Having returned from her round trip, the angry woman stood outside the ticket office of the station. “The railway owes (欠债) me $12,” she said to Harry Jenks, the young man working at the 1. “You sold me a ticket 2 May 22nd, but there was no ship from Jersey that night. So my daughter and I had to stay in a hotel. It 3 me $12.”

    Harry was 4. He remembered selling the woman a return ticket. “Come into the office, Madam,” he said politely. “I'll just 5 the Jersey timetable for May 22nd. The woman and her little girl followed him 6. She was 7 right, as Harry soon discovered, there was no 8 on May 22nd. How could he have 9 such a careless mistake? He shouldn't have sold her a ticket for that day. Wondering 10 to do, he smiled at the child. “You look sunburned,” he said to her. “Did you have a nice holiday in Jersey?”

    “Yes,” she answered, shyly. “The beach was 11. And I can swim too!” “That's fine,” said Harry. “My little girl can't 12 a bit yet. Of course, she's only three…”

    “I'm four,” the child said proudly. “I'll be four and a half.”

    Harry 13 the mother. “I remember your 14, Madam.” he said. “But you didn't get 15 for your daughter, did you?” “Er, well,” the woman looked at the child. “I mean, she hasn't started school yet. She's only four.”

    “A four-year-old child 16 have a ticket, Madam. A child's return ticket to Jersey costs…, let me see… $13. So 17 the railway pays your hotel, you will 18 $1. The law is the law, but since the 19 was mine…”

    The woman stood up, 20 the child's hand and left the office.

    My first full time job after high school was selling vacation packages via telephone for a well-known company. One day, the dialer 1me to a man who answered the phone and2a bit out of breath. I started with my normal pitch（推销), and3to hear the normal, "I don't want any," and be hung up on.

    Instead he spoke in a low, weak voice and told me how he wished he could take a4like the one I was offering, but couldn't5he was dying of emphysema (肺气肿). He 6how he was on oxygen, and it took almost all his7just to get to the phone to answer the call. I8 and my heart fell into my stomach. He asked me if I smoked, which I did, and then begged me to stop. He told me smoking is 9was killing him, and how horrible it was. He told me to 10every day with my loved ones, and tell them all the time how much I love them. At this 11, I was in tears, and couldn't control myself, and he could tell.

    After a few moments, I decided to write down his name and 12, and just send him a card telling him that I13his advice and that I would pray for him and his family. Shortly after, I received a nice letter back from Frank, along with a picture of him and his wife. We continued to write back and forth over the next few months or so, and became very 14of each other. He was old enough to be my grandfather, and in many ways, I felt 15he were.

    It was about a year later I received a letter from his wife, and when I started to read it, my eyes were filled with tears. She told me how Frank's 16with the disease had finally come to an end, and he 17shortly before Christmas .She wanted to thank me for the letters I had written to Frank, and then explained how Frank touched many lives over the years. At his 18  to show just that, they read the 1st letter I had written to Frank to show how he 19a 19-year- old person he had20even met.

    I will never forget how much that meant to me.

    My aunt came to my home with her six-year-old daughter Alice this morning. While my aunt was talking with my mom at home, my cousin felt a bit 1. So I suggested that I go out with her. My aunt happily 2. So we went to the park near my home together. There we bought two 3 and started flying them. While we were doing that, Alice couldn't help 4. She jumped up and down and I knew she was 5having great fun. And I must 6that I haven't enjoyed myself like that for a long time.

    Later, we sat down on a bench, looking at the gardens. As we were7there, Alice looked up at me and said, "What a 8day today!" I smiled at her and agreed. I then started 9 what we had done that day. We did something quite 10, yet we were very happy.

    Many people wait for their "best days". But I think today is our 11 day. That's a lesson I 12 today. As adults, we often make plans 13 in order to have a great day. Some people think that they can have a nice day through spending a lot of 14. I think we should be more like 15. They don't think about money or what will happen tomorrow. They 16 live in the moment and enjoy the moment!

