The passengers watched sympathetically as Susan made her way up the steps. Due to a medical misdiagnosis, she had been sightless, and she was1thrown into a world of darkness, anger and 2 And all she had to 3 was her husband, Mark, who was an Air Force officer.

    When she first lost her sight, he was 4to help his wife gain the strength and confidence. Soon，Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there since she used to take the bus? So Mark volunteered to5 her to work each day，6 they worked at opposite ends of the city.7 Mark wanted Susan herself to take the bus again.

    She responded, “I'm blind. I feel you're8 me.”

    Mark's heart 9 hearing these words, but he promised to ride the bus with her, until Susan got the hang of it. He taught her how to rely on her other 10 to determine where she was and how to adjust to her new 11.

    Finally, Susan was ready to 12 on her own. Monday 13 arrived, and for the first time they went their 14 ways. Each day on her own went perfectly.

    One morning, Susan was taking the bus to work as usual when the driver said：“Madam, I do envy you.”15 she asked the driver, “Why？”

    The driver answered, “Every morning for the past week, a gentleman has been watching you as you 16the bus and cross the street safely 17 you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a 18 and walks away.”

    Tears of 19 poured down Susan's cheeks. She was so lucky, for Mark had given her gift more 20 than sight, a gift of love that can bring light where there is darkness.

    Mr. White had to travel somewhere on business, and as he was in a hurry, he decided to go 1 He liked sitting2 a window when he was flying, so when he got onto the plane, he looked for a window seat. He3 all of them taken but one. There was a young man 4 beside it, and White was surprised that he had not taken the one 5 the window. Anyhow, he went towards it.When he 6 it, however, he saw that there was a notice on it, written 7 large letters,8“This seat is kept for proper balance. Thank you.” Mr. White had never seen such a notice before, but he thought the plane must 9 something especially heavy in its room10 makes it necessary to have the passengers properly11, So he walked on and found 12 empty seat, not beside the window  13 .

    Two or three other people 14  to sit near the window 15 the young man, but they also read the notice and went on. Then when the plane was nearly 16 , a very beautiful girl 17  into the plane. The young man, who was watching the passengers coming in, 18 took the notice 19the seat beside him, and20 succeeded in having a pretty companion during the whole trip.

    “Just sign here, sir.” the deliveryman said as he handed Oscar Reyna a package.

    The package consisted of a long, narrow box1wrapped in brown paper. 2 the box, Oscar saw an umbrella inside — a very old one with a beautifully carved handle._3 he had not seen it for more than 20 years, he recognized it 4

    Oscar was 16 when he first saw the5umbrella. He had gone to a concert with his grandparents. As they were leaving, he noticed an umbrella on an empty seat. Impressed by its6 Oscar felt a strong desire to find its7.

    Oscar 8the manager to look in the record of advance ticket sales. Just as he thought, a name matched the seat 9Oscar had found the umbrella. The name was Mrs. Katie O'Brien.

    Oscar talked his grandparents into going by Mrs. O'Rrien's 10 on their way home. He rang the bell, the door opened, and an elderly woman appeared. “May I 11 you? ” she asked. “I'd like to return it if it's yours.” Oscar said, 12 the umbrella as if presenting a13 that had long been wished for. “Why, yes! It's mine.” replied Mrs. O'Brien with a14 smile and shining eyes. “It was given to me by my father years ago. Thank you so much for returning it. May I offer you a reward for your 15?” “No, ma'am,” he said, “my grandmother says that a good deed is its own reward.” “Well, that's 16 what my father used to say. What is your name? Young man?”

    Years later, Oscar was staring at the finely carved handle of the umbrella as he remembered Mrs. O'Brien. It was in perfect condition, considering how17 it was. Why had it arrived here today? As if 18 a note fell from the paper. It read: Mrs. O'Brien wanted you to 19 this umbrella as a present for a kind, 20gesture long ago.

    In the palace of Rubyland there was a thief. No one knew who it was, but the only thing known about him was that he1 in the palace.

