You can tell a lot about a man by how he treats his dogs.

For many years, I enjoyed living with my dogs, Tilly and Chance. Their1 was nearly enough to keep my loneliness at bay. Nearly. Last year, I started dating, but with reservations. When I first dated Steve, I2he had a dog, Molly, and a cat, Flora. While I was3that he was an animal lover, I4that three dogs were perhaps too many, and my dogs might attack5, the cat.

The next week we6our dogs together. It was a hot day. When we paused to catch our7, Steve got down on one knee. Was he proposing(求婚)?I liked him too, but so soon? He poured water from a bottle into his hand and offered it to my dogs.8, I began to fall for him.

We9to date, though neither of us brought up the future. And then in late

November, Tilly had an operation on her10. I took the dogs out four times a day, and I worried that Tilly11climbing the stairs could reopen the wound. Then Steve suggested his house. All worked12. The three dogs formed a pack that, with coaching, respected

Flora's space; Steve and I formed a good team13for Tilly. We made good housemates.

A year later, much to my delight, this man produced a little box with a ring and proposed to me. He did not kneel(跪) down, nor did I14him to. That's only for giving15to the dogs that brought us together.

I'm a second-year student of Coventry University. For more than a year, I have been volunteering for SHOUT, a text-based 1 health support service.

This time last year, we all watched the COVID-19 unfold across the country. I had planned to work in the summer vacation, but this became 2 when the first lockdown began. My days became a(n) 3 of watching the news and wishing I could do something. Fortunately, I learned about SHOUT in an email from my university's volunteering team 4 the charity needed more volunteers, due to the increase in 5 they were receiving since the pandemic (流行病) began. I applied instantly.

SHOUT volunteers 6 as a listening ear to anyone who needs support, at any time, with their mental health. The service supports them and encourages self-care techniques to keep people 7 during the pandemic. This service was especially important during lockdown, when clinical services were often 8. As volunteers, we never give advice; often our texters just need someone to 9.

My volunteering 10 have had a huge and positive impact on my mental health. I have been able to gain new 11 from gardening to instructing. In a voluntary capacity, the pressure is off. If I'm struggling, my teammates will always encourage me to rest and 12 for a while. And when I'm feeling strong, I can get involved again and 13 other people in their time of need.

The skills I've gained by volunteering have given me the 14 to successfully apply for an internship (实习生) with Coventry University. I strongly believe volunteering has changed my life, and I encourage everyone to 15 opportunities to change theirs too.

Kyler Nipper has a disease preventing his heels from touching the ground while walking. To walk, he usually places his 1 on his front tiptoes, and his different way of walking 2 his shoes to bend in the middle and often come apart. His parents would get him new ones, 3 they'd wear out in weeks. Because his shoes were always worn out, some kids 4 him.

Kyler didn't want anyone else to 5 it for having old shoes, so he made a shoe donation 6 . "Please donate shoes for the 7 kids," He wrote on the box. He 8 to give the donated shoes to anyone in his school who needed a new pair of shoes.

Moved by Kyler's story Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation has partnered with Kyler and now 9 donate wonderful pairs of shoes to his charity(慈善机构). "I'm so proud and 10 with his work. Young people like Kyler are the key to building a kinder, braver world for us all," said Maya Smith, director of the Foundation.

Now Kyler has set up several "Kyler's Closets" at local 11 and students can come in private to 12 any pair that they like. Kyler also regularly brings shoes to the Las Vegas Rescue Mission for those 13 people during evening meals.

Kyler believes in 14 for others and he likes to say that we should not only tell people to be kind, but also 15 it. "We're spreading it along the way, so that to me is a success," said Kyler.

Rockets were probably invented by accident about 2000 years ago. The Chinese had a form of gunpowder which was put in bamboo tubes and thrown into fires to make 1·during festivals. Perhaps some of the tubes jumped out of the fire instead of exploding in it. The Chinese discovered that the gunpowder 2 from the tube could lift it into the air. The idea of the rocket was 3.

