Long, long ago, there was a small village. This village had a(an)1tradition. At the beginning of every year, any boy who had reached the age of majority (成年) was given land and money to build a home. The boy had to2his home before winter. If his home failed to endure(忍耐) the cold weather in winter, the villagers could not3him in any way.

    One4, Paul and Marc reached their majority. They5their land and money and decided to search nearby villages for ideas on building their homes. In each village, they found the nicest6and talked to the owners. Each owner gladly offered7.

    After Marc saw several homes, he8the best ideas and went back to his own land. Paul,9, continued collecting more ideas. Soon he had so many great ideas that he began to10 some of them. But he always believed he could find even better ideas in the next village.

    Marc began building his home. He had several false starts,11his home gradually rose from his land. By fall, Marc had finished his home. It wasn't perfect, but it was strong and he could12it later. Paul enjoyed all the beautiful homes and13with home owners. The first snow came and Paul, realizing he was running out of time,14 back to his land. He built the best home he could in the time he had, but it was 15. The first winter storm destroyed his home and he froze to16.The villagers mourned for him.

    Marc17the winter. Each year, Marc searched for other good ideas he could use to make his own home look better. He became a leader in the village, 18 a family, and lived a happy, content life.

    We all build and improve our own mental homes. It's 19and fun for us to search for ideas from other mental home owners, but we only improve our own mental home if we actually 20the best ideas.

    Mr. Glen is a millionaire. Years ago, after returning from abroad to his motherland, he 1his company. Speaking of success, Glen often tells us a story about his extra expensive “school” fee. He always 2 his success to it.

    At that time, Glen, who already got a Ph.D. degree,3 to return home, starting a company. Before leaving, he bought a Rolex watch with the 4made through years. At the airport he had to accept the routine customs(海关) check. The watch on his wrist was also required to be taken down for5. Glen knew that carrying such goods out had to pay the tax, and he worried about paying 6 for his watch. So while checked, he told a lie that his watch was a 7 fake(假货). When he was8of his “smarts”, immediately, in the presence of Glen, the officers hit the watch,9cost nearly 100,000, into pieces10hearing Glen's words. Glen was 11. Before he understood why, he was taken to the office to be examined 12. For many times of entry-exit 13 he knew that only those people in the “blacklist” would “enjoy” this special treatment. The officers looked over everything carefully, and 14 him no matter what time of entry and exit he must accept the check and if15 reusing and carrying fake goods, he would be 16 by law! Suddenly, his face turned red, and he had nothing in mind after17the plane for long.

    After that, he often told the story to his family and his employees. He said that this made a deep 18 on him, because the additional high “school” fee that he had ever paid made him realize the value of 19, which he would remember as the 20of his success forever.

    One rainy afternoon I was sitting at home feeling so bored.1 feeling sorry for myself, I wanted to meet people and have new2, so I decided to start volunteering. I found a website where I could volunteer on a farm in France.

    Volunteering 3 so many opportunities to have fun and share 4stories. It was the first time for me to work on a farm. It was almost a(n)5holiday as food and accommodation were provided. It was not one6 holiday, however, as I had to 7 fifteen horses and sheep! I soon discovered that I was a(n) 8 farmer but it did not matter because I made some great friends and also improved my9.

    However, you do not 10 go abroad to volunteer. I have had plenty of adventures at home as volunteering can become a11. For example, I love12 so I had a good laugh waving my arms in order to 13my local choir(合唱团). At university, I organized a concert for charity with my friends. It was really 14 to find bands and raise money for a cause.

    It is true that you feel good volunteering but there are also other 15.I once volunteered as a steward (干事) at a charity sports event where the organizers 16 gave me cupcakes from an expensive London bakery to thank me for my 17. I also volunteered in a charity shop so I found loads of nice cheap clothes to 18my wardrobe（衣橱）.

    While this is all fun, my favourite aspect of volunteering is 19and sharing stories. My terrible20  at farming has given me funny stories to tell！

    Shayla Mitchell, 16, was diagnosed with the terminal stage of cancer. As a father, Mitchell always stayed home to care for her. He said the 1 1eft them financially worse off. Then a group called Growing Hope 2 in with $1,800 to help with his living costs.

    3, he wanted to pay them back. In his 4, he had once been a 5. So at age 40, Mitchell took up the 6 again, participating in two fights in Fairfax. Mitchell was 7 out in the first and second rounds, but he still 8 to raise $ 20,000 that he gave to Growing Hope. During this time, he 9 his daughter. “I fell into a dark bottom,” Mitchell said, and for six months, he did little but 10.

    One day, Mitchell 11 upon a Mark Twain quote- The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you 12 why. “After I read that quote, I was going to spend the rest of my life helping kids with 13 and their families,” he said.

    Mitchell thought of creating a foundation, though boxing did not seem 14any more for fund-raising, due to his age. Then he found that 15 could be a source to raise money. In the Corps Marathon, he cut a striking figure on the course. 16 by this success, he set his sights higher. He 17 each of the miles of the race to a different child with cancer, and he carried their 18 with him. Years after his daughter's death, Mitchell now 19 up in the morning knowing his 20.

    A little girl created the perfect Mother's Day gift. It was a drawing of a 1 on white paper with the words "For mom: love, love, love" decorated in hearts. She folded (折叠) her letter, 2 then she lost it.

    For most people, that would be the 3 of this story, but this story has a different result: James Carrell 4 the letter. He had just 5 his mother, wishing her a happy Mother's Day. After he got off the phone, Carrell saw the 6 on the ground outside of a hardware (五金器具) store in Manvel in Texas, United States. "I 7 it was a note" said Carrell. "I 8 it and saw the flower and hearts. It 9 moved me." Carrell thought the letter would 10 someone's day and maybe he could find the 11, so he posted it in the Talk of Alvin Facebook group. The message 12 a lot of people, especially one man.

    "I was sitting at my friend's house and saw a man 13," said Carrell.

    His Facebook comments (评论) included a message from Roberto Alvarado. He wrote, "I can't 14 you found my baby's letter." Carrell reached out to Alvarado to 15 the letter. It took a few days, but the men finally 16 on Thursday night, one day after Alvarado's daughter Natalie celebrated her seventh birthday.

    "17 the letter made it home," said Alvarado. "We are 18 for what James Carrell did."

    We often forget the power of 19 things, but for this family from Alvin, Carrell's small act left a(n) 20 impression (影响).

    In one of my college classes, we were required to do an act of kindness. My project included 1lunch for an elderly person. When I2the elderly person with the food I cooked, it never3to me that it would result in a new friendship and the discovery of a4.

    The person I visited was Bill, who was unable to5much. A nurse came regularly to help him move to and from the wheelchair because he has no6. Bill said he was delighted to see me and it was a7for him to eat a meal with me because he usually eats8. He said the food was great, but he enjoyed having9even more than the food.

    Bill had had a10life when working on the railroad and had many11stories to tell about his travels to many places. I was12a trip because of his stories. I had once13about traveling by train. However, I would14be going by train after meeting Bill.

    Perhaps the biggest15of this project was that I suddenly realized that I am 16 of working with the elderly. Spending time with them was fun­­they have so much life experience to 17 On the one hand, I am a good 18. On the other hand, older people want someone to know their inner world, so it is a perfect 19. I decided to focus my studies on the 20. Hopefully in the future, I will work with them to help even more people like Bill.