An village had a1tradition. At the beginning of every year, any boy who had reached the age of majority(the state of legally being an adult) was given land and money to build a home. The boy had to 2 his home before winter. If this home failed to endure the cold weather in winter, the villagers could not 3him in any way.

    On 4 Paul and Marc reached their majority. They 5 theri land and money and decided to search nearby villages for ideas on building their homes. In each village, they found the nicest 6and talked to the owners. Each owner gladly offered 7 .

    After Marc saw several homes, he  8the best ideas and went back to his own land. Paul,  9, continued collecting more ideas. Soon he had so many great ideas that he began to 10 some of them. And he always believed he could find even better ideas in the next village.

    Marc began building his home. He had several 11 starts, but his home gradually rose from his land. By fall, Marc had finished his home. It wasn't perfect, but it was strong and he could 12 it later. Paul enjoyed all the beautiful homes and 13 with home owners. The first snow came and Paul, realizing he was running out of time.14back to his land. He built the best home he could in the time he had, but it was 15. The first winter storm destroyed his home and he froze to16 . The villagers mourned for him.Marc  17 the winter. Each year, Marc searched for other good ideas he could use to make his own home look better. He became a leader in the village,18a family, and lived a happy and content life.

    We all build and improve our own mental homes. It's  19 and fun for us to search for ideas from other mental home owners ,but we only improve our own mental home if we actually 20 the best ideas.

    I went with some colleagues from my office for a dinner in a very popular local restaurant. It was 1 business time and the restaurant was packed. We 2 found a table in a corner for three of us.

    As soon as we sat down, we heard a crash when a cleaning boy 3 the floor with all the plates he was carrying. There was 4 and no one was saying or doing anything.

    In a flash I remembered my 5 many years ago. Once, I 6 in the airport because I had rushed there on my own on an empty stomach. I was picked up and taken care of by two 7. Now this was my chance to 8 it forward.

    I ran to the young man's side immediately, turned him on his back and screamed for someone to 9 a hot drink. Soon people started asking if I was a doctor. I said I was not, 10 I was skillful at blacking out(晕厥).

    The kid soon opened his eyes, 11 what had happened. I 12 him by saying it was OK and I had had a 13 experience. He had not eaten anything. I held the 14 drink to his mouth till he finished it and sat with him till he felt OK.By then the 15 had arrived. I asked her to give the kid something to eat. I offered to pay.

    The manager was kind enough to refuse the 16 and agreed to make sure the kid ate before he went home. By the time all this was 17 it was getting late for my colleagues. We hadn't 18 anything yet, so they decided to go home.

    I slowly walked home, not hungry any more, feeling 19 for the opportunity I pay forward the 20 I had received many years ago.

    When I was younger I developed an interest in stories of magic. I 1books where wizards(巫师)and fighters 2the powers of darkness in strange worlds. I was very happy when they 3to bring peace and happiness to their lands in the end. Like most of the readers of these stories I secretly4for magical powers for myself. I wanted to be able to magically make my pain disappear, to make my problems 5, and to have power over this world that so6has power over us.

    As I got older, however, I  7that there was no such thing as magic and how 8the reality of life was. I had daily pain from a back injury that never healed(治愈)right. I went through a 9period of poverty for many years. I felt 10 when both of my sons were diagnosed with Autism(自闭症). I still sometimes daydreamed of magic 11 even that faded away.

    Then one day it struck me that there was a 12 kind of magic, which grew13in my heart, soul, and mind day by day and year by year. This magic was called LOVE. It 14me to my own highest self and to all of the other 15in this world. It didn't get rid of my 16but it made every day of my life feel richer. It didn't cure my sons' Autism, but it helped me see them as the beautiful, loving, and joyful souls that they17are. It didn't make me a wizard or a fighter. 18, it helped me to drive the darkness of this world with my own 19 .

    May you choose it, share it, and live in it every single day of your life may you use it to 20others, and to heal this world.

    “This Friday we'll have the yearly Egg Drop Challenge,” said our science teacher, Mr. baker. “You can work alone or with a partner.”

   My friend, Cassie, and I smiled at each other. We always worked on projects 1.

The2of the challenge was simple—to build a protective container to keep an egg from breaking when 3the stadium wall.

   I made my sandwich that afternoon while waiting for Cassie.4the butter-cream gave me an idea.

