Suddenly my mobile phone rang. “Where are you?” the urgent voice demanded on my phone.

    The woman on the other end of the phone had1news—news that would  change  my  life forever.  Apparently  my 2was on his way home at lunchtime3he suffered an unexpected heart attack.4a neighbor's sharp eyes had spotted him. By now it was after 1pm and Ueli was on his way to the nearest hospital. It turned out that,5a huge effort by a large team of medical staff, nine hours after the6, Ueli, the father of two of my sons, died.

    But Ueli's story didn't7there. Ever since I met him, he had8that, should he die before me, I must ensure that if it were possible his9would be donated. So on that awful night I10the medical staff  to  help  make  his  wishes 11.   Once the 12were made, I thought that I had honored Ueli's final act of selflessness and would hear no more of it.

    Some time later,13, I received a letter telling me that the corneas(角膜) had been successfully transplanted into the eyes of two young women who would benefit greatly from improved vision. What a14it was to know that this generous man's15 would have such a positive impact on these women. But the best news was16to come. More than a year after Ueli died, a lovely card arrived in the mail from the organ donor organization,17me that a young man who may not have lived much longer had successfully18Ueli's heart valve(心瓣膜).

    What happiness I have! I know Ueli would have been extremely19to have had a part in20this young man's life and ensuring that he would now pursue his own dreams with much improved health. Now I can forever say, “Rest in peace, Ueli; you'll be remembered—even by strangers.”

    In the town of Swedesboro, New Jersey, 5^th grade students are determined to make 2,000 paper cranes (纸鹤) by the end of the school year. Their1is to put smiles on kids' faces.

    The idea of 2 the paper cranes started when their3 Tara Milward, read them the story Sadako and the One Thousand Paper Cranes in class. Sadako was 4with leukemia (白血病) at a very young age. She5folding the paper cranes along with her family and friends6 this was a symbol of hope for Sadako to get7one day.

    The students of Harker School wanted to8 Sadako's story. They began buying paper9 paper cranes, and decided to make 2,000! They want to send the101,000 cranes to Hiroshima, Japan where Sadako lived. The next 1,000 cranes are 11 to a local hospital. Wherever a paper crane is made, the students are12that something so simple can help someone 13 hope.

    They are so devoted to the14that they work on it in every minute of their15time to help them towards their big goal of 2,000 paper cranes. To achieve their16 goal, all of the students are coming together and working very17 They are eager to spread the hope to their friends and families, also a18of this extraordinary project.

    The students are 19 by Sadako's story and are making their impossible dream come true. They hope to make a 20 around the globe to show that everyone can make the world a better place.

    In 1973, I was teaching elementary school. Each day,27kids1“The Thinking Laboratory.” That was the 2 students voted for after deciding that “Room 104” was too3.

    Freddy was an average4,but not an average person .He had the rare balance of fun and compassion（同情）.He would5 the loudest over fun and be the saddest over anyone's6.

    Before the school year7,I gave the kids a special 8, T-shirts with the words “Verbs Are Your9” on them. I had advised the kids that while verbs（动词）may seem dull ,most of the10 things they do throughout their lives will be verbs.

    Through the years, I'd run into former students who would provide 11 on old classmates. I learned that Freddy did several jobs after his 12 from high school and remained the same 13 person I met forty years before .Once, while working overnight at a store, he let a homeless man 14in his truck. Another time ,he 15a friend money to buy a house .

    Just last year, I was16 a workshop when someone knocked at the classroom door. A woman17 the interruption and handed me an envelope. I stopped teaching and 18 it up. Inside were the “Verbs” shirt and a 19 from Freddy's mother. “Freddy passed away on Thanksgiving. He wanted you to have this.”

    I told the story  to the class. As sad as it was, I couldn't help smiling. Although Freddy was taken from us, we all20something from Freddy.

