1 . Kids are often stressed and scared when they break a bone, but Luis Ruiz makes getting a cast(打石膏)fun at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The doctor customizes(定制)casts of young _________ with drawings of their favorite cartoon characters, sports teams, and more.

About ten years ago, a little boy asked Ruiz to _________ a happy face on his cast. He told the _________, “You know what, I’m really not good at drawing. I’d rather not. I might _________ it up. ” The boy _________ to insist on a smiley face, so Ruiz agreed _________. The little boy was _________ with the results.

“It lit him up!” Ruiz remembers. That moment of joy _________ Ruiz to offer cast drawings to all the kids who came into the hospital with _________ bones. “I was not very good, ”Ruiz says. “But as time __________, little by little, I got better and better, to a __________ where now I can almost do anything they ask for. ”

Since that first __________ face, Ruiz has painted thousands of casts, and the best __________, he says, is “bringing those smiles”.

“The kids just __________ me joy, ” Ruiz adds. “I’m kind of a fun guy and a little kid myself inside, and I like having fun and making __________smile, and they make me smile. ”

3 . 71 years after starting college, a 90-year-old woman, Joyce Viola DeFauw, was graduating this year. She first entered college in 1951, studying early education, and later, home economics. She left school after three and a half years due to marriage.

The mom of nine, who is now also a grandmother to 17 and great-grandmother to 26, was busy through the years but never forgot about college.“I must have told the children that I wish I had finished back in the 1950s,” DeFauw recalled. “They suggested that I go back and I thought ‘Well, OK.’” Since the pandemic began in 2019, instead of walking to campus to attend classes, she did so behind a computer screen from her retirement home.“I needed a computer and they got one for me and so I’ve been able to use it and enjoy it.”

DeFauw re-entered Northern Illinois University (NIU) in August 2019 and began to take online courses toward a bachelor’s degree (学士学位) in general studies. Although there were times when she struggled with the courses and even thought about giving up, DeFauw kept doing schoolwork almost every day. “We get to exchange ideas and things through the computer and I’ve had wonderful instructors that guided me,” DeFauw said. “As far as the encouragement of everyone — my friends, my family and my teachers — I just can’t give up.”

Three years later, she put on the cap and gown and received a Bachelor of General Studies degree from the university. DeFauw felt very happy and thankful for being able to achieve her big milestone. NIU President Dr. Lisa Freeman praised DeFauw as an “inspiration” to others. “DeFauw is a pioneer and now a Northern Illinois University graduate,” Freeman said. “She has beautifully shown that earning a degree is never late at any age. For anyone still looking to realize your dreams, just go for it. There’s so much that life offers, and you will miss out on if you don’t take advantage of it.”

It was thirty years ago, and I was twenty years old as a new teacher in an elementary school in Toronto, Canada. My class was made up of thirty-eight kids, one of them named Mike. Mike was a street kid. He never knew his parents and lived with an uncaring grandmother. His clothing was in need of repair. He was ten years old and looked in bad health. Like most new, young teachers, I was full of enthusiasm and wanted to make a difference. I decided to reach out to help the kid in need.

So it was that early in September that my special “foster father(养父)” relationship with Mike began with the permission of his grandmother. I became the only parent figure he ever had. Each day, I’d take him for meals. I showed him how to repair clothes. I taught him a lot of new skills like using a computer, taking photos and knowing about nature. Mike would then help me teach the rest of the class these skills. We all had a lot of fun, and a kind of un-spoken trust began to build up between us. Surprisingly, he appeared eager to join in this new father-son relationship.

Early in our special relationship, Mike told me his dream. Most of the kids in the class wanted to be doctors, musicians, teachers or some such things, but not Mike. “I want to be a gangster(土匪), Mr. Kowalchuk!” he said. This was no joke—this was his wish, and he was most serious about it.

I believe all children have a gift. Everyone has the same chance to be the best person they can be. I realized this boy was smart, and that with a little love, attention, understanding, guidance and encouragement, he could probably achieve whatever he put his mind to. I explained to him that a good gangster had to read a large number of books on law in the law library and know criminal law(刑法) well like an excellent lawyer(律师). His young mind was eager and interested.

If he wanted to be a “gangster”, I would do something to help him.

Years later, I got married and started a new life in another city.

