The other evening we had a knock at the door. It was a ____(1)____ neighbor who introduced himself and his boys to us. He also invited us to a block party as a way to know the people in the ____(2)____ as well as celebrate the first anniversary of his two ____(3)____ sons coming to live with him.

   We've lived here for almost six years and no one has ever come to ____(4)____ themselves. I suppose we should have ____(5)____it on to introduce ourselves to people moving in, but we haven' t. In my opinion, it took the initiative (首创) of a young ____(6)____ and his adopted sons to show me how I could ____(7)____ better attention to my own community. We have many local friends but I have to ____(8)____ that I haven't usually been the one to develop the____(9)____ in my own neighborhood.

   This____(10)____reminded me of one of my favorite quotes, "When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was ______(11)____ to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn't change the nation, I began to ____(12)____ my town. I couldn't change the town and as a (n)____(13)____man, I tried to change my ____(14)____. Now, as an old man, I _____(15)_____ the only thing I can change is myself, and ____(16)_____ I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact (影响) on my family and____(17)____on our town.The impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the ____(18)____."

   For those of us who want to make a (n) ____(19)____ in the world, it's important we remember what Bucky Fuller said, "Think globally, but act ____(20)____." For me, I'm going to make it a point to meet more of my neighbors - starting now.

This is my favorite first-year teaching story. During my third   (  1  )  , I was very upset because a number of students were   (  2  )  . I spoke loudly that I would like to fire some type of water gun at the sleeping students.

Later that day, I saw a strange object on my   (  3  )  while I was going to get something from it. When I went   (  4  )  , I saw that it was a toy crab(螃蟹). It had a   (  5  )  saying, “Miss Green, when I saw this in the store, I   (  6  )   thought of you.”

I used to    (  7  )   late at school since it was my first year teaching. I usually did not  (  8  )   until 11 or 12 at night. At about 9 p.m. there was a knock on my   (  9  )   When I opened the door, I saw a   (  10  )   standing outside. She had brought me something to   (  11  )  . She said that she   (  12  )  saw me work so late every night and that she was   (  13  )  that I was hungry.

I told her that it had been a  (  14  )   day--- someone had   (  15  )  I was crabby(暴躁的), but she had really made me   (  16  )  that night. It was nice to know that some people do care about me. She later  (  17  )  that it was she who put the toy on my car--- not because she thought that I was crabby, but because it would shoot water and was cuter than a   (  18  )  .

It was very nice to know that I was   (  19  )   by others. And the toy crab is   (  20  )  on my table today.

I realize that we all live in a world where there is no trust.   (1)   I go, I have to prove my identity and make myself   (2)   whether it’s a bank, a shop or an office. I have been used to living by the   (3)   that no one is believable unless it proves otherwise.

But yesterday I saw a young man who lived by a totally   (4)  rule.

He was selling toys on a busy street.  (5)   I would ignore and hurry past such sellers. But this time, I noticed this young man was   (6)   , so I stood for some time to see   (7)   he sold his toys.

Soon, a little child was   (8)   by one of the toys, whose price was only one dollar. His mother gave the young man 10 dollars and wanted the   (9)   back. When I was   (10)  how he was going to do it, he told the young mom to   (11)   the money in the bag which was hanging around his neck and take out whatever change he owed (欠) her.

I realized that this young man’s whole way of earning   (12)  believing people not to cheat him. There was no   (13)   of him knowing if someone took more out of his money bag. I was so   (14)   by how this young blind man trusted people that I took a toy I did not   (15)   at all. He told me to do   (16)  thing. So I put my 10 dollars in his bag   (17)   did not take any change. As I walked down the street, I gave the   (18)   to a little boy passing by. I hope those two people would have a smile on their face that day.

I kept thinking the world would be a   (19)   place if we could all learn to   (20)   people more, like the young blind man.

When my son Gene was about 12 years old, I started helping him learn to_  (1)  , I bought twenty chickens and asked him to_  (2)   them. I told him that they would be his own chickens and we would_  (3)  the eggs from him. However，he would have to buy chicken_  (4)   with the money he made from the eggs. Whatever money was _  (5)   would be his to keep. Gene was _  (6)  ，thinking he would make his first __  (7)   .

After several weeks’ successful work，I began to __  (8)   that egg production was going down, I __  (9)   nothing about it. Then one night, Gene told me he didn’t have __  (10)   money to buy the feed. He said the chickens had never__（11） a meal and he could not figure out why some of them had stopped _  (11)  eggs. Then I asked him if he had __  (12)   the amount of feed he had given the chickens. He was __  (13)  , It was like he did not think anyone would ever__  (14)   what he had done. After a long __  (15)   - he said yes. He thought he would make more money if he gave them __  (16)   food. I asked him, “Did you fool the chickens?”

