There was a small boy living on a farm which seemed so far away from everywhere. He was1 to get up before sunrise every morning to start his work and to go out again later to work in the evening.

    During sunrise he would take a 2and climb up on a fence, so in the distance he could see a house with golden3. He thought how4it would be to live there and began to5the modern equipment that might be6in the house. He thought, “If that is a house with golden windows, then there7be other nice things in the house.”8, he promised himself, “Some day I will go there and see this wonderful place9.”

    Then one morning his father told him to stay at home as his father would do the work. Knowing that was his10, he packed a sandwich and11across the field towards the house with golden windows.

    12 the afternoon going on, he began to realize how he had misjudged the distance.13, something else was wrong. As he came14to the house, he saw15golden windows but a place16by a broken fence which badly needed17. He went to the door and knocked. A small girl opened the door.

    He asked the girl if she had seen a house with golden windows. “18,” said the girl and invited him to sit on the porch (门廊). As he sat there, he looked19. There the20turned the windows of his home golden.

Happy Maggie

    During my childhood I experienced greater hardships than most people go through in a lifetime. In my short 17 years of life, I have been1five divorces of my parents. Having a new stepmother or stepfather every few years was2, but the constant moving was worse. My father's cancer diagnosis3 me apart, and his two heart attacks and4 with diabetes put a huge pressure on the family. By age 13, I was5and emotionally scarred. I felt like I had no one to6and that nothing would ever get better. Then I met Maggie, and my attitude towards life changed.

    For many summers, I 7 at a horse-riding camp for people with special needs. We taught children and adults specialized skills8their abilities. For example, we would teach a child with autism(自闭症)9skills, or a child with cerebral palsy(脑瘫) strength-building exercise. Each volunteer was10a specific child during eight weeks. A few weeks later, I was asked to11 another volunteer who was sick. That was the day my12 on life changed forever.

    As I began to work with her, I looked through her file to get more information, which was 13. She had been physically abused as a newborn and throughout her infancy. Her birth parents14her so badly that they caused her a serious brain injury by the age of two. Her skull had been broken, however, the amazing thing about Maggie was her15attitude.

    When I met Maggie, she was 12, and she would say16but "I'm happy!" If you asked her" How old are you?", "I'm happy" she replied each time. Everyone at the camp17her "Happy Maggie".

    My life growing up was a huge struggle, 18Maggie taught me not to get in the way of happiness. Nothing bad in life should be enough to change19I am. She gave me20. If I learned anything from Maggie, it would be, no matter what, be happy.

I fell in love with Yosemite National Park the first time I saw it, when I was 13. My parents took us there for camping. On the way out, I asked them to wait while I ran up to E1 Capitan, a 1rock of 3, 300 feet straight up. I touched that giant rock and knew 2 I wanted to climb it. That has been my life's passion (钟爱) ever since— 3 the rocks and mountains of Yosemite. I've long made Yosemite my 4.

    About 15 years ago I started seeing a lot of 5, like toilet paper, beer cans, and empty boxes, around the area. It's 6me why visitors started respecting the place 7 and treated such a beautiful home-like place this way.

    I tried 8trash(垃圾)myself, but the job was too big. I would 9an hour or two on the job, only to find the area trashed all over again weeks later. Finally, I got so 10it that I decided something had to change.

As a rock-climbing guide, I knew 11about organizing any big event. But in 2004, together with some climbers, I set a date for a 12. On that day, more than 300 people 13. Over three days we collected about 6,000 pounds of trash. It was amazing how much we were able to 14. I couldn't believe the 15 we made —the park looked clean!

    Each year volunteers come for the cleanup from everywhere. In 2007 alone, 2,945 people picked up 42,330 pounds of trash and 16132 miles of roadway.

    I often hear people 17about their surroundings. If you are one of them, I would say the only way to change things is by 18rather than complaining. We need to teach by 19. You can't blame others 20you start with yourself.

    When I was 13 my only purpose was to become the star on our football team. That meant 1 Miller King, who was the best 2 at our school.

    Football season started in September and all summer long I worked out. I carried my football everywhere for 3.

    Just before September, Miller was struck by a car and lost his right arm. I went to see him after he came back from 4. He looked very 5, but he didn't cry.

    That season, I 6 all of Miller's records while he 7 the home games from the bench. We went 10-1 and I was named most valuable player,8 I often had crazy dreams in which I was to blame for Miller's 9.

    One afternoon, I was crossing the field to go home and saw Miller 10 going over a fence—which wasn't 11 to climb if you had both arms. I'm sure I was the last person in the world he wanted to accept 12 from. But even that challenge he accepted. I 13 him move slowly over the fence. When we were finally 14 on the other side, he said to me, "You know, I didn't tell you this during the season, but you did 15 .Thank you for filling in for 16."

    His words freed me from my bad 17. I thought to myself, how even without an arm he was more of a leader. Damaged but not defeated, he was 18 ahead of me. I was right to have 19 him. From that day on, I grew 20 and a little more real.

    I was driving in my car the other day. The sun was out, the radio was playing, and I was 1 along. The song was a 2 one and even my weak voice sounded good singing it. Then it 3, however. The sweet sound of the music 4 and there came the 5 news. Gas prices 6 again. Fans of two sports teams got into fight. I sighed and wondered about this 7 world we live in.

    8, I could take no more and turned off the 9. Silence seemed preferable to listening to 10 else about the crazy, competitive society we live in. I slowed down as I entered a town and 11 the people as I drove by. A tall man was 12 an elderly lady out of a car and helping her place her walker so she could go into store. A smiling woman was 13 food onto the square while a dozen birds flew down to enjoy the 14 being laid out before them. A young man was walking along, carrying his 15 safely in his arms. When the daughter pulled the hat off his head, they both 16. I laughed too as I looked at all of his 17. The radio may have been off in my car, 18 in my heart I was 19 singing.

    In truth, this world could have more kindness and less 20. Kindness makes us all winners in this life and our life is full of kindness, love and joy.

    One evening, Mr. Green was driving his car along a lonely country road. He had drawn $10,000 from the bank in town. Suddenly a man in rags (破旧衣服) stopped him and asked for 1. Mr. Green told him to get in and continued on his way. 2 he talked to the man, Mr. Green learned that he had just broken out of prison. Mr. Green was very afraid at the thought of his 3. Suddenly he saw a police-car and had a 4 idea. He put on speed and drove as quickly as possible. Then he found the police-car running 5 him. After a mile or so, the police-car passed him and 6 him to stop. A policeman came up. Mr. Green had hoped to tell him about the trouble but the man put a gun to Mr. Green's 7.

    The policeman said he wanted Mr. Green's name and 8 and Mr. Green told him. The policeman wrote it down in his notebook and put it in his 9. "You must go to the police station." He said. Then he talked to Mr. Green about dangerous 10. Mr. Green started up his car again. He had 11 all hope of his $10,000, but as he reached a more lonely part, the robber said he wanted to 12. Mr. Green stopped and the man said, "Thank you. You've been so 13 to me. This is what I can do in 14." And he handed Mr. Green the policeman's 15 which he stole while the policeman was talking to Mr. Green.