One dark stormy night, an elderly couple hurried into a hotel and asked whether they could be put up for the night. “I’ m very   36   ,” the clerk on night shift said politely, “we are all    37 tonight. But you could stay in my room if you don’t    38 . As I’m on duty, I’ll be staying up in the office anyway,” The young man gave the    39 _ advice.
The elderly couple    40  his offer with gratitude(感激). They    41  for the inconvenience they had caused him. The next day, the rain stopped and it cleared up. When the old gentleman went to pay his   42 , the clerk behind the counter was that same helpful young man. “The room you and your wife stayed in is not a proper guest room in this hotel,  43  you don’t need to pay,” said the clerk, with the same friendly smile.
The old gentleman nodded in    44 , “You are an employee that every boss in the hotel business would    45 . Perhaps   46  I’ll build a hotel for you. ” The clerk was amazed but, deciding that the guest must have been joking, he gave the remark no more    47 .
Two years later, the young man received a registered letter(挂号信) from the old gentleman, in which he   48 the experience of that dark stormy night. The letter also enclosed（附上） a formal    49  and a round-trip air ticket to New York, asking the young man to pay a visit.
At a street comer in Manhattan, the young man met his   50  guest. The old gentleman, pointing to a magnificent new    51  towering over the crossroads, said, “Look, that is the hotel I    52 to build for you. I hope you will manage it for me. Remember what I said then? Well, I was serious about it.”
“But…will there be any conditions, sir? Why do you choose me? And who are you?”
“My name is William Aster. There’s not any condition.   53  I told you before, you are the best employee…!”
This building was none    54 the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Starting business in 1931, this hotel has been a symbol of supreme status and honor in the city of New York. The young man who became its first    55  was George Boldt, the man who turned Waldorf into one of the most glamorous hotels in the world.

It was a warm March evening，and I’d just taken a seat on the bus that would take me home．It was nearly 6：00 PM，but the bus was not yet full and the driver gave no  26  that he intended to start the bus．
A middle-aged woman took a seat opposite me . She was crying．Not speaking to anyone in particular，she   27 told her story．
She had come to the city to visit her daughter．On the way to the terminal(终点站)，a thief had _28_ one of her bags．It had contained half of the money she’d brought with her．The other half was hidden under her blouse, so she _29_ still had some money left．The bus conductor，driver，and other passengers listened to her tale．
At this time, an old man _30_got on the bus．He sat in the seat directly in front of the woman．After a few minutes, all seats were __31__．The driver started the engine．The bus conductor collected tickets and began asking us where we were  _32__．When he came to the old man’s seat，he became __33__  and asked the old man whether he had any money．The old man _34__ that he did not．He explained that he _35_ all his money this morning when he’d accidentally got on the wrong bus and now he was trying to go home．
Upon hearing this，the bus conductor _36_ the old man to get off the bus．The old man was almost in tears as he begged the bus conductor to let him take that bus  _37_ he could get home before dark．The bus driver approached the old man，and repeated the conductor’s _38__ to get off the bus．
“Stop troubling him! Can’t you see he’s only trying to get home?”she interrupted．“He doesn’t have any money!”the driver shouted．“Well, that’s no  _39_ to throw him off the bus,”she insisted．Then she said,“How much is his fare?”The bus conductor mumbled the amount．“Fine.”said the woman．She _40_ inside her blouse, took out her __41__ money，and handed the fare to the bus conductor．“Here’s his fare and mine．Just stop giving him a hard time．”
All eyes turned _42__ the woman，who，just minutes before，had been crying over the money she’d lost．“It’s only money,” she shrugged．
By the time the bus pulled out of the terminal，she had given the old man some bread and a dollar．She rode the rest of the way home _43__ a Mona Lisa smile of peace and grace，and the money she’d lost _44_was forgotten．
On the road of life，the politeness and smiles of _45__ can lighten our loads and lift our spirits．How much sweeter the journey when we make it a little smoother and richer for others !