I was just astonished at the question in my own __  (17)   .1 was dumbfounded (惊呆）at the significance (意义) of it. Yes. you can fool__  (18)  ，but you cannot “fool the chickens," because __  (19)   , you will find out, as the saying goes, "What goes around comes around."

I was at the shopping mall last night and saw a homeless woman with a trolley (手推车) full of all her things. She was sitting inside to keep  (1)  . I went up to her and tried to give her  (2)   for something to eat. She wouldn’t  (3)   it. I said I wanted to help her, but she said that if  (4)  money were given to her that day and she had money  (5)  her, other homeless people would steal it from her while she slept.

I  (6)  that I wanted to help her and asked if I could buy her something warm.  (7)  , she said no. She thanked me and said how  (8)  she was that I had spoken to her and offered  (9)  . We introduced ourselves and she said that when I saw her next time, she would accept help. What a(n)  (10)  woman.

Then, I walked out into the cold  (11)  and gave the money to a homeless man who was freezing. I asked him his name,  (12)  I always want to know, and I told him mine. He appeared to have had a drinking or drug problem but I was  (13)  that he accepted my help.

I had this  (14)  that stayed with me. I felt that I had been in the presence of someone really special earlier. I always  (15)  what it would be like to be in a homeless person’s shoes, or  (16)  that were one of my children. I know how  (17)  I am and how grateful I am for what I have in my life. I learned a very big  (18)  from the lady I met: Not all  (19)  people will take money or help if they feel enough has been given to them that day. She was grateful for the day. I will make sure I  (20)  her again.

Life can seem very unfair，even in the land of opportunity. You have a dream but find yourself  ( 1 )  without any hope. You are depressed(沮丧的)，and in your depression you cannot get the  ( 2 )   to pull yourself up. You become unwilling to believe that there  ( 3 )  is a“cure(措施)”for your failure.

Bernie Kopell was a ( 4 )  as a vacuum cleaner(真空吸尘器) salesman. He had come to California to be a(n)  ( 5 ) ，but for even the few parts he was able to  ( 6 ) ，he received no pay. He   ( 7 )   that was what he deserved. Then，one day as Bernie was cleaning in the back room of the vacuum cleaner store，the owner put on a record. “What a(n)   ( 8 )  job，”Bernie thought. But he heard the sentences ( 9 )  as he was trying to ignore the   ( 10 ) ，“Your mind is like the  ( 11 )  . Whatever you plant in it  ( 12  ) . If you plant potatoes you get potatoes. If you plant roses you get roses.”Bernie began to ( 13 )  .

Soon he was paying attention to the record， ( 14 )  it wasnˈt long before he began reading and attending lectures(演讲). Bernie began to  ( 15 )   that he was given talent，and he became   ( 16 )   to be who he was and considered himself worthy of success. Acting parts and paying roles began to  ( 17 )   his way. He got his first public television show in 1961 on The Brighter Day. He ( 18 )  on Get Smart，That Girl，and on other television comedy programs. His big  ( 19 )  came when he was  ( 20 )   the role of Dr. Adam Bricker on The Love Boat. The popular show aired(播放) from 1977 until 1986 and made Bernie Kopell a well-known star.

One night I decided to spend some time building a happier and closer relationship with my daughter. For several weeks, she had been   (1)  me to play chess with her, so I suggested a game and she eagerly   (2)  . It was a school night, however, and at nine o’clock my daughter asked if I could   (3)  my moves, because she   (4)  to go to bed; she had to get up at six in the morning. I   (5)  she had strict sleeping habits,   (6)   I thought she ought to be able to

   (7)    some of this strictness. I said to her, “   (8)  , you can stay up late for once. We’re having   (9)  .” We played on for another fifteen minutes, during which time she looked   (10)  . Finally she said, “Please, Daddy, do it quickly.” “No.” I replied. “If you’re going to play it   (11)  , you’re going to play it slowly. ”And so we   (12)  for another ten minutes, until   (13)   my daughter burst out crying, and   (14)   that she was beaten.

Clearly I had made   (15)  . I had started the evening wanting to have a   (16)  time with my daughter but had   (17)  my desire to win to become more   (18)   than my relationship with my daughter. When I was a child, my desire to win   (19)   me well. As a parent, I   (20)   that it got in my way. So I had to change.

 In 2012 I had the worst year of my life.

      I worked in a finance job that I     (1)  and I lived in a concrete jungle city with little greenery. I occupied my time with meaningless relationships. I was searching for  (2)   and had no idea where to find it.