People from every corner flooded into the streets that Christmas Eve. “Frosty the Snowman,” and “Jingle Bells” 1 in stores; on the pavements, the street singers performed happily. Everyone, was2 by someone else, delighted and cheerful. I was alone.
As one of 8 kids of a Brazilian family, brought up in America's crowded apartment, I'd spent several years searching for aloneness. Now, 3, at 27, a college student after the 4 with my girlfriend , every cell inside me wanted to be alone, 5 not at Christmas. My family had 6 to Brazil and my friends were 7 with their own lives. Dusk was approaching, and the fact that I had to return to my 8 home made me sad. Lights from windows blinked, and I hoped someone would 9 from one of those homes to invite me inside with a Christmas tree decorated with shiny fake snow and 10 presents.
At a market, I felt more 11 when people were buying lots of goods, which 12 the gifts we received as children in my mind . I missed my family and wanted to cry for wanting to be alone and for having achieved it.
Outside the church , a manger(小耶稣) had been set 13. I stood with others watching the scene, some of them 14themselves, praying. As I walked home, I realized that leaving Brazil was still a painful experience as I struggled with 15 I had become in 15 years in America. I'd mourned the 16, but for the first time, I recognized what I'd gained. I was independent, 17 and healthy. My life was still ahead, full of 18.
Sometimes the best gift is the one that you give yourself. That Christmas, I gave myself 19 for what I'd obtained up to now and promise to go forward. It is the best gift I've ever got, the one that I most 20.
When I was just out of college, I managed to get my dream job as a trader in New York City on the floor of the American Stock（股票）exchange.
Though it was a proud1,the job was simply too physically2—I must stand in a crowd every day, which often3me in a mindset（心态）that held me back.
Manhattan is a walking town and it's difficult to 4when you have a disability. Taxis are expensive and riding the subway 5dozens of steep steps to get below 6.This left me only one7—the bus.
One night, after the 8for my job, I was aching with self-pity9it started to rain on my walk to the bus stop. I became more and more10without an umbrella, thinking I'd never11it in this city. Telling myself, "this city is just too hard" and "maybe it is just not possible for a guy like me".
And then, I 12the most beautiful, short moment. A couple came rolling by on roller skates, hand13hand as they skated what seemed like the tango. They were all wet but they saw the14as an opportunity and romance.
I suddenly became grateful for waiting in the rain because I15have missed this beauty16if I had been in a taxi or on the subway. This, although 17, was an important moment on my journey to discovering the18of achieving health and happiness. When I change my mindset,19for a moment, to what is possible and work to get rid of the self-limiting beliefs that20my daily actions, I will be on the road to a healthier, happier life.
When I was in junior high school, what my friends thought of me was really important to me. During those years, I grew much1 than most of my peers (同龄人）.Being so tall made me feel2In order to keep the focus off my unusual 3I went along with the crowd who would4 other kids at school. It made sure that the tricks were 5at others, and not at me.
Once before a 6 class, my friends and I played a7trick on one of the kids on the basketball team, which made him terribly embarrassed. I thought it was going to be funny,8 it all ended up that no one thought it was. My parents didn’t always think that my 9 was funny. They reminded me about “The Golden Rules”: to 10others as I would like to be treated. What I was doing was11other kids, and in turn hurting my 12 as someone to be looked up to. My friends were looking up to me 13I was tall, but what did they see? "
My parents wanted me to be a leader who set a good 14 to others. They taught me to set my own goals, and to do the 15at everything that I set out to do. They told me to be the leader that I was 16 to be — to be a big man in ray heart and actions, as well as in my body. I had to 17myself whether or not I would be the kind of leader and person my parents 18 I was inside, but I knew in my heart that they were 19
“Be a leader, Shaquille, not a(n)20 Since people already have to look up to you, give them a good reason to do so.”
It was pouring rain. I was starving and decided to1to a McDonald's near a hospital. When I went to order, I saw a young man, about 20, dirty, and2He had a loosely wrapped dirty bandage around his right hand; I noticed this3I am a nurse. He was talking to the glass door, as the wind and rain blew.
