On a hot summer day in America, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. He dived into the cool water, Not 1that as he swam towards the middle of the lake, a crocodile (鳄鱼) was swimming toward him.

    His mother2was looking out of the window and saw the two as they got closer and closer. In great3she ran toward the water,4 to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became 5 and made a U-turn to swim to his mother.6 it was too late. Just as he reached her, the 7reached him. From the shore, the mother 8 her little boy by the arms just as the crocodile snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war (拔河) between the 9The crocodile was much 10 than the mother, but the mother wouldn't11A farmer 12to drive by, heard their screams, raced from his truck, took aim and13 the crocodile.

    14 after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His 15were extremely scarred (留下疤痕) by the attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches (抓痕) where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.

    The newspaper reporter, who 16the boy, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his legs. And then, with obvious 17 he said to the reporter, “But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them 18my Mom wouldn't let go.”

    Never judge another person's19, because you don't know 20 they were made.

Flowers for Miss Benson

    Miss Benson was the kindest, sweetest, most beautiful person on the earth in my mind. She was my second-grade 1 Early in the term, I started asking my mother to put an extra apple in my lunch for Miss Benson.2I never quite worked up the courage to hand my gift to her3. Each day it found its way unobserved to the corner of her desk. And each day the response was the same:

    Miss Benson would come in and sit down. “Good morning, children. Why, how nice!” She would pick up the4 of the day, and then look around the room. “What 5little boy or girl brought me this?”

    No one6the honor, least of all me. I kept my head down, looking at my desk.

    “Can it be that I have a secret admirer?” she would ask.

    I would feel the7rising in my face. I was certain that everyone was looking at me, and I would sigh with 8 when Miss Benson started the lesson after putting the fruit away.

    One fall morning, the class was boiling with 9. As was said, the next day, Friday, was Miss Benson's birthday. Everyone wanted to get her a present. My heart gave a jump; at last I could give her something 10. That afternoon was spent combing the fields for wild flowers.

    In the morning I hung back as others 11their gifts. Finally I went to the desk and gave the flowers to Miss Benson. My reward was a smile and a pat on the head.

    The next Monday, Miss Benson didn't 12. Later on, I was asked to go to the principal's office. He, clearly and slowly, told me that because of the poison 13I gave her, Miss Benson was in hospital.

    I 14 all the way home because of the tragedy to my loving teacher. I begged my mother to take me to visit Miss Benson.

    Miss Benson was sitting up in bed when we arrived. Her15was covered with bandages. Only one eye was showing.

    “I didn't know they were poison flowers,” I burst out. “I didn't 16to make you sick. I only wanted to give you something.....” I stopped talking and swallowed hard.

    Miss Benson 17me with the eye. “You wanted to give me something 18 didn't you, Paul?”

    I nodded.

    “All those 19 were from you, weren't they?”

    Again I nodded.

    “I'll tell you a great big secret, Paul,” she continued, “When I am married, if I have a son, I would like him to grow up just 20you.”

    I wasn't certain that I saw tears in her eye as Mother led me out of the room.

    Leon Logothetis is riding his yellow motorcycle, which he calls Kindness One. He is trying to 1 around the world on the kindness of 2. No money. No food. Nowhere to stay. Leon 3 on the generosity of the human spirit to keep him going.

"It's all about 4 other people," Leon said. So far, he's met with 5. In Las Vegas, a family gave him food and a place to sleep. In Nebraska, cowboys let him stay 6 them. "The American people have been 7," Leon said.

Andin Pittsburgh, after a dozen people had 8 him down, Leon met Tony, a 9 man who gave me his food and offered to let Leon sleep with him in a garage. "It was so inspiring for me," Leon said ."The people in Pittsburgh hadn't 10 helped but he offered me a place to stay and shared his food."

So just how far can 11 get you? Leon is determined to 12. "I used to be a manager in London, sitting behind a desk, 13 12 hours a day, and it wasn't for me." he explained. "Then I went and travelled the world and 14 with people. And that's what it's all about. That's where the 15 is: Connection. Heart to heart."

On his blog, Leon said he'll 16 a ship from New York to Europe, adding he'll do so "as a non-paying 17. Kindness Rocks!"

    He also lists a trip that would 18 him travelling to France, Italy, Greece, India. Cambodia and Vietnam and other countries. His 19 will be shown on TV. The trip also serves to 20 money for Make-a-Wish Foundation.

