2 . It was close to Thanksgiving. After selecting my goods, I went up to the checkout line. In front of me was a young woman, wearing old clothes and looking so _________. She was comforting a newborn who was crying _________ looking after a child under three, who was running and jumping around. My _________ went out to her. I had been in her shoes with my own two sons.

The clerk started checking out her items. Obviously the young mother was _________ of money for all that she had picked out. She was looking at a few items and trying to _________ what she needed to put back. The people in line behind me were getting _________ that she was holding them up. The dancing kid and the screaming baby just added to the _________ of her situation.

Certainly the goods in her basket were what her kids needed for the _________. My heart broke for this mama, so I _________ her putting them back and told the clerk that I would pay for her. The young mama turned, and looked at me __________.

What I offered to do for that young woman __________ the man standing right behind me, causing him to make the __________ with me. In tears, the young mother hugged both of us. The clerk wiped her __________, too! The dancing kid was still dancing, and the baby was still __________, but now no one seemed to mind. __________ can be given and received everywhere — even in the checkout line!

Jack’s world was falling down and breaking into pieces and waking up early and going to work was the last thing he desired to do. On Wednesday he came out of his small discouraging room and walked into the crowded and hot bus, and leaned against a seat, started closing his eyes and dreamed up.

All of a sudden, his dream was stopped by the hissing of the bus door. It was his stop and in a rush, he hurried out of the bus. He started coughing since exhaust hit him and he thought to himself not the finest start of the day... oh well, as usual.

Jack still had time, since his working day would only start in half an hour, so to gather his thoughts and to put himself in another annoying work day. Despite what it may seem his life was not that bad. He was a normal guy with some hobbies and friends, a good job, and a bright future. Yet incidentally this August was tough on him and it threw him off track.

While walking he met a couple. He could hear them talking in a foreign language and concluded that the language was Russian. He thought that they are probably tourists and are going to simply pass by, yet to his surprise in a broken English the woman asked him.

“Excuse me! Please, could you help?”

“Yes, sure, what can I do for you?”

“We tourist and we lost. Red Tree hotel. Where is it? You know?”

Although knowing where exactly the hotel was and although he wasn’t in a hurry, because of being so involved in his own hardships and his bad mood he mechanically (机械地) lied saying “I have no idea. I’m sorry... I’m in a hurry.” and moved off. He walked about 100 feet and a wave of shame and guilt covered him. Then he imagined how horrifying and difficult it could be staying in a huge city as New York without being able to properly communicate.

He turned back and fortunately the couple was still there.

Yet seeing the confused look on the couple, he realized what he should do next.

5 . Years ago, grandma received a phone call from a stranger. The person told her that she had won a prize, but she would need to send in some money in order to receive her winnings. Grandma immediately smelled a rat but played along.

She asked calmly for the name of the caller, the phone number and where to send her payment. He gave her some information and told grandma she would be receiving a phone call the next day and that a FedEx employee would come to her house to collect the money.

After the phone call grandma called the chief of police in her town and told him that she had got enough information to get them jailed. But the police chief told her there was nothing he could do and told grandma just to ignore these bad people who were trying to take advantage of an elderly person. Grandma wasn’t happy with this response. She decided to take matters into her own hands.

The next day, she got another call from the scammers (骗子), who told her to write out a check for several thousand dollars and wait at home for a FedEx employee to pick up the check late in the afternoon. True to their words, the FedEx employee arrived. Grandma was told that whatever he was picking up was to be sent away overnight and the payment, all based on weight, would be billed to the party that requested the pickup.

On hearing the information, a good idea hit grandma and then she took out from her bedroom a pack of junk she had been keeping for years.

“Can I send all this stuff?” Grandma asked.

“Sure, you can,” the employee said. “I’ll just need to get a big box.”

As the employee packed items into the box, grandma put inside a note saying “Go to hell!” in big letters with her name at the bottom. Grandma said sweetly, with a big smile, “I really appreciate your help.” When the FedEx truck drove away, grandma said she felt an unbelievable amount of joy. She never heard from the scammers again.

6 . Dad loved basketball and hoped that one day I would play the game. He taught me a lot, and I was pretty good until the accident. We were on the highway. Our little car spun off the road. Then everything was suddenly dark. The next thing I remembered was being told I wasn’t going to be walking again.

