Molai grew up in a tiny village in India. The village lay near some wetlands which became his second1. He learned the value and beauty of 2 there from a very young age.
When he was 16, Molai began to notice something 3 happening around his home. A flood had hit the area earlier that year and the 4 it caused had driven away a number of birds. 5, the number of snakes had declined as well. He 6 that it was because there weren't enough trees to protect them from the 7. The solution, of course, was to plant trees so the animals could seek 8 during the daytime. He turned to the 9 department for help but was told that nothing would grow there. However, Molai went looking on his own and 10a nearby island where he began to plant trees.
11 young plants in the dry season was 12for a lone boy. Molai built at the 13 of each sapling(幼树)a bamboo platform, where he placed earthen pots with small holes to14 rainwater. The water would then drip(滴落)on the plants below.
Molai 15 to plant trees for the next 37 years. His efforts have resulted in 1,360 acres of naturally-grown land that has become home to many plants and animals.
Detective Ashley Jones works at a police department in England. He has recently made a significant1一loneliness is a serious social problem that can contribute to depression and even crimes, but it can be2in a clever way. The3? Chat benches.
Jones got the idea after he had talked with an elderly lady who had been cheated of her4. The lady would get a call from a stranger every morning who 5made her believe that he was her friend, and then she lent him about "f 31,000. Jones was6 when she said that she didn't actually7 being cheated. "Otherwise, 1would never speak to another person for weeks on end," she said.
This led Jones to the conclusion that there are too many extremely 8 people in his community, who are easy targets of cheating. So he9 to do something about it. He 10 the police department to allow him to 11 a couple of "chat benches" in two of their local parks. Then he hung a colorful sign on each of the benches that12:"HAPPY TO CHAT. "Just a few days after the signs went up, he found people sitting there and engaging in active and13 conversations.
The idea is catching on14There are now over 40 chat benches throughout England. More new chat benches have sprung up across the UK and beyond. All who participated have gained a (n)15 outcome from getting involved. Jones' idea has been fully 16-the "HAPPY TO CHAT" benches help17 the invisible social barrier that keeps people from saying hello.
This effort is not just a(n) 18 at being community minded一it's also a 19 measure. It prevents people who are cut off from society falling victim to cheaters.
The Chat Bench is a fantastic new project that20 those of all ages to interact and get to know each other in the future.
Being good at something and having a passion for it are not enough. Success 1 fundamentally on our view of ourselves and of the 2 in our lives.
When twelve-year-old John Wilson walked into his chemistry class on a rainy day in 1931, he had no 3 of knowing that his life was to change 4. The class experiment that day was to 5 how heating a container of water would bring air bubbling (冒泡) to the surface. 6, the container the teacher gave Wilson to heat 7 held something more volatile (易挥发的) than water. When Wilson heated it, the container 8, leaving Wilson blinded in both eyes.
When Wilson returned home from hospital two months later, his parents 9 to find a way to deal with the catastrophe that had 10 their lives. But Wilson did not regard the accident as 11. He learned braille (盲文) quickly and continued his education at Worcester College for the Blind. There, he not only did well as a student but also became a(n)12 public speaker.
Later, he worked in Africa, where many people suffered from 13 for lack of proper treatment. For him, it was one thing to 14 his own fate of being blind and quite another to allow something to continue 15 it could be fixed so easily. This moved him to action. And tens of millions in Africa and Asia can see because of the 16 Wilson made to preventing the 17.
Wilson received several international 18 for his great contributions. He lost his sight but found a 19. He proved that it's not what happens to us that 20 our lives-it's what we make of what happens.
Regardless of the weather or the distance, Paul Wilson will make sure low-income students in his neighbourhood arrive at their college classes on time.
A retired engineer, 76-year-old Wilson has been 1 free rides to college students for the past eight years. Since he first started 2 his car to the young people. Wilson has 3 am astonishing 64, 000 miles, and has had countless pleasant and often humorous 4 with the students he transports to and from school. The students who he's 5 have gone on to become physicians, teachers and engineers, but what they've also got out of their time in school is finding a role model and a friend in Wilson. Some students 6 call him "Grandpa".