The first 4 use of rockets was in 1232. The Song Dynasty was at war with the Mongols. During the 5 of Kaifeng, the Song army 6 "arrows of flying fire". The tubes were 7 to a long stick which helped keep the rocket moving in a straight direction. 8 the Mongols learned how to make rockets themselves and it is possible that they 9 them to Europe. Between the 13th and 15th century there were many rocket 10 in England, France and Italy. They were used for military purposes. One Italian scientist even invented a rocket which could travel over the surface of water and hit a(an)11 ship.

Not everybody wanted to use rockets in battles. Wan Hu, a Chinese government official, invented a 12 chair. He fixed two big kites to the chair, and 47 rockets to the kites. The rockets were lit, there was a huge explosion and 13 of thick smoke. When the smoke 14 Wan Hu and his chair had disappeared, no one knows what happened. Did Wan Hu die in the explosion? Or was he carried miles into space, becoming the world's first 15?

The world's youngest DJ who is just two years old has thousands of fans thanks to his ability. Oratilwe Hlongwane, whose DJ name is AJ, is 1 learning to put together words, but the baby is already able to 2 and play music from a laptop and has become famous in South Africa. His abilities have even 3 him special appearances, with fans 4 to hear his bass-heavy house music.

His recent 5 at a supermarket in his home of Johannesburg 6 a large crowd as he moved his head to the 7, with large headphones around his neck. His mother, Refiloe Marumo, 8 his success to his father Glen Hlongwane's decision to buy an iPad for his then unborn son. Mr. Hlongwane, a gymnastics coach and 9 DJ, had planned to download some educational apps for the child as well as a DJ app for himself.

A mobile phone recording of him playing music was shared online and the youngster now has nearly 25,000 Facebook 10. However, some people 11 his parents of abusing and making money from their child's ability. Mr. Hlongwane said he would not "12 his kid" and said he wasn't allowed to play in clubs or at parties 13 his age. The parents also insisted that they would not 14 their son to be a DJ when he grows up, but said they believed his interest in electronic equipment would probably decide his future. Mr. Hlongwane added, "I can see a 15 Bill Gates here."

Next week, as millions of families gather for their Thanksgiving feasts (大餐), many other Americans will go without. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, more than 12 million households 1enough food for everyone in their family at some time during the year — including 2.

Hunger is surprisingly widespread in our country — one of the world's wealthiest — yet the government estimates that we waste almost 100 billion pounds of food each year, more than one-quarter of our total supply.

Reducing this improper distribution of 3is a goal of America's Second Harvest, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization. Last year, it 4nearly 2 billion pounds of food to more than 23 million people in need.

America's Second Harvest is a network of 214 inter-connected food banks and other organizations that 5food from growers, processors, grocery stores and restaurants. 6, the network distributes food to some 50,000 soup kitchens (施食处), homeless 7and old people's centers in every county of every state.

A great deal of work is involved in distributing tons of food from thousands of 8to thousands of small, non-profit organizations. Until a few years ago, America's Second Harvest lacked any 9way to manage their inventory (存货). Without accurate and timely information, soup kitchens were sometimes empty while food was left to 10 in loading places.

In 2000, America's Second Harvest began to use a new inventory and financial-management system — Ceres. It is a 11 designed specifically for hunger-relief operations. It is used by more than 100 America's Second Harvest organizations to 12 food from donation to distribution.

Ceres has helped 13 the spoiling of food and improve distribution. An evaluation found that the software streamlined (精简) food banks' operations by 23 percent in the first year alone.

With more accurate and timely reports, Ceres saves time, frees staff members to focus on finding new donors, and 14 more efficient use of donations.

Hunger in America remains a(n) 15 social problem. Technology alone cannot solve it. But in the hands of organizations such as America's Second Harvest, it is a powerful tool that is helping to make a difference — and helping more Americans to join in the feast.

Children know the difference between right and wrong before they reach the age of two, according to new research1recently.

Scientists have2that babies aged between 19 and 21 months understand fairness and can3it in different situations. They say it is the first time that having a4of fairness has been identified in children at such a young5.

Researchers say babies will watch a 6 for longer if they think it contains something unfair, so in two experiments the babies were7on how long they watched a live scenario(情景)about fairness.

In the first, 19-month-olds8two giraffe puppets(玩偶) given either a toy each or both toys to one of the giraffes. Longer looking times9that something was unusual or10to the baby. In this experiment, three-quarters of the babies looked longer when one giraffe got11toys.

