My husband, Tom, has always been good with animals, but I was still amazed when he befriended a female grouse (松鸡). It's 1for a grouse to have any contact (接触)with people. In fact, they're hard to spot, 2they usually fly off when they hear humans approaching

    This grouse came into our lives in 3Tom was working out in the field when he 4her walking around at the edge of the field. She was 5unafraid and seemed to be6about what he was doing,

    Tom saw the 7bird several times, and site got more comfortable around him. We quickly grew8of the bird and decided to call her Mildred.

    One day, as Tom was working, Mildred came within a few feet of him to watch. Tom 9he didn't see her and kept working to see what she would do next.

    Apparently, she didn't like to be 10 She'd run up and peck (啄) at Tom's hands, then 11off to see what he would do. This went on for about 20 minutes, until Mildred became tired of the 12and left.

    As spring went and summer came, Mildred started to 13_more and more often. 14Mildred felt comfortable enough to jump up on Tom's leg and stay long enough for me to get a 15of the two of them together. This friendly grouse soon felt16no just with our family, but with anybody who walked or drove by.

    When hunting season opened, we put a17at the end of our driveway asking18not to shoot our pet grouse. My father, who lived down the road,19warned people not to shoot her.20 hunters would stop and take pictures, because they had never seen anything like her.

    I grew up in a small town. My father1chickens and ran a construction company. I was210 years old when my dad gave me the3of feeding the chickens and4up the stable（笼子）. He believed it was5for me to have those jobs to6responsibility. Then, when I was 22, I found a job in Natchbill at a country music club7the Natchbill Palace, I washed8and cooked from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm and then9to sing until 2:00 in the morning. It wasn't long before I became known10a singing cook.

    I had been rejected so many times by record11that it was hard not to be discouraged. One night, a12executive(主管) from a company named Warner Brothers Records came to hear me sing. When the show was13, we sat down and talked and after she left, I said to14it was one more rejection. A few weeks later, my manager received a phone call—Waner Brothers15to sign me to a record deal.16after, I release(发行) my first record in June 1986. It17over 2 million copies.

    My best efforts had gone into every job I've ever held. It was the18of responsibility that made me feel like a man. Knowing that I had done my19filled me with pride. I still feel that way today, even though I have become a well-known20.

    My dad and I were enemies. And I was not the only one in the family that made him 1. When he and mom argued, they would make the house a 2 place. They would 3 for hours over the stupidest things.

    My brother and I would clearly get out of their 4, trying to keep their yelling at a distance. Often we'd 5 up in the backyard with the cats which were afraid that dad might 6 them.

    My mom was the 7 person, who was kind, and easily gave you 8. It wasn't that hard to side with her against dad. The 9 didn't change until I was 18 and had a job. My dad was so much older than mom and had become weak 10 could still act up. I was so hating him that I planned for an 11! After one year, I told mom we were all, 12, going to get free of dad. I got her to agree to 13 with us.

    Nobody ever actually said to my dad, “You can't 14,” but it was understood. He stayed behind, alone in the house. From that time on, he seemed to age 15 into a fearful and lonely old man.

    Two weeks later, my dad was hit by a car. In the 16, for the first time, I felt sad and guilty that he was badly hurt and in 17. I had been so angry and so busy 18 everything for my mom, my brother and me but left out the person who needed 19 most. In fact, some people simply don't know how to be their best selves. If nobody 20 to help them get free, there's no way for them to change.

    During the course of a lifetime, we all make mistakes. And often we take for granted what we have, thinking that we 1 what we already have, or believing that we will never need anyone to 2 us out from difficult and 3 times.

    Such was the 4 of Cecilia. Cecilia had a great job, a nice house and everything she needed. 5, she was not a kind person for several reasons that became 6 once you got to know her. The first thing was her lack of 7 for others who were not as fortunate as she was. She would not help anyone, 8 would she even begin to express any sympathy for anyone's troubles. Her 9 was that they were just too lazy.

    But, then came the catastrophic day. Her husband got into financial difficulty, to the point 10 he was forced to declare bankruptcy(破产). She found that she was the one who 11 nothing.

    Now she was 12 for help. She also found out that her parents were unwilling to help her but, 13 for her, his family was willing and able to help them through these difficult times despite the 14 that she had deliberately kept them out of her life. 15 Cecilia was assisted through challenging times, once 16, she changed to her true self.

    But this is not the main point of the story. We all need help 17 along life's path whether we think we will or not. And, if you are the one 18 help, just remember this: no matter what 19 later, you will always be 20 in the fact that you have remained strong and true to assist those that need your help.

    In most people's eyes, I was a golden girl when I was eighteen years old： I was president of the college drama society, a member of the student senate and so on. I was the1of all my friends and I was in a state of 2 .

    The old Greek tragedies3us that when pride rises, punishment falls. My universe4 with great suddenness when the scenery(舞台布景道具）fell on my head and I was left almost5for the next four months.

    My memory was in a mess and within a few months all my 6 were taken away. I was even told that I would have to leave the college at the end of the spring term7clearly, I couldn't do academic work.”

    Sad, I took one last 8by Dr. Jacob Taubes. He was the most brilliant teacher I had ever 9and in his class, I began to raise a tentative 10 and ask an occasional question. He would answer with great intensity, and soon I found myself asking 11 I questions constantly.

    One day I was walking to the bus when I heard Dr. Taubes12me,” Miss Houston, let me walk with you. You know, you have a most 13mind.”

“Me? 1 have a mind?”

    “Yes, of course.” Then he asked my understanding of some problems discussed in the classes. From that day on, Dr. Taubes continued to 14 me to the bus, always15 me with intellectually vigorous questions. Within several weeks my eyesight came back and my spirit 16 .

    Though what I acquired from the accident was a 17 sense of life, I remain deeply 18 for the attention Dr. Taubes had shown. He 19 me when I most needed it. I swore then that I would try to 20 and acknowledge the unlucky person as I had been acknowledged.

    The young woman entered the pool where an injured dolphin was swimming. Despite her fear, she felt strong wearing her new leg.

    In her second grade, Maja 1 her cousin, Jasmina. After Jasmina's death, Maja swore she would honor the little girl by 2 with a dolphin, an animal that both girls   3. "Jasmina never got the chance to do it." says Maja, now 32, "so I 4 that someday I'd do it for her."

    In high school, Maja was 5 about sports. She even planned to become an athlete. 6, in 1993, during the civil war in her home country, a bomb 7 her left leg.

    After two years' treatment in the U.S., Maja 8 her first artificial leg. But because it didn't 9 well, walking for Maja was very painful. 10, she managed to graduate from a local high school. Then after receiving a 11 from Saint Francis University, she got a job at an insurance firm and 12 started her own company.

    To relax, Maja 13 often watch the dolphins play at an aquarium（水族馆）near her home. A young dolphin, Winter, who had lost its tail, caught her 14. One day, Maja happened to see trainers fitting Winter with a high-tech 15. When they were done, Winter swam freely in the water. Maja was 16. She managed to find the inventors of Winter's tail. Within ten days, she had a new leg which freed her of the 17 that had troubled her for almost 16 years.

    Now, Maja was ready to keep her 18. She went to the aquarium, lowered herself into the pool and held out a hand to Winter, who approached 19, then swam away. After a few minutes, the dolphin let Maja 20 its back. Finally, the two began to swim around the pool together.