    On the night of August 24, 2001, everything changed when my friend's car hit a wall with me inside. I lost most of my right 1, and I was left bleeding with several broken bones. 2, my mind was still very clear in the hospital. I just kept telling myself to 3 and I 4 with the doctors that once I could roll onto my side, I would leave. They agreed. Two weeks later, I was 5 to go home.

    6 I left the hospital, the fight was far from over. My left knee was badly injured, which 7 different surgeries (外科手术) over the next few years. And soon, more of my right leg had to be 8. This made it harder to wear my false leg, so I donated it to a nurse who couldn't 9 one for herself, from 10 I gained greater happiness than the joy I felt on any day I was able to wear it myself.

    People often tell me they're 11 of me for staying strong. But in my mind, I can do 12 but stay strong. So, on the 13 I left the hospital, I made a promise to myself to 14 live life to the fullest. I soon 15 everyday life again, until one day I realized I wasn't living my life as 16 as I wanted to. After 13 years of thinking I was confident, 17, I knew I should help people around me.

    In 2014, I even started modeling. My dream is that one day a little girl will see me in a magazine and say, Wow, she's 18, and she had only one leg. I could do that too some day, even though I have a 19. My dream is simple, to 20 people to believe they are beautiful the way they are.

    I was a shy girl and I was afraid to talk to people I didn't know. I enjoyed the1 of exploring nature. 2, at school I had to spend all day in the company of others. My3was reading. I spent a lot of time studying and was 4  good grades. My only failure was Spanish — I'd get all As on my written work and tests, but Ds and Fs on the5 part.

    Eventually I went to college. During my third year of college, I had6of being shy and determined to change my outlook and behavior. One day while at school, I noticed an advertisement for7on the local classical music radio station. I had8listening to classical music, and I could easily pronounce names such as Tchaikovsky and Chopin.

    I had no background in radio, and absolutely no hope of getting the job. The idea of9thousands of listeners in "radio land" terrified me. However, I10survived the interview. I was given brief descriptions of symphonies（交响乐）and a public service announcement to read, and a list of composers' names11 . It wasn't hard for me. I left the recording session（录音场次）with a sense of relief and a sense of12. About two weeks later I actually landed the job. It was a13 job, but I grew to14 it greatly. I began to feel comfortable talking to people.

    Although I now spend many hours each week talking with people, I'm15basically a quiet person. Perhaps it is my soft voice and my16nature that helps draw people out when they respond to my questions when I17 them. My former shyness is a18, as I can relate to people who feel discomfortable when they talk to reporters. I still enjoy moments of loneliness and the19found in nature. But I'm also glad I decided to make a20in my life that has opened many doors and opportunities that I never knew existed.

When I was in second grade, my single greatest fantasy was to fly like a bird. As I grew older, I 1 flying off as part of my childhood imagination, being 2 beyond possibility. But two days after my eighteenth birthday, my childhood fantasy should become a 3.

Once the engines came to 4, I knew there was no 5. In 20 minutes I would be 6 out of this airplane. As I looked out of the window, I could see my brothers videotaping the plane as it 7, and now they were only 8 figures standing next to the runway. Looking across at my jump mate, 9 he had successfully completed over 2,400 jumps, I could see from the look in his eyes that he was still 10. I realized that I was too.

As the door 11, the wind screamed past my ears. Generally, I do not 12 out loud when I am frightened, but as my feet fell from the plane, my mind was experiencing 1, 000 13 per second. After a few seconds, I found myself 14, "Why did I do this?" The only responses that came to my mind were more questions. Did I jump because of the endless lure(吸引) of the sky? Was it to test my 15? Was it to seek a new adventure? 16 through the sky at 165 miles per hour, I did not find my answer.

Finally, I17with a thump (砰然声) as my family ran to greet me. As I 18 the field and drew in my first breath, I knew that having my feet on the ground again would take on a new meaning. Since entering high school, I have felt the need to 19 myself and to constantly push my limits. In this respect, skydiving(特技跳伞) has 20 another door for me to explore and I will continue to leap at the chance to face a challenge.