Once, a professor held a test on his students. The professor started with the following question, “Now,1 you are going to cut trees on a hill. One of the trees has a big 2 while the other's small. Which will you cut?” The question got a quick 3, “Of course the big one! No need to4 .”

    The professor5, “The big tree is a poplar（白杨）6seen everywhere, while the small one is a Korean pine. Consider again?” A second7brought students more sense: a Korean pine is much more8than the poplar, so they changed their decision. “9 we'll cut the pine. The poplar isn't worth our10.”  Smile still11on the professor's face. “But the pine's trunk is less12than the poplar.” Rather puzzled, they became13, then said, “While, we'll cut the poplar.” The professor gave more detail. “14the poplar is straight, the trunk became empty within. Then what's your choice?”

    Finally one of the students lost his15and said, “Professor, you have asked a series of questions leading us to change our answers16. What do you want to 17 after all?”

    The professor's smile18. He said, “Why none of you ask me for what purpose to cut the tree? Though my questions 19all the way, they are decided by one thing: your20to take the action. If it aims at making handicraft articles you may cut the pine; if you just want to have some firewood, you'd better cut the poplar.”

    I learned this lesson a couple of years ago. That day, I took a 1 to Grand Central Station. We were driving in the 2 lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right 3 us. My taxi driver slammed (猛踩) on his brakes and almost 4 the car's back end by just ten 5!

    The driver of the other car, who almost caused a big accident,6 his car and started yelling bad 7 at us. The taxi driver just smiled and 8 at the guy. And I mean he was 9. So, I said, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost 10 your car and sent us to 11!” And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call “the law of the garbage truck.”

    Many people are like garbage trucks. They 12 around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of 13, and full of disappointment. As their garbage 14 up, they need a place to dump it, and if you agree, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump their 15 on you, don't take it 16. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and 17. You'll be happy at what you do.

    I started thinking, how often do I let garbage trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and 18 it to other people? That day I said, “I'm not going to do that anymore.”

    What about you? What will happen in your life if you let more garbage 19 pass you by? Life is too short to wake up in the morning with 20.

    One day I overheard my mom talk about a family whose work schedules overlapped (重叠), leaving no one to watch their two children. Upon hearing their 1, I decided to help this 2 out by babysitting (当临时保姆). I finally continued with it due to the 3 I obtained. For example, on the first day, while we were playing outside, the neighborhood kids 4 playing on the swings. I 5 came up with the solution of rock-paper-scissors: the kids who 6 swung first. I 7 I had the ability to change a negative situation into an enjoyable 8 for the children. The two children 9 me how creativity can come from the 10 things, with imagination being the only tool needed. We turned plates into masks and the backyard into a medieval (中世纪的) castle. They also taught me things can't always be 11 and sometimes things can get messy but you can always clean a mess up. I 12 more about myself each of the four times a week I spent at the household than I could have 13.

    I continued babysitting throughout my high school 14 the bond I'd formed with the children and the 15 I'd felt I was making in their family. It was 16 to watch the kids 17 and learn from things I was able to instill (灌输)in them. After the swing argument, whenever a 18 needed a solution, the kids would do rock-paper-scissors. I'll never 19 the lifetime skills I obtained from the experience that has 20 me into the person I am today.

More Than I Had Dreamed Of

    From the time I was seven, I had a dream of becoming a member of the Students' Union. I always 1 my school leaders for taking responsibility for all of us. So I dreamed of being a leader. Years flew by, and soon I was able to participate in the elections, 2 I would win. But the reality struck that I hadn't had a chance. I wasn't pretty. Girls across the school hardly knew me. I just did not have what it 3 to win a school election. I was 4. As I cried in my room that evening, I 5 took a deep breath and decided I wouldn't stop dreaming. I decided that I would 6 elections again in my final year at school — and I would win.

    I recognized that my 7 had a lot of things in their favor. What were the 8 that would work in my favor? I had good grades, and I was friendly and helpful. And my biggest 9 was the faith I had. I would not allow my 10 appearance to hold me back from putting my best foot forward. That evening, I 11 my election plans a whole year in advance.

    I realized that girls would have to get to know me and recognize that I had the ability to 12 them. I loved making friends and I liked being helpful, 13 I decided that perhaps I could use these qualities to work to my advantage. In order to learn how to present a great election 14, I also attended a course on effective public speaking.

    The day after the election, when the principal announced I won the second highest number of votes, the students 15. That joy on the faces of all my friends showed me that my victory was 16 theirs.

    Suddenly, I realized that I had 17 much more than I had dreamed of. I had made many new friends and had helped people 18 the way. I had won the 19 and love of my school-mates and they knew me as somebody who would stand by them. I was able to put a smile on their faces and 20 their day.

    The hardworking blacksmith Jones used to work all day in his shop and so hard-working was he that at times he would make the sparks fly from his hammer.

    The 1of Mr. Smith, a rich neighbor, used to come to see the blacksmith every day and for hours and hours he would2 himself watching how the tradesman worked.

    "Young man, why don't you try your 3to learn to make shoe tacks(鞋钉), even if it is only to kill the time?" said the blacksmith. "Who knows, one day, it may be of use to you."

    The lazy boy began to see what he could do. But after a little 4 he found that he was becoming very5 and soon he was making some of the finest tacks.

    Old Mr. Smith died and the son on account of the war6all his goods. He had to leave home and was7 to take up residence(居住) in another country. It 8 happened that in this village there were numerous shoemakers who were9 a lot of money to buy tacks for their shoes and even at times when they paid10 prices they were not always able to get what they wanted, because in that part of the country there was a high11for soldiers' shoes.

    Our young Mr. Smith, who was 12 it difficult to 13 his daily bread, remembered that once upon a time he had learned the art of 14 tacks and had the15 idea of making a 16 with the shoemakers. He told them that he would make the tacks if they would help to get him 17 in his workshop. The shoemakers were only too glad of the18. And after a while, Mr. Smith found that he was soon making the finest tacks in the village.

    "How19 it seems," he used to say, "even making tacks can bring a 20. My trade is more useful to me than were all my former riches."

If you had to choose one word to describe Kevin,it might be "slow".He didn't learn his ABCs as fast as other kids.He never came first in the schoolyard races.However,his smile was bright and he showed great interest in everything.So when he discovered that Randy was putting together a boy's basketball team,Kevin immediately joined.

At practice,Kevin worked so hard that you'd have thought he was preparing for the NBA.And the whole team truly loved basketball.But just loving the game doesn't help you win.They lost every game that season by a very large margin(差距),except one...that night it snowed and the other team couldn't make it to the game.

At the end of the season,the boys unfortunately played against the first-place team.The game went pretty much as expected,and near the middle of the fourth quarter Kevin's team stood nearly 30 points behind.At that point,one of Kevin's teammates called time-out."Coach,this is our last game but Kevin has never made a basket.We should let him try," said the boy.With the game completely out of reach,the idea seemed reasonable.So every time Kevin's team had the ball,they would give it to Kevin.His first shot missed and he missed another shot again.This continued a few more times until the player from the other team grew wise.Instead of running off down the court,he threw the ball to Kevin who shot...and missed again.

Soon,all the players were circling Kevin,throwing the ball to him.The whole gymnasium thundered with the clapping,chanting,"Kevin!Kevin!" Finally,after amounts of tries,the ball went in.Kevin's arms shot high into the air and he shouted,"I won!I won!" The first-place team remained unbeaten,but on that evening,everyone left the game truly feeling like a winner.