For years I 【小题1】 (ask) why I volunteer, and my answer remains the same. I volunteer because it makes 【小题2】 difference.

Growing up in Hawaii, I saw Dad taking my family downtown to pass out cheeseburgers to the 【小题3】 (home), and my passion grew from there. Over the years, I placed my focus 【小题4】 food insecurity and that led me to found the first food pantry (食物分发处) on the campus of Indiana University. I will never forget the day when I opened the pantry. A student walked in the door and he said, “I was in class with you 【小题5】 (early). Thank you for doing this because I was trying to figure out what I was going to eat this week.” The food pantry 【小题6】 (actual) helped many a student on the campus, 【小题7】, for some reason, had difficulty 【小题8】 (get) everyday meals. Those who got food from there came back to support our food pantry, making it a place to pass on kindness.

That was two and a half years ago, but 【小题9】 (moment) like those stick with me to this very day. Since graduating, I now volunteer with different homeless shelters in Indianapolis, and I will continue to make 【小题10】 (me) available as long as there is someone in need.

An old carpenter (木匠) was ready to retire. He told his boss 【小题1】 his plans to leave. His boss was sorry to see his worker go. He asked 【小题2】 he could build him just one more house as a favor. The carpenter said yes, but he was not really 【小题3】 (interest). He used poor materials and didn’t work 【小题4】 hard as before.

When the carpenter 【小题5】 (finish) his work, his boss came to see the new house. He 【小题6】 (hand) the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.”

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so 【小题7】 (different).

Sometimes we do not give the job our best effort. Then we find that we must live in the houses we have built for 【小题8】.

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you are building it. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live in it for only one day, that day should 【小题9】 (live) with dignity (尊严). Your life today is the result of your attitudes and 【小题10】 (choice) in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result.

When I left for the United States to study, I had butterflies in my stomach. My mind was full of 【小题1】 (anxious) because I was going to a new place with new people and new customs. I couldn’t even understand 【小题2】 (they) language. Everything was【小题3】 (true) different from my own country. There was nobody that I could talk to and I just had my husband, 【小题4】 made me feel alone and had no confidence 【小题5】 my new life.

It was 【小题6】 sad moment when I had to say goodbye to my family and friends. I didn’t want to leave my hometown because I grew up there and had 【小题7】 (impress) and wonderful memories of the place. So, thinking about all these changes made me nervous and I 【小题8】 (frighten) to face them. But studying abroad was a decision that I made myself. I had to continue and accept the challenge, 【小题9】 (hope) to get used to it. There was a lot 【小题10】 (explore) when living abroad. I looked forward to visiting my family in the summer vacation.