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.

    Years ago when I volunteered at a homeless shelter, I talked with a boy, Albert. He said he liked my1 “Do you want to see mine?” he said, 2 his leg. He was barefoot. He said he'd been meaning to pick up a pair but hadn't gotten one. I felt a 3 feeling in my stomach.

    A few days later I was at home helping to 4 my daughter. I smiled when I 5 the socks over her feet. At that moment, Albert flashed in my 6.

    At noon, I went to a department store and 7 a shopping cart with socks — nothing 8, just white cotton men's socks.

    The next morning, I drove to the Palisades Park, which is a common overnight—destination for 9 individuals,

    I grabbed one of the 10 from my trunk and walked across the grass. It was dark out. It was a beautiful feeling to 11 before the sun and most living things.

    I headed fro a group of three men. Two were asleep and the third was digging through his shopping cart. It was loaded with plastic bottles and some clothes, and a few books — most 12, everything he owned in this world. As I walked toward him, he turned and 13 me, perhaps questioning my intention.

    “I thought you might 14 some new socks, ” I told him, handing him a pair. He looked 15 at first but took them, smiled and said, “Thank you.” I gave two more 16 for his partners.

    I 17. After 20 minutes, I returned for the second bag. An hour later, I 18 all the socks. Most people were sleeping, and I felt like a(n) 19 Santa Claus. I knew when they woke up they would find a very meaningful 20. That gave me an amazing feeling.

    A ship was wrecked (失事) and only two of the men aboard were able to swim to a small, desert-like island. Not knowing what else to do, the two 1 agreed that they had no 2 but to pray to God.

    3, to find out whose prayers were more 4, they agreed to divide the territory (领地) between them. What the first man 5 for was food. The next morning, he saw a fruit bearing tree on his side of the island, and he was able to eat its 6 But the other man's side of land remained 7.

    After a week, the first man became 8 and decided to pray for a wife. The next day, a woman swam to his side of the island. But on the other side of the island, there was 9. Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes and more 10. The next day, like magic, all of these things were 11 to him. However, the other man still had nothing.

    12, the first man prayed for a ship so that he and his wife could 13 the island, and in the next morning he found a ship at his side of the island. The first man 14 the ship with his wife and decided to leave the other man on the island, considering him unworthy to receive God's blessings 15 none of his prayers had been answered. As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from Heaven booming, “Why are you leaving your 16on the island?”

    “My blessings are mine alone since I was the one who prayed for them,” the first man answered. “His prayers were all unanswered and so he doesn't 17 anything.”

    “You are mistaken!” the voice 18 him. “He had only one prayer, which I 19. He prayed that all your prayers would be answered. Had it not been for that, you would not have 20 any of my blessings.”

    A twenty-three-year Dutch student has enjoyed a short but unexpected holiday in Dubai. Mr Frank Vreede, a business student, had taken a part-time job at Schiphol Airport to help pay for his 1 ,He worked as a baggage handler.

    Last Friday night after a 2 day in the university library preparing for his final exams, Frank was  3  a plane at the airport. He was waiting for the next baggage truck to arrive and he felt tired. He decided to have a 4 rest ,so he sat down in the hold of the plane and shut his eyes-just for a moment.

     5 , while he was sleeping, the plane took off. An hour later, Frank  6  and was shocked to discover that the plane was in the air.  7  was a terrible noise from the engines, and he tried not to  8  It was dark, uncomfortable and very, very cold. Frank knew he could not  9 in the freezing temperatures. It was an impossible situation.

    He decided to make as much 10 as possible. He hit the ceiling of the baggage hold and shouted at the top of his voice.  11  a passenger heard the noise and called a flight attendant, who immediately informed the pilot.  12 the captain understood what was happening, he ordered hot air to be pumped into the hold.

    When the plane arrived at Dubai International Airport, an ambulance was waiting to take a very  13  and frightened Mr Vreede to hospital.  14  examined him, but he was unhurt and was allowed to leave after a few hours  15 spread quickly about this "stowaway". The managing Director of one of Dubai's top hotels offered him a free room for the weekend. " He must have wanted to come to Dubai very much if he was prepared to travel in the hold ! " 16  the MD.

    " 17 been so kind," said Mr Vreede. "I'm really enjoying my stay in Dubai and I'm getting a lot of rest, so I won't fall asleep on the job again. " He also  18  to his boss for sleeping at work  19  working, and promised it would not happen again. "Next time, I'II catch a  20 flight! " said Mr Vreede.

Hope in my arms

    Last year, I was invited to participate in a carnival（嘉年华） for Tuesday' s Child, an organization that helps children with AIDS.

    All the children that had 1 at one special room could paint a square on a piece of cloth. Later the squares would be sewn(缝) together to2 a quilt. The quilt would be presented to a man who had devoted his life to the   3 and would soon be retiring.

    The kids were given paints in bright colors and asked to paint something that would make the quilt beautiful. As I looked around at all the squares, I saw pink hearts, blue clouds, orange sunrises and red flowers. The pictures were all bright and 4. All except one.

    One boy was painting a heart, but it was dark and lifeless. It lacked the bright colors that his fellow artists had used. I asked why. He told me that he was very5 and so was his mom. He said that his sickness was not ever going to get better and 6 was his mom's. He looked7into my eyes and said, "There is no hope in my life."

    I told him I was sorry and I could understand why he had made his heart a dark color. I told him that8 we couldn't make him better, we can give 9, which can really help when you are feeling sad. I told him that if he would like, I would be happy to give him one so he could see what I meant. 10, he crawled(爬上) into my lap（大腿）. I thought my own heart would burst for this sweet little boy. He sat there for a long time. Finally he slipped 11to finish his coloring.

    As I was getting ready to12 home, I felt a tug (猛拽) on my jacket. Standing there was the little boy,13. He said, "My heart is changing14. It is getting brighter. I think those hugs really do 15." On my way home I felt my own heart. It too had changed to a brighter color.

    A father and his daughter have donated a C$44-million cattle ranch (牧场) to a school for veterinary medicine (兽医学). They want to 1  students a unique resource to learn about animal medicine. 90-year-old Jack Anderson and his daughter Wynne Chisholm have been 2 W.A. Ranches since 2005 when the senior 3 from his work in the gas and oil field. They are now 4 the 19,000-acre (about 77km2) ranch to the University of Calgary's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM). Their only 5 for the donation are guaranteed 6 for their five full-time ranch workers and the ability to visit the ranch from time to time.7 that, the university will take on full 8 and ownership of the ranch and all of its property.

    According to the news, the ranch is the single largest 9 of a ranch to a university in North American history.

    “Our hope is that this gift will 10 the teaching and learning at UCVM, and make the students able to 11 and share scientific, evidence-based 12 .They will strengthen our industry, 13 animal care and welfare, and inform the public,” Chisholm added in a statement.

    Dr. Baljit Singh, dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, said: “The gift of a cattle ranch of this size and standard offers unexpected educational 14 within the creative teaching model practiced at the university.

    “The ranch will provide a platform for 15 with other equipment, industry and the public sector. It can also 16 interdisciplinary (跨学科的) learning and research, and help develop an international centre in beef cattle health.”

    “This gift will 17 the leadership of our Faculty of Veterinary Medicine even further. It actually 18 a unique opportunity for our students to 19 practical learning. This will also develop their professional skills, and make the 20 between human, animal and environmental health,” says university president Elizabeth Cannon.