There is a workman in America who earns as much as a company director. He is Max Quarterman, a thirty-year-old plasterer (泥瓦匠).

    Max lives in an upper middle-class housing estate. His 1 are mostly bank managers, business executives, airline pilots and the 2, but Max's seven-bedroom house — 3 $ 80,000 — is the largest in the area. 4 outside the house are Max's $ 7000 sports car and his wife's Morris Mini. Indoors is a 150 colour TV set and the family's 5 — a circular bath with gold-plated taps. There are also many labour－saving 6 and luxury furniture.

    How can a plasterer 7 all this? The answer, says Max, is hard work. In 8 with another plasterer, Max 9 contract plastering jobs for a firm. The owner of the firm 10 them as human machines, the best and quickest in the 11, who can do as much in two days as 12 two-man team can in two weeks.

    How do they manage it? Not by working overtime. They work a(n) 13 eight-hour day, five days a week. The secret 14 in Max's hod (桶) in which he carries the plaster to the site of the job. Max's is a superhod — it contains double the usual 15 of plaster, and Max, a strong fellow, runs when he carries it. More time is thus 16 to get on with the plastering. Besides, 17 man wastes time smoking, and they 18 their lunch break to a 19 of an hour a day. Now Max earns over $ 800 a week which is four times the average weekly pay in Britain today, and if he gets as 20 as $ 15, it's a disaster.

    Recently I understood the true meaning of love. The 1 was Kane, my neighbor Joline's two-year-old son.

Kane was born with a physical problem on his 2. And I witnessed (目睹) the 3 that Kane's physical shortcomings had on his family. I also saw a 4 family that embraced (拥抱) this special child. A family that wouldn't allow Kane to know he was 5. Joline had constructed a small cart for his son to6 . Kane used his hands to move about, and the cart 7 him to "go to" any place just as everyone else was able to do. Kane was not just a member of the family, but the 8 of the family.

    With a wide smile, it was easy to see that even at the age of two, Kane liked to 9 with people very much. With wisdom of an individual (个人), this boy even 10 the most complex of human emotions. Later I came to  11 that this child was sent to help some of us who weren't just getting what love was all about.

    Kane demanded attention, 12  not because of his mobility (移动能力) challenges or other apparent shortcomings. In his mind, he had no13 or shortcomings. The 14  was that he received attention because he was alive and real and had so much to offer.

    Kane 15  me in a deep way. His ability to refuse to be different has 16 me. Kane was and is 17 a boy of powerful energy to me. From him and his family I learnt the 18 : love surpasses (超越) all things. I can only imagine that as the parent of a child like Kane one might be filled with19  . But I believe that having a child like Kane is actually a(n)20  . The parents of such special babies are angels too,just as the babies are.

    Several years ago, I had a long delay at the Pittsburg airport, 1 I headed for the shoe shine stand where two young 2 worked. One was a pleasant young man, the other was 3. I wanted the 4 one to shine my shoes. However, when my 5 came I got the quiet one.

    I said, “Good morning! How are you?” The man said 6 and I thought to myself, “That's no 7 to build a business!” As I sat down, he 8 rolled up my pant leg and as he used the soap to 9 my shoes he was careful to get none on my 10. He wiped the shoes with extreme care and as he 11 the polish (shoe cream) he made certain that every inch of leather was totally 12. He brushed the shoes, 13then took his shine cloth and really put some energy into the 14. As he was shining my shoes, I looked carefully at the man 15. He obviously suffered from some degree of mental dullness. When he 16 the job successfully, I don't need to tell you that the man got a 17 tip from me.

    Two major observations: his parents must be great people to have18 this young man the 19 of hard work; the second: regardless of your ability, if you 20 it and use it to the fullest, you can become really good at what you do. Major point: Be careful how you judge people on the first impression. Give them a chance.

A welcome gift

    Dario and his mother loved their new apartment.  The living room was large enough for their piano. That night, the two of them 1 side by side at the piano. They played jazz music to celebrate their new home. The loud 2filled the room and made them feel very happy.

    The next morning, 3,their happiness disappeared. Someone had left a 4 under their door during the night. One of their neighbours had written to complain（抱怨）about the sound of the piano. Dario's mother asked the building superintendent（管理员）if he knew anything about it.But he said that they were all 5 people and he couldn't imagine any of them had done that. Later that morning,

    Dario suggested that they write a letter to their 6 and apologize for their playing.