    The King decided to 2 who it was, and he asked for help from a wise dwarf who was famed for his 3. The dwarf spent some days there, watching and listening, until there was another 4 —another ruby(红宝石)was stolen. The next day after breakfast the wise dwarf made all the 5 inhabitants meet up together in the same room. The dwarf 6them all one by one.

    But suddenly, one of the 7 began coughing and crying, writhing and crying, and finally he 8 to the floor. The dwarf explained that the food they had just eaten was 9, and the only antidote(解药) for this poison was hidden inside the ruby that had been stolen the 10 night. And he expected that only the thief would be able to 11 himself, because the poison was 12 quick working.

    Gradually the coughs and groans spread around the whole room, and 13 took hold of all present. All except one person. A footman quickly 14 over to where he had hidden the ruby, from where he took the ruby, opened it and 15the strange liquid inside to save his own life.

In fact, the gardener was one of the dwarf's 16, and the poison was just a kind of potion(药水)prepared by the dwarf which could cause a few 17 pains for a short while. Then the footman was 18 by the guards and taken immediately to court.

    The King, grateful, generously rewarded the dwarf. When he asked the dwarf what his 19 was, the dwarf smiled and said: "I only try to get the person 20 the truth to reveal that truth. Anyone can deceive everyone, but no one can deceive themselves."

    One night, when I was eight, my mother gently asked me a question I would never forget. "Sweetie, my company wants to 1 me but needs me to work in Brazil. This is like your teacher telling you that you've done 2 and allowing you to skip a grade, but you'll have to 3 your friends. Would you say yes to your teacher?" She gave me a hug and asked me to think about it. I was puzzled. The question kept me 4 for the rest of the night. I had said "yes" but for the first time, I realized the 5 decisions adults had to make.

    For almost four years, my mother would 6 us from Brazil every day. Every evening I'd 7 wait for the phone to ring and then tell her every detail of my day. A phone call, however, could never replace her 8 and it was difficult not to feel lonely at times.

    During my fourth-grade Christmas break, we flew to Rio to visit her. Looking at her large 9  apartment, I became 10 how lonely my mother must have been in Brazil herself. It was then that I started to appreciate the tough choices she had to make on 11 family and work. 12  difficult decisions, she used to tell me, you wouldn't know whether you made the right choice, but you could always make the best out of the situation, with passion and a 13 attitude.

    Back home, I 14 myself that what my mother could do, I could, too. If she 15 to live in Rio all by herself, I, too, could learn to be 16. I learnt how to take care of myself and set high but achievable17.

    My mother is now back with us. But I will never forget what the 18 has really taught me. Sacrifices 19 in the end. The separation between us has proved to be 20 for me.

My elder brother，Steve，in the1 of my father who died when I was six，gave me important lessons in 2 that helped me grow into an adult.For example，Steve taught me to face the3 of my behaviour.Once when I returned in 4 from a Saturday baseball game，it was Steve who 5 the time to ask me what happened.When I6 that my baseball had flown through Mrs Holt's basement window，7 the glass with a crash，Steve encouraged me to apologise to her.After all，I should not have played in the path between buildings.8 my knees knocked as I explained to Mrs Holt，I 9 to pay for the window if she would return my ball.

I also learned from Steve that 10 property is a sacred thing.After I found a silver pen in my fifth﹣grade classroom，I wanted to keep it，but Steve explained that it might be important to someone else in spite of the fact that it had little value.He reminded me of 11 I'd hate to lose the small dog my father gave me to someone else.I returned the pen to my teacher，Mrs David.

Yet of all the 12 Steve gave me，his respect for life was the most vivid in my mind.When I was twelve，I killed an old brown sparrow in the park with a BB gun. 13 with my accuracy，I screamed to Steve to come from the house to have a look.I shall never forget the way he stood for a long moment and stared at the bird."Did it 14 you first，Mark？" he asked.I didn't know what to answer.I really felt terrible then，but that moment 15 out as the most important lesson my brother taught me.