Six years ago, I walked into a local animal shelter on a cold, rainy day.1my house was already full of cats and dogs, I still couldn't 2an occasional visit to the shelter. This time as I was walking down the row of pens(畜栏) full of barking dogs, I3a small boy looking into one of them.

    He had a malnourished（营养不良的）looking body and a4face with a big nose5out of the middle of it. He was looking at a small golden dog. Its ribs（肋骨）were showing and its thin tail was folded between its legs. It wasn't begging for6like the other puppies7was hiding in the corner instead. The boy looked up at me with8eyes and asked what was wrong with it. “It was probably abused and9 ” I said. “That is why it is so 10 ”

    The boy 11turned to an old lady and said, “ Grandma, I want this one.” The old woman smiled and walked to the front desk to fill out the 12forms. I followed her and asked 13the boy. She told me that he'd had a 14start in life, too. She had just gotten custody(监护权) of him15the state had taken him from his parents. She hoped getting a dog would make his life 16for him. I looked back at him, holding his scared puppy, and said a prayer for them both.

    It was yesterday that I was driving down the road enjoying a gloriously sunny, spring day. Then in a green front yard I saw the boy. His 17body was tall and strong. His nose no longer 18big but fit well into his smiling face. He was throwing a ball to a healthy, happy dog shining golden hair. His little act of love and 19had indeed gone a long way. It had saved a dog's life, 20his own heart, and given this middle-aged man fresh hope for the whole world.

    When my oldest son was in high school, he planned to1 a Christian contemporary concert with the youth group from our church. To my 2 Aaron invited me to go along. I3 accepted; however, by the time the date of the concert arrived, my youngest son had been ill, and I was4 about him. I hesitated (犹豫). Then my husband5 me to attend the concert, promising he would take care of our youngest.

    Finally, the6 was made. Aaron was sixteen years old. How many 7 would I have to do something fun with him8he went away to college? And how many youths actually would 9 their mothers to attend a concert with them that was clearly for teens? I would not miss this opportunity.

At the concert, I 10with Aaron in the third row, putting cotton in my ears to block out the 11 ear-splitting music of the first performer. I stood when the kids stood, clapped when they 12 and never let anyone know how13 I was to feel the floor shaking beneath my feet. Aaron and his friends were 14at my enthusiasm (激情).

    By the time we left the concert, my ears were ringing, but it quickly passed.15 did my son's teenage years.16he was in college and away from home. I missed him more than I could say. Whenever I felt17 I would think back to the concert we attended and be thankful once again that I didn't 18an opportunity to spend time with my son.

    Aaron is now grown and has a family of his own, but he often calls just to 19and tell me about his day. I drop everything and 20the moment.

    The park bench was deserted as I sat down beneath an old tree. I was feeling 1  for the world was trying to drag me down. And if that weren't enough to ruin my day, a young boy out of breath 2me, all tired from play. He stood right before me and said with great 3, “Look what I found!”

    In his hand was a flower, and what a4sight, with its petals(花瓣) all worn. 5him to take his dead flower and go off to play, I forced a6smile and then turned away. But instead of leaving, he sat next to my side and placed the flower to his 7and declared with overacted(夸张的) surprise, “ It sure smells pretty and it's 8 , too. That's why I picked it; here, it's for you.”

    The flower before me was dying or dead. But I knew I9take it, or he might never leave. So I10for the flower, and replied, “Just what I need.” But11 placing the flower in my hand, he held it mid-air without reason or plan. It was then that I 12for the very first time that the boy could not 13.

    At that moment I heard my voice14; tears shone in the sun 15I thanked him for picking a very best one. “You're welcome,” he smiled, and then ran off to play, unaware of the16he'd had on my day.

    I sat there and wondered 17he managed to see a self-pitying woman beneath an old tree. Perhaps he'd been blessed with true 18from his heart. Through the eyes of a blind child, I19 could see the problem was not with the world; it was me. And for all of those times I myself had been blind, I20 to see the beauty in life and appreciate every second that's mine.

