For a few years，I have been wearing a ring on my right hand．It's not always the same ring，but it's always a ring that has 1 on it so that when I look at it，I'm2 or reminded of something important．I have made a 3 of buying rings like this whenever I 4 one in a store．Sometimes I give them away as 5to someone like Jennie .
I first met Jennie in the 6 waiting room and we had talked several times．One night I sat down beside her and 7 how her son was doing because I knew that he was in very8 condition．She told me that she didn't know what to do any more because it seemed none of the9 from the doctors was good．They weren't at all sure her son was going to 10the accident that had hurt him so badly．With 11in her eyes，she said，“They're 12 my hope.” I knew then that it was 13 just a coincidence that 1 was wearing the ring that I had on that day．As she 14to talk ,I quietly slipped the ring off my finger and 15 it in Jennie's hand. I told her to wear it to 16 that God loved her and he would be with her through all of this . 17 Jennie looked down at the ring，she got excited and then held it tightly, 18 the word written on the ring was “HOPE”．
The last day 1 was at the hospital，I saw Jennie in the distance as I got on the lift．She19 and held up the hand with the ring on it as she called out to me saying，“Look，I 20 have Hope!”
You Did More Than Carry My Books
Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed a boy ahead of him had dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with a baseball bat and several other things. Mark 1 down and helped the boy pick up these articles. 2 they were going the same way, he helped to carry some of them for him. As they walked, Mark 3 the boy's name was Bill, that he 4 computer games, baseball and history, that he was having a lot of 5 with his other subjects and that he had just broken 6 with his best friend.
They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark was 7 in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed 8 with a few laughs and some shared small talk, and then Mark went home. They 9 to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, and then both ended up from the same high school. Just three weeks before 10, Bill asked Mark if they 11 talk. Bill 12 him of the day years ago when they had first met. “Do you 13 wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill. “You see, I 14 out my locker(橱柜) because I didn't want to leave a mess 15 anyone else. I had planned to run away and I was going home to 16 my things. But after we spent some time together 17 and laughing, I realized that 18 I had done that, I would have 19 a new friend and missed all the fun we would have together. So you see, Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more. You 20 my life.”
Last Christmas while staying with my parents, I 1 across some old love letters that my parents wrote to each other. These letters were all piled up in a basket, dirty and 2 with dust.3 to read and sort them, I asked them if I could take the letters back to my Illinois home. They agreed.
As I carefully opened each letter, all of them delicate with age, I discovered a new page 4unknown to me in this private chapter of my parents' lives.
My father used to 5 in the army. So his letters were full of frontline 6 of the things about the war. Each of my mother's letters was marked 7 her 1944 dark red lipstick kiss. I was 8 to these letters like a magnet (磁铁).
Just six weeks after our Christmas visit, Daddy became very 9and was hospitalized. This time, he was fighting a 10 kind of war. As I sat by his bedside, we discussed the 11 . He told me how much receiving those lipstick-kissed letters had 12to him when he had been so far from home.
It so happened that the next day would be February 14. From the 13letters I chose the card my father had sent Mother in 1944 and brought it to my father's bedside.
At his bedside, I joked with him, saying 14, “Today is Valentine's Day, don't you want to send Mother a present?” He became more 15when I handed him the old 16. He carefully opened it and took out the card, and when he 17 it, his eyes were filled with tears.
My father, in a voice tight with18read the loving19he'd sent to my mother fifty-six years earlier. And this time, he could read it to her 20.
These days，upcycling(升级改造)is popular with people.They 1 something unique from existing materials rather than buy more.My granny，Bobo has spent 92 years doing just that out of necessity.
Wasting time and resources was 2 an option in the world she grew up in.With seven children to 3she lived a hard and economical life.Bobo has been upcycling 4 the day Great-Granny Annie put a needle in her hand and taught her how to give new 5 to every fabric(织物)in their farmhouse.
Just like Bobo，my mother，Cindy6making her clothes.She7 her homecoming dress and bought the fabric with money she earned8 at the can factory.One generation passed on to the next the 9of creating something beautiful and useful by hand.
Granny's and Mom's sewing skills meant that no matter the budget，Christmas，birthday，and wedding gifts were 10From a baby blanket to a bib(围嘴)，each treasure 11a special quality of personalization.In my home I am 12 by upcycling at its best.
