Two weeks earlier, my son, Ben, had got in touch. He’d moved to England with his mum when he was three and it had been 13 years since I’d   (1)    seen him. So imagine my  (2)    when he emailed me saying he wanted to come to visit me.

I was  (3)   ! I arrived early at Byron Bay where we were supposed to  (4)    . The bay was   (5)    in sunshine, and there was a group of kayakers around 150m off the shore. Getting a little  (6)   , I realized one kayak (皮划艇) was in  (7)   . “Something’s not   (8)   !” I took off my T-shirt and   (9)    into the water. I saw there were two instructors on board and a man lying across the middle. He was   (10)    violently. Linking arms with one of the instructors, I helped   (11)   the young man out of the water. He was unconscious and as I looked at his face, something   (12)    to me. Those brown eyes were very  (13)   . “What’s his name?” I asked the instructor. “Ben,” he replied, and immediately I  (14)   . That stranger was my son!

The instructors called for an ambulance.   (15)   , after a brief stay in hospital, Ben was well enough to be allowed to   (16)    and later the family met up for dinner. We chatted about everything and then Ben   (17)   to me. “I just want to say thank you,” he said. “You  (18)    my life!”

I still can’t believe what a   (19)    it was. I’m just so glad I was there   (20)    to help my son.

The Two-Dollar Bill

Returning from a trip to Washington D. C., I arrived in Anchorage at about 2: 00 A. M. At 9：00 A.M., I was   (1)   to talk at local high school to students in a   (2)   designed to educate the troubled kids in school.

The school is well   (3)   because most of the kids are troublemakers who become involved with the law. I found it very   (4)   to deliver a speech to the multi-cultural   (5)   and talk about things that could stimulate them for their   (6)  . I wasn’t making any headway   (7)   I started talking about what I do so well, helping people with money.

I   (8)   a stack (堆) of $2 bills and started giving them out. The kids started to   (9)   because it was free money. The   (10)   thing I asked them was to spend it on   (11)   people. Some of them asked me for my signature. I think I   (12)   some of them with my honesty. I started   (13)  a copy of the book I had written for the dollar bills. Then I told them that my grandfather’s care had always   (14)   me to go forward.   (15)   I closed with telling them no matter what happens, someone out there   (16)   cares about them and is pulling for their   (17)  .

This is not the   (18)   of the story. When I left the classroom, I told them to call me   (19)   they ever had problems.

Three days later, I received a thank-you letter with a new $2 bill in it   (20)   by a girl who heard my talk.

It is a blue, cotton shirt. The shirt belonged to my 　(1)　 David. On his birthday before he left college, his mother bought him the shirt. 　(2)　 I gave him free use of my bike, he let me wear the shirt, occasionally. 

We shared the shirt, and as days 　(3)　, we shared more of our 　(4)　. David was in school by scholarships and grants (助学金). He 　(5)　 to keep his scholarships, because without even one of them, he would have to 　(6)　 and back on the farm. And in David's home, there was always only enough money to cover the expense. His father died when he was twelve. 

　(7) David also talked about his father. Usually it was late at night, in the dorm just before bed, and the 　(8)　 always ended with tears that flowed from a river of memories and 　(9)　: memories of a father suffering from 　(10)　 at a time when his son was just a teenager; longings for opportunities to cure his father's disease. Because disease does not understand the 　(11)　 between father and son. Nor does(do) 　(12)　 care. 

Time passed and we had to say 　(13)　 to each other. After lots of hugging, and words of thanks, we eventually 　(14)　. It was on my 　(15)　 trip upstairs to our dorm that I saw a package on my bed. I 　(16)　 the wrapping paper. It was the blue cotton shirt in a box with a card 　(17)　 to it, reading: 

Thomas, I can't thank you enough for your 　(18)　. This has been tough years and you have been 　(19)　 a friend. Thank you for listening. Thanks for everything. 

David

I pushed aside the note, with 　(20)　 tears dropping on the shirt. 

I still have the shirt today, though it has faded and wrinkled with age.

It was at a concert that I happened to find David.He was holding his head at a strange __  (1)  __as if he were staring down at something.Then the truth struck me.He was blind.The last thing he remembers __  (2)  __was his daughter being born.Then the world went __  (3)  __.

