Early one morning, I witnessed romance at one the least-expected places in the world—a room in a rest home. At the time, my father  36  a room with three other gentlemen.
Before my daddy lived in the rest home, an elderly  37  was sent there. Since there wasn’t a double room  38  , they were forced to separate the couple. The gentleman, Mr.West, was  39  in the bed beside Daddy. His wife, Mrs.West, shared a room with several other ladies down the hall.
When I went to see Daddy that morning, I  40  Mr.West. Three employees were working with him. He hadn’t eaten a bite of food  41  he was sent several days earlier. I could  42  by the expression on the nurses’ faces that they were worried about him. Mr.West  43  to open his mouth for any of them.
“Go and get Mrs.West, ” the nurse told her helper. “Maybe Mr.West will eat  44  her. ”
In a few minutes a kind-looking lady was  45  into the room. Her smile was contagious（傳染的）and Mr.West smiled  46  . I felt as though I was intruding（侵入）on a  47  moment, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the couple. The love between them was obvious, as Mrs.West patted Mr.West’s hand.
With a soft voice, Mrs.West tried to 48  Mr.West to eat. To everyone’s surprise, Mr.West  49  his mouth and began to enjoy the  50  and his wife’s company. While the nurses fed him, he stared at his sweetheart with a smile on his face. Mrs.West began singing a song for him. The  51  on his once solemn（嚴(yán)肅的）face became even brighter.
Tears  52  my eyes. The nurse then  53  the curtain around the couple to give them some quality time alone. I discovered that  54  doesn’t only exist when we’re young and in love. Romance  55  a lifetime and grows stronger with age.

After the earthquake hit northeast Japan on March 11, 2011, many touching stories that I saw with my own eyes happened around me.
I had to walk home since all the   36  had stopped after the quake. On my way home I   37 an old Japanese lady at the bakery shop who was giving out free bread, which made my heart  38 . A middle-aged Japanese man was holding a sign that read, “Please use our   39 .” He was   40 his house for people to go to the restroom.
My friend wanted to  41 others. He stood in the cold with a sign “If you are okay with a motorcycle, I will   42  you to your house.” And then I saw him take one gentleman home, all the way to a faraway place!
Then the next day I drove to  43 my car with gas. There was a  44 of gas now and many gasoline stations were either closed or had very  45 lines. I got   46 , since I was behind 15 cars. Finally, when it was my   47 , the man smiled and said, “  48 this situation, we are only selling each person $ 30 worth of gas. Is that alright?” “Of course, I’m just glad that we are all able to   49 ,” I said. His smile gave me so much   50 .
I saw a man at the evacuation (疏散) center  51 when people brought food to him, It was the first time in three days that food has been brought to their center. However, after he wiped the tears, his next 52  surprised me. “I am very   53  that we are provided with food. But people in the city next to us haven’t   54  any food at all. Please go to that centre as well.” And when hearing that, I realized there is a bright future on the other side of this   55  .

Charles R. Drew was a medical student at Columbia University in New York. Before he graduated, he wrote an article __36___ blood bank, that is, the storing of blood. Up till then, a lot of people had died from loss of blood __37___ there was no blood bank.
When the United States entered the Second World War, it became __38___ to set up blood banks. Dr Drew became _39___ of the Red Cross’s first blood bank. When the Red Cross __40___ blood banks to collect and store blood for men __41__ in battle, black American gave blood along with the whites. At ___42__ their blood was not accepted. Later blood from the blacks was ___43___ but was stored in a __44___ place from “white” blood. Although the best doctors __45___ that there was _46___ difference at all between the blood of blacks and whites, the Red Cross, with the support of the government, __47___ to separate black blood from white blood.
After the war, Dr Drew was ___48__ from Washington with three other doctors to attend a medical meeting in a southern state. In northern Carolina their car went __49___ a ditch（深溝）and Dr Drew was _50___ hurt. He had lost __51__ blood by the time a passing car took him to the __52___ hospital. But they were stopped at the gate of the hospital. “__53__him to the hospital for blacks.” No matter __54___ they said, they could not get into the hospital. They had to take him to the __55___ hospital, but on the way Dr Drew died because he had lost too much blood.

One day at the day care centre（日間托兒所）I watched a mother try to pick up her daughter. The girl wanted to go to McDonald’s. The mother replied, “Susie, not tonight. Maybe we can go tomorrow.”. Susie  16 dropped to the floor, kicking and screaming. “I want to …”
Her mother tried to  17  Susie’s tantrum（發(fā)脾氣）. Finally her mother  18 . I was surprised that we could have almost anything we wanted by throwing a tantrum.
That day my mother 19 me up early because we were going to a department to do the shopping for 20  Day. I was excited to see a toy telephone. Looking lovingly 21 at my mother, I asked, “Can I have that telephone?”
She replied, “Baby, not now, but  22 you are a good girl, maybe Santa Clause will 23 you.” “But Mama, I want that telephone right now,” I said. My mother’s eyes   24 and her hand tightened（緊握）on mine. “Becky, you   25 have that telephone today, and if you  26 you can have a spanking（打屁股）.”
We were standing in the long   27 ,and I knew from my experience that it was now or   28 . So I lay down on the ground and began screaming, “I want that telephone.” Tired Christmas   29 looked as my mother calmly said, “Becky, you’d better get up by the   30 of three or else.” “One…Two…Three.” But I was   31 in full tantrum. Then she lay down beside me on the   32
and began screaming, “I want a new car, I want some jewellery, I want…”
  33 , I stood up. “Mama, stop, Mama, get up,” I tearfully 34 .
She stood up. The others waiting began to laugh. The next thirty minutes was complete  35 for me. Then one parent said to me with a smile, “I bet you’ll never try that again”.     

