In 2003, Tim Baker and his wife   (1)   the Shepherd's Field Children's Village, which has  (2)  more than 4,000 orphans. More than 3,000 operations and medical   (3)   have been carried out and 900 children have been adopted.

   The Village receives children from   (4)   around the country. The majority of them come from   (5)   rural areas. All the children there receive education and are  (6)   the care of 100 workers, including teachers, Chinese nannies, Western doctors, volunteers and interns. About 40 children are   (7)   annually, with most joining overseas families.

   "I want the children to remember   (8)  they come from, even though they will live  (9)   with their new families, speaking different languages," Tim says.

   "The most difficult thing  (10)  was to believe that we could do something for the children with special needs," Tim says. The first orphan they received was a newborn with   (11)  heart defects. The Bakers asked for help from friends, family and supporters, who responded   (12)   and raised money for the baby, who was later adopted. Supporters   (13)  international companies, local enterprises, hospitals, schools and individuals.

   "Now, I am happy to see more people and organizations   (14)  . China has the best adoption system—clear,   (15)  and without corruption." Most of the orphans are between 1 month and 6 years old. The Bakers are working to find solutions   (16)   the older children, who are   (17)   likely to be adopted. The center's workshop provides a place for older orphans to learn such skills   (18)   handicraft making for later jobs. "The happiest moment for me is when I see the kids   (19)  with their new families," Tim, who the children call "Papa Tim", says. "But it's a little sad, too, since in my heart, they are always my kids. But I wish they can have a   (20)   family and a new life."

Dear Laura,

I just heard you tell an old story of gift giving and unselfish love in your program. You doubted that such unselfish love would happen in today’s world. Well, I’m here to give you  (1)  .

I wanted to do something very  (2)  for my fifteen-year-old son, who has always been the perfect child. He  (3)  all summer to earn enough money to buy a used motorcycle. Then, he spent hours and hours on it   (4)  it looked almost new. I was so   (5)  of him that I bought him the shiniest helmet and a riding outfit.

I could   (6)  wait for him to open up his gift. In fact, I barely slept the night before. Upon a wakening, I went to the kitchen to  (7)   the coffee, tea, and morning goodies. In the living room was a beautiful keyboard with a  (8)  :” To my wonderful mother, all my love, your son.”

I was so  (9)  . It had been a log-standing joke in our family that I wanted a piano so that I could  (10)  lessons. “ Learn to play the piano, and I’ll get you one” was my husband’s   (11)   .

I stood there shocked, crying a river, asking myself how my son could  (12)  this expensive gift.

Of course, the   (13)   awoke, and my son was thrilled（激动的）with my reaction. Many kisses were   (14)  , and I immediately wanted him to  (15)   my gift.

As he saw the helmet and outfit, the look on his face was not   (16)   what I was expecting. Then I   (17)  that he has sold the motorcycle to get me the keyboard.

Of course I was the proudest mother  (18)   on that day, and my feet never hit the ground for a month.

So I wanted you to know, that kind of love still   (19)   and lives even in the ever-changing world of me, me, me!

 I thought you’d love to  (20)   this story.

 Yours,

Hilary

P.S. The next day, my husband and I bought him a new “used” already shiny motorcycle.

Charlie studied in a famous college for four years．He studied hard and did well in all his subjects．He hoped to become a good teacher．This year he left the college and began to work in a senior high school．He likes his students and is strict with them．He does his best to make his classes lively and interesting．

   One day he carefully explained a chemical reaction(反应) to the students of Grade10 inthe chemistry lab．

   “Be careful，everyone，”he said loudly，“Before I make the experiment，there are 25 atoms of carbon(碳原子)，but after I finish it，there are 24 atoms of carbon left!”

   He stopped to watch the classroom and hoped his students would go on explaining it．But the students looked at each other and nobody answered him．He had to ask，“What happens?What makes the atom lost?”

   The classroom was very quiet and none of the students looked at their teacher．

  “Who can tell us where it has gone?”

