1 . All I needed to do to earn the two dollars was to clean her house for a few hours after school. It was a beautiful house with things that were common in her neighborhood, absent in mine.

Working for her brought me a sense of pride, not only because I could immerse myself in little luxuries like movies and candy, but also because I contributed half of my earnings to my mother, ensuring they were used for necessities. I was not like the children in folktales: burdensome mouths to feed, problems so severe that they were abandoned to the forest. I had a status that doing routine chores in my house did not provide — and it earned me a slow smile and confirmations that I was adult-like, not childlike.

Little by little, I got better at cleaning her house — good enough to be given more to do. After struggling to move the piano, my limbs ached terribly. Despite wanting to decline or voice my discomfort, I feared losing my job and the independence and respect it afforded me. She began to offer me her clothes, for a price. Impressed by these worn things, which looked simply elegant to a little girl who had only two dresses to wear to school, I bought a few.

Still, I had trouble summoning up (鼓起) the courage to object to the increasing demands she made. Despite feeling overwhelmed, I hesitated to voice my concerns, knowing my mother would urge me to quit. However, one day while alone in the kitchen with my father, I expressed my disappointment. In any case, he put down his cup of coffee and said, “Whatever the work is, do it well — not for the boss but for yourself. You make the job; it doesn’t make you. You are not the work you do; you are the person you are.”

I have worked for all sorts of people since then, geniuses and fools, quick-witted and dull, big-hearted and narrow. I’ve had many kinds of jobs, but since that conversation with my father, I have never considered the level of labor to be the measure of myself, and I have never placed the security of a job above my self-worth and family value.

My Big Solo (独唱)

The day had finally arrived: the day of my big solo. Everyone was there; my mom and dad and my little brother. And it was a big event: the Spring Fling Choir Concert. The whole class was dressed up. My name was on the cover of the program in bright yellow characters. I couldn’t believe it when I saw my name. Not that it was my name, but that it wasn’t Renee’s. Renee and I had been classmates since kindergarten. She was always ahead of me. Dance class needs a big finish? Renee was picked. The school plays? Renee would have the leads while I was cast as her mother or sister or neighbor. I even played her dog once. The only time I ever came in ahead of Renee was at roll call (点名). Cindy comes before Renee. I count that as a victory!

The choir concert tryouts were stressful. We waited in the library as Ms. Jenkins called us individually into the choir room. By the time she called me, I was shaking. When I came back to the library, Renee smiled at me. Ms. Jenkins called her name and Renee calmly followed her. She was still calm and smiling when her tryout was over

When Ms. Jenkins announced who had made the special choral group (合唱队), I wasn’t surprised when Renee’s name was on her list and mine wasn’t. “So, what else is new?” I said under my breath Sudden clapping brought me out of my bad mood. Everyone was looking at me. I’ve missed something here, I thought. Ms. Jenkins smiled at me and said, “Cindy, you will have to start practicing with me.The solos take extra preparation.” Solo? I got the solo? I glanced over at Renee. She smiled broadly and gave me the thumbs-up sign. Oh, that’s another thing. She is always so nice

Now the day had come. We filed onto the stage and took our places. I was front and center. Ms. Jenkins raised her baton (指挥棒) and we began to sing. My parents were smiling at me, cameras flashing.

My big moment came.

The rest of the solo went well.

One New Year’s morning, as we came down to breakfast, with very shiny faces and spendy aprons(围裙), we surprisingly found father alone in the dining room.

“Happy New Year. Papa! Where is Mother?” we cried.

“A little boy came begging and said they were starving at home. so your mother went to see and ah, here she is.”

As Papa spoke, in came Mamma, looking very cold, rather sad, and very much excited. Not far away from here, lies a poor woman with a little newborn baby. Six children are hud-dled(挤在一起)into one bed to keep from freezing for they have no fire. There is nothing to eat over there, and the oldest boy came here to tell me they were starving on this bitterly cold day. “My little girls, will you givc them your breakfast, as a New Year’s gift?”

We sat silent a minute and looked at the nice, hot porridge(粥), creamy milk, and good bread and butter; for we were brought up like English children, and never drank tea or coffee, or ate anything but porridge for our breakfast.

“I wish we’d eaten it up,” thought I for I was rather a selfish child, and very hungry.

“May I go and help carry it to the poor, little children?” asked Beth, who had the tende-rest heart that ever beat under a spendy apron.

“1 can carry that little pot,” said little May, proudly giving the thing she loved best.

“And I shall take all the porridge,” I burst in, heartily ashamed of my first feeling.

“You shall put on your things and help me, and when we come back, we’ll get something to eat,” said Mother, beginning to pile the bread and butter into a big basket.

We were soon ready and set out.

As we made our way back home, I felt a sense of warmth in my heart.

7 . My brother and I were driving home together and we were deep in conversation. Because of his _________, my brother took a wrong turn, taking us towards a _________ and we had no way to turn back. _________, my brother paid the bridge fee and drove on. He was clearly frustrated by the mistake and the _________ waste of $4.

We eventually reached an exit slipway and, as we took it, my brother _________ a beat-up black car parked by the side of the road. A young guy was standing nearby _________ someone. I was busy trying to figure out which _________ we went next but my brother _________ and asked the guy if he needed any help. And he did. He had a(n) _________ tire and needed a tool to get it off. My brother gave it to him, then proceeded to help him __________ the tire. After we had finished the job he thanked us again and again, pulled out $20 and tried to give it to us. “No,” my brother said. “We were never __________ to even get on that bridge. We took a __________ turn. But now we know why we did. It was to help you. Thank you for turning our mistake into a(n) __________ to serve.”

What I loved most was watching my brother throughout this __________. He was able to see a chance to help even in an otherwise __________ situation, which can only come from a calm mind and an open heart.

8 . There is a song by the great Jamaican singer Bob Marley called So Much Trouble in The World. Marley understood that part of the reason why there are so many problems in the world is the lack of tolerance between people. The UN understands this too— that is why it made November 16th “International Day for Tolerance”.

But first, what is tolerance? According to French philosopher Voltaire, “Tolerance is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty (脆弱) and error; let us pardon each other’s fool— that is the first law of nature.”

Very often, people do not realize that they are intolerant. This is because intolerance has a lot to do with ignorance. For example, the UN’s campaign is in part about the treatment of females by males. But often, the behavior of men toward women is intolerant because men do not put themselves in the shoes of women.

It is worth thinking a little about the words “tolerance” and “intolerance”. Are they the best words to describe the evils of which we are speaking here? To agree to be “tolerant” of someone is not necessarily a very respectful thing. When someone is tolerated, it implies that there is something wrong with them.

Still, what Voltaire said stands: We humans are not perfect and this weakness is something that we all share. That is the reason we should be tolerant. It is a little like generosity. We can give things to another person, and we can also give our forgiveness.

—J. Burroughs