Jane Browning works in a busy hospital (医院) in Boston, USA. On weekdays, she usually gets up at six o'clock in the morning and has a shower. Then she goes to work at seven o'clock.

Her husband (丈夫), David usually gets up at seven o'clock. He is a science teacher. They have one son. His name is Andy. Andy is thirteen. He goes to school at seven thirty in the morning with his father.

    After Jane gets to the hospital, she talks to her patients and asks how they are. Then she meets the new patients. At about one o'clock in the afternoon she has lunch.

Usually Jane gets home at six o'clock in the evening and she is very tired (疲倦的). But she loves her job, because she likes helping people.

    Every year hundreds of people try to climb the world's highest mountain or walk through rainforests(雨林). Let's take a look at two of the 21st century's(世纪的) greatest adventurers(冒险家).

    A mountain climber

    Do you know that more than 4，000 people have climbed Mount Everest? Gerlinde is one of them. She is one of the world's greatest climbers and has climbed all the mountains over 8，000 meters in the world. It's difficult to climb mountains in cold weather, but Gerlinde loves it. She started climbing the mountains near her home as a teenager. When she left school, she became a nurse but always went climbing in her free time.

    An Amazon adventurer

    Ed Stafford is the first person to walk along the Amazon River from the mountains of Peru to the mouth of the river in Brazil. His journey took two years and four months. There are many dangerous animals in the rainforest. But Ed was lucky and he was only bitten(咬) by small insects(昆虫). On his trip, Ed had to look for fruit or catch fish each morning. Sometimes food was hard to find and Ed was often tired and hungry. So he used a radio to ask the people of the rainforest for food and help.

    Once upon a time, a young man wanted to go to a village on business. Halfway there was a mountain. Before he left home, his family warned him to stay calm and climb onto trees if he was in face of beasts(凶猛的野兽). In this way, the beasts couldn't do anything to him.

    The young man remembered these words and began his trip He walked for a long time carefully and found no beasts were out there. He thought his family's worries were unnecessary. And he became relaxed as he walked. Just at that moment, he saw a fierce(凶猛的) tiger running to him and he climbed onto a tree nearby at once.

    The tiger roared(咆哮) around the tree and even jumped to reach the man. The young man was too scared to hold the tree and fell right on the back of the tiger. Full of fear, he had to hold the tiger tightly. The tiger thought that must be a giant beast. So it was afraid and started running madly.

    People on the road didn't know what happened and said, "Look at the young man. He is riding a tiger." "Cool!" "Superman!"

    Hearing these words, the young man was very angry. "Why can't they see I'm suffering a lot? Don't they understand I am in fear and almost scared to death? He said to himself.

Does Fame Drive You Crazy

    Although being famous might sound like a dream comes true, today s stars, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world's attention. Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature (签名)!

    According to psychologist Christina Villarreal, celebrities—famous people—worry constantly (不断地) about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. "Over time," Villarreal says, "they feel separated and alone."

    The phenomenon (现象) of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B. C, painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his works attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s ran articles about film—stars in much the same way that modern websites do.

    Being famous people today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their "story" alive forever.

    If fame is so troublesome, why aren't all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.

    Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.

    Born without arms or legs, Nick Vujicic knew from an early age that he was different. There is no medical explanation for Vujicic's physical disability. Though he struggles（挣扎）with some little things of everyday living（brushing teeth, for example）,he has become a great speaker.

    Confidence didn't come naturally to Vujicic. Growing up in Melbourne, Australia, he struggled with depression （抑郁）and was bullied（欺凌）at school. When he was just 10 years old, he tried to kill himself. Thanks to his family's strong support and selfless love over time, Vujicic chose to be positive towards life. After his mother showed him a newspaper article about a man dealing with a serious disability when he was seventeen, he started to give public talks. The great Australian has visited more than 50 countries and given thousands of talks. No matter where he goes, he communicates the main message﹣that no matter what difficulties you meet, you can overcome ! Here's what he said in one of his powerful speeches:

"I felt like I was a burden （负担）to those around me and the sooner I go, the better it'd be for everyone. I wanted to end my pain and end my life at a young age, but I am thankful once again, for my parents and family who were always there to comfort me and give me courage.

    Because of my emotional struggles I had experienced with bullying and loneliness, God has given me a passion（激情）of sharing my story and experiences to help others deal with whatever difficulty they have in their life and let God turn it into a blessing. To encourage and inspire others to live to their fullest potential and not let anything get in the way of achieving their hopes and dreams. "