5 . On a busy Thursday morning, Hill, a wildlife rescuer received an odd call while at work. A baby deer was reportedly_________under an empty house and appeared to be in pain. Without_________, Hill dropped everything and rushed to the scene. The people present were all_________to bring the animal to safety.

Upon arriving, Hill prepared to climb 25 feet through mud and dirt under the house. With a flashlight in her hand, she began her_________mission. She made her way through the_________. In the weak light, she noticed the deer seemed unmoving and artificial. Despite her_________, she decided to continue working,_________by the onlookers(旁观者), who cheered her on.

When Hill finally_________the deer, she found it wasn’t a real one at all._________, it was a plastic toy. A bit silly as she felt, she was eventually__________to confirm that no animal was in danger.__________being covered in dirt after the unexpected mission, she felt relaxed and just laughed at herself, “It is foolish of me to__________the toy for a living deer.” But the incident showed a strong sense of__________of a local wildlife rescuer to save the animal. “It is our duty to rescue the animals in need. Indeed, we often__________to do some training. So I just regard this as a practice course,” she added. The experience served as a reminder that the contributions of wildlife rescuers should be__________and supported.

6 . Helping someone in need is a virtue. Even a small kind act can make a difference. Rita was ________ to enjoy a meal at a restaurant when she crossed paths with a waitress. Jasmine, Though Jasmine looked very tired that day, Rita was ________ impressed how Jasmine remained professional, so kind, patient and just overall provided ________ customer service. Wanting to show her ________ , Rita decided to give Jasmine a $ 20 tip though she only spent $ 30 on her breakfast.

Jasmine was blown away by the ________ act, because she would have had to wait on at least five tables to make that much money in tips. Jasmine was so grateful that tears welled up in her eyes. But the ________ didn’t stop there. From their conversation, Rita learned that Jasmine had been ________ on lately. She was ready to quit because she couldn’t ________ the traffic to work and the daycare for her daughter.

After hearing more of her ________, Rita asked Jasmine for the username of her Cash App. Later that day, she sent the struggling ________ $ 500 through the app. Rita then ________ her social media, where she posted the encounter(相遇)with Jasmine and Jasmine’s difficulties. Rita asked her friends to provide Jasmine and her ________ with a little holiday cheer. Rita’s followers were quick to ________ and within a week. Jasmine has now ________ over $ 10.000 in tips.

Thanks to Rita’s kíndness, now, with a new friendship, and a renewed sense of ________ in kindness, Jasmine is moving forward with the help of thousands of strangers.

Christmas came, and Stewart gathered the children at the dinner table. He tried to prepare all of their favorite food because he had no extra money for individual gifts.

“Lucy, I baked your favorite apple pie. Sean, I made sure to get some baked spaghetti (意大利面条) from the store. And Gregory, I baked a whole chicken. Your favorites! Merry Christmas, my sweet children!” Stewart told them.

After eating dinner together, Stewart took his three kids outside to make a huge snowman and had a snowball fight. It was a family tradition that Stewart wanted to keep alive even though his wife was no longer with them.

Many years passed, and Stewart’s kids all had families of their own. And they were all too busy to visit Stewart, although they didn’t live far away. So Stewart spent most of the year alone.

Stewart would often sit in a wheelchair and look at old photos of his family. He came across one particular photo where he and his children were making a snowman outside the house. They were happy, and the lovely smiles on his children’s faces were priceless.

Stewart waited for his children to come on Christmas Eve, looking out of the window. “How I wish...” he said to himself as he watched others having fun together in their backyards.

Stewart was sure that each member of his family had forgotten his invitation once again until he heard a short knock on the door.

“Who is it?” Stewart asked.

“Hi, Grandpa,” a small boy said after he opened the door.

“Tim! What a surprise!” Stewart smiled. “Is it just you? How did you get here alone?!”

Tim nodded sadly, “Even on Christmas Eve, my parents don’t notice me. They’re too busy with work. I know how much you love Christmas, Grandpa, so I walked here.”

Stewart wanted to cheer his grandson up, so he went to get dressed. “Well, you and I will have a happy Christmas together,” Stewart told Tim. “Kids deserve to play in the snow every Christmas, ”he added.

Both of them went outside even though Stewart could not stay outdoors for a long time.

To Stewart’s surprise, his children and grandchildren were all around him when he woke up in hospital.

