I do voluntary work for an organization that helps the people in need in Haiti. Recently I took my son Barrett there for a week, hoping to   (1)   him.

Before setting out, I told Barrett this trip would be tiring and   (2)  . For the first two days, he said almost nothing. I worried the trip was too   (3)   for a 17-year-old. Then on day three, as we were   (4)   over high rocky mountains, he turned to me and grinned（咧嘴笑）,“Pretty hard.”

After that there was no turning back. A five-year-old girl, wearing a dress several sizes   (5)   large and broken shoes, followed Barrett around, mesmerized（着迷）. He couldn’t stop   (6)  . Later he said   (7)  . “I wish I could speak French.” I was   (8)  －this from a boy who hated and   (9)   French classes throughout school.

Usually silent, he   (10)   Gaby, our host, and kept asking questions about the country and its people. He blossomed（活泼起来）.

  (11)   , the moment that really took   (12)   breath away occurred in a village deep in the mountains. I was   (13)   a woman villager for an article. 135 centimeters tall, she was small in figure but strong in   (14)  . Through determination, she had learned to read and write and   (15)   to become part of the leadership of the   (16)  .

Learning her story, Barrett was as   (17)   as I by this tiny woman’s achievements. His eyes were wet and there was a   (18)   of love and respect on his face. He had finally understood the importance of my work.

When leaving for home, Barrett even offered to stay   (19)   as a volunteer. My insides suddenly felt struck. This   (20)   achieved all I’d expected. Soon he will celebrate his 18th birthday. He’ll be a man.

In 1952, my daddy traveled with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This meant he would  (1)  a lot of time away from home.

As  (2)  came near，he called my mother and   (3)   why he would not be celebrating the holiday with us. Money was tight and he didn't have a way to get back to his  (4)   Though she was   (5)  , Mother knew he was right. When she told us the news, it really  (6)   me, and I went to bed on Christmas Eve with a  (7)   heart.

When we  (8)   up on Christmas morning, Santa had conic. I still remember what gift we   (9)   that year. We were all happy with our gifts, so we went outside to play. As we were   (10)   I looked up and thought I saw my daddy in the distance I ran inside to tell Mother. She did not  (11)  me and told me not to make up stories. My mother  (12)  it just wasn't possible.  (13)   I was sure it was Daddy！I turned to go back outside when I heard familiar footsteps. Daddy was home！As I   (14)   into his arms, Daddy explained that he had tried   (15)   to get home for Christmas, but without success. At last, a group of the workers had decided to drive. But the  (16)   guy lived miles away. So Daddy started   (17)   on Christmas Eve until he arrived home. He had walked all night！

Though the  (18)  that year were wonderful, tile best gift was not found under the  (19)  . Daddy's special surprise made this my most  (20)   Christmas.

I went out to breakfast this morning to meet a friend. It was lovely. But what wasnˈt so lovely was the lady who took our_(1)__.She spoke in a way that was frustrated, unhappy, _(2)__not friendly, and sort of rude.

When it came to my___(3)___to approach her and order, I thought to myself, “What can I do here to make her day, to__(4)___her, and to make her smile？”

I had nothing. Surely there must be something I can__(5)__praise her. Then there it was and I knew immediately. It was her__(6)__.She had the most extremely well spoken and clear voice. It was so good. Professionally good. I had it. That was it. That was what I would__(7)___her up.

So after she took my order and gave me the same unfriendly___(8)_, I told her, “I must say you have the most___(9)__voice. Itˈs so clear, well spoken and sounds so___(10)__.”I told her how she honestly had one of those voices that would be perfect for announcements or__(11)___radio broadcasts.

I saw her whole face__(12)__, she smiled(the first time I had seen her do so)and as I__(13)__and walked away, I noticed her whole attitude change.The__(14)__behind me received a totally___(15)__kind of service. A happier one. And all was ___(16)___ what I did. Something so simple!

There was a time when this sort of thing would have__(17)__me. Or Iˈd have been shy and___(18)_to say such a thing. Not now. Now I must！Why？Because I have the power. The power to___(19)_change someoneˈs day by something as simple as a few kind__(20)__and being kind. And you have this power too. We all do.

