Recently I understood the true meaning of love. The 1 was Kane, my neighbor Joline's two-year-old son.

Kane was born with a physical problem on his 2. And I witnessed (目睹) the 3 that Kane's physical shortcomings had on his family. I also saw a 4 family that embraced (拥抱) this special child. A family that wouldn't allow Kane to know he was 5. Joline had constructed a small cart for his son to6 . Kane used his hands to move about, and the cart 7 him to "go to" any place just as everyone else was able to do. Kane was not just a member of the family, but the 8 of the family.

    With a wide smile, it was easy to see that even at the age of two, Kane liked to 9 with people very much. With wisdom of an individual (个人), this boy even 10 the most complex of human emotions. Later I came to  11 that this child was sent to help some of us who weren't just getting what love was all about.

    Kane demanded attention, 12  not because of his mobility (移动能力) challenges or other apparent shortcomings. In his mind, he had no13 or shortcomings. The 14  was that he received attention because he was alive and real and had so much to offer.

    Kane 15  me in a deep way. His ability to refuse to be different has 16 me. Kane was and is 17 a boy of powerful energy to me. From him and his family I learnt the 18 : love surpasses (超越) all things. I can only imagine that as the parent of a child like Kane one might be filled with19  . But I believe that having a child like Kane is actually a(n)20  . The parents of such special babies are angels too,just as the babies are.

    It was three in the afternoon. I was putting my baby to sleep 1the phone rang. It was a little girl asking for the Goldstein family. “ 2 ” I said, “you've got the wrong number.”3 the phone didn't stop ringing. Each time it was the voice of a little girl. She was 4one call after another, each time asking for the Goldstein family. My baby wouldn't stop crying. I started to become 5  I left the phone off the hook(挂钩) for about an hour,6that this would make her lose7. But hardly I put the phone back on the hook when she8again. I started to cry. After about the tenth call I told her that if she called one more time I would call the 9.

    At 6:30 pm, the phone rang for about the 25th time. I picked it up, but remained10  and I could hear the same voice of a girl. What kind of 11would allow her to do this all the afternoon! I12to speak to her mother. To my 13  she called her mother to the phone. I told the mother what her little girl had been doing to me all the 14  The mother assured(向—保证) me that this was the15phone call her daughter had made that day. “My daughter's teacher gave all the girls in the class the phone number of their new teaching assistant. The entire class of 30 girls was told to call the new assistant to 16 what time their class would be. The teacher must have given them the wrong number by mistake!”

    Until about 9:00 pm, the phone 17rang from time to time. Each time, it was a little girl wanting to know what time the class was! Some girls, even after hearing they had the wrong 18  would anyway ask if I knew the time! I would just19  It had turned into a joke now! I would never have thought that an entire 20 of girls, all with the same voice, was calling me!

    When I think about what my hero means to me, I realize that most of my special memories and feelings toward my hero come from the little things he does every day. My hero is not a celebrity or such a recognizable face. My hero is not a national hero or a multi – millionaire. He has never saved me from a burning castle or an avalanche（雪崩）, but he does 1 me and tell me to have a good day. He is just an 2, quiet man, whom I honor.

    My dad is my hero because he is brave, skilled, and 3. I know many people say their dads are their heroes, but my dad teaches me about becoming a man, which is extremely important for a young boy.

    Respect goes a long way with my dad, as does patience. As a(n) 4, my dad must deal with people every day, some of whom are nice and some are not. Either way, he 5 his well-mannered attitude.

    Dad is not afraid of many things, or if he is, he doesn't tell me 6he wants to seem tough. He may not be a big guy but since he works with his 7 all day, he is very strong. Dad works outdoors in all kinds of 8 but the worst thing he has to do is 9 up and work in an attic (顶楼) in the middle of the summer. Trust me, this is the 10 place you will experience as an electrician and when you come back 11, what is in your lungs will make you 12 for hours.

    My dad and I have a very good 13. We talk about almost everything. We go hunting, fishing, and everything a dad and son would do. My dad and I enjoy 14 most because it gives us time outdoors together and there is nothing like that. He has 15 and taught me everything I need to know about 16.

    I am 17 to be the son of Mike C. , and would not have it any other way. People come up to me all the time to 18 me I have a good dad. It makes me feel 19 that a lot of people think so 20 of him. He is a good teacher of my life and would do anything for me. This is why my father is my hero.

    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 be 6about what he was doing,

    Tom saw the 7bird several times, and site got more comfortable around him. We quickly grew 8of 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 13more 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 felt 16no just with our family, but with anybody who walked or drove by.

    When hunting season opened, we put a 17at the end of our driveway asking 18not 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.

    When most of us get a text message on our cell phone from an unknown person, we usually say "sorry, 1 number!" and move on. But when Dennis Williams 2 a text that clearly wasn't intended for him, he did something 3.

    On March 19, Dennis got a group text 4 him that a couple he didn't know were at the hospital, waiting for the 5 of a baby.

    "Congratulations! But I think someone was mistaken," Dennis 6. The baby was born and update texts were 7 quickly from the overjoyed grandmother, Teresa. In her 8, she didn't seem to realize that she was 9 the baby's photos with a complete stranger. "Well, I don't 10 you all but I will get there to take pictures with the baby," replied Dennis before asking which room the new 11 were in.

    Much to the family's surprise, Dennis stuck to his 12! He turned up at the hospital 13 gifts for the new mother Lindsey and her baby boy. Lindsey's husband was totally 14 by the unexpected visit. "I don't think we would have randomly invited him over but we 15 it and the gifts."

    Teresa 16 a photo of the chance meeting on a social networking website 17 by the touching words: "What a 18 this young man was to our family! He was so 19 and kind to do this." The post has since gained the 20 of social media users all over the world, receiving more than 184, 000 shares and 61, 500 likes in just three days.

Earth Day Birthday

April's parents are environmentalists. And because April happened to be born on Earth Day, all her birthday1had an Earth Day theme.

On her eighth birthday, there was a "Throw-Out Blowout". She and her friends had a garage sale and2the money to charity. When she turned nine, it was a "Tree Spree"—they planted trees.

"This year I want a3birthday party," April told her friend Bailey as they walked home from school. Then after dinner, April told her parents she would like to4her own party this year. They suggested a "Print Sprint" and collecting newspapers to recycle. But April insisted on going to Maze Craze (疯狂迷宫)instead. Her parents agreed finally.

April couldn't5for her birthday! She and her friends would have great fun. No shovels（铁锹）. No collecting recyclables. They wouldn't have to think one bit about the6.

On that day, April and her friends gathered in the parking lot outside Maze Craze. They7plastic bottles, snack boxes and waste paper everywhere on the ground. "Even though I want a non-Earth Day birthday, I couldn't have8knowing this mess out here." April frowned (皱眉).

Her parents fetched some trash bags from their car. The kids started to work. Before long, they had collected three bags with bottles, cans, and paper to9. April looked at the bags and smiled. It felt good to do something for the earth. And with everyone giving a10, it didn't take long.

"Happy Earth Day, everyone," said April. "Now I'm ready for Maze Graze."

"Happy birthday. April!" shouted her friends.