Bad luck is no stranger to this 44-year-old man.His mother died of cancer，and his weak father had to __  (4)  __11-year-old David to the care of the state.

Things seemed always to go from bad to __  (5)  __.Two years ago，his beloved guide dog pulled him out of the __  (6)  __of a truck.David was not hurt.The dog __  (7)  __.

But David does not feel sorry for himself.“These are just little obstacles (障碍)you have to __  (8)  __in your life，”he said.

He has to make a daily two-hour trip to his working place—the X-ray department of an__  (9)  __ room.

It was a hard job to __  (10)  __.Before he got it，David was determined to escape the workshop run by the Lighthouse，an organization __  (11)  __ to help blind people.He wanted a job of developing X-ray film，something __  (12)  __，not just he，must do in the dark，including people with __  (13)  __eyesight.The Lighthouse called many hospitals，with no result，__  (14)  __they offered to pay his first three monthsˈ salary.

David works alone in a dark room that __  (15)  __ of chemicals.He cannot wear gloves.__  (16)  __，he could not feel.Since this is an emergency room，lives can be put __  (17)  __or out of danger.His directress says she trusts him 100 percent.

He makes $ 20,000 a year.But his motivation(动机)goes __  (18)  __money.“By working，I can actualize my own __  (19)  __.Thatˈs the most important！”he said.

What a shining example for us to __  (20)  __！

For most people, running one full marathon is quite challenging, but for 37-year-old Rob Young, it is merely a short warm-up. This British man 　(1)　370 marathons last year, which meant that he ran 　(2)　one marathon per day. 

It all 　(3)　as a bet with his wife on a Sunday morning when they watched the TV coverage of the London Marathon in April 2014. In fact, Young had been 　(4)　 to sitting comfortably on a sofa watching TV rather than going out for a walk. Obviously, he wasn't very interested in running at the time, and he even considered it 　(5)　. 

When his wife 　(6)　 him by saying that he couldn't run marathons at all, even if he tired. Young felt this had 　(7)　 him badly, so he replied that he would 　(8)　her some money if he couldn't run. 

The next morning, he 　(9)　at 3:30 am, printed out the route, and completed one marathon before work. He felt so good that he 　(10)　doing it every day, and had run the 　(11)　 equivalent to 10 marathons during that week. 

Before long, Young was addicted to running. He 　(12) all of last year's 365 days running marathons. Since January, 2015, Young has completed several　(13)　. He won the Trans-American Footrace, a 6-month long competition, with a 　(14)　 time of 322 hours and 10 minutes. He 　(15)　the world record for the world's longest run without sleep. 

Having 　(16)　so much already, Young now hopes to use his running to test the 　(17)　 of human endurance. “I'd like to find something that's challenging,” he said. “I'd like to 　(18)　the Arctic Circle and the North Pole. There is only a certain time of the year when people have　(19)　 to do it, but I will try.” 

He added, “For me, nothing is 　(20)　. It's only a test.” 

When I was a child of seven years old，my aunt filled my pocket with some money.Being __  (1)  __in the sound of a whistle in the hands of another boy，I went at once to a shop and __  (2)  __all my money for one.I then came home，and __  (3)  __all over the house.I was much pleased with my whistle，but __  (4)  __all the family.

When I told my brothers and sisters the __  (5)  __ I had made，they said I had given four times as much as the whistle was __  (6)  __.They laughed at me so that I cried.Thinking about the matter gave me more __  (7)  __than pleasure that the whistle gave me.

That，__  (8)  __，influenced me afterwards.Often，when I was __  (9)  __ to buy __  (10)  __I did not need，I said to myself，“Donˈt give much for the whistle.”Then I __  (11)  __ my money.__  (12)  __I grew up and __  (13)  __ the actions of people，I found many people who gave “too much for the whistle”．

If I knew a person who gave up __  (14)  __living，all the pleasure of doing good to __  (15)  __，and the joys of friendship，for the sake of gathering wealth，I said，“Poor man，you __  (16)  __too dear for the whistle.”

If I saw someone who had expensive cars and large houses，__  (17)  __which he had run into debt，I said，“Alas！He has paid dear for his whistle.”

__  (18)  __，the miseries of mankind are __  (19)  __due to their __  (20)  __a false value on things—giving too much for their whistles.