Thanks to Bobo's13 ways，the artistry of handwork lives on in four 14 of crafters.Granny Bobo lived it.Mom carried it on.I am picking it up by listening and 15Now my daughter，Greta，is also learning to use those 16.
I sit and watch 17 as Bobo's hands weave needle and thread.In 92 years，her hands have known and 18 life，home and family.Age has brought the19 of some memories.But if you listen to her stories while she20you'll journey back to the old farm with her.
Years ago I was hiking (徒步旅行) in the Himalayas and had made the mistake of changing a large amount of money into the local currency(货币). As I walked through the villages of the Annapurnas, it soon became 1that the people were too poor to 2 even the simplest 3. They had nothing. This meant that it was no use carrying the wad(捆) of 4 in my pack and I was a virtual(虚拟的) walking 5 compared to the local people. I grew to 6 the money and it was 7 to have it in my bag. This led to a remarkable experience that 8 me deeply and its 9 has never left me.
On this particular day I was left behind by my fellow hikers and found myself in a valley. As I made myself down, I noticed a young girl of around 13 10 some sheep. Like so many of the children of the amazing Nepalese people, she was very beautiful. I couldn't 11 looking at her and she looked at me. As I approached her she suddenly rushed 12 to me, and without a 13, handed me a flower. She 14 at me for a tiny moment and then she ran away. The spirit in this lovely child had responded to something she saw in me and her first 15 was to find something to 16 . Due to her 17 , there was nothing she had 18 a single flower. The 19 of my bag was never heavier than at this moment and I had just received one of the most valuable 20 I have ever had in my life.
A boy lost his arms in an accident. He had to1 the arms of his younger brother. 2 writing with his toes, he was completely 3 to do anything in his life. But when the two brothers both grew up, his younger brother wanted to 4 from him, living his own life. 5 he was heart-broken and didn't know what to do.
A 6 disaster befell (降临) a girl, too. One night her mother who suffered from mental illness 7. So her father went out looking for her mother, 8 her alone at home. She tried to 9 meals for her parents, only to overturn the kerosene light(煤油灯)on the stove, resulting in a 10 which took her hands away. Though her elder sister showed her willingness to take care of her, she decided to be completely 11. At school, she always studied hard. Once she wrote the following in her composition, "I am 12. Though I lost my arms, I still have legs. I am lucky. Though my wings are 13, my heart can still fly."
One day, the boy and the girl were both invited to appear on a 14 interview program. The boy told the TV host about his 15 future at being left on his own. However, the girl was full of 16 for her life. They both were asked to write something on a piece of paper with their 17. The boy wrote "My younger brother's arms are my arms" 18 the girl wrote "Broken wings, flying heart".
It is true that disasters can strike19. But if we decided to be 20, the hardship will turn out to be a fortune on which new hopes will arise.
After I graduated from the university, I got so pressured in finding a job. I did a lot of1both online and handing in person to a particular company. It occurred, one day I went to2my CV (履历)to a certain company and I wanted to meet the human resource manager in person because I believed it was the best3than leaving my CV at the reception.
Unfortunately, in this company the4did not allow me to see the human resource manager and5asked me to just leave the CV with her and that she would6it. I was really7since I knew she wouldn't do that and my CV will just be thrown in the trash can, I thought so because it usually8a lot in some other companies. So I just left with my head9and never thought about it again since I knew I would never get any10from the company.
Weeks passed and one day I received a call from a（an）11number and guess what… it was the human resource manager of that same company. I was really shocked since I did not12it at all. So he said he received my CV and that he would13it.
I was so happy and felt bad at the same time for14the receptionist the other day. This humbled me and it was a15to believe in people and not assume things just because of the norm.
When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings. Week by week her list1: I was very thin; I wasn't a2student; I talked too much; I was too3, always feeling superior to（胜过）others, and so on. I tried to hear all this as long as I could.4, I became very angry. I ran to my father with5 in my eyes.
He listened to me6, and then he asked. "Are the things she says true or not? Janet, didn't you ever wonder7you're really like? Well, you now have that girl's8. Go and9a list of everything she said and mark the points that are10. Pay no attention to the other things she said. "
I did11he told me. To my great12, I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn't13(like being very thin), but a good number I could – and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I went to a fairly14picture of myself.
I brought the list back to Daddy. He15to take it. "That's just for you," he said. “You know16than anyone else the truth about yourself. But you have to learn to17, not just close your ears in anger, feeling18when something said about you is true, you'll find it of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your affairs. Don't shut your19. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you know is the right thing to do. ”
Daddy's advice has always20to me at many important moments. In my life, I've never had a better piece of advice.
