Thanksgiving Day was near. The first grade teacher gave her class a fun 1 — to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful.

    Most of the class considered turkey and other traditional goodies of the season. These, the teacher thought, would be the 2 of most of her students' art. And they were. But in her class there was a different kind of boy, Douglas. He was always unhappy. When other children played together, he was likely to stand close by the teacher's side. The boy drew a hand in his picture. 3 else. Just an empty hand.

    Whose hand 4 it be? His abstract (抽象的) picture made classmates really 5. One child guessed it was the hand of the6, because they raise turkeys. Another suggested police officers, because the police 7 and care for people. Still others guessed it was the hand of God, for God feeds us. And so the discussion went — 8 the teacher almost forgot the young artist himself.

    When the children went on to other projects, she 9 at Douglas' desk, bent down, and asked him 10 hand it was. The little boy looked away and said in a low voice, "It's 11, teacher."

    The teacher recalled the times she had taken his hand and walked with him here or there, as she had the other students. How often had she said, "12 my hand, Douglas, we'll go outside." Or, "Let me 13 you how to hold your pencil." Or, "Let's do this together." Douglas was most thankful for his teacher's hand.

    Hearing the boy's words, tears ran down the teacher's face. She brushed aside a tear and went on with her work.

    The story speaks of 14 than thankfulness. It says something about teachers teaching and parents parenting and friends showing friendship. They might not always say 15, but they'll remember the hand that reaches out.

    One morning Mr. Green is driving 1the country and2a small bookshop. When he sees an old man3the side of the road, he stops his car and says to the old man, "I want 4to the Sun Bookshop. Do you know it?" "Yes, "the old man answers, "I 5 you the way. "He6Mr. Green's car, and they drive about twelve miles.7they come to a small house, the old man says, "Stop here. "Mr. Green stops and 8the house. "But this isn't a bookshop, "he says to the old man. "Right, "the old man answers, "This is my house. And I'll show you the way 9the bookshop. Turn around and go back nine miles10you'll see the bookshop. "

    It all started at the beginning of the ninth grade. Angela found she couldn't see things clearly all the time. She became very 1, but she hoped nobody would know that. When her mother asked her to see the eye doctor, she didn't 2. But her mother's mind was made up.

    Three days later, Angela got new 3 and instructions from her doctor. "All of the kids will think I'm silly," Angela said. Her mother 4 and shook her head, "You look just as beautiful as before." But Angela didn't believe her.

    The next day, Angela kept the glasses in her pocket as she walked into the schoolyard. She felt 5. Suddenly, she heard her friend Della shout. Angela ran over to the other girls. "6 is the matter?" she asked.

    "My ring is gone!" Della cried. "My sister sent it to me from California. It's very special and I can't lose it." Angela and her friends began to 7 for the ring in the grassy area of the playground. Angela realized that she could do better 8 she could see better. She took the glasses out and put them on. Everything looked so different! So clear! She looked down at the ground and a bright light caught her 9. It was the ring.

    "Here it is," she shouted. She handed it to Della.

    "Thanks, Angela." Della said. "I 10 thought we'd find it." She paused (停顿). "Hey, I didn't know you wore glasses. They look great!"

    "Maybe wearing glasses won't be so bad after all," Angela thought.

    It was a sunny Saturday afternoon. A father was taking his two little sons to a1. It is a popular place for kids as they can see many animals there. He walked up to the assistant at the ticket counter and said, "2is it to get in?"

    The young man replied, "Three dollars for you and three dollars for any kids who is3 than six. We will let them in free4they are six or younger. How old are your sons?"

    The father said," One is three and the other is seven. So I guess I need to pay   5dollars, right?"

    "Hey, sir, did you just win something? You could6yourself three dollars." said the man," I wouldn't know the7 between six and seven years old. "

    The father replied," Yes, that's may be8. But my kids would know the difference. "

    I was9moved by the father. As he taught us an important lesson that we should always be10. And as parents, we should always set a good example for our kids.

    A zero-waste life is a lifestyle that hardly creates any rubbish. So, a zero-waste theme store is about 1 people with a number of everyday, practical and pleasant zero-waste products to help them start on a one-stop, zero-waste life journey.

    "Zero waste" or "danshari" was first 2 by a French woman Bea Johnson. "Live a life and try not to create any rubbish; use different methods to protect the earth." she said.

    Yu Yuan, 27, is 3 attracted by this idea.

    She and her boyfriend have lived in Beijing for many years. And earlier she used to be a customer without thinking a lot. 4 she saw a video about "zero waste"

    The 5 is about a family of four, and the rubbish they produce every year is placed in a jar.

    After watching the video, Yu wanted to 6 this zero-waste lifestyle with her boyfriend.

    Yu says that a zero-waste life 7 the 6R principle --Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle and Rot (腐烂）.

    Over August-October when Yu followed the principle of zero waste 6R, she and her boyfriend Joe Harvey both 8 only two cans of rubbish.

    Now, the couple have opened a small 9 called The Bulk House in Nanluoguxiang, Beijing, to support a zero-waste life.

    At the store they use environmentally friendly products. For example, they use wood products to replace 10 ones and prepare cloth bags printed with zero-waste logos for customers. Most of the products sold in the store can be reused, and a small number of 11which are not recyclable can degrade (分解). The store 12 has secondhand books and audio-visual CD/DVDs.

    For used toiletries things like soap and toothpaste that are used for cleaning yourself) there is a company which accepts them, and the couple regularly mails their waste to it.

    Yu says that those who were once not 13 in the zero-waste lifestyle have gradually changed because of curiosity. The zero-waste lifestyle, she adds, is for everyone.

    "It's 14 us at our fingertips." Yu expects some of her friends to 15 her on the road to zero waste. As the saying goes, many hands make light work.