    “I have a brilliant design for our5container!” I said when Cassie arrived. “We can 6the egg with some butter-cream. ”

    “Why not put the egg in a basket with a parachute (降落伞)7?” Cassie rolled her eyes. “The parachute is better than that stupid idea.”

   I couldn't believe it. Of course, we'd had our little 8in the past, but she'd never called any of my ideas “9” before.

    “Then I'll build mine and you build yours!”

    10words had been out, our friendship was challenged.

   When Friday finally arrived, I had to11Cassie's Egg Force One looked pretty good.12, my Egg--cellent Egg Cream didn't look quite scientific. We kids carried our containers up three stadium steps and dropped them over the side wall. Those whose eggs broke were out; those whose eggs survived 13three more steps and dropped them again. This would go on till the last egg broke.

    After four rounds, only Cassie and I were 14. I let go of my box. I heard someone say “ew” after seconds. Had my egg broken? I raced down the 15. The side walk was dotted with egg shells from those16drops. Finally I found my little Egg--cellent Egg Cream.

    “That looks like egg drop soup, Laura,” Cassie said. She was holding her Egg Force One. My17raced. Had she won? I looked at her basket.18.

    “My egg bounced(弹起)19, ”she explained, pointing to a broken shell.

    “A tie,”Mr. Baker said.

    Cassie looked at me, and her glare 20. I laughed. She smiled…

Geraniums of Love

    As the fifth of seven children, I went to the same public school as my three elder sisters and brother. Every year, my mother went to the same ceremony and had parent-child interviews（亲子交流会）with the same teachers. The only thing different was the child. And every child 1 an old

    Geraniums school tradition—the annual plant sale（拍卖会）held in early May, just in time for 2 Day.

    Third grade was the first time that I was allowed to take part in the plant sale. I wanted to surprise my mother. 3, I didn't have any money. I went to my eldest sister and 4 the secret, and she gave me some money. When I arrived at the plant sale, I carefully made my 5. I agonized（苦苦思索）over that decision, 6 each plant to ensure that I had indeed found the best geranium. The moment I had smuggled it home, with the help of my sister, I 7 it on the upstairs neighbor's porch. I was very afraid my mother would find it before Mother's Day, but my sister assured me that she wouldn't, and 8 she did not.

    When Mother's Day arrived, I was bursting with pride when I gave her that geranium. I remember how bright her eyes were, and how delighted she was with my 9.

    The year I was fifteen, my younger sister reached third grade. In early May, she came to me full of wonder and secrecy and told me that there was going to be a plant sale at school and she wanted to 10 our mother. Like my 11 sister did for me, I gave her some money and off she went. She arrived at home full of 12 excitement, the geranium hidden in a paper bag 13 her sweater. "I looked at every plant," she explained, "and I know I got the 14 one!"

    I helped my little 15 hide that geranium on the upstairs neighbor's porch, assuring that our mother wouldn't find it before Mother's Day. I was there when she gave my mother the geranium, and I watched them both bursting with pride and 16. It was like being in a dream I had already dreamed. My mother noticed me 17, and she gave me a soft secret smile. Shocked and puzzled, I 18 back. I had been wondering how my mother could 19 to be surprised at this gift from her sixth child. But as I watched her eyes light up with delight as she was 20 with that most precious gift, I knew she was not pretending.

    I was at a crowded grocery store not long ago. It was a weekday evening, cold and tense. People were carelessly 1 aisles(过道) and at one point, two women 2 for several minutes after running into each other.

    Things got 3 at the checkout line. The cashier scanned a man's discount card, but he misread the savings on her screen as an additional 4. He decided she was acting 5 and began to argue. The cashier tried in vain to reason with him. She 6 a manager, who accompanied him to customer service and moved to the next 7 in line.

    We've all witnessed 8 scenes like this in public places. My reaction when I see them is both personal and 9. I am a sociologist who studies how and why people communicate with one another — or why they 10 not to. To me, the grocery scene was another example of how our 11 in others has declined. But it was also a teachable 12 on how we can rebuild our faith — 13 with just one person.

    I 14 the nervous cashier. I got a bottle of water from a nearby cooler and handed it to her. "I felt 15 about how that man treated you and wanted to buy this for you," I said. Her face lit up, and we 16 as she scanned our items. She told me she had been 17 that evening through severe foot pain and would be having an operation later that week. I wished her well in her 18, and she thanked me as I left.

    Those are the balancing 19 that will add up to restore (重建)trust between people. You can start that pattern in someone else's life, even in a 20 as ordinary as the neighbourhood grocery store.