    One of the most inspiring quotes (名言) I ever heard was by Brian Tracy. He said: "The 1 between successful people and unsuccessful people is that successful people 2 many more times than unsuccessful people."

    I deeply understood the 3 of the quote soon after my fist book was published.

    I was living in Atlanta at the time and 4 my fist signing sale for my new book at the phoenix and Dragon, the largest bookstore in the city. Although a nice sign was placed outside the room 5 images of both me and my book, The 9 Insights of the Wealthy Soul, not a single customer entered the room. 6 each minute passed, I became increasingly 7.

    At 6:25 pm, just before the store's 8, I began to get myself ready to leave. At that moment, just when I couldn't fell any 9, a middle-aged couple walked into the room. I managed to 10 my emotions and introduced myself and my book.

    The couple turned the pages each other, and the husband 11 to his wife. She then told me, "I think we'll get the book."

    Despite the impulse (冲动) to jump 12, and hold their hands to thank them for being my 13 readers, I realized the woman was trying to say something else.

    "The 14 we're buying it is that our son died two years ago," she said. "Maybe your book will help us 15 it."

    At that moment, I knew if never sold a copy of the book, my four years of 16 had been meaningless.

    Although I would have many more challenging years 17 my book became a bestseller, this couple's story was all the 18 I needed at that point to keep me 19.

    Thanks to them, I would realize that the greatest of lives are made all in the same way: One challenge … one challenge … one difficulty … one step …and one small 20 at a time.

This is a story that happened 15 years ago, but it has always stayed with me since then.

On the way back from work every evening, there would be a 1 man, standing at the exit of the freeway. He often 2 at every car, smiling. Every time I got close to him, I would hand him some spare coins. He always said to me, "Thank you. I'm blessed!" And I always left with 3 and satisfaction.

It 4 me that even in the unsettled lifestyle i he was so 5. And his reply would remind me / of how 6 I was — a single mother with a lovely child, with a place to call home and with a t job to 7 my kid.

One day, I was informed by my boss that I was 8 due to the terrible economy. A feeling of 9 surrounded me. I was in no mood to do anything. On my way home, I didn't do 10 had always done when I saw the man, who was still 11 others by waving with a smile. I just drove straight ahead.

To my 12, while I was in line at a red light y to leave the ramp (坡道), he stopped at my car with a dollar bill, saying 13, "You look unhappy, but you know all will tum out fine. Give you a dollar today and 14!" Then he left.

That day he taught me a lesson. No matter what material things are taken from you, no one can take away your 15 to be joyful.

 Lindsey Stallworth, a high school student from Alabama, is on her way to a promising career in paleontology (古生物学) due to an unexpected discovery on family property. For years, she had been collecting fossils on their land in Monroe County, unaware of significant scientific value. However, her teacher at the Alabama School of Math and Science, Dr. Andrew Gentry, a paleontologist himself, took an interest when she showed him her collection.

" Upon examining the fossil shark teeth Lindsey presented, I quickly identified one cr: became eager to learn about its origin," said Andrew.

Lindsey guided her teacher through the rural area where she had unearthed various relics, including shark teeth. Before long, they encountered an especially significant find on the. grounds:a large bone from a 34- million- year- old whale skeleton! This led the pair to launch the huge project of uncovering the rest of the bones. After two months of hard work, they' ve managed to find the animal's skull·(颅骨),

" Assuming the entire skeleton is present, it may require several years for us to have the entire animal back in the lab," Andrew explained.

 Lindsey secured a research scholarship to persist in her fossil- digging expeditions alongside her instructor. Her enthusiasm for the project was at an all- time high, though she had never imagined a childhood pastime would lead her down this road." We would go out and pick up shark teeth and fossil shells, but we never knew anyone that could tell us anything about them," she recalled." We just thought they were cool."

" The Research Fellows Program allows Lindsey to gain real- world experience in scientific research and even present that research at professional conferences," Andrew said." It's a once- in-a- lifetime opportunity for a high school student to stand out when applying to college and maybe even discover a new career path."