As a waitress I have met and seen all types of people. I think it is _____ that brings us all together. I was about to _____ my job one afternoon and go home when a family came in.

As they sat down, they _____ that they were on their way home. And they added they just had enough money to buy their children only a _____ snack and that all they needed was _____ I showed them a few things on the menu and _____ them what they would like.

As I walked away to _____ their order, I just couldn’t _____ to see this family leaving,_____ with just a snack and some water!______ , I asked some of the other waitresses to ______ me in helping this family. They ______ because they knew I was kind when it came to ______ others. It made them feel good too. So I ______ to the table and told them that they could order what they wanted because it would be paid by some ______ strangers. At first, they didn’t know what to say, but then they looked at the ______ to see what was on offer. They then ______ accepted the meal and said “Thanks” with smiles.

When they left, all I could see was the ______ on their faces. With tears in my eyes, I wished them a ______ trip. I learnt that with every kind ______ , you can get to know a person, and the feeling it gives flows both ways.

   I once stopped behind several cars，waiting at the red light. The wind blew fiercely. Ahead of me stood a young woman alongside the street rubbing her bare hands together and dancing to keep _______. Beside her rested a sign that read，“I have a baby and no _______.”

Homeless and unemployed people are a _______ sight in many of our large cities，and most people drive by without _______ assistance. No doubt they have been _______ that giving them money develops a dependent _______，or that the cash may be used to buy alcohol _______ the food it was intended for. Like me，they may have been taught that one should give money to a local charity，as these organizations can _______ those in need far more effectively.

As I waited for the light to tum green，I felt _______ about that woman. She was ________ in need. And whether or not she actually had a baby really didn't ________. What should I do？

Should I give her money？As I ________，the window of the car in front of me was ________ down and a hand reached out holding a pair of warm gloves. The driver ________ her own gloves and gave them to the woman. I saw the young woman ________ the words“Thank you”and a broad smile lit up her face.

As I hesitated，somebody else ________. As I tried to decide the best way to help，somebody else just did what she could. I made myself a（n）________ that day to always do something. Whether it is big or small，just do something.

Something is almost always better than nothing！Too often we underestimate（低估）the ________ of a touch，a smile，a kind word，a listening ear，or the smallest act of ________，all of which have the ________ to turn a life around.

   Like most people these days，I can't imagine life without e-mail. But there's something about a letter，something more personal，more meaningful.

During my freshman year of college I was _____ . I loved to sing，and I was cast as the lead in the fresh play. The _____ didn't allow much time for studying，and then there were _____ to make and parties to go to. _____ my straight A average in high school，I didn't have good study habits. My first college report card _____ it. I sat on my dorm-room bed，staring at C's and D's.

I knew my parents had gotten a copy of my _____. My mother was an advocate for women's education. My dad ran his own business and was a leader of the community. They'd been so _____ I was following in their footsteps. I could have called home，but long-distance calls were expensive then. _____ ，telling my parents“I'm so sorry I've disappointed you”hardly seemed _____ .

I got two letters from the student union. My dad's letter was typed on his business paper. I could hear his voice，quiet，______ and kind.“I understand you are struggling. We have all been there. We all fail sometimes. We ______ ourselves and our family. ______ those who deserve to be at the top, when they fail, get right back up to the top again. And I know you will.”Dad wasn't ______ of me. He believed I could succeed. If only I had believed in myself as he did!

Then I opened the envelope from Mom. As I read, the miles between us disappeared and her words went straight to my _____ “I suspect you are ______ burdens. Perhaps you feel guilty about ______ that you are not proud of. This is the time when everything we' ve taught you — persistence, forgiveness and diligence — will ______ .”

I did, often. College got much better. My grades ______ . I joined a group that sang at dinners and concerts.

A letter can change the ______ . The message is simple and true: letters can touch our lives mysteriously and ______ .

   I was reading an article the other day about a man by the name of Steven Callahan. In 1982, he was crossing the Atlantic Ocean alone in his sailboat when it _____ something and sank. He was out of the shipping lanes and _____ in a life raft, alone. He had few _____ and his chances of survival were small. Yet when three _____ found him seventy-six days later, he was _____ 一 much skinnier than he was when he started.

His account of how he survived was _____ Somehow he managed to catch fish and even made a device to make fresh water from sea water. The most remarkable thing, _____, was how he managed to keep himself _____ when all hope seemed lost. _____ how often he must have thought there was no point in continuing with the ______ He was suffering a great deal. His life raft was punctured (刺破) and even after trying for more than a week to ______ it, it was still leaking air and it was wearing him out to keep pumping it up. He was hungry, totally exhausted.______ would have seemed to be the only choice.

Whenever you read about people who ______ these kinds of situations, you will ______ that they do something with their minds ______ give them the courage to keep going. However, there are many people in similarly hopeless situations that give in or go ______. The survivors do something with their ______ that help them find the courage to carry on.

For Callahan, he wrote simply, “I told myself I could ______ it. Compared to what those have been through, I was ______. I told myself these things over and over.”

Next time when it seems as if your own goals are far-off or when your problems seem too overwhelming, repeat that ______ over and over again, “I can handle it. I can handle it.”