Before my order came up, he had4outside, holding an empty plastic bag, and sat on the ground. I knew that it was freezing out there, even if it was California. I5looking at him, then I noticed a wet $20 bill6 the double glass doors.
I walked outside. He was, again, speaking to things or7that you and I could not see, that is, not part of our8. I kept asking him, “Is this your $20?” He was confused, then he jumped up,9holding his empty plastic bag. I led him to the10, telling him that I wanted him to 11.
The other patients shied away from him, making a wide12around him. I guided him to the counter to 13. Several workers said, “We don't want to give him anything.” “But he has14now,” I told them. Somehow the young man ordered, then seemed extremely15as to what to do.
I guided him to a seat, handed his food.16his soda, and brought him lots of ketchup(番茄酱). Again, all other tables around him vacated(空出)their seats and looked at me17. I opened his sandwiches, and set his meal up. I wish I had a18end to this true story,19, at that point, it was all I could 20, as I had to get back to work.
As my husband, Doug, stood on the busy New York city street trying to stop a taxi, I tried to protect my daughter from the cold December wind and rain. I put my head down to kiss her tiny face.
1and wet, my husband gave up his attempt to flag down a taxi. I knew the2. Just after her first birthday, we were told our daughter Katie has a3 brain illness. Since that moment, Doug and I felt like runners in a marathon race where the finish line kept4. We knew Katie was running out of 5It had taken months before we finally had a name for the 6 but we were told only a few of specialists in the world knew how to7 it. Now, as we finally found a brilliant doctor to8 our girl, we were in a strange 9in the cold rain.
Just at the moment, a middle-aged woman pulled over and said, “Pardon me? May I offer you a(n)10?” Before we could say anything, she continued, “It's really no11 for me. Just get in.”It was then that I noticed her thick Irish accent, which 12 me up like hot soup. We simply said, “Thanks! Roosevelt Hospital, please,” as we got in her car for the ride.
“Are you going 13 the baby?”she asked us. I nodded my head, holding back my.14. At the hospital, we 15her a dozen times for the ride. As the woman hugged me, I16her face was wet with tears. She promised to17 for us before she left.
After three more visits to New York and two more 18 operations, Erica is cured. But the19 of the Irish Angel still rang as a constant reminder of a tiny ray of light that appeared in our20 days.
As science developed rapidly in the direction of technology, it supplies man a better and more comfortable 1. Men will be working shorter and shorter hours,2 and housewives will also be able to have more free time. Can you 3 doing housework without a housewife? Scientists believe this will 4 into realities in not very long time, and perhaps during your lifetime house-robots will take 5 of housewives.
When I 6 this kind of machine with housewives, some 90 percent of them replied 7 “How soon can I buy one?” The other 10 percent said, “I would be terrified to see it8 about my house.” But when I explained to them that it could be turned 9 or stopped, they quickly realized that it was a 10 object.
In my own 11 we have found that the washing-up machine is regarded as a good12in the room. There's no greater13than to go to bed in the evening and 14 that the washing-up is being done downstairs after we are 15.
Some families would 16 to have their robot slaves 17 all the downstairs housework after they were in 18 at night, while others would have it19 in the mornings. But this would be entirely a matter of20.
Once a little boy found a caterpillar（蝴蝶幼虫）. After he was allowed to 1 it at home, the little boy got a large box from his mother and put plants to eat, and a 2 to climb on. One day the caterpillar climbed up the stick and started acting 3. The boy worriedly called his mother who came and understood that the caterpillar was creating a cocoon（茧）. The mother 4 how the caterpillar was going to go through a(n) 5 and become a butterfly.
The little boy watched every day, 6 the coming out of the butterfly. One day it happened, a small hole 7 in the cocoon and the butterfly started to struggle（挣扎）to come out. At first the boy was 8, but soon he became concerned. The butterfly was struggling so hard. But it looked like it was making no 9. Longing to see it out, the boy 10 to help. He cut the cocoon with scissors to make the hole 11 and the butterfly quickly flew out!
