A teacher was giving a speech to his students on stress management. He held a glass of water and asked, "How 1 do you think this glass of water is?"

    The students' answers were from 20g to 500g.

    "It 2 how long you hold it. If you hold it for a minute, it is OK. If you hold it for an hour, you will 3 an ache in your arm. If you hold it for a day, your arm will become paralyzed (麻痹的). It is the same 4, but the longer you hold it, the heavier it will become," the teacher said. "What you should do is to put the glass down to 5 for a while before picking it up again."

    The students became silent, lost in thought.

    After a moment, the teacher 6, "The stresses and worries in life are like this glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit 7 and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel "paralyzed" and you 8 do anything."

    It's important to let go of your 9. You should put them down before going to sleep and wake up every day with a(n) 10 start.

    I grew up in a poor family where none of us kids believed in Santa Claus. My parents refused to let us believe in him. They couldn't provide us 1 expensive presents. And they didn't want us to think we weren't as good as other kids who, on Christmas morning, found all kinds of toys under the tree that were 2 to be left by Santa Claus.

    That year when Christmas came, we had no money at all. On Christmas Eve, Dad took us three kids out into the night one after 3. I had a blanket (毛毯) with me, and when it was my turn, I offered to share it with Dad, but he said," No, thanks. "The 4 never troubled him. I sat next to Dad and we looked up at the sky.

    "Pick out your 5 star. It'll be your Christmas present," Dad said.

    "You can't give me a star! No one owns a star. "

    "That's right," Dad said. "No one else owns a star. You just have to claim(认领) it 6 anyone else does , just like Columbus claimed America. "

    I 7 it for a while. "I want that one," I said.

     "That's Venus(金星). It is a planet. It shines only from reflected (反射的) light. "I like it anyway," I said.

    "It's Christmas. You can have a planet if you want. "

    That evening, we discussed outer space and I realized Dad was a man with much 8 of the stars and planets. We all 9 about the other kids who believed in Santa Claus and got nothing for Christmas but some cheap plastic toys. "Years from now, when all that they got are broken and long forgotten," Dad said. "You'll 10 have your stars."

    Homeless(无家可归) is everywhere. Even in France, one of the1countries in the world, thousands of people live in the streets or parks.

    Mr. Muller and his wife Rita have spent eleven years making2for the homeless of Paris, France's capital. They first3one hot summer. When most Frenchmen were4on holiday. The Mullets stayed at home, made sandwiches. 5a table in the street and gave food to the homeless.

    The Mullers soon found that food and clothing weren't6. “What these people also need is warmth and7." says Rita. They gave their phone number to the street people and told them to phone8. They also told that their home was always9to anyone who needed help.

    The Mullers were soon10all their time and money, so Mr. Muller visited food and clothing companies to11more help. Today, over thirty companies give away food and other things to them. And more volunteers join them, too.

    Mr. Muller and his wife12no payment for their hard work. “We feel like13." says Rita. "And parents shouldn't expect money14helping their children. The love we get in the streets is the best present for us. We enjoy the feeling of making15in the world."

    My mother told me we would have a yard sale this weekend. Yesterday I cleared out lots of old things from my bedroom. I had to 1 five things I no longer use. At first, I was quite sad. Because I found 2 toys that I don't play anymore but still want to keep. I have owned the toy car since my sixth birthday, and I played with it almost every day 3 I was ten. I didn't want to lose my toy bear, either. It was one of my favorite toys. It came from my grandmother. I have had it 4 five years. I wanted to keep them because they brought back many sweet memories. "Maybe some kids need the toys more than you. They don't fit you anymore. But they can bring 5 to the kids," my mother said. In the end, I gave away the toys to kids in need happily.

    It was a sunny day yesterday. After a whole day's work in my office, I walked home. On the busy street, I saw a young man 1 some small toys around the corner. Usually, I would hurry 2 such sellers and never buy anything. But when I noticed he was 3, I decided to stand there for some time. I wanted to see 4 he sold his toys.

    Soon, a little girl came with her mother and wanted a toy that could 5 a noise. Kids like such toys because the noise sounds really funny. The toy was 18 yuan. The mother 6 a 20-yuan note(钞票). She told the young man how much she was giving him and wanted the change(找零) 7. I was wondering what he was going to do next. He told the mother to put the money in his bag and get the change 8. Then she did so.

    What the young man did shocked me. He chose to 9 people even if he couldn't see. He let me know believing in people is a 10 thing. It brings us warmth and love. I was so touched that I made a 11 to buy a toy although I didn't need it at all. He said it cost 18 yuan and I told him that I had only one 20-yuan note. Again he told me to do the same thing as the mother. I put my 20 yuan in his bag, 12 I didn't take any change.

    As I walked down the street, I saw another little girl with her father and gave her the, 13 I bought. She looked at me in surprise and then thanked me 14. I was happy to see the smile on her face.

    The young man was a good 15 to us all. On my way home, I kept thinking the world would be a better place if we all could learn to trust people more, just like the blind street seller.

    I remember sitting in an airport one day, waiting for my flight. I was1because I had a first-class(头等的) ticket. And in first class, the seats are2, and the food is more delicious, Actually, I had the best seat on the whole plane! Seat 1A. Before boarding, I3a young lady who had a big suitcase(手提箱) and several carry-on bags holding a crying baby. 4, the handle(把手) of her suitcase broke and the suitcase fell to the floor. She tried 5the case and her bags landed on the floor, too.

    "Let me help." I said to her.

    I 6 her suitcase over my left shoulder, put her bags on my right and asked, "Where to?"

    "Gate 20," she said, and showed me her ticket. Seat 24B

    "Oh, we are on the same flight."

    Boarding started, and I7that she needed the first class ticket. "It looks like you could use the first-class ticket more than me. I know how   8it can be flying with a kid. Why don't we trade tickets?"

    "Are you sure?" she asked.

    "Yes, just take my ticket and give me yours. I really don't9. I'm just going to be working the whole time, anyway."

    "That's very kind of you." she said, and expressed her10as we traded our tickets.

    Then we boarded the plane. I was surprised at the good 11it give me while watching her sit down in seat 1A. In fact, seat 24 B or12I was sitting didn't seem that bad at all. At one point during the flight I wanted to see how she was doing. So I13, walked to the first-class section, and had a look. There she was with her baby,14asleep. Seeing they were sleeping in big and 15seat 1A. I felt like a million bucks. I've got to keep doing this kind of thing.