Mom and I learned to live with it Dad took it hard “Sometimes I think he blames himself,” Mom said.

One day Mr. Evans, an elder in our neighborhood, asked me if I wanted to join a wheelchair basketball team he was starting. When I told Mom, she was all for it, but Dad just looked at me and mumbled (嘟哝) something. I didn’t know what to make of Dad’s reaction, but I knew I wanted to play.

I began my first practice on a Friday afternoon. What surprised me most was that I found Dad sitting in the stands and watching us go through our drills. We finished our regular practice, and Mr. Evans motioned for my father to come down to the court.

“Jim, I happen to know that you played pro ball,” Mr. Evans said. “I think you can show the kids some fundamentals.” Dad agreed he would like to give it a try.

We practiced the whole summer. Dad came every day. “I thought you were terrible at first,” he said one afternoon. “But I think you can play with Madison (a very good teen wheelchair basketball team) now.”

Dad only comes to practice once in a while now, but he comes to the games when they’re on the weekend. I didn’t want to push him though I liked him coming to practice, but I know he believes I can do well without him now.

8 . Karen Stocker was inspired by the money guru to begin a savings plan with her spare change throughout the year, known as the 1p Savings Challenge. It starts with saving 1p on 1 January, 2p on 2 January, 3p on 3 January and so on, with the last day of the year (December 31) hitting £3.65. If you were to start the challenge on 1 January 2023, then by 31 December 2023 you’ll have saved a grand total of £667.95. Despite ending her challenge a few weeks early, Karen still managed to save £582.70.

Over the past few years, with everything going up, it’s not easy for Karen to afford presents or to pay towards a bill as it is with every other family. When she saw Martin speaking about it on TV earlier last year, immediately she was determined to do it. Soon she bought one of those tins that wouldn’t be opened without a can opener. That way she had no temptation to break into it.

It was fun opening and counting it up last month. This year, Karen has enough saved to serve her 12 guests a Christmas dinner. She will no longer be worrying where to find the money from. What’s more, she is really looking forward to affording some treats — a doll for her daughter and a nice big cheeseboard for her husband along with some vodka and wine! Oh, and a nice big turkey.

“Thanks to Martin, I have peace of mind this Christmas. And I’m definitely going to be doing this again next year.” Karen told NeedToKnow. online. After sharing her success on Facebook in a post attracting more than 2,200 likes, users were quick to offer their praise.

One person said: “What a good idea! I’m going to start one. Thank u for sharing x.”

Another added: “Well done I am rubbish with money, I actually never knew about this challenge, I’m going to find a jar right now and pop in a penny or 2.”

“Thank you for sharing as I’d missed this and will definitely give it a go,” said a third person.

Someone else commented: “I’ve done this before... sometimes I would pay it backwards... so towards Christmas I’d be paying less... x.”

10 . I started my cycling adventure early. The morning ride was _______ , the gentle breeze (微风) was pleasant and the road was free of traffic. The path was lined by colorful flowers. Gazing at the mountains, I felt like I was _______ through a painting. Looking down, I _______ fallen leaves on the track. It was the first time I realized leaves could be so rich in color. I came to understand the true _______ of autumn is found in these subtle, often overlooked details.

Of course, this journey was also a challenge. Each time I endured a lengthy uphill climb, I _______ myself somewhere ahead lay a (n) _______ downhill section. It became a kind of reward. I was thirsty and tired. I pushed my bike up the incline, which helped stretch my muscles.

I passed by a woman selling oranges. I wanted to buy some. However, the woman _______ my money and encouraged me to help myself, _______ the oranges were from her own trees. I was deeply _______ .

After eating two, I crouched (蹲) by the roadside, gazing at the uphill stretch ahead. A young couple in a car ____________ to buy oranges. I asked if they could give me a lift. They ____________ and even offered me bread and water. I learned they were from Suzhou and had driven here for the weekend. They ____________ I visit Suzhou for an around-the-lake ride of Taihu. About 10 minutes later, I said goodbye to them and continued riding.

My mood was ____________ transformed. A team of cyclists approached, giving me thumbs-up. I was incredibly motivated. Cycling 144 km in nine hours was a (n)   ____________ . However, as I reflect on the beauty along the route and the kindness of the people I met, I am still full of   ____________ and I am glad came.