Compassion（同情心） is a desire within us to help others. With effort, we can translate compassion into 1. An experience last weekend showed me this is 2. I work part-time in a supermarket across from a building 3 the elderly. These old people are our main 4, and it's not hard to lose 5 over their slowness. But last Sunday, one 6 gentleman appeared to teach me a 7 lesson. The man walked up to my register with a box of biscuits. He said he was 8, had just moved into his room, and had 9 in his cupboards. He asked if we could let him have the food on trust. He promised to  10 me the next day.

    I couldn't help staring at him. I  11 what kind of person he had been years before, and 12 he would be like if luck had gong his way. I had a hurt in my heart for this kind of human soul. I told him that was 13 , but store rules didn't allow me to do so. I felt 14 and unkind saying this, but I 15 my job.

    Just then, another man, standing behind the first, spoke up. “If anything”, he looked more pitiable. “16 it to me.” was all he said.

    What I had been feeling was pity. Pity is soft and easy. Compassion, 17, is caring in action. I 18 the second man but told him that was not 19 either. Then I reached into my pocket and paid for the biscuits myself. I reached into my pocket 20 these two men had reached into my heart and taught me compassion.

    I still remember an old lady, a customer on the paper route in my hometown when I was 12 years old. She taught me a lesson in 1 that I shall never forget.

    On a(n)2  afternoon, a friend and I were throwing stones onto the 3  of the old lady's house. The stone that I found was too smooth,4 it slipped from my hand as I let it go and 5  straight not for the covering on top of the house but for a small window on the house's back porch. At the sound of broken glass, we knew we were 6 . We turned and 7.

    I was too 8 about getting caught that first night to be concerned about the old lady with the broken window in the freezing weather. However, a few days later, when I was sure that I hadn't been9 ,I started to feel guilty about her  10 . She still greeted me with a smile each day11  I gave her the paper, but I was no longer able to act comfortably in her 12

    I 13 my mind that I would save my paper delivering money, and in three weeks I had the seven dollars that I calculated would pay for her window. I put the money in an envelope with a note 14  that I was sorry for breaking her window and15 that the seven dollars would cover the cost of repairing it.

    I waited until it was dark, moved 16 to the old lady's house and put the letter I didn't sign through the letter slot in her door. I felt 17  and could have the freedom of once again looking straight into the old lady's kind eyes.

    The next day, I handed the old lady her paper and was able to 18  the warm smile that I was receiving from her. She thanked me for the paper and gave me a bag of cookies she had made herself. I thanked her and proceeded(开始) to eat the cookies as I continued my 19.

    After several cookies, I felt an envelope and pulled it out of the bag. When I opened the envelope, I was 20. Inside were the seven dollars and a short note that said, "I'm proud of you.”

    Bill Gates doesn't pretend he lives in an equal household. When it 1parenting his three children, the billionaire admits his wife Melinda has done more than her2of the work raising the kids.

    Gates spent two years taking math and computer science courses, but never 3his degree.“ My eldest daughter graduates from Stanford in June, so I'm4she won't fall into my footsteps.” Gates joked.

    Gates said he and his wife have been quite cautious about the5they've used to' raise their three children. He says the couple 6 a 1970s “Love and Logic” parenting model. The core idea of the philosophy is centered on the idea that taking emotional control, essentially reducing emotional7 like shouting or blaming kids, is8for parents.

    “One of the greatest benefits of9“Love and Logic” is that it helps us learn how to keep a tighter control on our emotions and on our10.”Gates said.

    Gates admits he and his wife haven' at 11the approach. “Can you get rid of the emotion? You can't12 do it.” he said.

    Besides, the “Love and Logic” model also13the importance of not relying on rewards for kids, but instead showing unconditional love and praising kids for who they are, not what they do (or don't)14 ， like a poor test score or a(n)15grade.

    “Many highly successful people16Lwith grades as children.” Gates said，“What's most important is that our17develop good character, curiosity and problem-solving skills.”

    The model is a bit like the Socratic method，18it pushes parents to focus on asking questions of their kids and getting them to think about how to 19their own problems,20 feeding them answers.