Life in the Slow Lane

I always seemed to be rushing through my life. I’d  (1)   my seat belt and slam(猛踩)the accelerator to get where I wanted to go. Or, at the mall, I’d  (2)  the stores like a runner in the hundred-meter dash. There just weren’t enough hours in the day and I was afraid I might  (3)  something if I didn’t hurry up.

And then one day, as fate would have it, I ran out of  (4)  . As my car coasted off the road, I looked at my watch and hit the steering wheel  (5)  . I had a meeting in fifteen minutes and I hadn’t even finished  (6)  for it.

But as I got out of my car, a(n)  (7)  thing happened. I looked out towards the east, and the  (8)  was just beginning to shine over the horizon. There was a low misty  (9)  hanging over the river, and some ducks were cutting thick, smooth trails(痕迹)across the otherwise glass-like surface of the water. A few sailboats  (10)  at anchor, their mirror images extending out before them.

I was shocked. This  (11)  scene had been going on right outside my car every morning and I had never  (12)  time appreciating it. I had been rushing around in such a  (13)  that I had been missing everything!

I was quietly,   (14)  ， patiently watching as the sun painted a brand new day when a co-worker finally  (15)  my car and stopped for me. I had somehow been transformed. Life went from a fast break dance into a slow waltz. I began taking long, slow walks  (16)  my yard and neighborhood, noticing for the first time all the neighbors, mysteries and wonders  (17)  were right there for me to see all the time. Not only were there sights that I had been missing, but I began to hear entire  (18)  all around me：birds singing, wind blowing and leaves rustling.

  (19)  one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass，it becomes a mysterious, beautiful and indescribably magnificent  (20)  in itself.

The family had just moved. The young woman was feeling a little   (1)  . It was Mother’s Day－－and 800 miles separated her from her parents.

She had called them that morning, and her mother had   (2)   how colorful their backyard was   (3)   spring had arrived. Later, she told her husband how she   (4)   those lilacs (丁香花) in her parents’ yard. “I know where we can find some,” he said. “Get the   (5)   and come on.” So off they went.

Some time later, they stopped at a hill and there were lilacs all round. The young woman rushed up to the nearest   (6)   and buried her face in the flowers. Carefully, she   (7)   some. Finally, they returned to their car for the   (8)   home. The woman sat smiling, surrounded by her   (9)  .

When they were near home, she shouted “Stop,” got out quickly and   (10)   to a nearby nursing home. She went to the end of the porch (门廊), where a(n)   (11)   patient was sitting in her wheelchair, and put the flowers into her lap. The two   (12)  , bursting into laughter now and then. Later the young woman turned and ran back to her   (13)  . As the car pulled away, the woman in the wheelchair   (14)   with a smile, and held the lilacs   (15)  .

“Mom,” the kids asked, “  (16)   did you give her our flowers?” “It is Mother’s Day, and she seems so   (17)  while I have all of you. And anyone would be  (18)   by flowers.”

This satisfied the kids, but not the husband. The next day he   (19)   some young lilacs around their yard. I was the husband. Now, every May, our yard is full of lilacs. Every Mother’s Day our kids   (20)   purple lilacs. And every year I remember that smile of the lonely old woman. And that has become a lasting touching memory of my life.

  When I was young, I had a friend named Mark who loved to make friends. He always   (1)   how many friends he had at school. One day his grandfather said to him, “Mark, I bet you a big bag of popcorn that you don’t have as many friends as you   (2)  . I’m definitely sure many of them are   (3)   but companions.” Mark accepted the   (4)   without hesitation. However, he wasn’t sure how to test   (5)   his schoolmates were real friends or not, so he asked his grandpa. The old man   (6)  , “Wait a minute.” Then the old man left, returning soon as though   (7)   something in his hands. Mark could see nothing there   (8)  .

“Take it. It’s a most special chair, which is rather hard to sit on,   (9)   it is invisible to the eyes, but if you take it to school and   (10)   to be seated on it, you will make its magic happen and you’ll be able to   (11)   who your real friends are.”

