Prana was a beautiful dog, whose name means “breath of life”. Although he died several years ago, I can still remember the days we spent together and what he has taught me about love.

    I have two apple trees in the garden. Prana loved apples. When he went outside, he'd catch an apple and take it into the house to eat later. The apples had been on the ground and were often dirty so I wasn't always happy that Prana had brought them into the house.

It was an autumn day in America, but it was very cold. A big snow fell and we had not done anything for its coming. On that special day, Prana went outside and I watched him through the window. I noticed that he was madly digging(挖) holes and bringing the apples to the ground so they could be seen above the snow. I did not know why he was doing this. He seemed to want to do something special.

    When I called him back, he had his usual one apple in his mouth. About five minutes later, I looked outside. The garden was completely covered with birds. Prana had dug up all those apples for his bird friends to eat. He knew that they wouldn't have stored enough food for the coming winter!

        In a nice house there lived an old man. Behind the house there was a big garden. He planted many plants there. He took care of his flowers all the time, watering and fertilizing (施肥) them.

       One day a young man went by the garden. He looked at the beautiful flowers, imagining how happy he could be if he lived in such a beautiful place. Then, suddenly he found the old gardener was blind. He was very _________ about this and asked, “You can't see these flowers. Why are you busy taking care of them every day?”

       The old man smiled and said, “I can tell you some reasons  . First, I was a gardener when I was young, and I really like this job. Second, although I can't see these flowers, I can touch them. Third, I can smell the sweetness of them. As to the last one, that's you.”       

       “Me? But you don't know me,” said the young man.

       “Yeah, it's true that I don't know you. But I know that flowers are angels that everybody knows. We enjoy the happiness these flowers have brought us.”

       The blind man's work opened our eyes and pleased our heart, which also made his life happier. It was just like Beethoven, who became deaf in his later life and wrote many great musical words. Beethoven himself couldn't hear  his wonderful music, but his music has encouraged millions of people to face their difficulties bravely. Isn't it one kind of happiness?

    "Can I take your order?" Night after night, I had to say this as I worked in my family's restaurant. My father was a fantastic cook. He wanted me, his only son, to cook with him, but I didn't like cooking. Because of the restaurant, my father was always busy. He never had time to play football with me.

    During my high school and college years, I worked with my family at night. But I always avoided the kitchen. I couldn't wait to graduate (毕业)so that I could move away from the family business. Several days before my graduation day, my father and I started looking at new cars. Finally, we found the right car. I was sure that my father would give it to me as my graduation gift.

    On my graduation day, my father gave me a book as a gift. It was his old cookbook. I was so angry that I gave it back to him and ran out of the house. Several days later I moved away and started my business. Although I often saw my father during holidays, we never talked about the graduation gift. Then one day, I got a call that my father was ill. I went to see him because I was very worried.

    That night, I looked through my father's books and saw the cookbook that he had given me year before. I carefully opened the cookbook and went through it. Then I found something that made me cry. It was a check(支票)for$30,000 dated(注有日期) the day of my graduation. And the price of the car my father and I chose all those years ago was $30,000.

    Though very cold temperatures continued to trouble the US in January this year, an act of kindness warmed everyone. In Chicago a young man provided a homeless old man with the proper footwear—from his own feet. Jessica Bell, a passenger, saw everything and posted the story on Facebook.

    According to her Facebook post, Bell was taking the train home on Friday when she noticed a homeless old man sitting across from her. Bell wrote that the man was wearing tattered shoes, and many pairs of socks to keep his feet warm, but there was blood seeping (渗) through.

    On the same train was another man. According to Bell's description, he was young, carrying a bag and a suitcase. He was wearing big black snow boots (靴子), which looked new and expensive. They were built for a Chicago winter. Then he did a good thing.

    Bell described that the young man took off his own boots and passed them to the old man. He opened his suitcase and gave him a pair of socks as well. Then the young man put on a different pair of shoes—not as nice as the ones he had given away. He told the old man to try them on and helped him clean his feet and change into the new boots as quickly as he could, and then left the train.

    At the end of her post, Bell wrote. "I love my city. I love that in a time and place where a quiet act of kindness appears without warning." The story has received thousands of comments (评论), with many people describing how moving they found the act of kindness. One wrote, "We can all learn from that young man." Others are thanking Bell for sharing the story—there are still good people in the world.

    A lion was getting tired of hunting. He called all animals and passed an order. "Every day one of you should come by yourself as my food." All animals started to obey this order.

    It was the rabbit's day. The rabbit was very sad. As he was going to the lion's den (兽穴), he came across an old well (井). He looked into it. It was very deep and dangerous. He made a plan in his mind.

    The lion was very angry that no animal had come that day. The rabbit slowly came towards the lion. The lion shouted, "Why are you late?" The rabbit humbly (低声下气地) replied, "On my way another lion chased me. I got away with much difficulty to give my life to you."

    The lion was pleased with the rabbit. But the thought of another lion in the jungle made him angry. The lion shouted, "Do you know where he lives?" The rabbit replied, "Yes, sir. Please come with me."

    The rabbit took the lion to the old well. He said, "Sir, that lion lives in this well." The lion looked into the well. He mistook his reflection (倒影) for another lion. He shouted and there was an echo.

    He thought that the other lion was shouting too and jumped into the well. That was the end of the lion.