   Suddenly a soft voice came from the back row，“We did not see anybody leave the lab．”

 The clock struck eleven at night. The whole house was quiet. Everyone was in bed except me. Under the strong light, I looked sadly before a huge pile of troublesome stuff they call “books”. I was going to have my examination the next day. "When can I go to bed?" I asked myself. I didn’t answer, in fact I dared not.

  The clock struck 12."Oh, dear!" I cried, "ten more books to read before I can go to bed!” We pupils are the most wretched creatures in the world. Dad does not agree with me on this. He did not have to work so hard when he was a boy.”

  The clock struck one. I was quite hopeless now. I forgot all I had learnt. I was too tired to go on. I did the only thing I could. I prayed, “Oh, God, please help me pass the exam tomorrow. I do promise to work hard afterwards, Amen.” My eyes were heavy, so heavy that I could hardly open them. A few minutes later, with my head on the desk, I fell asleep.

It was the first snow of the winter---an exciting day for every child but not for most teachers. Up to now, I had been old enough to dress myself, but today I would need some help. Miss Finlayson, my kindergarten teacher, Ontario, had been through best snow days many times, but I think she may still remember this one.

   I managed to get into my wool snow trousers. But I struggled with my jacket because it didn’t fit well. It was a hand-me-down from my brother, and it made me wonder why I had to wear the ugly clothes. At least my hat and scarf were mine, and they were quite pretty. Finally it was time to have Miss Finlayson help me with my boots.

In her calm, motherly voice she said, “By the end of the winter, you will all be able to put on your own boots.” I didn’t realize at the time that it was more a statement of hope than of confidence.

   I handed her my boots and stuck out my feet. Like most children, I expected the adult to do all the work. After much pushing, she managed to get the first one into place and then, with a sigh, worked the second one on too.

   I announced, “They are on the wrong feet.”

   She struggled to get the boots off and went through the joyless task of putting them on again.

  “They are my brother’s boots, you know, I hate them.”

   Somehow, from long years of practice, she managed to act as though I wasn’t an annoying little girl. She struggled with me. She asked “now, where are your mittens(手套)?”

   I looked into her eyes and said, “I didn’t want to lose them, so I hid them in the toes of my boots.”

(D)

        Tony Bennett，the American singer recently touring Britain，can't remember how many times he has sung his standard hit I Left My Heart in San Francisco. He sang it again to his audience at the London Palladium last night.

      “I never get tired of singing it，”he said.“I like it very much. It's a great city and it's a good song.”

        Bennett is to record a TV special with the American singer Lena Horne while he is here. And a new LP recorded by him in London for Philips titled Listen Easy will be published in June.

     “I like it here，”he added quietly over whiskey.“I would like to live here so many months of the year.”

          He already keeps a large flat in Grosvenor Square，where he is staying with his actress wife Sandie Grant and their three-year-old daughter Joanna. It has a studio where he likes to paint. Tony plans to have his first exhibition later in the year and he has already sold one picture for $ 4，000. At the end of the year Tony is to star in a musical film which has been specially written for him called Two Bits，an informal expression for 50 cents. It's about an Italian immigrant(移民) who goes to America，but he becomes a failure.

         “In many ways it's very close to my life，”said Bennett.“My father，an Italian，was ill and died when I was nine. He always wanted me to sing，but he never lived long enough to be a part of my success.”

The film is to be made by Italy's top director Vittoria De Sica.

A     

There lived a king who liked art. One day an artist offered to paint the most beautiful picture on the wall of his palace.

So the king said，“All right, you may work on one of the walls in the new hall.”

Just then, another artist said, “Please allow me to work on the opposite wall. I shall make exactly what that man will make on the opposite wall. Moreover, I shall do so without looking at his work. I would even request you to have a thick curtain put up between the two walls so that neither of us can see the other.”

Everyone in the king’s court, including the king and the first artist was intrigued. So the king decided to give the second artist a chance.

The following day, a thick curtain was put in place and both the artists got to work. The first artist brought a regular supply of paint, oil and water. But the second one would come with a piece of cloth and a bucket of water every day.

A month later, the first artist said that his work was completed and invited the king to come.