After shopping we walked back to the parking lot.A car was  (1)  next to mine.The  (2)  was small and the traffic was  (3)  ，so it was   (4)  for me to pull out.The kids were just  (5)  excitedly in the back seat.

As I pulled out I heard a loud crunch.When I got out doing a   (6)  ，I saw the damage my car had caused.

A woman got out of the car to survey the  (7)  .

“Iˈm so sorry！I thought the car...The kids...”I said.

She  (8)  ，“Merry Christmas.”

My  (9)  look made her laugh.“I said，Merry Christmas.Donˈt worry about the car.Iˈm fine and  (10)  are you.”

Overcome with relief，I hugged the woman.The woman hugged back.  (11)   Iˈd never know her name，I would  (12)  remember her smile.

Days passed.One afternoon，Frankie seemed  (13)  when he came home from school.

“Whatˈs  (14)  ？” I asked.

“Mommy，some kids at school said Santa wasnˈt real.They said that  (15)  put the gifts under the tree.Is that true？”

“When children are very little，itˈs hard for them to understand the Christmas Spirit，so we say that Santa is responsible for Christmas.Parents  (16)  their children to understand the Christmas Spirit.”

“Whatˈs the Christmas Spirit？” Frankie asked.

“The Christmas Spirit is  (17)  Do you remember the lady at the parking lot？”

Frankie smiled，“She was so nice！I see.When people ask if I  (18)   Santa，I say yes.I believe that there is the Christmas Spirit that   (19)  each house at Christmas.I want to keep the Christmas Spirit in my  (20)  all year long.Just like the lady at the parking lot.”

One afternoon，my son Adam asked me，“Are all people the same even if they are different in color？”

I thought for a minute，and then I said，“Iˈll explain，__  (1)  __you can just wait until we make a quick __  (2)  __at the grocery store.I have something __  (3)  __ to show you.”

At the grocery store，we__  (4)  __some apples—red，green and yellow ones.Back home，I told Adam，“Itˈs time to __  (5)  __your question.”I put one apple of each __  (6)  __ on the table.Then I looked at Adam，who had a __  (7)  __look on his face.

“People are like apples.They come in all __  (8)  __colors，shapes and sizes.On the __  (9)  __，some of the apples may not __  (10)  __look as delicious as the others.”As I was talking，Adam was __  (11)  __each one carefully.

Then ，I took each of the apples and peeled(削皮)them，__  (12)  __them back on the table，but __  (13)  __a different place.

“Okay，Adam，tell me which is which.”

He said，“I __  (14)  __tell.They all look the same now.”“Take a bite of __  (15)  __.See if that helps you __  (16)  __which one is which.”

He took __  (17)  __，and then a huge smile came across his face.“People are __  (18)  __like apples! They are all different，but once you __  (19)  __the outside，theyˈre pretty much the same on the inside.”

He totally __  (20)  __it.I didnˈt need to say or do anything else.

I used to believe politeness was a thing of the past, but I had to change my thinking after my experience in a happening coffee place with two of my grown-up daughters. The place was  (1)  so we had to climb a  (2)  and steep(陡的) flight of stairs in order to find an empty table. After  (3)  coffee and snacks, we were going down the stairs one by one, leaving hardly any  (4)  for another person to either climb up or come down.

Just as I was in the middle of my way down,a gentleman  (5)  the restaurant through the main entrance,which was right  (6)  the staircase. I was sure I would be   (7)  roughly by this man who would want to go up in a hurry. I kept coming down as fast as I could,   (8)  the banister(扶手). My  (9)  were already down, looking up at me  (10)  , hoping I would reach them  (11)  the stranger started up the stairs, knowing I was a nervous sort. Nearly reaching them, I  (12)  the man still standing near the  (13)  . I reached my daughters and passed the  (14)  at the entrance door which he  (15)  holding open.

Looking back on this matter, all three of us felt  (16)  that we did not even thank the  (17)  gentleman who was actually holding the door open for us ladies to  (18)  through before going up. Such well-mannered people are hard to find these days, when jostling(推撞) and pushing is  (19)  in our advanced but aggressive(好斗的) society. The gentleman in the coffee place restored my faith in human  (20)  .