The story is told about what happened on a flight between a passenger and an air hostess. The passenger rang and told the air hostess (乘务员) that he needed a cup of __21__to take his medicine when the plane just took off. She told him that she would_22__him the water in ten minutes.
Thirty minutes later, when the passenger’s ring for_23__sounded, the air hostess was in a hurry. She was kept so_24__that she forgot to deliver (送) him the water. As a result, the passenger was_25__to take his medicine.She_26__over to him with a cup of water, but he_27__it.
In the following hours on the_28__, each time the air hostess passed by the _29__ she would ask him with a smile_30__he needed help or not. But the passenger__31__paid attention to her.
When the passenger was going to get__32__the plane, he asked the air hostess to__33__him the passengers’ booklet (意见薄). She was very__34__. She knew he would write down_35__words, which might result in the loss of her job. _36__with a smile she handed it to him.
Off the plane, she_37__the booklet, and cracked a smile, _38__the passenger put it, “On the flight, you asked me whether I need help or not for twelve times_39__. How can I refuse your twelve sincere（真诚的） smiles?”
That’s__40__! Who can refuse twelve sincere smiles from a person?

I believe that families are not only blood relatives, but sometimes people who show up and love you when no one else will.
In May 1977, I was living in a Howard Johnson’s motel off Interstate 10 in Houston. My dad and I  41  a room with two double beds and a bathroom was too  42  for a 15-year-old girl and her father. Dad’s second marriage was   43  and my stepmother had   44  us both out of the house the previous week. Dad had no  45_  what to do with me. And that’s when my other family   46 .
Barbara and Roland Beach took me into their home   47  their only daughter, Su, my best friend, asked them to. I   48   with them for the next seven years.
Barb washed my skirts the same as Su’s. She   49  I had lunch money, doctors’ appointments, help with homework and nightly hugs. Barbara and Roland attended every football game where Su and I were being cheerleaders.  50 I could tell, for the Beaches there was no  51 between Su and me; I was their daughter, too.
When Su and I 52 college they kept my room the same for the entire four years I attended school. Recently, Barb presented me with an insurance policy they bought when I first moved in with them and had continued to pay on for 23 years.
The Beaches knew  53 about me when they took me in – they had heard the whole story from Su. When I was seven, my mother died and from then on my father relied on other people to _54 his kids. Before I went to live with the Beaches I had believed that life was entirely   55__ and that love was shaky and untrustworthy. I had believed that the only person who would take care of me was me.
 56 the Beaches, I would have become a bitter, cynical (愤世嫉俗的) woman. They gave me a(n)  57 that allowed me to grow and change. They kept me from being paralyzed by my _58  , and they gave me the confidence to open my heart.
I   59  family. For me, it wasn’t the family that was there on the day I was  60 , but the one that was there for me when I was living in a Howard Johnson’s on Interstate 10.

Vincent van Gogh was not always an artist. In fact, he wanted to be a(n) __21  and was even sent to the Belgian __22  community of Borinage. He discovered that the miners there __23  deplorable(悲惨的) working conditions and poverty-level wages. Their families  __24__  simply to survive. He felt concerned that the small amount of money he received from the church __25  him a moderate life-style, which, __26 , seemed to him unfair.
One cold February evening, while he watched the miners trudging(步履艰难)home, he __27  an old man staggering(蹒跚)toward him across the fields, __28 in a burlap sack for warmth. Van Gogh laid his own clothing out on the bed, __29 enough for one change, and decided to give__30 away. He gave the old man a suit of clothes and gave his overcoat to a pregnant woman whose __31 had been killed in a cave-in.
He lived on starvation rations and spent his money on __32  for the miners. When children in one family had fever, though __33  himself, he packed up his bed and took it to them.
A (an) __34  family in the community offered him free room and board. Van Gogh __35__ the offer, stating that it was the final temptation he must reject if he was to __36  serve his community of poor miners.
He believed that if he wanted them to __37  him, he must become one of them. And if they were to learn of love through him, he must love them enough to __38  with them.
He was aware of the wide chasm(鸿沟)between words and actions. He knew that our lives always __39  louder and clearer than words.
Others are “ __40 ” carefully to your actions. What are you saying to them?

