In the recent interview, Evelyn Glennie who was the first lady of solo percussion in Scotland, recalled how she became a percussion soloist (打击乐器独奏演员) in spite of her disability.

    “Early on I decided not to allow the 1 of others to stop me from becoming a musician. I grew up on a farm in northeast Scotland and began 2 piano lessons when I was eight. The older I got, the more my passion (酷爱) for music grew. But I also began to gradually lose my 3 . Doctors concluded that the nerve damage was the 4 and by age twelve, I was completely deaf. But my love for music never 5 me.”

    “My 6 was to become a percussion soloist, even though there were none at that time. To perform, I 7 to hear music differently from others. I play in my stocking feet and can 8 the pitch of a note (音调高低) by the vibrations (振动). I feel through my body and through my 9 . My entire sound world exists by making use of almost every 10 that I have.”

    “I was 11 to be assessed as a musician, not as a deaf musician, and I applied to the famous Royal Academy of Music in London. No other deaf student had 12 this before and some teachers 13 my admission. Based on my performance, I was  14 admitted and went on to 15 with the academy's highest honours.”

    “After that, I established myself as the first full-time solo percussionist. I 16 and arranged a lot of musical compositions since 17 had been written specially for solo percussionists.

    “I have been a soloist for over ten years. 18 the doctor thought I was totally deaf, it didn't  19 that my passion couldn't be realized. I would encourage people not to allow themselves to be  20 by others. Follow your passion; follow your heart, they will lead you to the place you want to go.”

“Who can ever have imagined someone like me would make it this far?” asked Chad Wood last week during his high school graduation speech as the best student. Chad offered1to his fellow classmates to never give up—and the words2much more to himself. That's because Chad is deaf, and he told the story of the serious troubles he3to graduate first in his class at Harrison High school in Kennesaw, Georgia.

    Chad didn't start to4until he was 5, according to his mother, Pam Wood. Although her son was5a disadvantage, she was determined not to treat him6. “I've expected him to do everything every other kid does, and I saw no7why he couldn't,” she told ABC News. “And if he8the first time, we just tried again.”

    Chad, 17, worked hard throughout school,9no special treatment but sitting at the front of the class and using a special audio system so he could hear the teacher. All his hard work10. He received full school fare to Vanderbilt University. “Deafness had taught me a lesson to never11,” he said in the speech. “Not when the experts tell you it cannot be done. Not when you have12so far behind that escaping seems the only way 13. Not when achieving your dreams seems an entire14.”

    Chad spoke for about four minutes, after which he received a standing applause from the class and15messages from family, friends and strangers. “They've been sending me messages on Facebook, email, they've been talking to me in person telling me how it had a16on their lives and how they're really17by it,” Chad told ABC News. “It feels18. Seeing that my words19have a power on someone and that they want to work harder because of my words makes me feel20.”

    I lifted my wet woollen gloves to my face and wiped the snowflakes from my eyes. I could not feel my nose and my 1 formed a thick fog in the air. The biting wind was making me2. I was fed up! I didn't want to be here. I wanted to go home. But Mum and Dad had 3me to go for a Sunday afternoon walk in the park. I could see my 4 in the snowy path, like a trail of breadcrumbs (一串面包屑) in the forest showing me the way 5.

    I stopped and listened to my 6. I could 7 the wind crying like a homeless dog hungry for a delicious 8. The once-green tree 9, which used to wave gently in the breeze, had become bare, and the grass was covered with a 10 blanket of fresh snow. Then I saw a broken spider's web shining golden beneath a pale sun. My breath was like silky soft 11 floating up into the freezing cold air.

    Suddenly there was Mum, 12 handing me a big cup of hot chocolate. Her big smile immediately 13 my heart.

    "Here you are, Jo. This will keep you 14," she said as she placed a comforting arm around my shoulders and 15 her cheek against mine.

    I slowly took a mouthful of the hot 16 and felt it slowly dripping down my throat like lava (熔岩) 17 down a mountainside. My wet woollen gloves were now warm, not 18. My breath warmed, and I was 19 fed up or cold. I was happy and 20.

Survival in the Andes

    On October 13, 1972, a small plane flying to Chile accidentally crashed into a mountain in the Andes. How some of the passengers 1 to live is one of the greatest survival stories ever told.