    My 8-hour sleepy voyage finally came to an end after I stepped out of the airport. 1 on the bus, I was waiting anxiously for it to start.

    A woman beside me and her daughter both seemed 2. She told me that her daughter had an upset stomach and would3 continuously; 4, the mother had lost her purse. Apart from a significant 5 of money, the purse also had her phone and a phone number of an important 6. She would meet him for discussing a(n) 7 matter which had to be 8 by tomorrow morning.

    I handed her my cellphone without 9 and told her that she could make any 10 she wanted. I also produced a bottle of water I had in my bag to relieve her daughter of her 11. After making several calls, they finally 12 to the official! They turned to look at me 13 and thanked me many times. The woman tried to 14 for my assistance, but I refused 15 I knew she had lost her money.

    The next morning, I received a call from the mother, saying that they couldn't 16 how much my generous act touched them. They were so 17 that they had taken down my number to thank me. I was astonished to be thanked in this way. I never thought my simple offer 18 so much in her heart. And I thought of how many opportunities for kindness we had lost by plugging into cellphones and being disconnected 19 the reality around us-something with easy 20 may make a big difference to others.

    I thought I would never have a child－then a miracle happened.

    When I was only 29, doctors said I had too many 1challenges to have a child. Meanwhile, my best friend Colleen was pregnant and she asked me to buy a changing table with her. Focusing on Colleen's good fortune helped distract (使分心) me from my2. In the shop, a babysuit with a crab (螃蟹) caught my eyes. The crab 3 childhood memories of my pretending to be Ariel from the Little Mermaid. If things were 4, that crab would have made me laugh. Instead I said, "If I5had a son, I'd want him to have that. "Sarah, you have to get it," She said.

    I shook my head no. I didn't want a(n) 6of what I couldn't have. My husband, John, and I had talked about 7. But I worried we would get8.

    The next Sunday, we went to 9 There, I noticed a tiny baby in the arms of a woman. On his backside was the same 10 I had seen. My breath caught.

    I11 to John and whispered, "That's the babysuit I was telling you about." He cocked his eyebrows. Throughout the service, I was totally 12 by the baby. I 13 to hold him. In the end, the priest (牧师) made an announcement. "The baby needs a 14. If anyone is thinking about adoption, please see us afterwards."

    We 15 our phone numbers.

    That evening, the young mother, carrying the baby, came to our home. Before we sat down, I held her baby. He fit 16 in my arms.

    Twelve families had volunteered to adopt him. If she picked us, all she asked was that we let her be 17 in his life in some way. We agreed wholeheartedly.

    I never mentioned the crab babysuit. I wanted her to make her decision without being influenced by that 18 .

    The next morning my phone rang. "We picked you" was all I heard.

    Now our six-year-old son continues to be the best 19 thing that will ever happen to me. And that crab baby suit remains 20 folded in one of my dresser drawers, where I plan to hold on to it－forever.

    It happened when our grandchild, Anne, was three years old. My husband, Paul, asked her if there was anything she wanted to plant in our garden. She had an answer—Fritos (油炸玉米饼).

    "Anne, Fritos might not 1 in this soil," he said. But Anne looked at her grandfather and said that if the other 2 could grow, so would Fritos. Paul 3 this in the simplest way possible. He sent Anne running to the house for Fritos.

    That evening, I asked Paul, "Are you 4?"

    "She will forget it," he 5. The next day, Anne asked again. To gain time, Paul said it would 6 two weeks for Fritos to come out. That should be plenty of time for her to forget, he thought.

    For the next two weeks, she arrived every evening to 7 her "Frito land". Anne grew more 8. But with each passing day, Paul became more and more 9. By the 13th day, he had 10 a plan, and the next morning we began to work.

    We planted two plants where the Fritos were 11. Then we began the difficult task of tying Fritos around the leaves of the plants. At last, that was quite a 12 off our mind. Anne ran straight to the garden as 13. We were shocked when she shouted, "Grandpa! They're up! The Fritos came up!"

    The story was repeated several times. When Anne was in second grade, it was finally 14 until the day her teacher talked about the topic of 15. As part of the lesson, the teacher asked each child to 16 something that grows in a garden. You can 17 what Anne said!

    Anne's parents 18 it was time to tell the truth. Their daughter sat very still while they talked, and when they finished, she remained 19. Suddenly, Anne burst out 20 and said, "That's the best joke Grandpa ever played on me."