mom dropped 6 of fertilizer (肥料)beside them. My brothers then covered them all 7 the freshly turned earth.

    For months afterward I would 8 over at the garden while I played outside and wonder what was going on underneath the ground. When the harvest time came I was 9 at the huge size of the potatoes my Dad pulled out of the soil.

    Those little seedlings had grown into sweet food. They would be 10 meal after meal of baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, and my 11 favorite: potatoes cooked in spaghetti sauce.

They would 12 the entire family well fed throughout the whole year. It 13 was a miracle to be held.

    Thinking back to those special times makes me wonder how many other 14 I have planted in tills life that have grown 15 in the hearts and minds of others.

    How many times has God used some little thing that I said 16 did to grow something beautiful? How many 17 has Heaven used these little seedlings to 18 another's soul with sweet food?

    I hope then you always 19 the garden around you with care. I hope that you plant only goodness, peace, and20 in the lives of everyone you help. I hope that everyday you help miracles to grow.

    My father was a Jamaican(牙买加) immigrant while my mother was a white woman. They never got married but I was born. However, my father never1his family about my existence. Whatever the case, I didn't know I was a2until my thirteenth birthday.

    Walking into my aunt's apartment brought a lot of emotions. What if my3didn't want anything to do with me because I was half white? How4can I learn the jokes that my family members told? Should I5them for all the years they didn't spend with me? My mind was full of thoughts when I was6to everyone, trying desperately to understand family members who almost were7strangers. Meanwhile, I was8to just remember everybody's name.

    One of my aunts, who'd been quiet for most of the morning looked at me with tearful eyes. She mentioned how9she was for my father to have a daughter, saying, "He's always dreamt of having a daughter". However, she then expressed her10towards my father for keeping the family in the11about me. From this12, I have learned more about what it means to be biracial (代表两种人种的). Can I still13myself Jamaican even though my first time trying curry goat, a traditional dish, was not until my teenage years?

    I've become aware that no matter how much DNA you might14with a particular race, you won't feel truly connected if you did not15with that culture's customs. I believe this event has16me into becoming a more understanding person when analyzing someone's actions. I have realized that I am far from a17. I am determined to prove that I'm here for a reason by using my talents to18those around me. I have grown to not19on my parents and families to tell me who I am, but I have understood my uniqueness and20my real self. I really feel proud that among strangers I eventually know who I am!

We met Bailey 5 yeas ago. He was a standard poodle (髦毛小狗) born on Valentine's day in 2020, and came to us in a small blue box. His previous owner posted the news online and we adopted him. Our only request was that he behave calmly and be able to put up with the pushing and hugging of our eight-year-old daughter and six-year-old son. 

We were a sweet family: me, my husband, our children Angela and Tony. But for years. I'd felt that we wouldn't be truly whole if we didn't have a dog. Also, my husband worked for a commercial company and traveled around 200 days a year. and I knew that having a large animal sleeping by the door made me feel safer. 

The last piece of our purzle fell into place when we opened the box. With his dark hair and smart eyes, Bailey was beautiful. He was so small that he could fit in the palm of my hand, his big paws (爪子) resting at his sides. He was a little scared, too. As I pulled him close, I felt his heart racing, and 1 wondered if we had done the right thing by taking him away from his mother. But it was too late. Angela and Tony were already arguing about who would carry him and who had the right to bathe him. 

Over the following months, we spent countless hours watching Bailey play with his toys or roll around on the living room floor. Like most poodles, he was smart. He quickly mastered house-training and never chewed (咀) on our furniture or shoes. He considered himself one of us. 

One night we were sleeping in the bedroom when I heard some strange noise. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

At that time, Bailey ran towards me. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

A. I thought it was Bailey running and hitting something, so I kept lying in the bed and made an attempt to fall asleep again. However, the noise became louder and louder, which had already annoyed me. Quickly l got up from my bed. I opened the door and found Bailey running around the living room, trying to let all the things fall down. These abnormal behaviors really made me confused and a little afraid.

B. He firmly grabbed my trousers and pulled me to the kitchen. As I approached the kitchen could obviously smell a strong burning smell and immediately knew what had happened. When¹ aw the fierce fire in the kitchen, I dashed into my children's room like an arrow(前), waking them up at my maximum voice. Rushing out of the house together with my family. I called 911 and asked our neighbors for help at the same time. Fortunately both my family and my house were saved Thanks to our smart Bailey, we did escape from death.

C. Angela and Tony completed the delicious breakfast and they could not wait to bring it to me who slept in the room. Their father praised their hard-earned work with his thumb up, informing them that I was sleeping on the second floor. To my surprise, their hand-made food was so delicious that l would never forget it. Obviously. what they had done for me would be rooted in memory.

D. I nodded with a smile and encouraged the children to get started. Quickly. Angela volunteered to get the big box of com and prepared to make popcorn. At the same time, Tony. my smart boy. went to buy some paper bags. I ran to Bailey's home to invite him. Not surprisingly. Bailey was amazed at this great project and couldn't wait to come. To our delight, the popcorn they made looked great and tasted delicious. Finally. they packed the sweet popcorn in the paper bags together. Laughter and happiness filled this house.

"It's over! Thank goodness!" school was 1 and I was tired. I 2 at the front of the school bus.

Janie, the driver, tries to 3 the uncomfortable atmosphere by striking the match of talks. I try to listen 4 , but usually I am too 5 thinking about my day. On this day, however, her talk was worth 6 .

"My father's ill ," she said to no one in particular (特别地). I could see worry in her 7 . I had never seen her like this before. She always meets students 8 a smile.

With a sudden change of interest, I asked, " what's wrong with him?"

With her eyes wet and her voice 9 , she answered, "Heart trouble." Her eyes lowered as she continued. "I've already 10 my mum, so I don't think I can stand losing him." I couldn't answer. My heart ached for her.

I sat on the 11 thinking of the great pain my own mother was thrown into when her father died. I saw how hard it was, and still is, for her. I wouldn't want to anyone to go through that.

Suddenly I realized Janie wasn't only a bus 12 , that was just her job. She had a whole world of family and cares 13 .

I suddenly 14 very selfish. I paid no attention to Janie because she was a bus driver. I had judged her by her job and brushed her off as unimportant.

I shouldn't have been so selfish and self-centered. 15 people is an art.