A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, ____36___ my teacher said again and again that it was important.
One day, I ____37____ to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about ___38_____ I was studying English, the foreigner shook his head, saying, ‘You don’t say! You don’t say!’ I was ___39___. I thought, perhaps this was not a ___40__ topic. Well, I’d ___41___ change the topic. So I said to him, “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? ___42___ the way, have you ever ____43___ there?’
‘Certainly. Everyone back home will ____44____ me if I leave China without seeing it. It is great!’
I said, ‘The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. It is a place of ____45___.’ But soon I was ___46___ again by his words, ‘___47_____!’ I couldn’t help but __48____, ‘Why did you ask me not to talk about it?’
‘Well, I ___49____ ask you to do so,’ he answered, gently surprised.
I said, ‘Didn’t you say “You don’t say”?’
Hearing this, the Englishman ___50_____ to tears. He began to ___51______, “‘You don’t say!” actually means ‘really?’ It is an ___52_____ of surprise. Perhaps you don’t pay attention to English _____53______.’
Then I knew I had made a fool of ___54___. Since then I have been more __55____ with idioms

A man has returned three library books to a Melbourne library—21 years overdue（误期）.The books were returned to Sam Merrifield Library with a (n)__ 21___note and a $50 bill.
___ 22___Margaret Young was pleased that the books had been returned. They were in excellent___23__ , except for the one that the borrower admitted had been damaged by a___24___.
“They’re all spy books. We were just surprised and___25 ___that he has returned the books, ___26 ___after so many years,” Mrs. Young said.
The books were__ 27__on June 18, 1985 and would have to be paid almost $5,800 in overdue
__28__. But, because of the sweet letter and $50 note, Mrs. Young said all was__29__.
She said, “We thank him for returning the books and hope his conscience（良心）is __ 30 _. I’d like to think he can come back into the library one day to borrow more material__31__he returns it.”
To whom it may concern,
About 20 years ago I__32 __to return the three books to your library. In fact I__33__them.During that time, one of the books was damaged by my dog. I have enclosed all three books and a sum of money that will go some way toward __34__the damaged book.
My __35__were unforgivable; a thief is a thief. Please __ 36__my apology for stealing the books and for not having the courage to return them__37__.
I want you to know that for the last few years this theft has__38__my conscience and I am sorry I was so selfish to steal them in the first__39__. I hope this goes some small way to__40 __my actions. 

Dash of Hope
"Dash" is a symbol which represents every day we've spent alive on earth. Therefore, how you spend your "dash" is important.
Recently I  36  about a little girl named Hope. After learning more about her life, I couldn't help but feel it was not by  37 , nor happenstance（意外事件）, that she had been named "Hope". The strong feeling of sympathy and generosity  38  in her young heart made a lasting impression on me and countless others.  39  I never had the opportunity to meet her, I wish I had. It seems as though she was wise beyond her tender years and very, very special.
Hope was a twelve-year-old girl who was  40  a "wish" in early December 2010 by the "Make-A-Wish" Foundation after being  41  that she had a rare type of bone cancer. However, when she found out that more than 150  42  in her area were waiting for their wishes to be achieved , she unselfishly used her wish to  43  that those children have their wishes granted. She also asked that it be done  44  January 16, 2011. Unfortunately, however, the organization informed her that her  45  request could not be granted as the funds were simply  46 . They calculated that they would need to raise more than one  47  dollars in thirty days in order to grant her wish.  48 , but not discouraged, she turned her disappointment into an enthusiasm that inspired caring  49  to take up helping grant the wishes of the other children, and eventually  50  as well. Newspaper columnists and reporters for radio and TV stations  51  the story of this caring young girl who had  52  the hearts of so many and as word spread, the community was challenged. Committees were fanned and schools, corporations and various organizations assisted in  53  money to help make Hope's dream come true.
Her efforts were not in vain as they continue to help others, not only  54 , but spiritually and emotionally as well. At the gathering to celebrate her life, "A Celebration of Hope" on January 16, 2011 , the  55  was made that they had indeed received donations totaling more than one million dollars. Her wish had been granted!