Frey is on her way to the Pottery(陶器)Workshop in Shanghai. She willingly 1the training courses of the workshop every Tuesday, spending three or four hours 2there.
After five weeks of 3, she is looking forward to taking home the first bowl she makes with her own hands as a 4souvenir. "I've enjoyed every minute at the workshop. It enables me to make friends and learn how to make pottery with the directions and 5from others," Frey says. Also, she feels very comfortable in the workshop, which creates a 6atmosphere like classroom in which people from different backgrounds gather 7 to create their works. As a foreigner, Frey has adopted pottery making to 8 her own ideas and thoughts. "The whole process of making a pottery piece may look rather 9to a beginner, but I still keep on, and 10 I will leave with a whole case of my works by the end of our stay," Frey says.
Sharing the same enthusiasm, Maggie Guo, a former clothes 11 and now a housewife is trying to complete her "pottery dream". "I 12 to study pottery when I applied to university many years ago, but I eventually get engaged in clothes design, which became my 13," Guo says. Now, after years in that field, she still 14 learning pottery. She attends the workshop to finally realize the 15 she had put on the shelf for so many years. "I am always surprised and 16 to see the final works of my own, and it 17 me to learn the real meaning of being an 18"
They both think more people should 19 into the world of pottery making to experience the 20 of creativity with simple materials.
My Boxing Experience
This year I joined boxing class. My friend Lea and I were the only 1 in the class. We got to throw our first punches (拳击) and learned how we should stand. I still didn't know how to do it well, but I felt that choosing the boxing class was the right decision. Mr. Vernon, our boxing teacher, made us work hard and sweat. The boxing pads (拳击护具) were my favorite, but my punches weren't 2 enough.
After participating in more practices, we had learned how to punch in six different ways. The boys were improving a lot on their strength, and Lea with her speed, and me? Well, I had a hard time seeing the 3. Mr. Vernon would always tell me that practice would make me stronger, and this is what helped motivate me to 4.
Each practice there was at least one boy who would 5 me and say, "Oh you're too short to box. Mr. Vernon has to 6 down when you are on the boxing pads; oh you're not strong enough; you punch like a mouse."
I know those comments were not to 7 me, but just to have fun. It's true, I'm a small and short person and I did lack confidence; but hearing those comments can either bring you 8, or make you feel motivated to show them they are 9. In my case, they started to discourage me. I didn't have the strength to think they were wrong, and a part of me thought that they were speaking the 10. I hid it inside my heart because I thought that showing that I was 11 myself would make it worse.
I remember one particular practice where I was mad and angry, and my punches suddenly felt stronger and faster. I was 12, yet I had a feeling in me that it was there all along. I just didn't have that 13in me. After practice, Mr. Vernon pointed out that I was getting stronger and better, which really made me feel more 14 and showed me that what the others were saying about me was wrong. I had 15 found the strength I needed. The following practices, Mr. Vernon was impressed with my hooks and uppercuts, because they were getting 16.
This experience taught me that boxing requires a lot of work and effort, but it also taught me not to feel 17 about what people say. If you focus on your strong points and improve on your 18 ones, there is no reason for you to feel disappointed. Boxing taught me how to fight, and defend myself physically and mentally, and show that short girls can do anything if they have the 19 to prove people wrong. Being short doesn't 20 me and definitely does not limit me from doing things that tall or stronger people can do.
Scott Poore is an animal lover. He moves into the shelter kennel (犬舍) with the 1 of helping unwanted young dogs get adopted. Queen, a 3-year-old dog, has just gotten the most 2 roommate despite the narrow living room.
Since Poore is a 3 visitor at the shelter, he is familiar with all of the 4. However, little Queen in particular has really 5 his heart. Poore says that he recently began to 6 that Queen seemed to be" losing 7"in finding a forever home. "I have been 8Queen every single day for over a year and now I can 9 see her giving up," Poore wrote on his blog last week. "She used to get so 10 when I would arrive and now she just lies in her bed and 11 at me. I sit in her room and all she does is look out of her window."
So as a 12 of raising awareness of Queen's situation, Poore 13 a suitcase and moved into the dog's kennel. Poore says it has been 14 managing his work while also living at the shelter, but he is 15 to stay in the kennel until someone adopts Queen. Since he 16 the kennel earlier this week, he and his new canine roommate have been 17 the headlines of dozens of national news outlets, although no potential 18 have stepped forward.