Mark, brave and   (12)  , took the chair and set off for school. At break time he asked   everyone to   (13)   a circle, and he put himself in the middle, with his chair. Having difficulty seeing it, Mark tried to sit on it and fell straight onto his   (14)  . Everyone surrounding him had pretty good laugh.

“Wait! Let me try again,” Mark said. But again, he   (15)   the seat, causing more surprised looks and a few catcalls. Mark didn’t give up and kept trying to sit on the   (16)   chair. Yet he kept falling on the ground… until, all at once, he tried again but didn’t fall. Looking around, Mark saw three of his best friends holding him up. Meanwhile, many others he had viewed   (17)   friends had done nothing but made fun of him.

And there, the show came to an end. Mark   (18)   that true friends were those who   (19)   him, and not just the companions that happened to be passing by. And someone who took   (20)   in his misfortunes was even less of a friend.

Grandma always says, “Gardening is good for the soul.” She lives in the _ _  (1)  _ _ and has a big yard with raised flowerbeds and an organic vegetable patch, _ _  (2)  _ _ , as her only granddaughter, I live in the city. I always _ _  (3)  _ _ about planting a garden in my neighborhood, but I never had the _ _  (4)  _ _ . Last year, the chance came by itself. The building across the way was torn down. The lot (一块地) _ _  (5)  _ _ untouched for months littered with garbage. When I decided to turn the _ _  (6)  _ _ lot into a community garden, I started a difficult but _ _  (7)    (8)  _ _ adventure.

At first, the difficulties I had _ _  (9)  _ _ me. I had to make phone calls to _ _  (10)  _ _ of the local 15 city offices before the city would give me _ _  (11)  _ _ permission to use the lot. Now with their permission, I put up posters in local grocery stores and buildings _ _  (12)  _ _ volunteers to help pull weeds and _ _  (13)  _ _ garbage, glass, rocks, and bricks. Only two people signed up. I ended up doing most of the _ _  (14)  _ _ myself. Not only did I have to remove tons of garbage in the lot, but I also had to use all my persuasive skills to convince a gang of kids to do their hanging out _ _  (15)  _ _ . No matter _ _  (16)  _ _ challenges I had, the rewards were far greater. _ _  (17)    (18)  _ _ I planted some flowers and trees, the place looked _ _  (19)    (20)  _ _ and cheerful. More and more people in the community _ _（18）_ _ me and wanted to help. Students in our local elementary school planted vegetables. A senior citizens’ group started a small herb garden. I’ve got to know many _ _（19）_ _  people in my community by starting this garden. Grandma was _ _（20）_ _ : gardening is good for the soul.   

In our whole life, we will come across different kinds of people and things.   (1)   , our views of the world, life and value have been changing all the time. To be honest, one of my English teachers has made a great   (2)   on me.

Although she was short, old and ugly, she was talented,  (3)   and passionate(热诚的).Thus, we called her “a crazy stone”. She didnˈt mind it   (4)  ; instead, she seemed to love her   (5)  very much. In addition, she was so   (6)  with students that she knew how to raise our   (7)  and get along well with us. Therefore, we studied English well and   (8)  her.

To be honest, I am fond of listening to   (9)  told by others in my daily life. Maybe I have heard so many that it is__(  (10)  __for me to laugh. But she was a(n)__(11)__. Her jokes were always so funny, for she always led you to the scenes of them and__(12)__an interesting atmosphere. Although I_(13)__the university ten years ago, I still remember several jokes, one of which I would like to__(  (11)  __with you.

Before having an English lesson, there was a handsome boy who made a self­introduction. He said that he was able to do__(15)__and finally made a conclusion that he was rather untalented. After hearing that,Stone__(16)__the teacherˈs desk and said an old saying: “Innocence is the virtue(美德) for__(17)__”. Hearing this we all burst into laughter.

Although I met several good teachers when I was in the high school and during my college, “a crazy stone” is the best teacher in my__(18)__. It was she that made me get__(19)__in English. It was she that educated me how to fight for success and__(20)__difficulties.