To his 12, the butterfly had an unexpectedly large body and small wings. He 13 to watch the butterfly, hoping that the wings would dry out, enlarge and expand to support the huge body. 14 nothing happened! It never was able to 15.
The boy tried to 16 what had gone wrong. To help him, his mother took him to talk to a scientist. He 17 that the butterfly was supposed to struggle. Without the struggle, the butterfly would never fly. The boy's good wish 18 the butterfly.
As you go through school, and life, keep in mind that struggling is an important part of any experience for 19. It is the struggle that 20 us to develop our ability to fly.
There were times when I wanted to be a fashion designer, a model or a rock star but I gave up on all of them halfway. The only thing I stuck with was 1.
That's why this"100 Days of Self Love" project was both such a(n) 2and a challenge.
The3 I set for myself were simple: one self-portrait(自画像) a day for 100 days. 4my own advice, I wanted to achieve something 5of my day job.6 did I get a sketchbook （素描本） to keep forever out of this project，but I also got a little better with my work ethic （道德标准），7 my skills and learned some 8 lessons. Besides, I 9 to myself that I could do it .I learned to look at myself.
In our self－obsessed（沉迷于自我的）10, we take pictures of our face11 without a second thought. I wanted to find out the 12of "self” and see what I could learn. I quickly13 that I never looked at my face so 14 .
By about day 20, I got a good sense of what I looked like. I could draw myself pretty well. My face was 15to me —-instead of just being the image in the mirror.
Drawing my face every day for 100 days was difficult. But I 16it! I now have a sketchbook that I could keep for years. Although things are not17, I' m still proud that I finished this project.
This project was a good 18 that if I set my 19 on something —-and if I' m actually crazy about it —I can do it.
And 20 I can do this, what else can't I achieve?
The school held a teacher-parent meeting. A mother was asked to attend his son's school's first teacher-parent meeting. To the little boy's 1, she said she would go. This was the first time that his classmates and teacher 2 his mother and he felt 3 of her appearance. Although she was a 4 woman, there was a severe scar (疤痕) that 5 nearly the entire right side of her face. The boy never wanted to 6 why or how she got the scar.
The people at the meeting were 7 by the kindness and natural beauty of his mother in spite of the scar, 8 the little boy was still embarrassed (尴尬) and 9 himself from everyone. However, he could 10 a conversation between his mother and his teacher.
The teacher asked 11, “How did you get the scar on your face?”
The mother replied, “12 my son was a baby, he was in a room that caught fire. Everyone was 13 afraid to go in because the fire was 14, so I went in. As I was running toward his bed, I saw a long piece of wood coming down and I placed myself over him trying to protect him. I was knocked 15 but fortunately, a fireman came in and saved both of us.” She 16 the burned side of her face.” This scar will be 17, but to this day, I have never 18 what I did.”
Hearing this，the little boy came out running toward his mother with tears in his eyes. He held her in his arms and felt a great 19 of the sacrifice (牺牲) that his mother had made for him. He held her hand 20 for the rest of the day.
Many years ago at Christmas time I parked my car in the town centre on my way to the post office to post my Christmas cards. It was the last posting day for Christmas cards if they were to be1before Christmas.2I came out of the car park I saw a boy who was3and holding his right hand side. I 4some bigger boys had perhaps bullied him and he was in5. I had to go to his aid and see if I could6.
He told me that his sister who was a7had bought him a Christmas present. It was a mobile phone. He only had it days when he8it and cracked the screen! That's9he was holding his right hand side of his body—his mobile phone was in the upper right hand pocket of his coat. The little guy was extremely 10, tears rolling down his face as he told all this to me. My heart11for him. It was clear he12his present and knew that this was a lot of money for his 13to spend on him, for nurses didn't make much money. He'd been to a phone shop and they'd told him it would be ￡80 to get a new14.