19, this dog has finally been given a loving home after his 20 crossed with that of a woman living on the other side of the country.
It was a normal Monday morning at an assembly, and the old headmaster was giving the students a speech about important things in life and about 1ourselves to what is important to us. This is2the story went: An old man lived in a certain part of London, and he 3wake up every morning and go to the 4, where he got the train right to Central London, and then sat at the street corner, 5. He did this every single day of his life. He sat at the same street corner and begged for almost 20 years. His house was dirty, and it smelled6. The neighbors could not 7the smell anymore, so they asked the police officers to 8the place. The officers knocked down the 9 and cleaned the house. There were small bags of 10 all over the house that he had 11over the years. The police counted the money, and they soon realized that the old man was a 12. They waited outside his house expecting to share the good news with him. When he arrived home that evening, he was met by one of the officers who told him that there was no need for him to beg any more 13 he was a rich man now. He said 14at all; he went into his house and locked the door. The next morning he woke up as usual, went to the street and 15 to beg. 16, this old man had no great plans, dreams or anything important for his life. We learn nothing from this story other than staying 17 the things we enjoy doing. We should remain true to our course, which may mean devoting yourselves to things that people around you may disapprove. Let nothing prevent us from being happy, let nothing else decide our fate (命运), but 18. What makes us happy is what 19 in the end…not what we gain.
This particular story is one such lesson that I will never forget. Every time I don't focus on courses, I 20 myself of this story.
We have all heard how time is more valuable than money, but is it 1 to have too much?
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 it 4
When I got into college, things 5 I suddenly found myself out of class before noon time. Because of all this 6 there was no sense of 7 to do my school work immediately. I was performing this action of waiting until it later became 8. 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 alone.
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 18 your time with other work. This is why there is a 19 that if you want something done, ask a 20person to do it.
Scott loved his basketball team and always played hard for it. Last year, they had won the state finals. This year, they were finding things much 1. Three 2 were left before the finals and Scott's team needed to 3them all to go to the finals. They made two but near the 4 of the third game, they were behind by six points. Scott had also hurt his5 when he fell on the court.
"Are you okay to 6?'' asked his coach. Scott looked at the injury on his knee.
''I'll be 7,'' he said.
Scott knew the 8 of his decision. He could hurt his knee even more. Or he could 9 not to play. He knew that not playing might cause his team to10. As he rested before the final quarter, he decided to play through the pain. He11 that he was going to win this game for the team he12.
As the quarter began, he caught the ball after the other 13 made a mistake. He bounced the ball down the court and threw the ball into the basket. Scott 14 towards his coach. They were only four points behind now. Scott kept playing 15 during the final quarter. He 16scored a three-point shot from the center of the court. With just two17 left, Scott's team was still one point behind. Scott was passed the ball by his teammate. He 18 the pain in his knee and ran forward. He 19 towards the end of the court. His feet left the ground. He sent his shot into the basket and earned his side two points. The final whistle (哨音) blew seconds after. Scott's20 decision had helped his team reach the finals.
Being brave enough, girls are free to explore in their learning and life. That exploration leads to the 1of their talents, passions and drawbacks. On Saturday night we saw one of our students act so bravely that it took my 2 away.
One of the lead characters of our show, Blue Stockings, was played by a science teacher, Ben Walker.3 , Ben broke his nose very badly playing football on Saturday and consequently couldn't 4. Ella Jones, a Year I student and part of the cast, who 5 to rest on Saturday, was 6 to play Ben's role.
Think about this. She had three hours' 7, playing a role of a man she had never played before, in front of a/an 8 audience, and if she couldn't 9, she would reduce the impact of the whole play. Not the end of the world, but it would be disappointing for all 10
Ella could have run, but she 11 to the challenge. She said, “I was astonished; However, I 12 the show must go on and I wanted to 13. I wasn't scared 14 I arrived at the theatre and realized how much there was to 15. It wasn't just about lines, but it was the stagecraft(舞台表演技巧). I was 16 about the other actors because I know how 17 it is to perform a role with someone who isn't as invested, especially if it is an emotional scene.”
Asked how the show 18, Ella said, "It was amazing, and the audience seemed to love the male character I played for the first time." She added, "Being scared doesn't mean you can't be 19. Anyway, I 20."