Tina Stern 7 rides from Wilson for all her four years in college, and the trips meant much more to her than just free 8. "It's not just a ride；you're not just sitting there in 9 silence or with your headphones on." Stern said. "He asks you questions and actually 10 the answers, so the next time you ride with him, he'll 11 those things."
Wilson first worked as a driver through a student-support programme of the non-profit organisation. On Point for College. Although the 12 asks the members only to drive students to and from their classes, Wilson often goes 13 to ensure the welfare and safety of the students. If they have problems with registration.
Wilson is there to 14 them. If they run out of certain daily necessities. Wilson will drive to the nearest store and purchase what's needed. If a student gets hungry on the long drives to and from school, Wilson never 15 to buy them a meal.
For many students, Wilson's help is not only appreciated, it's also entirely 16 for them to be able to complete their college education. Some students don't have a reliable car, while others have to 17 vehicles with parents who work six days a week. For them, riding with Wilson has 18 them to complete their education—but according to Wilson, he benefits just as much from the 19. "I just love driving and I love these kids, "Wilson said. "It's such a(n) 20 to be a part of these kids' lives, even just for a few hours, getting to know them and hearing their stories."
The small town of Rjukan in Norway is situated between several mountains and does not get direct sunlight from late September to mid-March- 1 six months out of the year.
"Of course, we 2 it when the sun is shining," says Karin Ro, who works for the town's tourism office. "We see the sky is 3, but down in the valley it's darker — it's like on a 4 day.”
But that 5 when a system of high-tech 6 was introduced to reflect sunlight from neighboring peaks（山峰）into the valley below. Wednesday, residents（居民）of Rjukan 7 their very first ray of winter sunshine: A row of reflective boards on a nearby mountainside were put to 8. The mirrors are controlled by a computer that 9 them to turn along with the sun throughout the 10 and to close during windy weather. They reflect a concentrated beam（束）of light onto the town's central 11, creating an area of sunlight roughly 600 square meters. When the light 12, Rjukan residents gathered together.
"People have been 13 there and standing there and taking 14 of each other," Ro says. "The town square was totally 15. I think almost all the people in the town were there. "The 3,500 residents cannot all 16 the sunshine at the same time. 17, the new light feels like more than enough for the town's 18 residents.
"It's not very 19,” she says, "but it is enough when we are 20.”
Every year about 40,000 people attempt to climb Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. They 1 with them lots of waste. The 2 might damage the beauty of the place. The glaciers(冰川)are disappearing, changing the 3 of Kilimanjaro.
Hearing these stories, I'm 4 about the place — other destinations are described as "purer" natural experiences.
However, I soon 5 that much has changed since the days of disturbing reports of 6 among tons of rubbish. I find a 7 mountain, with toilets at camps and along the paths. The environmental challenges are 8 but the efforts made by the Tanzania National Park Authority seem to be 9.
The best of a Kilimanjaro 10, in my opinion, isn't reaching the top. Mountains are 11 as spiritual places by many cultures. This 12 is especially evident on Kilimanjaro as 13 go through five ecosystems(生态系统)in the space of a few kilometers. At the base is a rainforest. It ends abruptly at 3, 000 meters, 14 lands of low growing plants. Further up, the weather 15 — low clouds envelope the mountainsides, which are covered with thick grass. I 16 twelve shades of green from where I stand. Above 4, 000 meters is the highland 17: gravel(砾石), stones and rocks. 18 you climb into an arctic-like zone with 19 snow and the glaciers that may soon disappear.
Does Kilimanjaro 20 its reputation as a crowded mountain with lines of tourists ruining the atmosphere of peace？I found the opposite to be true.
The Homeless Hero
For many, finding an unattended wallet filled with £400 in cash would be a source（来源）of temptation（诱惑）. But the 1 would no doubt be greater if you were living on the streets with little food and money. All of this makes the actions of the homeless Tom Smith 2 more remarkable.
After spotting a 3 on the front seat inside a parked car with its window down, he stood guard in the rain for about two hours waiting for the 4 to return.
After hours in the cold and wet, he 5 inside and pulled the wallet out hoping to find some ID so he could contact（联系）the driver, only to 6 it contained £400 in notes, with another £50 in spare change beside it.
He then took the wallet to a nearby police station after 7 a note behind to let the owner know it was safe. When the car's owner John Anderson and his colleague Carol Lawrence returned to the car—which was itself worth £35, 000—in Glasgow city centre, they were 8 to find two policemen standing next to it. The policemen told them what Mr. Smith did and that the wallet was 9.