I had to help, though I was15to make ends meet myself. I searched my purse and gave the boy the only ￡20 I could find and made some16as to why I could only give him so little. I didn't want him to know it was all I had until pay day. I could not17pay for his phone to be repaired but I hope the18he received from a stranger was19that stayed with him when he became a man.
The Christmas cards not getting posted somehow didn't seem20; greater issues had been addressed with a kindness stamp.
I've learned a lesson that accepting kindness is important, too. I'm a social worker and have been 1 more time recently with those unlucky people that some might say are less 2. I had a wonderful interaction (互动) this past week, when I had the 3 of being the receiver of kindness. I was speaking to a gentleman who has bad luck and is in 4. We were just talking for a while and getting to 5 each other.
Towards the end of our evening he said he wanted to 6 me a hamburger at the nearby fast food restaurant. In time before, I would have 7 that he let me buy him a meal, since he had a greater 8 than I. But my kindness experience has taught me the 9 of being a good receiver, too. So I told him if he 10 wanted to do that I would be 11 to share a meal with him.
It was great! He was so happy to be able to 12 something like that and he was 13 the entire time. I felt glad to 14 the wonderful feeling of someone's giving. We 15 some great conversation and I could see it 16 so much to him.
As we parted ways, instead of me feeling bad that he probably spent his last few 17 on our meal, I smiled and felt with a wonderful 18 of connection and gratitude. It's not only fun to be a receiver of kindness, 19 this also gives someone else the chance to be the 20. That is important, too.
When I was in middle school, my father went to my school and drove me home every Friday afternoon. On the way home, we usually talked and laughed. How happy we were!
One day, my 1 was driving me home as usual. But to my surprise, he didn't say a word 2 the way home. It seemed that he was not very well. "Are you sick Dad?" I asked him. "No, dear. Don't worry," he answered.
Later at home, I found my father smoking in the balcony(阳台). And I knew he had stopped 3 many years before. Something must be wrong with him. So I went to my mother and told her about my worries. My mother 4 me that my father had been out of work for several days, and he hadn't got a new 5 yet. Hearing this, I felt sorry and 6. Whenever I had 7 , my father always encouraged me. The next day, I made a card for my father. I wrote some words on it to 8 him. My father was moved to tears. He hugged me and said," Thank you, dear. Everything will be fine soon."
Our parents always take good care of us, 9 some of us never think about them. How selfish we are! As teenagers, we should not only care about ourselves, but also 10 our parents and other people
"Do I really want to go through with this?" Have you ever asked yourself that 1 ? Sometimes in life, there are moments when you 2 if you will be able to handle the responsibilities ahead of you. For me, these 3 come daily, whether it's taking a test or working. But one Saturday afternoon, my family and I were 4 around when my dad pulled into a small mall. Little did I realize, we were going to a 5 store where a new member would be 6 to our family.
As my 7 parked our car, I figured we would just take a 8 look and then leave. After a while, my dad called us over. He was standing next to my mom, looking at several 9 . I began to think, "Are we 10 a cat"? My dad asked, "So guys, you like any of these?" My brother said "Yes!" before I could even open my 11 .
When I pictured feeding the cat, cleaning it and giving it water, all of these responsibilities felt 12 to me. Would I be able to handle it? 13 , I would have to live a more adult-like 14 if I got a cat. Later on, after 15 that we should get a cat, I thought about this new phase of my life. I realized that the 16 I make can affect my future.
Looking back, I find that I have been able to 17 the responsibility of owning a cat. Some tasks may be 18 , but that doesn't 19 they can't be accomplished. You simply20 to do your best in order to push past them.
Word came that a 13-year-old girl fell into a sewer(下水道) and was rescued. The girl, Alice, was 1for more than 12 hours in the city's 2underground sewage system. It was filled with waste liquids and other waste materials 3 a a disgusting smell, which was 4.