When I was a kid, my family didn't live a rich life. As a result, we couldn't 1 to eat out in a restaurant. My mother 2 cooked in the evening after she returned home from work.
One day, my mother had a very3 day in the office and was exhausted. After work, she went into the kitchen and started preparing supper for us. When she was frying some eggs, she 4 to concentrate on her cooking and the eggs burned. She wanted to throw them away, but eggs were 5 for a family like mine back then. So she placed them in a plate and6to eat them herself.
After the eggs were put on the table, my father looked at them for a while. But he said 7. He just smiled at my mom and then asked me how my 8 was at school. Then he started eating the eggs. He finished them 9 so that my mother and I wouldn't have to eat them.
Later that night, I heard my mom 10 to my dad for burning the eggs. And I'll never 11 what he said, "Honey, I love burned eggs."
The next day, I asked Dad 12 he really liked burned eggs. He held me in his arms and said, "Your mom had a 13 day at work yesterday and she was really tired. I didn't want to 14 her. Besides, a little bit burned egg won't hurt anyone."
My father was a very 15 man, and I learned to be such a man from him.
My name is Miranda Gibson. I have been at the top of a tree for five months now. Some people might wonder1 on earth I would choose to do that.
I have walked through this forest many times. On 12 December, 2011，2 rolled into the forest and the destruction (摧毁) began. I couldn’t 3 the thought that these forests would be 4 forever. So, on 14 December, 2011，I packed up my life, 5 of my job plans, and climbed 60 meters to the top of this tree. I have been here ever since.
Life in the tree tops can be 6 at times. I have times when I feel frustrated (沮丧) and wish I could 7 ， to anywhere, just have a 8 of scenery for a minute!There are times too, when I feel terribly 9. I miss my friends and family. 10 these times, I find myself loving the 11.
Living on the tree has been inspiring. I am willing to12 up here for as long as it takes, 13 I honestly hope it won’t be too 14 before I can put my feet on the ground below and stand in a forest that will never be 15.
Information of the patient was checked. The shadow less lamp was on. All supplies needed for the operation were 1 . This was a typical 2 of a surgery. However, there was one more 3— a piano. It was the first time ever in the world that a piano had 4 the operating room. My 15 colleagues and I were operating on a 10-year-old patient.
Occupying a comer of the room, the grand piano was performed by Emiliano, a musician. To the 5 background of a piano played 6, we performed the surgery to remove a tumor(肿瘤) from the boy's stomach. Everything went well. There was no complication. A magical atmosphere of complete 7 was brought into the operating room. When 8 medical supplies among the staff, I could totally 9the peace. Even more 10, in smooth music, we 11 better, as if our minds were connected by the 12.
Although the boy was 13 during the four-hour operation, at times we did notice the comers of his 14 curved(弯曲) up. Somehow, even under total anesthesia(麻醉)，he could feel the joy of music. When the notes were 15 , monitors showed a sudden change in his brain activity pattern. I prayed the music could 16 the skinny body of anxiety and pain.
The surgery was 17 . Our little patient was doing well. My team described the process as 18 and moving. When asked about the 19, our brave little patient said, "I'm fine. Did I hear the music? Yes, I heard it."
In years to come, a surgery room might 20 a piano or other facility of this kind.
Last summer, we went to Hawaii for holiday. During my 1 trip with my husband, we spent most of our time 2 during the day in the sea, and then enjoying walks along the beach in the evenings.
We didn't take any 3 because we had enough. We had visited the island many times 4. On our way to the 5 we joked that other than our sunburnt skin, we had no way to show that we had 6 there!
As we stood in line at the check-in, we noticed the 7 who had been on our plane the week before. 8, they all had tear-filled eyes this day. On the plane, we sat directly behind them: a mother and her four children without Dad's 9. We learned that the father had been 10 in a jet-skiing accident that week, and his wife and children had to 11 make their way home without him.
We watched the children become 12 while they were playing cards. But the mother stared at her knees, 13 to believe her husband's death. We could 14 feel her pain as we realised that this could have happened to any of us. 15 we were laughing and playing in the water, this poor family had been 16 the sufferings. The vacation they had dreamed about had 17 the terrible dream they would never forget.
I suddenly 18 that we had no pictures for this vacation together. I closed my eyes, 19 that my mind had recorded all the wonderful moments that I had 20 with my husband that week. What a trip!
