Many years have passed, but she still remembers the last day of her whole class. They got together to say goodbye to their 1 schooldays. She wonders herself if any of them still remembers their2, now that time has cloaked the past memories with layers of dust and 3 each fate beyond any expectations.

    The jolly “dwarf” of the class has now4 a successful businessman. The shy skinny “bookworm” is now a talented Ph.D. Trying his luck in some5 land in the Western atmosphere. The naughty, tomboy has6 her carefree laughter in exchange for a sheltered, comfortable life. And7, a literature addict, was driven by an inner force to put her pen aside and become a8 instead.

    She decided to9 her old teacher, who had sowed the seed for the cause of nurturing people in her directionless mind10 his poetical lessons. She used to dream of the enlightened faces of her 11and their round eyes running over every page of the books. Yet, at the most12 turn of her life's course, she didn't 13literature for her career, for she had been told that literature is just like a magical paradise to which the way is extremely 14.

    Her hands are so small; 15 can they hold the depths and the fullness that literature can bring? Still, she promises herself to go16, bearing in mind the last17 of her dear teacher, “Don't18what you give or receive. Learn to live generously to enjoy life, even when it's not generous toward us.”

    Now, she is a teacher, yet she has to continue learning numerous difficult19 of life. The more she20, the better she understands the value of her teacher's last lesson.

    The famous composer, Albert Roussel, didn't have a good start in this career. However, he achieved a great deal of success as a result of a 1.

    Roussel's parents died when he was eight and he went to live with his 2. As a little boy, he fell in love with music and3himself about it by reading through the family collection that his mother kept, 4 which there were a lot of related books. Three years later, Roussel's grandfather died, and his mother's sister decided to 5 him. Her husband was a kind man and6for young Roussel's music lessons. One summer vacation at a Belgian seaside added a second 7to his life—the sea. Then he studied to be a naval cadet（海军学员）, but still took time to study 8.

    In the French Navy, he and two friends found the time to 9a band, playing the works of Beethoven and other10. Roussel also began composing. On Christmas day 1892, he had his first chance to 11as a composer, which turned out to be a success.

    That success 12 Roussel to write a wedding march（婚礼进行曲）, and one of his navy friends 13to show it to a famous conductor, Edouard Colonne. When Roussel's friend 14with the manuscript（手稿）, he reported that Colonne had advised Roussel to 15his naval career and devote his life to music.

    Not long,16, at the age of 25, Roussel decided to 17Edouard Colonne's advice. He gave his heart and soul to his composing and 18 a major force in twentieth century French music. Because of Eduoard Colonne's inspiring 19, Roussel devoted his life to music, but Rousssel's20friend later admitted that he had made it up. He said he had never even shown Roussel's manuscript to the famous conductor.

Education from My Father

    My memories of my father are slim because he was so sick in the last years of his life. But there are   1 that I am often reminded of and which may have had some bearing on my love of  2 .

    When I was small I was somewhat  3 of lightning and thunder. My father explained it. The explanation was in 4  that a child could understand but was basically correct. I gained a better 5 later, but I didn't have to unlearn anything.

    What he said was that there was electricity in the clouds 6  it traveled to the ground like a spark. When it traveled  7  the air it made the air so hot that it 8 . Then there was nothing where the air had been and the air all around rushed in to 9  the space. He clapped his hands together very loud,  10 to be the air rushing in, and said that makes the thunder. When I hear thunder, I can still hear that 11 .

    He explained why if it was cloudy in the winter the night was warmer than if it was 12 . It was one of those nights when the sky was full of stars: no moon, no town lights. But there were more stars than you could 13 and they had color too. He said that if there were no clouds, we had no blankets and were  14 to the universe. Our warmth was going to 15  the whole universe. When there were clouds, they were like blankets and we were not exposed to the universe. I 16 feel on the edge of space on a very clear night.

    I am sure there were many other lessons that I 17  but no longer remember. What I did 18 , in general, was that there were explanations and that the more I understood them, the more comfortable the world was to live in. I was not taught that there were 19 but that there was understanding if you looked for it. This may be why I have always been  20  in science.