    “Maybe we could go and 7 everyone in person," his mother said.

    “What if we invited them to come here for a 8 instead?" Dario asked.

    They both loved the 9.Over the next few days, they 10invitations and prepared desserts for their guests. They decorated the apartment with streamers(彩带) and party lights.

    Finally, the day of the party 11. Some guests brought presents. Others brought flowers. Some even brought desserts to 12.One woman, Mrs Gilbert, 13 Dario's mother with a book of piano music by Chopin. “I heard you playing the other night,”she said. “The sounds woke me out of bed.

    I 14 that you might play like this every night. So I wrote a short note.I hope you don't think I disliked the playing.” Dario's mother smiled at Mrs Gilbert.“I think maybe we15 you an apology," she said.“I didn't 16how late it was when we were playing. Maybe we should play some quieter music at night.” “You play, you play!" Mrs Gilbert said.“I like what you play! Just not so loud at night." She pointed to the book she had given them. “These songs are not such 17 music.”

    “These songs are beautiful music," Dario's mother said. “We will be18to play them in the evening.” “And we won't play so loud or late!”Dario said. He was already looking forward to 19 the new music. More than that, however, he was happy to see the big smile on his mother's face. It gave him a feeling of 20 and made him feel that they were home at last.

    "None of us get out of life alive, so be brave and be thankful for all the opportunities (机会)you have." Those were 1 words said by 18-year-old Jake Bailey, a cancer patient.

    Bailey was in the leading position of the Students' Union. The young man had planned to2 at his high school's end-of-year ceremony (典礼)on schedule. 3, just the week before, he received shocking 4. After several weeks of not feeling well, tests showed that he had a fast-growing form of cancer. Doctors said, without 5, he would only have weeks to live, so they didn't 6 him to take part in the event. But Bailey put on his school uniform along with his 7 face and left his hospital bed to give the inspiring speech to his 8. Without doubt, his surprise appearance 9 everyone at the ceremony. Sitting in the wheelchair, he began to 10 his ideas. He expressed that a strong-willed person would not easily 11, no matter how hard life was.

    At the speech, Bailey encouraged his schoolmates to 12 their time. "The future is truly in our hands. 13 about having impractical long-term dreams. Let's be 14to short-term goals," He15. "We don't know where we might end up, or when we will end up, so work with pride on what is 16 us."

    When the senior 17 his speech with the school's 18, "Altiora Peto," which means "I fight for higher things", the entire room burst into cheers.19, Bailey's message was heard loud and clear. Bailey then closed his eyes and 20 the words "Thank you".

The sandwich man

    Michael rises every morning at 4:00, in good and bad weather, and walks into his sandwich shop. By 5:50, he's making the rounds of the shelters on Centre Streets. He 1 out 200 sandwiches to the homeless, before beginning his workday.

    It started 20 years ago when Michael came across a homeless man named John. He began to help him 2 effort then. Day after day, he brought John some food and, when it was really 3, a resting place in his car while he worked. Once he asked John if he wanted to get cleaned up. It was a(n) 4 offer, because Michael thought John would refuse. 5, John said, "Are you going to wash me?" Michael knew that he was looking at a 6 of his promise. It was at the moment that Michael 7 to help the homeless.

    Michael began his work. He received no sponsorship, saying, "I'm not getting media 8. I just want to do some good in my way. There are days when it's snowing, and I have a hard time leaving my warm bed and the 9 of my family to go downtown with sandwiches. But I've 10."

    Michael makes 200 sandwiches every day for the past 20 years. "I don't simply 11 the sandwiches on a table for the homeless to pick up. I shake their hands and 12 them a good day " says Michael. Once Mayor (市长) Koch came to make the rounds with him. They 13 the media, and it seemed like it was just the two of them. But of all Michael's 14, working side by side with the Mayor was not as important as working next to someone else…

    A man had 15 from the sandwich takers, and Michael thought about him from time to time. He hoped the man had moved on to a more 16 environment. One day, the man came back, greeting Michael and 17 sandwiches of his own to hand out. He said Michael's daily food, warm handshakes and wishes had given him the 18 he badly needed. After achieving some success, he decided to do the same thing as Michael.

    The moment needed no 19. The two men worked silently, side by side, handing out their sandwiches. It was another day on Centre Streets, but a day with just a little more 20.