I don’t remember her name and would not recognize her if I were to pass her on the street. But I do__36__the kindness given by a stranger and the difference it has made in my life.
One Sunday, I was told to dress in my best clothes for I was going to __37__ . She smiled brightly as I got into her car, the car of a __38__I did not even know her name, but here I was , along with four others I __39__from our low-income neighborhood, on our way to church.
As we __40__ into the parking lot, I remember how beautiful the old stone building was with its tall steeple(尖塔)and stained glass windows. The__41__seemed long, and not accustomed to the rituals(儀式)of the Catholic Church, I felt out of place. Once the service had ended, I __42__ to be taken home, but __43__ we headed in the opposite direction. We were taken to a small__44__with the furnishings that portrayed a simple lifestyle. Two tables were set up with large boxes__45__ puzzles. As she made us hot chocolate, we were__46__ to begin working the puzzles. It was a quiet and happy time.
I came to __47__ Sundays，to hot chocolate, to puzzles that__48__ where we had left off the week before, and to the love I felt whenever she __49___at me .
Once our 1,000-piece puzzles had been completed, she no longer came to__50__us up on Sundays .I was told she was__51__ and no longer able to travel. However, I _52__ if perhaps it was time for her to “rescue” the next group of children. To give them hope that kindness still__53__ and can be found within those we call strangers.
I am forty-four years old now and often show__54__to strangers when given the chance. I know she may not move amongst us now, but I hope she smiles when she sees that her efforts to reach out to those less fortunate__55__.

After forty-three years I have forgotten the name of the old lady, who was a   16   on the newspaper route in my hometown when I was a twelve-year-old boy. Yet it remains in my memory that she taught me a lesson in     17   that I shall never forget.
On a winter afternoon, my fellows and I were throwing stones onto the slanted (傾斜的) roof of the old lady’s house to observe how the stones    18    off the roof’s edge and shot out like missiles. I found a   19   smooth rock and threw it out, but it  20  straight not for the roof but for a small window of the old lady’s house.   21   the sound of broken glass, we knew we were in trouble. We ran faster than any of our   22    flew off her roof.
I was so   23   about getting caught that first night   24   I was not concerned about the old lady with the broken window in winter.    25  , a few days later I started to feel guilty for her misfortune. She    26   greeted me with a smile when I gave her the newspaper, but I was no longer able to act    27   in her presence.
I    28   my mind that I would save my newspaper delivery money, and in three weeks I had seven dollars. I put the money in an envelop with a    29   explaining that I was sorry for breaking her window and hope that the seven dollars would    30   the cost for repairing it.
I waited until it was     31     to avoid being seen, and put the letter I didn’t    32   into her yard. To my relief, I could have the   33  of, once again, looking straight into the old lady’s kind eyes.
The next day, I handed the old lady her newspaper. She thanked me and gave me a bag of cookies she had made herself.   34  eating cookies, I felt an envelope and pulled it out of the bag. After opening it, I was shocked. Inside were the seven dollars and a short note    35  , “I’m proud of you.”

When I was young, I belonged to a club that did community service work. There was one specific__16_ that was unusual for me. I spent three or four hours handing out warm dinner to the homeless out in the streets. After that I went to a homeless shelter not far from the Bay Bridge.
I was in high school and at the time my sister was too young to  17  . She wanted to help, 18  she made four or five dozen chocolate chip cookies for me to  19  and hand out to people. When _20_ to the homeless shelter, I passed out the _21_ meals. I began making sandwiches and   22   them with the crowd. I had the containers with my  23  cookies in them and began to  24  , offering them to anyone near me.
I  25  an old gentleman and said, “ Sir, would you like a cookie?” He stopped and turned around, looked at me rightly and said, “ What did you say? Did you call me sir?” I told him I __26_, and his eyes   27   a little bit and said,  “ No one has  28   called me sir.’ So he was completely moved.
It __29_  me.
I explained I had been raised that  30  color and social status, everyone deserved(應(yīng)得) respect. It   31   me to think that just because he was homeless, no one  32   him the honor. It broke my heart. I just didn’t understand   33 no one ever called him sir? I had never thought that anyone was below me because I wasn’t raised that way. Every   34   person deserves to be treated with respect. Years later, I still carry that memory and the __35__ it taught me. Sometimes, what we take for granted can really make a difference in someone’s life.
How have you made a difference to others? How have others made a difference to you?