    In spite of the fun and laughter, 13-year-old Frank Wilson wasn't happy. It was1 that he received all the gifts that he wanted. And he also 2 the big Christmas dinner with the family members.3, Frank wasn't happy because this was his first Christmas without his brother, Steve, who was killed in a car accident. Frank 4 his brother.

    Frank said good-bye to his family members and said that he was leaving a little earlier to see a friend, and from there he could walk home. Since it was cold outside, Frank 5 his new jacket. It was his favorite gift. He placed the other gifts on his new sleigh（雪橇）. Then Frank6.

    As Frank went down the street toward home, through one front window, he saw a room with old 7 hanging over an empty fireplace. A woman was seated nearby, crying. The stockings 8 him of the way he and his brother always 9 theirs side by side. The next morning, they would find gifts.

    Then Frank had a 10. He knocked at the door. “Yes?” the11voice of the woman. “May I come in?” asked Frank. “You are very welcome,” she said,12 his sleigh full of gifts and thinking he wanted to 13 gifts. “But I have no food or gifts for you. I have 14 for my own children.” “That's why I am here,” Frank said. “Please15 whatever gifts you would like for your children from the sleigh.” “Why? God bless you!” the16woman answered. She took some candies, a toy plane and a doll. Finally, the stockings were 17. “Thank you so much!” the woman said. “You are welcome,” Frank said and left.

    Frank's 18was full of happiness. Then he gave his jacket to a poor boy. At last, he gave away all his gifts.19Frank was worried how he could 20to his parents that he had given his gifts away, he was very happy.

    Valerie was very worried about her dad. For some time now she had noticed he was 1 his hair. One day, she asked him, "Daddy, every day you have less hair. 2is that?" Her father smiled and said, "It's the hair thief. He visits my 3during the night when I'm asleep.

    One by one he pulls out my hair, and there's no way to 4him."

    This worried Valerie, but she was 5to help her dad. That night she stayed 6as long as she could. When she was 7her dad and mom had fallen asleep, she took a hammer and went to their bedroom slowly and 8. She didn't want the hair thief to 9her. When she arrived at her father's side, she carefully inspected her father's head in order to catch the hair thief as soon as he 10. Before long, she saw a shadow on her father's head and she 11it with the hammer.

    Her father12a loud cry and got out of bed at once. He turned the 13on, and trembling with 14, he saw Valerie waving her hammer in the air. "Daddy, I 15got him. But it looks like he 16!" said Valerie. Meanwhile, the mother 17. She burst into 18 when she knew what had happened.

    So Valerie's father had to explain that the hair thief didn't exist, and that losing hair is something that just happens naturally to most fathers. Valerie still 19about her daddy, but she no longer waited for the hair thief. 20 she bought her father a very nice sleeping hat.

    It was the last day of the final examination in a large eastern university. On the 1 of one building, a group of engineering seniors gathered, discussing the exam due in a few minutes. On their faces was confidence. This was their last exam—then on to graduation and 2.

    Some talked of jobs they already had; others talked of jobs they 3 get. With the certainty of four years of college, they felt ready and able to take 4 of the world.

    The approaching exam, they knew, would be an easy task. The professor had said they could bring 5books or notes they wanted, requesting only that they did not 6 each other during the test.

    7they entered the classroom. The professor passed out the papers. And smiles8on the students' faces as they noticed there were only five essay­type questions.

    Three hours had passed9the professor began to collect the papers. The students no longer looked confident. On their faces was a 10 expression. Paper in hand, no one spoke as the professor faced the class.

    He looked at the 11faces before him, and then asked,  “How many completed all five questions？”12a hand was raised.

    “How many answered four？” still no hands.

    “Three? Two？” The students moved restlessly in their seats.

    “One, then? Certainly somebody finished one.” But the class 13 silent.

    The professor put down the papers. “That is exactly what I 14, ”he said. “I just want to impress upon you that, 15you have completed four years of engineering, there are still many things about the16you don't know. These questions you could not answer are relatively17in everyday practice.” Then, smiling, he added, “ You will all 18this course, but remember—even though you are now college graduates, your education has just19.”

    The years have20the name of this professor, but not the lesson he taught.