It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was 15 years old and feeling like the world was 1 for me because there hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted that year.

    Pa came back in and there was ice in his beard. “Come on, Matt,” Pa said. “Dress warmly. It's cold outside. We're going to Widow Jensen's. They are 2 wood.” Widow Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband had died a year or so before and 3 her with three children, the oldest being eight.

    I 4 went out with Pa and we 5 the sled high with wood. 6 we went to the store and Pa took down a big ham, some bacon, a sack of flour and some shoes, which were put into a smaller sack. We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen's in 7. I tried to think through what Pa was doing. I knew we didn't have much money and Widow Jensen had 8 neighbors than us. It shouldn't have been our 9.

    Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped around her 10. The children were wrapped in 11 and were sitting in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that 12 gave off any heat at all. “We brought you a few things , Ma'am，” Pa said and set down the sack of flour. I put the meat on the table. Then Pa handed her the sack that had the shoes in it.

    She 13 and took the shoes out one pair at a time. I watched her carefully. She bit her lower lip to keep it from 14 and then tears filled her eyes and started running down her cheeks. She looked up at Pa like she wanted to say something, 15 it wouldn't come out. “We brought a load of wood too, Ma'am,” Pa said. Then he turned to me and said，“Matt，go bring some in. ”

    I wasn't the 16 person when I went back out to bring in the wood. I choked and as much as I hate to 17 it, there were tears in my eyes too. In my mind I kept 18 those three kids huddled (蜷缩)around the fireplace and their mother standing there with tears running down her cheeks with so much 19 in her heart that she couldn't speak. Just then the rifle seemed very 20. Pa had given me the best Christmas of my life.

    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.”

    George Springer helped his team Houston Astros win the World Series in 2017. He was awarded the Most Valuable Player, 1 his struggle is mostly hidden. His 2 is not trying to hit a fastball, but in 3 it. He stutters（口吃）.

    Growing up in Connecticut, Springer was the kid who would 4 raise his hand in school, the kid 5 every time he opened his mouth.

    “I was the guy who didn't talk,” he said “I would 6 speaking at all costs.

    He was often 7. Sometimes he was bullied（欺侮）. The phone was suffering to him. 8 were worse. If he wanted a dish that he knew would be tough to say, he would 9. If he was with his family, his sister Nicole would 10 for him.

    He remembers a couple of attempts at speech therapy（语言治疗）, but he said he was 11 with encouraging parents, an ability to 12 himself in sports, and a small group of friends who 13.

    “If therapy works for you, 14. But for me, I also developed my own 15to handle it,” he said. “Besides, when I was around all my friends, it didn't really seem to 16 them. If I did it, they would 17 until I was done, then finish the conversation.”

    To help other kids18the same issue, Springer frequently appeared in interviews and even agreed to wear a microphone 19 during the 2017 All-Star Game. He then added “I can't let anything in life I can't 20 slow me down or stop me from being who I want to be.” These 22 words proved it.

    It was the last day of the final examination in a large eastern university. On the 1 of one building, a group of engineering seniors gathered, discussing the exam due in a few minutes. On their faces was confidence. This was their last exam—then on to graduation and 2.

    Some talked of jobs they already had; others talked of jobs they 3 get. With the certainty of four years of college, they felt ready and able to take 4 of the world.

    The approaching exam, they knew, would be an easy task. The professor had said they could bring 5books or notes they wanted, requesting only that they did not 6 each other during the test.

    7they entered the classroom. The professor passed out the papers. And smiles8on the students' faces as they noticed there were only five essay­type questions.

    Three hours had passed9the professor began to collect the papers. The students no longer looked confident. On their faces was a 10 expression. Paper in hand, no one spoke as the professor faced the class.

    He looked at the 11faces before him, and then asked,  “How many completed all five questions？”12a hand was raised.

    “How many answered four？” still no hands.

    “Three? Two？” The students moved restlessly in their seats.

    “One, then? Certainly somebody finished one.” But the class 13 silent.

    The professor put down the papers. “That is exactly what I 14, ”he said. “I just want to impress upon you that, 15you have completed four years of engineering, there are still many things about the16you don't know. These questions you could not answer are relatively17in everyday practice.” Then, smiling, he added, “ You will all 18this course, but remember—even though you are now college graduates, your education has just19.”

    The years have20the name of this professor, but not the lesson he taught.

    "When I grow up, I want to be a mountain climber," Jack, my four-year-old son, announce. My husband, Jack and I are now 1 Cradle Mountain. Here the sky is clear and the plants are green. We don't know how our kid will progress, but we're 2 to give it a go.

    Usually some parents, me included, would 3 that bushwalking would present a great opportunity for disaster. However, we couldn't be more 4. We are swallowed up (吞没) by the 5 of the nature.

    My husband and I 6 glances (眼色) as Jack runs ahead of us. He keeps a confident and steady (稳的) 7, staying three or four meters ahead of us. Who is this kid 8 us through the bush? This can't be the same boy who won't play outside 9 someone keeps him company (陪伴).

    "Hey, look at this!" Jack cries, pointing at a 10 in a tree. "Who lives here? It may be a snake's 11." His dad and I 12 and look on, nodding and predicting (预测) who might call the tree home. Before reaching a 13, Jack is off again, keeping a distance between himself and us.

    I think about how I have often felt 14 as a parent. Frequently I find myself 15 to cross the tricky (棘手的) pass of boyhood: "Why won't this child 16? Why won't he do as he is told? Why is he so 17?" Yet, here we find ourselves in the wilderness, and the boy is showing us the 18. The world is unfolding before him, and he is crossing it with 19 and natural curiosity, and as his parents, we are only 20 on his journey, following in his size 12 footsteps.

    I never thought I would be a "runner". I was the girl who1slowest in the PE class. A few years ago, I was walking with a group of2in the Race(比赛) for the Cure, a 5km race designed to3money for the fight against breast cancer(癌), 4one lady caught my5.

    She was one of the weakest-looking women I've ever seen. She must have been close to seventy years old,6a T-shirt with the word "Survivor". She was so small that it seemed as if she could even be7by a strong wind. But, she was running. And she was8me and my group of friends. She ran slowly, but 9- as if each step pushed her cancer further into her past. Right at that moment, I10that in the next Race for the Cure, I'd be running along with her.

    A week later, I found myself in the11, running on the treadmill(跑步机). Three minutes after I started, my face was bright red. I felt like my lungs were going to burst. I12slow down to a walk. I thought of the13at the race. I kept it up. I was able to go a little14each time. Three and a half minutes. Four minutes. Five.

    A year later, I was15at the Race for the Cure, but this time, I16with the runners. When the race started, the other runners passed me by. I ran forward. I17if I'd be able to do it. But then, I remembered the18woman. I ran as fast as I could until I finally crossed that finish line. I had just19my first race! I looked down at my legs, amazed. They had done something I'd never thought20. I have never felt stronger than at that moment. And I knew that I wanted to do it again.