Alice had been playing at a public park with other kids during a family 5on Sunday. At one point, the children were on pieces of wood that 6 an opening leading to the sewage system. One of the wooden boards 7suddenly. Then Alice quickly fell about six meters down and 8 in fast-moving waste water. The other children 9told adults what had just happened. The adults quickly made an emergency call for help. Rescuers immediately began 10 Alice underground— they set cameras on floatation devices, which they put into the sewage system.
Rescuers finally11 Alice after seeing image of fingerprints on a pipe. A crew of 12 also hurried to the area and opened a hole. The first thing they heard from the girl was “help!”. Hearing Alice's cry, the workers lowered down a 13 and strong rope to her. The girl 14 onto the rope while the workers 15 her up. By the time Alice was found, about 700 meters of pipes had been 16 during a 12-hour period, she was taken to the hospital for a full 17 examination and then to 18 with her family.
More than 100 people took part in the rescue 19, Alice was able to find a small area of breathable air and 20 there until she was found.
Some American leaders proposed major1in the language. Benjamin Franklin wanted a whole2system of spelling. His3were not accepted. But his ideas did4others. One was Noah Webster.
Webster5language books for schools. He believed the United States should have a system of its own language as well as government. Webster6a dictionary of the American language in 1828. It established7for speaking and spelling the words8in American English.
Webster wrote that all words should be said in the order of the9that spell them. This is why Americans use the letters "e-r" to10many words instead of the British "r-e." He11the word "center," for example, "c-e-n-t-e-r," instead of the British "c-e-n-t-r-e."
Noah Webster said every part of a word should be12. That is why Americans say "sec-re-ta-ry" instead of "sec-re-try," as the British do. Webster's rule for saying every part of a13to a large extent made American English14for foreign settlers to15. They learned to say "waist-coat," for example, the way it is spelled instead of the British "wes-kit."
The different16of many people who came to the United States also17make American and British English18. Many of their foreign words and19became part of English as Americans20 it today.
Jake and Max Klein are twin brothers who have a passion for volunteering. Their family have always done community1. At a young age, they chose to 2 family's gifts at their birthday parties, but asked them to donate money to a charity. When they were seven, Jake and Max were interested in 3 with a family friend at the local homeless shelter to help cook. 4, he turned them down because they were too 5 and they had to be fourteen to cook. This led them on an endless 6 to come up with a way to help other kids who were also facing a 7 challenging: wanting to help but 8 because of their age.
So, Kids That Do Good was 9 to show ways to kids or adults, at any age, they could join the community and make a 10. The small 11 has grown into a large website that brings thousands of 12 visitors each year. Jake and Max say that their website brings 35,000 unique viewers, of those viewers, Kids That Do Good has 13 kids to 16,000 organizations.
Jake and Max are 14 with school and afterclass activities and other community service promises. Kids That Do Good also has blog posts that advise kids on 15 their own charitable event.
It happened on a rainy Saturday morning last month. My wife Catherine and I were driving along what some people called moose (麋鹿) alley. It was so 1 that there were few cars on the road. 2, something happened. A moose jumped out across our path. I had been driving for years and was good at driving. In order to 3 knocking into the moose, I made a quick turn to the other lane. If I had not done that, the moose might have been killed, and my wife and I might have got 4, too. A few seconds later, when I 5 and looked back in my rear view mirror, the moose was getting up and then ran into the bush. Shaken but 6, we both looked at each other with a surprised expression.
From then on, I often thought about the relationship between humans and 7. We know that animal species have appeared and disappeared 8 since life began on the Earth. This is a (n) 9 phenomenon. However, animal species have been 10 at a much faster rate for about a century now 11 human factors such as pollution.
Certain philosophers and scientists keep repeating that if we don't save animals, how we will be able to save ourselves. A better 12 of animals gives us a better understanding of our own species. The13 to protect animals and nature in general14 the value of a society. And all animals play roles in nature and have a right to 15. Therefore, I think we should try our best to save endangered animals, because humans cannot live on the Earth alone.
