【推荐2】An American in Beijing lives his Chinese dream

Gao Tianrui walks along streets in Beijing’s Xicheng district as     1     public security volunteer.    2     (wear) his bright red armband (红袖章) and speaking fluent Mandarin, 62-year-old Gao Tianrui could     3     (take) for any regular Chinese man. But on     4     (close) inspection, things are not quite     5     they seem: Gao’s real name is Terry Crossman and he is from the United States. He is now a member of “Xicheng Dama”, that is, volunteers, usually women in late middle-age,    6     walk along the streets of downtown Beijing’s Xicheng district. Terry said that, at first, he saw the group as busybodies, but     7     (gradual) he saw that it was a good thing for retired seniors     8     (help) others.

He is often seen giving tourists     9     (direction), getting water for a baby and even helping a neighbor sell yogurt. “I like helping others,” he said, “I live in the hutong and my neighbors and I usually help each other ... This is where I live, where my friends are and where I call home.” Crossman     10     (become) interested in Chinese culture as a teenager when he read Tao Te Ching by Laozi.

Owen Estee and Zach Appel found a way to both teach the sport     1     they love and help people in need.

The Acalanes High School lacrosse (长曲棍球)     2     (play) in the San Francisco Bay Area started “Lacrosse Against Hunger”, a plan to teach little children the basics of the sport for $25 a lesson and sent the money to a food organization that collects food for the     3     (hunger). So far, the 15-year-olds have raised more than $20,000. It was enough     4     (provide) over 2,000 meals for the homeless and their families.

“It’s such an     5     (amaze) feeling,” Estee said. “I’ve had parents tell me that their kids call sport time the happiest moments of their summer. It’s something they look forward     6     every week.”

Through a website, they sent all the money to the White Pony Express, which usually     7     (deliver) food collected from food shops to the poor.

“Zach and Owen are really helping us a lot,” said Eve Birge of White Pony Express. “    8     (We) deliveries are now three times as big as before. We really want to help all of those in need.”

At White Pony Express, most of the     9     (volunteer) have been teenagers, Birge said. “Zach and Owen are setting     10     great example for the other young people.”