My whole life began to make more sense after I was diagnosed with Turner syndrome（特纳综合征）at 12. Before that, I1understood why when the rest of my classmates were growing like weeds, I 2a seed stuck in the ground. I had always struggled being the3girl in my class and was known as “Shorty” . Though this 4 me deeply, I refused to let my classmates5my enthusiasm for school and learning. I 6 lots of after-school activities, though they sometimes presented problems. Because girls with Turner syndrome tend to have 7coordination (协调), I hardly had any athletic ability. I loved to sing, but it proved 8to share a microphone with a group of girls seven inches taller. Despite this, I 9 to drive myself to prove that heart and brains could make up for lack of 10. Once diagnosed, I was given a 11plan that involved daily growth hormone (激素) injections. I am the type of person who 12 a doctor's appointment for weeks in advance, 13 getting used to injections every day — and even worse, giving them to myself — was a true test of my character.14 , I got over this difficulty and after five years, I have grown 11 inches. This was a(n) 15 response and I consider it my own little miracle. I am not 16that I have Turner syndrome. It has built up my character and17me into the person I am today. I have learned that you need to try your best to 18the difficulties in your life. Someone once told me, “No one can make you feel inferior (自卑) without your permission.”This statement has always 19 me and so I will journey on to the next stage of my life with  20and self-confidence.

    Katy and I have been friends since college, for more than thirty years. Our friendship has 1 constant(不变的). We have seen each other through all the times when we really need a friend. In 2 of our friendship, Katy and I took our first 3 trip together.

    The first day of our trip ended in Santa Fe, New Mexico. 4 with the long drive, we decided to go to the restaurant for dinner. We sat down and 5our meal. As we talked, I noticed a（n）6 couple sitting a short distance away from us. The look of 7 on the woman's face attracted me.. She stared into the face of the man as he talked, 8 me of a teenager in love!

    I called Katy's 9 to the couple. As we watched, the man reached 10 to place a gentle kiss on the woman's cheek. She 11. “Now that's what I call real love! I imagine they've been married for a long time.” I said. “12 maybe,” remarked Katy, “They haven't been together long.” “Well, whatever the case, it's 13 they care much for each other,” I said.

    Katy and I watched and listened 14 to their conversation. She smiled and 15 whatever he said. We were touched by the warm scene we were witnessing (看到). Then the 16 changed. The woman's wrinkled but beautiful face was suddenly covered with a 17 look. She asked the man in a sweet voice, “Do I know you? What is this place?” “You know me. I'm Ralph, your husband. We're in Santa Fe,” the man said. “Oh, I 18 to have forgotten. I'm not sure,” she said. “That's okay, sweetheart. You'll be all right,” he 19 her, kissing her cheek again. Tears coursed down our cheeks as Katy and I looked at each other. “We were right,” she said 20. “It is the real thing. That is love.”

    I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to spread a little love and kindness today. I had doctor's1 in a town that's about 45 minutes from where I live. After both my appointments were 2, I started walking away from the building and 3an elderly woman standing at the gate anxiously. I 4myself and asked if she was waiting for someone or she needed 5 .

    As it turned out, she was having 6walking the distance and had asked for a wheelchair and a staff member to 7her up but no one had come yet. Virginia heat was kind to no one, and I was 8for this dear lady's health.

    I asked her to 9while I went to get her wheelchair myself. I ran to the help desk and asked for a 10to assist a lady outside. The receptionist asked me, “Is the 11?” I was upset at the question and answered, “She's a bit large, I suppose, but if transporting her is a(n) 12for you, I am willing to do it myself.”

    She looked sort of shocked by my 13, but the woman outside needed help, no matter her 14. The help desk woman and I walked to the end of the passage to the now seated lady. Help desk person 15 her hand to help the lady, but she said “No, I'm fine. I want to grab on to her 16help.” She was talking about me. I helped the woman into the wheelchair but first locked the brakes so that she would be 17. After she was seated, she softly 18 me for my help.

    When I returned home, what happened to me today kept going through my mind and reminded me how much I 19 the opportunity to help the lady. It gave me a sense of fulfillment and a 20heart.

    How far would you go to make a good impression at a new job? A college student in Alabama walked 22 kilometers in the1to get to his new job.

    Walter Carr's2broke down the night before starting a new job at Bellhops, a furniture moving company. Several attempts as he made, Carr3 to find a ride. Knowing he couldn't afford to4it, he decided to walk and5how long it would take to walk to the job in Pelhain — 32 kilometers away. He left at midnight so that he could6it to the customer's house on time.

    Carr had reportedly walked about 22 kilometers before the local police7in to help the young man. After hearing his8, they took him to breakfast. Then, they gave him a9to the home of customer Jenny Lamey, whom he was 10to help move that morning, before the rest of the11arrived.

    "I asked Walter if he wanted to go12 and rest until everyone else arrived," said Lamey in a Facebook post, "He13 and said he could go ahead and get started." So, the family and Carr began 14 up the home, chatting along the way.

    He told Lamey that he and his mother15 from New Orleans to Birmingham after losing their 16 in Hurricane Katrina, an extremely destructive and deadly one that17 the Gulf Coast of the U.S. in 2005.

    "I just can't tell you how18 I was by Walter and his journey. He is modest, kind, cheerful, hardworking and19 ." Lamey shared her story of Walter on Facebook. It spread 20 , moving many others all over the world.

I hadn't got exercise lately and felt a bit dizzy. I was a little1 . One of my friends invited me to show up to see a2 that they said would help me feel better. Little did I know that I was about to see something I would never forget.

They introduced a young3 , Mr Patrick Henry Hughes. He was4 onto the stage in his wheelchair and began to play the piano. His fingers5 across the keys as he made beautiful music. He then began to sing as he played, and it was even more beautiful. For some reason,6 , I knew that I was seeing something special. Ten minutes later, someone came on the stage and7 a video of Patrick Henry Hughes.

Patrick was born with no eyes and a tightening of the joints which left him8 for life. Before his first birthday, he9 the piano. On his second birthday, he asked to play it. His father was10 . "We might not play baseball, but we can play music together. "

Today, Patrick is a11 at university. His father attends classes with him and he has made nearly all "A" s. He is also a trumpet player of a band. He and his father do it together — they12 all the band practices and the half-time performance in front of thousands of people.

But even more than his13 musical talent, it was Patrick's attitude to gratitude that touched me. I will never forget that night, that smile, that music, but most importantly, that14 attitude to gratitude. Gratitude can change your attitude,15 your life forever.

I was interested in volunteering at a hospital because both of my parents work in hospitals. I wanted to see what the 1 was after hearing them talk about it. To be more 2 , I wanted to work at the VA — a hospital in Palo Alto because the 3 of VA is "to serve those who served" and I really 4 this very idea.

To my greatest joy, I was 5 the VA program, and throughout this summer break I've spent around 110 hours 6 at VA Palo Alto in different departments. To be honest, I had never at all felt more welcomed and 7 in every department I went to. After some initial experiences, I 8 to work in the Office of Information Technology (OIT) since I am interested in computers, and I wanted to see how they are used in a hospital setting.

My overall experience of volunteering at VA can be 9 into the words of "eye-opening and 10 ." Throughout my whole life I have been 11 to health care from both my parents being physicians and my health problems, but I have never 12 been on the other side of the glass, so to speak. What I 13 most about my experience was the ability to see what it's like to help people. I want to 14 volunteering at VA because I believe there is no other experience that can be as 15 as working in a hospital that treats Veterans.