    We often hear the expression that we should live in the 17. How do we do that? We're not doing such a 18 job. Remember today is important as we are exchanging (交换) a day of our 19 for it. Yesterday is a history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a 20. That's why it is called present. So seize (把握) the day!

    Last December, just a week before Christmas, I went to a local KMart store to pick up my layaway (预付定金购物).Upon reaching the counter, I 1the clerk my layaway receipts and told her I was there to pay off the balance and take the 2home with me. She grabbed my receipts, and kept messing with the computer 3something was wrong. I felt a little uneasy. I was4 her to tell me my layaway had been misplaced or something of the sort.

5, after about ten minutes, she said,"Oh, that's why I can't find it in our 6. You should have 7a phone call a few days ago that your layaway was paid off by a(n) 8 Santa."I couldn't believe what I was hearing! This kind of story only happens in the 9.Why was my family 10 to receive such a blessing?

    Immediately I asked the cashier if there was a 11 that I could leave something for the Santa 12 his random act of kindness, but she said that the individual wanted to 13 completely unknown. It definitely 14 my heart. However, I felt kind of 15. I kept thinking that perhaps some family out there was not going to have a Christmas because they really couldn't 16 to pick up their layaway.

    I decided to pay it17, so I used the money I had for the balance on my account to purchase some 18 and on my way out, I gladly 19 them off inside a huge toy donation box. Since I had received such a nice, heart warming gesture from someone, I wanted to keep the 20 going. And it felt nice to receive and to be able to give right back.

    The stage lights dimmed, and I took a quick look from behind the heavy black curtains into the audience. Blinded by the lights, I quickly 1. It seems that a great number of eyes were looking at me. I took a deep 2 as the music of my dance began to play. I entered the stage and began my 3, the graduation test of the classical Indian dance.

    After a decade of learning this art form, I had 4 been considered ready to take on the most difficult act. The test is the most important event in a dancer's life as it pays 5 to all the factors in one's life that 6 the dance form: one's culture and family.

    The performance is undertaken only by the most 7 and determined students. It is a difficult process that requires much 8. For more than six months, I spent two to three hours every day9 these dances. Many times, I 10 myself to my physical and mental breaking point, but still I would not stop. I could not give up. There was always so much more to do and so much more to 11.

    I 12 a lot about myself in those tiring hours. I learned that I was far too 13 to give up, and I was too proud to prove myself 14 after I had set an unrealistic goal. Even with physical pain and mental 15, I forced myself to meet my 16. Even when I was at the end of my 17, there was always something driving me on, forcing me not to give up.

    Fortunately, I made it. What I had done 18 the success. It was in those hours that I learned what a dancer 19 is. Those time was evidence that I could 20 something I set out to do.

Motorcyclists born to ride supplies to firefighters

Chongqing motorcyclists are being hailed as heroes for volunteering to transport much-needed supplies to the fire and rescue workers fighting the wildfires caused by prolonged heat and drought across multiple districts in the municipality.

As of Wednesday, Chongqing has issued a red alert, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} most severe in the four-tier warning system, for high temperatures for 16 consecutive days.

In the scorching heat and drought conditions, multiple wildfires have ravaged many parts of Chongqing. As of Tuesday, several large wildfires have been brought {#blank#}2{#/blank#} control with the joint efforts of the fire and rescue workers, social organizations and residents. No casualties have been reported.

Facing the tough situation, the city government called for volunteers with {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(relate) skills and experience to join the firefighting, and a large number of {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(motorcyclist) have played an important role and won widespread praise.

"{#blank#}5{#/blank#} is my honor and duty to guard my hometown," said 27-year-old Li Xin, a member of Yueqi Motorcycle Club in Beibei district.

On Sunday night, upon {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(hear) the recruitment notice, Li organized a team of 15 club members to support the firefighting in Beibei's Xiema town, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} is the epicenter of the local blazes.

The team members {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(take) turns to use five dirt bikes and four scooters to carry materials and equipment to firefighters and to transport people and necessities.

{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(prevent) heatstroke in the extreme outdoor heat, the team gave up dressing in {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(they) thick riding suits.

"We will stay and help until the fire is out," Li said.