So the king sent a message to the second artist, saying he was coming to see their works that evening.

After seeing the first artist’s wall，the king was very impressed with the painting and gave him a huge sum of money as a reward. He then asked some people to remove the curtain.

The same painting was seen on the opposite wall too! It was exactly like the one on the first wall. But the second artist had not seen what was going on, on the other side of the curtain.

The king gave the second artist a double reward，and then asked，“I am indeed very happy with your work. But how did you do it？”

The man said simply, “It’s very easy！I just polished (擦亮) the wall every day！”

It was a wall made of white marble (大理石)! The fellow polished it till it shone like a mirror. The reflection of the painting across the room showed up in it!

       Charlie and Jackie joined a wholesale company together just after graduation. They both worked very hard.

       After several years, the boss made Jackie sales manager but Charlie remained a salesman. One day Charlie could not take it any more. He handed in his resignation letter (辞职信) to the boss and complained that the boss did not value hard-working employees, but only raised those who tried to please him. He thought that it was really unfair.

       The boss knew that Charlie had spared no effect for the company all these years, but in order to help Charlie to realize the difference between him and Jackie, the boss asked Charlie to do the following: Go and find out if there is anyone selling watermelons in the market. Charlie went, returned and only said, “Yes.” The boss asked, “How much is per kg?” Charlie went back to the market to ask and returned to answer, “$12 per kg.”

       The boss told Charlie that he would ask Jackie the same question. Jackie went, returned and said, “Boss, only one person is selling watermelons. $12 per kg, $100 for 10 kg. He has a total of 340 melons. On the table are 58 melons, and every melon weighs about 15 kg, bought from the South two days ago. They are fresh, red, and of good quality.”

       Charlie was struck and he realized the difference between himself and Jackie. He decided not to leave but to learn from Jackie.

       My dear friends, you know, a more successful person is more observant, thinks more and understands in depth. For the same matter, he sees several years ahead, while you see only tomorrow. The difference between a year and a day is 365 times, so how could you win?

       Think: how far have you seen ahead in your life? How thoughtful are you?

     It was windy and cold when a store owner was sticking a sign above his door that read “Puppies for Sale.” Just as he expected, a little boy soon appeared by the store owner’s sign.

       “How much are you going to sell the puppies for?” he asked. The store owner replied, “$10 for each.” The little boy reached in his pocket and pulled out some change. “I have $2.50,” he said. “May I please look at them?”

       The store owner smiled and whistled, taking out five dogs. One puppy was left behind. Immediately the little boy singled it out and said, “What’s wrong with that little dog?” The store owner explained that the little puppy was disabled. It would always be lame.

       The little boy became excited. “That is the little puppy that I want to buy.” The store owner said, “No, you don’t want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I’ll just give him to you.”

      The little boy got quite upset. He looked into the store owner’s eyes, pointing his finger, and said, “I don’t want you to give him to me. That dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I’ll pay full price. In fact, I’ll give you $2.50 now, and 50 cents a month until I have him paid for.”

      The store owner smiled, “You really don’t want to buy this little dog. He is never going to be able to run and jump and play with you like the other puppies.”

      On hearing this, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace. He looked up at the store owner and softly replied, “Well, I don’t run so well myself, and the little puppy will need someone who understands!”

C

When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings(缺点). Week by week her list grew: I was very thin, I wasn’t a good student, I talked too much, I was too proud, and so on. I tried to hear all this as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.

He listened to me quietly, then he asked. “Are the things she says true or not? Janet, didn’t you ever wonder what you’re really like ? Well, you now have that girl’s opinion. Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true.Payno attention to the other things she said.”       

I did as he told me. To my great surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn’t change (like being very thin), but a good number I could—and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I go to fairly clear picture of myself.          

 I brought the list back to Daddy. He refused to take it.“That’s just for you,” he said.“You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. But you have to learn to listen, not just close your ears in anger and feeling hurt. When something said about you is true, you’ll find it will be of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your duty. Don’t shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you know is the right thing to do.” Daddy’s advice has returned to me at many important moments. In my life, I’ve never had a better piece of advice.