    When I was 7 months pregnant with my daughter, I witnessed a car accident. Someone and I1to get the elderly lady who2the accident out of the car. It was during the summer months and I was one of the few3staff on. I stayed with her4the ambulance came but I couldn't travel with her as there was no one else in my department to5the class.

    My mother-in-law,6years later, was collecting donations about a 10-minute walk from where the7occurred. She left calling cards saying she would be back to houses where no one was in. When she8to a house an elderly lady was really9of talking to her. She questioned my mother-in-law and asked if she had any10called Rose-Marie.

    The lady had made a11with my surname (姓) she had remembered from all those years ago and my mother-in-law' surname. The lady12the story to my mother-in-law and told her of my13. She also said she had tried to14me down and even put a notice in the petrol station nearby asking anyone who15me to get in touch with her! She had also been16about me as I was pregnant.

My mother-in-law was17to tell her my daughter was healthy and 10 years old. It is a really beautiful kindness to me to18remember me after all that time and to even remember my19. Her kindness touched me more than20could possibly touch her.

    I remember the first day when I saw Sally playing basketball. I watched in wonder as she struggled her way through the crowed of boys on the playground. She seemed so

    1 but she managed to shoot jump shots just over their heads and into the net. The boys always tried to stop her 2 nobody could.

    I began to notice Sally at other times, basketball in hand, playing 3. She practiced dribbling(运球) and 4 over and over.

    One day I asked Sally why she 5 so much. Without a moment of hesitation she said, "I want to go to college. The only way I can go is to get a 6. I'm going to play college basketball and I want to be the best one. I believe if I am 7 enough, I will get one. My father has told me that if the dream is big enough, the facts don't8. "

    I 9 her through those junior high years and into high school. Every week, she led her team to 10. One day in her senior year, I saw her sitting on the grass, her head

    11 in her arms. Slowly and quietly, I walk 12 and sat down beside her. "What's wrong?" I asked. "Oh, nothing," came a soft reply, "I am just too short. " The 13 told her that at 165 cm she would probably never play for a top team -- still less she would be 14 a scholarship -- so she should stop dreaming about college.

    I felt she was extremely 15. I asked her if she had talked to her dad about it yet. She told me that her father said those coaches were 16. They didn't understand the17 of a dream.

    The next year, Sally was seen by a college basketball coach after a big game. She was 18 offered a scholarship and 19 to the college education that she had 20and worked toward for all those years.

    It's true: if the dream is big enough, the facts don't count.

Last weekend I made my first visit to a remote village, home to one of our students, Tombe. Another teacher and I walked for two and a half hours to get there—first, up a mountain from where we had fantastic views, and then down a shaded path to the valley below. When we arrived at the village, Tombe's mother, Kiak, saw us coming and started crying "ieee ieee". We shook hands with all the villagers. Everyone seemed to be related to Tombe.

Tombe's father, Mukap, a man with a strong jaw and a wrinkled forehead, led us to his house, a low, round bamboo hut with no windows, with a door just big enough to get through, and with grass sticking out of the roof—this shows it is a man's house. Such housing is dark inside so it took time for our eyes to adjust. Fresh grass had been laid on the floor and there was a platform for Jenny and me to sleep on. There was a fireplace in the centre of the hut. The only possessions I could see were one broom, a few saucers, a kettle, cups, pans, and a couple of jars.

Mukap built a fire outside and laid stones on it to heat. He then placed the hot stones in an empty oil drum with kau kau（sweet potato）, ripe corn, and greens. He then covered the vegetables with banana leaves and left them to steam. It smelled delicious. We ate inside the hut sitting round the fire. I loved listening to the family talking softly to each other in their language, even though I could not participate much in the conversation. Luckily, Tombe interpreted for us.

Later. I noticed a can standing upside down on the grill（烤架）over the fire. After a while. Tombe threw it out of the doorway. Tombe told me that the can was heated to dry out the leftover food. His family believes that leftovers attract bad spirits in the night, so any leftover food is dried up in a can and the can is then thrown out of the hut.

We left the village the next morning after many goodbyes and firm handshakes. My muscles were aching and my knees shaking as we dragged ourselves down the mountain towards home. That evening I fell happily into bed. It was such a privilege to have spent a day with Tombe's family.