One evening last summer, when I asked my 14- year- old son, Ray，for help with dinner, his response(回答)shocked me. "What's a colander(漏勺)?" he asked. I could only blame 1. In the family, nobody else went into the kitchen except me. But that night, as I2to him that a colander is the thing with holes in it，I wondered what else I hadn't3Ray for.

    As parents，while we focus on our sons' confidence and character，we perhaps don't always consider that we are4raising someone's future roommates，boyfriends，husbands，or fathers5I came up with a plan: I would offer Ray a private home economics course. I was 6to find that he didn't say no. For two hours, three days a week, Ray was all mine.

    I knew that he would rather have been playing basketball with friends than7to mend socks with his mother，but in fact he was learning, and more than just housekeeping. "I appreciate(感激)what you do8a mom," he told me one day. Ray now realizes there's9masculine(男子气概的)about being helpless.

    Now，not only can he make his own dinner, but also he can make a big meal for his family. That's 10I call a man. I'm glad that I prepared so great a present for my future daughter in-law.

    I planned to go on a vacation with my family. The idea had come me as I1 to a talk on my car radio.

    The speaker said, 'Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love."2myself, I had to say that I spent little time with 3wife Mary. Well, for two weeks that would change.

    After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read. Mary suggested a walk on the beach. I started to refuse, 4 then I thought, 'Mary's been alone here with kid all week and now she wants to be alone with me." We walked

    On the beach5 the children flew their kites.

    Relaxed and 6, that is how the whole 7 passed. I made a new decision to keep on remembering to choose love.

    There was 8 wrong with my experiment. However, Mary and I still 9 about it today. On the last night, Mary looked at me with the 10 expression.

    'What's 11 matter?" I asked her.

    'Tom," she said in a voice 12 with sadness, 'do you know something 13 I don't?"

    'What do you mean?"

    'Our doctor…did he tell you something about me? Tom, you've been so good to me…am I dying?"

    It took a moment for it all to sink in. Then I couldn't help laughing 14 .

    'No, honey," I said, holding he in my arms. You're not dying; I 15 to live."

    No one is born a winner. People make themselves into winners by their own 1.

    I learned this lesson from an experience many years ago. I took the head 2 job at a school in Baxley, Georgia. It was a small school with a weak football program.

    It was a tradition for the school's old team to play against the 3 team at the end of the spring practice. The old team had no coach, and they didn't even practice to 4 the game. Being the coach of the new team, I was excited because I knew we were going to win.5 to my disappointment, we were beaten. I couldn't believe I had got into such a situation. Thinking hard about it, I came to know that my team 6 not be the number one team in Georgia, but they were depending on me. I knew I had to change my 7 about the ability and potential(潜力).

    I started doing anything I could to help them build a little pride. Most important, I began to treat them as winners. Instead of feeling discouraged, the members were in high spirits. That summer, when the other teams enjoyed their 8, we met every day and practiced passing and kicking the football on the school football field.

    Six months 9 suffering our defeat on the spring practice field, we won our first game and our second, and continued to improve. Finally, we faced the number 10 team in the state. I felt that it would be a victory for us 11 we lost the game. But that wasn't what happened. My boys 12 the best team in Georgia, giving me one of the most exciting events of my life. All of us jumped up and down with excitement, most of them even cried.

    From the experience I learn a lot about 13 the attitude of the leader can affect the members of a team. Instead of seeing my boys as losers, I pushed and encouraged them. I helped them to see themselves 14, and they built themselves into winners.

    Winners are made, not 15.

    Robert De Vincenzo, the great golfer, once won a competition. After receiving the check(支票), he went to the club and prepared to leave. He walked alone to his car and met a young woman.

    The young woman stopped him and said congratulations on his1, then she told him that her child was badly ill and she was dying. But her family was poor. She did not know how she could pay the hospital bill.

    De Vincenzo was2by her story, and gave his winning check to the woman. "Make some good days for the baby." He said as he put the check into her hand.

    The next week, he was3in the country club when a policeman came to his able. "Last week, some of the boys told me that you met a young woman after you won that competition."

    De Vincenzo said, "Yes."

    "Well," said the policeman, "I have news for you. She does not have a sick baby. She's not even married. She cheated you, my friend. "

    "You4there is no baby who is dying?" said De Vincenzo.

    "Yes, that's right," said the policeman.

    "That's the best news I've heard all the week." De Vincenzo said happily, "Life is more important."

    Good news or bad news? It depends on how you5it. You can be sad after being cheated.6you can choose to go on with your life bravely.