“Ding... ding...,” the bell rang. The English teacher came into the classroom with test papers in his hand. All the students shouted. The teacher1with a smile on his face, “I know there are too many tests for you these days, but the test today is very2.” After hearing the teacher's words, all the students sat up straight and 3for the test to begin. The teacher started to4the test papers to each student.5he finished handing out the test papers, he asked them to begin.
There was not a question but only a small black “X” in the middle of the paper. The students were very6to see that. The teacher 7 the students' surprise. Then he said, “I would like you to8about what you see there. You must finish it all by9 .”
All the students thought about it hard and then wrote down their answers quietly. At the end of the class, the teacher collected their papers and read the answers. 10 of them described the black “X”. The next day, the teacher said, “Everybody only paid attention to the black 'X', but 11 wrote about the white paper.” The whole class listened 12 , because they worried that they might fail the exam.
Then the teacher said, “Don't worry about the 13 of this test. I just want you to think about your life.” Everyone smiles. The teacher added, “The white paper is like our whole life and the black 'X' in the middle of the paper is just 14 problems in our daily life. Do you have some more thoughts?”
Then the students discussed and expressed 15 opinions actively. Finally they understood the teacher and this special test.
Our life is a 16 given to us by God, with love and care.17, we just care about the problems like illness and hunger, and never see that these problems are much18 than everything else we have in our life.
We should try to take our eye off problems and 19 each moment life gives us. Only then can we start a nice 20 and find true happiness in our lives.
Zigfried, a little mouse, blew his breath on the frosty window of the farmhouse and rubbed it to see the outside. Still nobody came. Maybe today, he thought 1. It was only a few days before Christmas and he was watching for a miracle(奇迹).
This farmhouse had been2 too long. It needed a family. Zigfried's 3 made a noise. He realised that he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. He jumped from the windowsill(窗台), grabbed a 4 from his home, and went next door to Farmer Mike's.
Farmer Mike's house had been a great place for the little mouse 5 the farmer married a wife who had a cat. Zigfried 6 when he thought of it. He looked around cautiously as he stole into the room where grain was stored and was quite 7 as he filled his bag with wheat. He was turning to leave when suddenly he felt a hot breath about his ear. His heart beat 8, and without thinking he started to run and luckily escaped the cat's paws(爪子).
The next afternoon Zigfried heard some good news: a 9 family would be moving into the farmhouse soon. Zigfried's granny would arrive on Christmas Eve to 10 with him. He hoped that the family would come before his granny came. Before long, a car came 11 the road leading to the house, with butter sandwiches, cheese and chocolate.
Zigfried's Christmas miracle did arrive!
The house came alive the next few days. Zigfried 12 every single hour of them. 13, the day before Christmas when he was drinking hot chocolate with a 14 smile at the door of his home, he heard the discussion of the children of the family about what they might get for Christmas. What? A cat? The 15 froze on his face; his mouth fell wide open. After a long while, he at last found his voice: "Hey! Whose Christmas miracle is this?"
After a hard week, I wanted to have a good rest. I went to the near beach for some1time with myself. It was a lovely, warm weekend in California, kids joyfully2in the water, or building sandcastles.
When I was to leave, I3 a girl playing by herself. She built a little sandcastle with a moat (护城河) around it and was trying to fill it with water. Unfortunately, there was no4around to carry water. She would go to the waves,5her hands and then walk back to her little castle. 6 ， not much of the water was making it to the moat. But she kept trying, still smiling and7. As I was standing there watching her feeling helpless, I8that I had a bottle of water in my bag. I quickly 9my bag，took out the bottle , and walked over to 10it to her. Confused at first, she smiled but11her head shyly, saying no. I told her that it would make getting the water much faster. She12and finally took it from my hands after I insisted (坚持), Looking back, I saw her running over to the sea with a big smile,13in hand.
As for me, it was a small 14. But I also know that when she meets someone in need, maybe, she would think of this little act of kindness by a15. And maybe she would help create a little gentler world around her.