Several years ago, while attending a communication course, I experienced a most unusual process. The instructor asked us to list __16__ in our past that we felt __17__ of, regretted, or incomplete about and read our lists aloud.
This seemed like a very __18__ process, but there’ s always some __19__ soul in the crowd who will volunteer. The instructor then __20__ that we find ways to __21__ people, or take some action to right any wrong doings. I was seriously wondering how this could ever __22__ my communication.
Then the man next to me raised his hand and volunteered this story: “Making my  _23__, I remembered an incident from high school. I grew up in a small town. There was a Sheriff __24__ of us kids liked. One night, my two buddies and I decided to play a __25__ on him.
After drinking a few beers, we climbed the tall water tank in the middle of the town, and wrote on the tank in bright red paint: Sheriff Brown is a sob.(畜生). The next day, almost the whole town saw our glorious __26__. Within two hours, Sheriff Brown had us in his office. My friends told the truth but I lied. No one __27__ found out.”
“Nearly 20 years later, Sheriff Brown’s name __28__ on my list. I didn’t even know if he was still __29__. Last weekend, I dialed the information in my hometown and found there was a Roger Brown still listed. I tried his number. After a few __30__, I heard, “Hello?” I said, “Sheriff Brown?” Paused. “Yes.” “Well, this is Jimmy Calkins.”
“And I want you to know that I did it？”Paused. “I knew it!” he yelled back. We had a good laugh and a __31__ discussion. His closing words were: “Jimmy, I always felt bad for you __32__ your buddies got it off their chest, but you were carrying it __33___ all these years. I want to thank you for calling me...for your sake.”
Jimmy inspired me to __34__ all 101 items on my list within two years, and I always remember what I learned from the course: It’s never too late to __35__ the past wrong doings.

The young boy and his father sat quietly watching the snow fall on a snowy Saturday afternoon.
“Dad, my friend told me that every snowflake is  36   . But they look all the same to me. How can we tell?” the child asked.
Dad felt it was his  37 to give a more satisfying answer. “Son, snowflakes are like people. We are each   38 in a very special way. We can test it right now,” he said.
The child stood up, put out his hands, and  39 as snowflakes landed on his gloves. “These snowflakes are all different on my gloves, but those in the yard look the same. Together they are even more_ 40 and striking. Then if people are like snowflakes, why don't they    41 ?”
“Choice,”Dad said. "Their choices  42  them what they are.”
“  43  choice is a bad thing?” the boy asked.
“Oh, no. Only when we choose the 44 things.”
“How do we tell right from wrong?" the child asked.
Dad was given the chance to build upon the foundation of his son's  45  . He reached down and began to  46  with the snow. He  47  the snow into two sides, three large snowballs on one side and several smaller ones on the other.
“Which side did the right thing?” he asked the boy.
The child looked at both sides but 48   answer. Then Dad placed the three larger snowballs on top of each other.
“It’ s a snowman! The side 49  made me snowman!” the boy replied with  50
Yes, all these people came together and recognized how special each of them was, so they joined in a(n) 51   to build up mankind,” Dad said.                    
The child then stood up and  52 an arm full of the smaller snowballs. One by one he began to throw them at the other small piles of snow. He said,”This is what happens when people can't work together. They have a(n)  53  .”
Dad was shocked. He stood up, lifted the boy and  54 him tightly, whispering to him, “I hope that your world will learn to work and live together. I hope you will make the right   55 
and learn to build the best snowman ever.”

I became a gardener when I was twelve. My early   36  of gardening may not have originated from my love for nature. It was to   37  my parents.
At that time, we had a big yard in which a beautiful maple tree stood. But my mother often looked with  38  at this work of natural art. Those golden leaves seemed like tons of rubbish to her, “something else to   39  !”Seeing the neighbors busy with gardening, my father even thought it a waste of time.
At that age, I always did something   40   to whatever my parents did!If gardening were something they found  41  , I would plant a garden!
I planted some lily(百合花)seeds in the yard. But they failed to   42 . I continued to plant sunflower seeds and roses. Wild  43 joy, I found the first rose bloom(開花). One by one, the flowers bloomed their heads off. 44  , I was touched by this land of wonder.
  45 , my parents showed no interest in my garden. My father even   46  at me because he found it was  47  to move around my garden to the driveway. To my mother’s   48  , I put in her vase my real roses which, in her eyes, were simply weeds 49  flowers.
Regardless of their   50  , I kept on planting my garden and  51 to enjoy the pleasure of gardening. Plants make such good companions: they breathe, they bloom, they   52  to care and love.
It has been many years since I made my first garden out of my desire to  53  my parents. Today I become known as Mrs. Greenthumbs, teaching gardening and hosting a gardening show, which makes my parents feel very   54  . And now I could say it is my affection for  55   that makes me a real gardener.