“Everything happens for the best,” my mother said whenever I   36 disappointment. “If you can carry on, one day something   37 will happen. And you’ll realize that it wouldn’t have happened if not for that   38 disappointment.”
Mother was right,   39 I discovered after graduating from college in 1932. I had decided to   40 a job in radio, then work my way up to sports   41 . I hitchhiked（搭便车） to Chicago and   42 on the door of every station—and got turned   43 every time.
In one studio, a kind lady told me that big stations couldn’t risk hiring an   44 person –“Go out in the sticks（偏远地区） and find a small station that will give you a   45 ,” she said.
I thumbed home to Dixon, Illinois.   46 there was no radio—announcing job in Dixon, my father said Montgomery Ward had opened a store and wanted a local athlete to   47 its sports department. Since Dixon was where I had played high school football. I   48 . The job   49 just right for me. But I wasn’t hired.
My disappointment must have   50 . “Everything happens for the best,” Mom   51 me. Dad offered me the car to job hunt. I tried WOC Radio in Davenport, Iowa. The program director, a wonderful Scotsman named Peter MacArthur, told me they had already hired an announcer.
As I left his office, my frustration   52 . I asked aloud, “How can a fellow get to be a sport announcer if he can’t get a job in a radio station?”
I was waiting for the elevator   53 I heard MacAethur calling, “What was that you said about sports? Do you know anything about football?” Then he asked me to stand before a microphone and to broadcast a (an)   54 game.
On my way home, once again I thought of my mother’s words. I often wonder what   55 my life might have taken if I’d gotten the job at Montgomery Ward.

As a young man, Al was a skilled artist．He had a wife and two fine sons．One night, his oldest son developed a serious stomachache．Thinking it was only some   11 intestinal （肠内的）disorder, neither Al nor his wife took the condition very seriously．But the boy  12 suddenly that night．
Knowing the death could have been   13  if he had only realized the seriousness of the situation, Al's emotional health became worse under the huge burden(重负) of his   14     .To make matters worse his wife  15  him a short time later, leaving him alone with his six-year-old younger son．The hurt and pain of the two 16  were more than Al could handle, and he   17  to alcohol(烈酒)．In time Al became an alcoholic.
18__ the alcoholism progressed, Al began to lose everything he 19  — his home, his land, his art objects, everything．20  Al died alone in a San Francisco motel room．
When I heard of Al's death, I thought that Al's life was a complete   21 ．
As time went by, I began to reconsider my earlier judgment．I knew Al's now  22 son, Ernie．He is one of the kindest, most caring, most loving men I have ever known．I watched Ernie with his children and saw the free  23 of love between them．I knew that kindness and caring had to come from somewhere．
I hadn't heard Ernie talk much about his  24__．One day I worked __25 my courage to ask him．"I'm really 26__ by something," I said．"I know your father was 27 _ the only one to raise you．What on earth did he do that you became such a special person?"
Ernie sat quietly and _28_ for a few moments．Then he said, "From my earliest _29 as a child until I left home at 18, Al came into my room every night, gave me a kiss and said, ' I love you, son．' "
Tears came to my eyes as I realized what a fool I had been to __30_ Al as a failure．He had not left any material possessions behind．But he had been a kind loving father, and he left behind one of the finest, most giving men I have ever known．