I've come to the conclusion that I'm terrible at saying "No". For example，last Sunday I was sitting at my desk alone，totally ________ in my own business，when a colleague of mine phoned and asked me to get involved in ________ with her. I found myself getting all caught up in her enthusiasm and didn't want to ________ her. So I said "Sure，why not？" even before the talk ________

I found myself agreeing，without giving any ________ whether it was worth doing. We are both window-shoppers who go to shops but buy nothing and ________ a whole day in the street. Actually，I hardly have any time to spare because I am very busy ________  my normal job-I've also got a book to write，a business to ________ and a family to look after. And then there are my other projects to ________—my voluntary work and a couple of other interesting investments that I want to _________.I'm going to have to be more ruthless（残酷无情的）and not just agree to _________  people ask me to get involved in. In other words，I'm going to have to get _________ at saying "No". Usually I hate saying "No"，because having to disappoint someone usually _________ me. Now I realize _________  I haven't learned to say "No"，I've been feeling very _________.

We had better do what we think is right and what we are _________ to do. Sometimes it does not seem that bad to _________ others. In my case, if I _________ want to be involved in it, I' ll pay more _________ to it and do it quite well I' ll be enthusiastic and motivated and do something that is good for everyone and everyone will be happy. It' ll be a win-win _________. What's not good about that? So sometimes, we have to say "No".

   A beautiful，young girl is smiling at me from a picture frame on my desk as I write this. She is my sponsored child from the Philippines and even though I have never met her _________ she has found a special place in my heart. It doesn't _________ me much to help her，about a dollar a day. _________，millions of people in this world live on _________. The joy that helping her gives me，however，is _________ price，which I never experienced in my life. It _________ me to her，to life，and to love.

I can _________ remember the first time that I decided to help a child _________. It was many years ago. I was only a teenager myself and for the first time in my life I had a little extra money each month. I didn't feel like _________ anything，though. We lost everything we had in a house fire a few years ago and going through that had __________ me a lot. I had learned that I didn't need a lot of "stuff" to be __________. I had also read a lot about the __________ of children in poor countries around the world. It seemed like a far better thing then to __________ what I could to help them. With my mom's love and support I soon found a few __________ like Children International that were serving others around the world. It felt so good being able to __________ and help another in need. It felt so good being able to make even one life better. I could feel the mercy and empathy（共鸣）growing within me and beginning to __________ me.

Empathy does change us. It makes us into better people with bigger __________ and a clearer view of life. It shows us that we truly are one __________ on Earth. It helps us to love, to be kind, and to make this world a __________ place.

Let your empathy grow then. Let your love grow. Let your heart grow bigger and bigger every __________ day.

   Hundreds of people have formed impressions of you through that little device (装置) on your desk. And they’ve never actually ____ you. Everything they know about you ____ through this device, sometimes from hundreds of miles away. ____ they feel they can know you ____ from the sound of your voice. That’s how powerful the ____ is.

Powerful, yes, but not always ____. For years I dealt with my travel agent only by phone. Rani, my faceless agent whom I’d never met ____, got me rock-bottom prices on airfares, cars, and hotels. But her cold voice really ____ me. I sometimes wished to ____ another agent.

Rushing out ____ I called out over my shoulder, ＂By the way, what’s your name?＂ ＂I’m Rani,＂ she said.  I turned around and saw a ____ woman with a big smile on her face waving to wish me a safe trip. I was ____! Why had I thought she was cold? Rani was, well, so ____.

Sitting back in the car on the way to the airport, I figured it all out. Rani’s ____ — her warm smile, her nods, her ‘I’m here for you’ ____ — were all silent signals that didn’t travel through wires.

Growing pains and gains

It's not easy to grow up. Actually it's far from easy. Growing up can be a real "pain" for some of us. We are always doing things that someone else makes us do and aren't allowed to do all the things we like. Sometimes we feel trapped, sometimes we are fearful, and sometimes we just don't understand why we can't stay young forever. When we look back on all the hardships in life with a positive attitude（态度）, we realize that all of our growing pains actually turn into growing gains！

As a young girl my parents forced my sisters and me to do so many things that I never liked. They made me learn to play the violin and then the piano. At that time I hated music, just because it was what they wanted me to do. But looking back now, I am so glad that my parents encouraged me to take music lessons. Music has enriched my life in so many ways. I realize that my parents and teachers were always pushing me along, not because they wanted me to suffer but because they wanted me to succeed in life. They've always wanted me to have a better life than they did themselves.

Every moment of our lives we are either living or dying, so live life to its fullest！We are all going to experience growing pains, but they are just small pains in life. They might seem so huge at the time but we must be strong. Think about how we would feel if we had no fear and live life like that. The future is ours！

A little hard work and sweat never hurt anyone！If we realize that these pains are just small bumps（凸块）on our road to success we will realize that our growing pains are actually growing gains！

   Today, I was phoning at an ATM that was situated inside a gas station. The security guard who was an old man _______ reminded me that I could not use my cell phone there and that it was _______. When I came outside, he smiled at me and I had a strong wish to _______ him.

At first, I felt a little sympathetic (同情的). In my _______, he seemed like a poor, elderly man who was still working. He was _______ at first and just talked about his family in a small voice. When he talked about his _______, he was happy. He told me that she always _______ him, even though she was married herself. Then he _______ his son, who “has a heart of gold”. He also told me I had better _______ some money for my old age, and I thanked him for his ________.

________ we spoke, he opened up quite a bit. He told me about his limited income and how the family were still ________ in spite of all the difficulties. I had nothing to give except ________. I thought about ________ him money, but it didn’t feel quite right. In our conversation , it was ________ that he wanted my time, not my money. I did not want to take away his ________ by giving him money.

By the time the conversation ________, I was close to tears. Ordinary people — when given the opportunity to ________ their story — are real gems (难能可贵的人). Sometimes, time and ________ are the best gifts you can give. That thought made me ________ listening to this old man.