The pair were later able to thank Mr. Smith for his 10.
Mr. Anderson said：＂I couldn't believe that the guy never took a penny. To think he is sleeping on the streets tonight 11 he could have stolen the money and paid for a place to stay in. This guy has nothing and 12 he didn't take the wallet for himself；he thought about others 13. It's unbelievable. It just proves there are 14 guys out there.＂
Mr. Smith's act 15 much of the public's attention. He also won praise from social media users after Mr. Anderson 16 about the act of kindness on Facebook.
Now Mr. Anderson has set up an online campaign to 17 money for Mr. Smith and other homeless people in the area, which by yesterday had received ￡8,000. ＂I think the faith that everyone has shown 18 him has touched him. People have been approaching him in the street; he's had job 19 and all sorts,＂ Mr. Anderson commented.
For Mr. Smith, this is a possible life-changing 20. The story once again tells us that one good turn deserves another.
We have all heard how time is more valuable than money, but is it 1 to have too much time?
I2back in high school I spent most of my day at school since I also 3a team sport. By the time I got home, I only had a few hours to do my homework, and I had to do it4.
When I got into college, things5.I suddenly found myself out of class before noon time. Because of all this 6time, there was no sense of 7 to do my school work immediately. I was performing this action of waiting until it later became8.Once that happened, I just kept9my studying further and further back in my day. Then I got to the point where I was10really late at night to get my work done.
One day I 11a former classmate of mine who was 12 a lot of money running a sideline(副业).Since his regular job was 13,I asked him why he just didn't do his sideline full-time. He said without the job, he would 14 have too much time and would just do what I did back in15.He said that if he 16the job, he would lose his 17 to work and succeed.
So, try 18your time with other work. This is why there is a 19 that if you want something done, ask a 20person to do it.
When most of us get a text message on our cell phone from an unknown person, we usually say "sorry, 1 number!" and move on. But when Dennis Williams 2 a text that clearly wasn't intended for him, he did something 3.
On March 19, Dennis got a group text 4 him that a couple he didn't know were at the hospital, waiting for the 5 of a baby.
"Congratulations! But I think someone was mistaken," Dennis 6. The baby was born and update texts were 7 quickly from the overjoyed grandmother, Teresa. In her 8, she didn't seem to realize that she was 9 the baby's photos with a complete stranger. "Well, I don't 10 you all but I will get there to take pictures with the baby," replied Dennis before asking which room the new 11 were in.
Much to the family's surprise, Dennis stuck to his 12! He turned up at the hospital 13 gifts for the new mother Lindsey and her baby boy. Lindsey's husband was totally 14 by the unexpected visit. "I don't think we would have randomly invited him over but we 15 it and the gifts."
Teresa 16 a photo of the chance meeting on a social networking website 17 by the touching words: "What a 18 this young man was to our family! He was so 19 and kind to do this." The post has since gained the 20 of social media users all over the world, receiving more than 184,000 shares and 61,500 likes in just three days.
Two weeks earlier, my son, Ben, had got in touch. He'd moved to England with his mum when he was three and it had been 13 years since I'd 1 seen him. So imagine my 2 when he emailed me saying he wanted to come to visit me.
I was 3 ! I arrived early at Byron Bay where we were supposed to 4 . The bay was5 in sunshine, and there was a group of kayakers around 150m off the shore. Getting a little 6 .I realized one kayak（皮划艇）was in 7 . "Something's not 8 !" I took off my T-shirt and 9 into the water. I saw there were two instructors on board and a man lying across the middle. He was 10 violently. Linking arms with one of the instructors. I helped 11 the young man out of the water. He was unconscious and as I looked at his face, something 12 to me. Those brown eyes were very 13 . "What's his name?" I asked the instructor. "Ben," he replied, and immediately I 14 . That stranger was my son!
The instructors called for an ambulance. 15, after a brief stay in hospital. Ben was well enough to be allowed to 16 and later the family met up for dinner. We chatted about everything and then Ben 17 to me. "I'm just want to say thank you," he said, "You 18 my life!"
I still can't believe what a 19 it was. I'm just so glad I was there 20 to help my son.