    The survivors 2 inside the remains of the plane, using seat covers for blankets, and waited for a 3 that never came. Days turned into weeks. It was urgent to find a way to 4. Three of the passengers—Canessa, Parrado, and Vizintin—volunteered to 5 through the mountains to search for help. When they left, each man wore similar clothes: three pairs of socks, a plastic bag 6 each foot to keep the water out, boots, four pairs of trousers, and four sweaters. Many of the clothes came from those who had died in the crash. The three men 7 that they would survive and bring back help.

    For part of the first day, they were glad to make some 8. But as the land and weather changed, climbing became 9 . After several days, they reached what they thought was the top. They had  10 this moment for days. On the other side of the top, they hoped, would be a 11 leading down and out of the mountains. However, they saw the same snow-covered tops. All hope wasn't 12. Although they were still in the middle of the mountains, Parrado 13 two low tops far away that didn't have snow. If they could get there, they would be out of the Andes.

    Within the following days they walked toward the two low tops. Little by little, the landscape began to change. Snow 14 completely, and flowers were everywhere. “This is the valley,” Canessa said. “This is the way 15 .” Then things of humanity started to appear—a few cans on the ground, some farm animals in a field. By December 21, the extremely 16 men made it to the town of Los Maitenes, and a rescue team was sent immediately to 17 for the survivors who were still high in the Andes.

    Finally all of the remaining survivors were 18 . The memories of the crash in the Andes would be with the friends forever, but for now, their terrible 19 was over. They had made it out—20 .

    With his leg lame and his teeth uneven, the boy almost thought of himself as the most unfortunate child in the world. He 1 played with his classmates; and when asked to answer questions, he always 2 his head without a word.

    One spring, his father brought home some saplings(树苗). Each of his children would plant a sapling and he3, "Whoever grows his sapling best shall get a favorite gift." The boy 4 wanted to get his father's gift. 5seeing his brothers and sisters watering the trees, he 6 an idea: he hoped the tree he planted would die soon. So after watering it once or twice, he never  7to it.

    A few days later, when the little boy went to see his tree again, he was 8to find it not only didn't die, but also grew some 9  leaves.  Compared with those of his brothers and sisters, his appeared greener. His father  10 his word, bought the little boy one of his favourite gifts and said from the tree he planted, he would surely become an outstanding 11when he grew up.

    From then on, the little boy slowly became 12 and confident. One night, he suddenly  13his biology teacher once said that plants generally grow at night. Why not go to see his tree? When he came to the 14, he found his father was working near his tree with a ladle(长柄勺) . All of a sudden, he 15: his father had been 16watering his small tree ! He returned to his room, tears17in his eyes.

    Decades passed. The little boy didn't become a botanist. 18, he was elected President of the United States. His name was Franklin Roosevelt.

    19 is the best nourishment (滋养品 ) of life;  Even though it is20 a bucket of water, it can make the tree of life grow well.

    It's not easy for me to forget the guy, whom I call Bean. For the past year and a half, I1Bean almost every workday morning. In the beginning I2Bean. After all, he's just a beggar on the freeway off-ramp (匝道) who3people at a stoplight that seems to always be red.

    Over time a few things dawned on me. The first was that it was always the4guy at this off-ramp. The next was that he never actually5anything. He just danced and waved at everyone. Then6, and perhaps the most important, was that he was ALWAYS7. Some days he was dancing and playing a guitar. Most days he'd wave a cardboard at cars, smiling.

    Bean slowly became part of my8routine(常规). I noticed this one day, only because he wasn't there and9danced and waved at me. I10him. I worried something had happened to him. I11to look for him every morning as I came down the ramp to that red light.

    One morning, after one of these12, I was so relieved to see him that it was like the sun had come out after a week-long storm. I sat at the red light, watching his morning13. I realized that I, too, was smiling and14myself waving back. Wow, something as15as a wave brought16to my whole day. I finished the drive to work that morning, feeling lighter and happier.

    I17you now. Look around you. Look at your life, your surroundings, and18just your grocery store with eyes that truly see. What19lies in front of you. Do you have a Bean in your life you haven't noticed yet? Watch for them. They will20your life in ways you can't even dream.