8 . “Your mind is a garden; your thoughts are the seeds. The harvest can either be flowers or weeds,” William Wordsworth wrote. In the above quote, William suggests that the process of gardening mirrors human life. Depending on what we “plant” in our lives, we bloom (生长茂盛) or don’t. Before you start to work in your garden, it’s necessary to have a vision for it. Thinking of what you want to grow in your garden and how to lay it out is a good first step in making your vision a fruitful reality. In life, you should consider what you want to create and what you want to achieve, because your mind-garden is like the white paper and the possibilities are endless.

Regardless of what you choose to plant, poor soil isn’t suitable for growth. This is why gardeners take the time and energy to upgrade the soil before planting. So, creating the right soil is important to the realization of your goals and dreams. Fortunately, there are countless ways to make your personal bedrock better. Getting an education is one of the most effective ways, which can help you enrich your life’s soil.

You don’t have to be an enthusiastic gardener to understand the meaning of “You reap(收获) what you sow.” When a gardener wants tomatoes, they just need to plant tomato seeds. It’s a very clear act that produces an expected result. Each of us has the power to decide which “life seeds” to plant. For example, if you plant ill seeds, it's likely that you’ll experience pain in return. Contrarily, if you plant seeds of kindness and understanding, your life will bloom with happiness and love.

A gardener’s truly arduous work begins after the seeds are in the ground because a garden requires a lot of care and attention. Regular watering and weeding are required for a healthy garden. So, to ensure your dreams take root, you should be devoted, aware, and present. After countless hours and energy spent, the crops have grown well and are finally ready to be harvested.

My dad is a helpful police off and I respect him very much. In his spare time, he likes volunteering to give lectures on law to the children in our community.

I remember my father took a special care of a family made up of a struggling single father, Jack, and his three sons. The elder boys seemed kind and understanding while the youngest boy, Tom, was naughty and wild. When helping Jack in life and work, my father always taught his children to obey the law.

During one visit, my dad and Jack had a deep conversation. During their talk, Jack expressed his concern about the future of his youngest boy, and said, “As we know, Tom is a clever boy, but he is too competitive. He always behaves badly at school. For some reason, he fought with his classmate again yesterday. I don’t know how to deal with him.” Obviously, he felt powerless to guide Tom. So, he asked for my father’s advice and ideas. “Will you allow your boy to leave the city for a few days? I want to take him to spend the summer with my son in the suburbs(郊区) of our hometown.” My dad offered the only solution he could think of on the spot. However, Jack agreed and was grateful to my father.

My dad decided that it would be good for Tom to see another side of family life, which he had never been experiencing. Then he discussed the plan with me. I couldn’t agree more.

When the summer vacation came, we had a new member, Tom, in our family. Although we seemed very unfamiliar to him, he had no trouble adapting to the new home environment. Amazingly, we found that he was an honest and open boy and got along well with the whole family. He seemed to like playing in the backyard and particularly enjoyed swimming in the pool. Wherever my father went, he took both of us with him. It wasn’t long before Tom and I became good friends. I felt so lucky to have him with me, and I even shared everything interesting with him.

My father took Tom and I to participate in all kinds of activities.

Back to his own home, Tom seemed to be a different person.

10 . When Ann was 13, she was accepted into a university to study medicine. Shortly after getting the acceptance letter, she shared the exciting news on the Internet. “I graduated from highschool last year at 12 years old. One year later, I was accepted into a university at 13. I’m a junior at college,” she wrote. “I’ve worked so hard to reach my goals and realize my dreams,” she added, going on to credit her mother because her mother gave Ann all her support.

“Mom, I made it,” Ann wrote. “I couldn’t have done it without you. You gave me every opportunity possible to be successful. You are the best mother a kid could ever ask for. You always believed in me. You allowed me space to grow and make mistakes without making me feel bad. You allowed me the opportunity to experience the world.”

The teen is currently a student in two undergraduate programs studying biological sciences in two universities. She has extremely good time management skills and is very disciplined(自律的).

Ann doesn’t only focus on the classroom when it comes to her education. In 2021, she became the youngest inter (实习生) ever at a government department. Ann said the dream started early for her. Her final goal is to become a flight surgeon(外科医生) and work with astronauts.

Ann’s impressive achievements don’t even stop there. She also founded an organization for girls of color who are interested in exploring careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

You may think you’re too young to do anything. But from Ann’s story, I think you need to change the view. With her effort, Ann has proved that one can do anything if they can do what they can to do what they want to.