In a second experiment, two women 12each other with a pile of small 13 between them and an empty plastic box in front of each of them In one scenario, one woman 14put the toys away, while the other kept playing, but both women were given 15. In another scenario, both women put the toys away and both got a reward. The 1621-month-old babies looked reliably 17when the worker and the slacker(偷懒的人) were rewarded equally.

Psychologist Stephanie Sloane, who led the study at Illinois University, said:" We discovered that 19 and 21-month-old babies have a general18of faimess, and they can apply it 19to different situations. "

The20appear in Psychological Science, a journal published by the Association for Psychological Science.

I will never forget the year I was about twelve years old. My mother told us that we would not be  1Christmas gifts because there was not enough money. I felt sad and thought, "What would I say when the other kids asked what I'd got?" Just when I started to2 that there would not be a Christmas that year, three women 3at our house with gifts for all of us. For me they brought a doll. I felt such a sense of4that I would no longer have to be embarrassed when I returned to school. I wasn't5. Somebody had thought6of me to bring me a gift.

Years later, when I stood in the kitchen of my new house, thinking how I wanted to make my 7 Christmas there special and memorable, I8 remembered the women's visit. I decided that I wanted to create that same feeling of9 for as many children as I could possibly reach.        

So I10a plan and gathered forty people from my company to help. We gathered about 125 orphans (孤儿) at the Christmas party. For every child, we wrapped colorful packages filled with toys, clothes, and school supplies, each with a child's name. We wanted all of them to know they were 11. Before I called out their names and handed them their gifts, I12 them that they couldn't open their presents until every child had come forward. Finally the13they had been waiting for came as I called out, "One, two, three. Open your presents!" As the children opened their packages, their faces beamed(笑容满面) and their bright smiles14up the room. The15in the room was obvious, and it wasn't just about toys. It was a feeling—the feeling I knew from that Christmas so long ago when the women came to visit. I wasn't forgotten. Somebody thought of me. I matter.

When I was about 10 or 11 years old, I received a gift from my grandfather. I can't1what the exact occasion was when he gave me the2. All I can remember is that he went to the town for a week for his business and when he3he gave me a book with an4cover picture. I5the book on my desk for a while and one day he asked me whether I liked the6of the book he gave me. I was a bit7to hear that as I have not8the book at all. He smiled and told me that he9this   story. The next day morning I started reading this book. To my10 ， I was so absorbed in the story that I11to go outside to play with other boys. After reading this book, I had a(n)12in reading more storybooks like this one for the first time in my life. That was just the beginning and after that, I become a regular13.

This book has an excellent story that taught me the14of loving others.15, I16my mother more than my playmates after17her true love for me. This book opened a new18for me and made me believe that a reader leads many lives and can think from many19perspectives (观点). All this have been possible only because the gift and20that my grandfather gave to me.

I quietly placed my ear against the kitchen door. Mom had a male visitor! I peeked(偷看) around. Sitting there was a gentleman, the most handsome man I'd ever seen.

Mom was a young widow then with three children. My sister was ten, my brother four and I six. I1having a daddy. And I knew he was the one. Then I walked right into the2.

"Hi! I'm Patty. What's your name?"

"George."

Looking towards Mom, I asked, "Don't you think my mom's pretty?"

"Patty!" Mom scolded with3. "Go and check on Benny."

George leaned forward and4, "Yes, I do. I'll see you later, Patty. I think we will be good friends."

George started5 Mom more often. He always seemed happy to see me and never grew6 of my endless questions.

Soon they entered into a7. For George, who'd never been married before, coming back from World War Ⅱ and into a ready-made family took some adjusting. One evening was especially bad. Benny was crying on the kitchen floor. Annie was8loudly it wasn't her place to look after that spoiled child. And I spilled a whole pot of butter milk. With a vacant(茫然的) look, George muttered(嘟囔), "I must have been9to marry a woman with three kids."

Mom fled to their bedroom in10, and George walked out. I hurried to the porch (门厅). "I'm sorry. I'll be more careful next time. Please don't11!"

12 wiping my tears, he said, "We're friends, and friends never13 the people they love. Don't worry. I'll always be here." Then he went to14 Mom.

Over the years, George has always been there for me. I still turn to him with my15though he is 85.