For me personally, I could write for days about many different situations where adversity (逆境)1my life. Now let me tell you one experience where I almost let adversity2.

    We had a glass studio, which was located 50 feet from our home. A couple of years ago we experienced an 3winter; we had a lot of snow and ice. The4of the ice and snow5the roof on our studio, taking with it one of our sources of income.6it did fall down, we got on the roof and tried to 7the snow and ice, but when you have 5 feet of ice and temperatures of minus 20 Celsius, it was pretty8to do.

    We had a partner come in to help us try to9the roof by supporting. In the end, there was 10that could be done. The roof came down. We had moved a lot of our goods and tools from the studio11 we lost a lot also: glass, kilns, work benches, to name only a few of the items. It was a 12experience.

    Here we were in the middle of winter with our studio collapsed. We couldn't work as we had almost 13all the material in a building we were not using. We could have done one of two things: we could simply say that we can no longer 14 our glass business. Let me tell you that this was certainly a thought that15our mind. Or we could find a way to get our studio back up and running.

    We picked the16option. We had a large barn that we were not using. So we renovated (翻新) the barn17our working area and today we have a nicer studio than we 18 had. If the adversity we were19had not happened, we probably would20be working in the old studio—a studio that was less efficient.

    “Leave a place better than you found it.” It is a 1 philosophy, but one that William Lindesay

    2 dear.On April 22, which was also Earth Day, he led twenty 3 to help clean up the Jiankou section of the Great Wall.

    “He who 4 is the owner,” William said in the 5 remarks of the cleanup event in 2000.“The Great Wall 6China, and is also one of the greatest 7 in the world.Everyone has a 8 to protect it.Every day should be Earth Day,” he said.

    During the past three decades, he has spent most of his time 9 and exploring the Great Wall and has developed his own 10 to protect the cultural relic.

    “It's a 11 thing that people are going out to enjoy themselves and to 12 the great history and heritage, 13 it's also quite dangerous if they don't 14 how fragile (易损坏的) the historical sites are and how fragile the 15 is,” William said.

    In 1989, his first 16Alone on the Great Wall was published, and he has published another five books about the Great Wall since then.In 2001, he 17 International Friends of the Great Wall, a(n)

    18 whose efforts are aimed at protecting this 19to the past.

    His next step is to organize exhibitions about the Great Wall as a 20 over the last 400 years.

    The exhibitions are expected to be held in Beijing, London, Paris and Washington DC.

Learn to Meet Challenges

    My classmates called me "the alien", and they avoided me like the  plague（瘟疫）. As a young boy, I1from a serious skin disease, which filled my arms with scars. The true2of my condition, however, was social: I lived a life of loneliness.

    Doctors predicted（预言）that I would never fully recover, but my parents encouraged me to hope for the future, teaching me that my difficulty could be overcome. I therefore took a/an 3 role in fighting against my disease, trying many medications and herbs, and my health 4 greatly before I graduated（毕业）. I realized that my personal5had led to this improvement. I regained self­confidence and made many friends at school.

    Years later, 6my personal battle against disease, I learned a great deal about7by overcoming difficulties.

    I joined the Culture Club as a Special Event Director. I8a group of six students in organizing various activities. I was the most advanced ESL student among the group. So I considered myself the most capable. But I quickly learned my9. While preparing for our first presentation, I was10with my team members and often rejected（拒绝）their11. I performed most of their tasks myself, allowing them to12me only with small details. As a result, the presentation was not very successful. The setback13me, and I spoke of it to the club's director. She responded that she14my ability to succeed in the future. This comment filled me with15, for I realized that I had never trusted my own team members. 16they were weak in English, they had many valuable talents. I immediately17my policy, allowing my team members to choose the tasks they desired and to complete them on their own. For our program, we had many meetings, which gave18to many good ideas. Most importantly, the atmosphere among us improved dramatically. We were19and eager to devote time to the program, and I learned what true leadership is.

    My experiences20improved my ability to handle challenging situations.

    Bullied(霸凌), bothered and mad, I became a troublemaker in school. In the tenth grade year, it came to a head. I 1 friends with a rough kid who well could have 2 the end of my future. A big fight was planned for that Friday night. My friend said, "Rudy, we're tough. Let's go." I 3agreed. I had a big head. It was a 4 to show off. I would 5those who had made me so mad.

    I waited until the family was 6asleep. Quietly, I 7 out of bed, pulled on my clothes, and tiptoed(踮着脚走) to the back door. I was careful not to make a sound. However, Dad knew something was up. He 8 me off at the door.

    With his hand on my shoulder, he 9 that we talk. I admitted where I was 10. The kids we would fight against had 11 us.

    It was our 12 to teach them a lesson. That's when Dad13 my future, and maybe my life. He replied, "You are no man when a 14fight is your way. You become a man by knowing when to walk away. Learn it now and remember."

    I'm 15 that Dad stayed up to catch me that night. Bad 16 came the next day. Several were badly hurt in the fight. With a 17to the head, my friend was now dead.

    It could have been me, or I might have been 18 and taken away. Either 19, that would have caused my end: Dad, you were the best: You taught me to stop the foolish 20and to know when to walk away:

    "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me."

    A long time ago, my friend Joan believed it. At least, she 1 to. When she was young and fat, she was2 being laughed at.

    Then things changed. Joan grew up. Her friends politely say she's  "3 ", Her doctor calls her "morbidly obese (病态地肥胖)The rest of the 4 calls her fat.

    Some people say it out loud to her face. Some people 5 the word. And there are some people who say things even worse.

    Don't think she hasn't heard the words. She has. 6  they hurt her deeply. But Joan has learned how to avoid the cutting (刻薄的)7: She simply stays home.

    One day, her husband 8  her to have an eating out. The restaurant was Perfect. 9 , the servers weren't.

    Joan 10 not to hear the unkind words. But she couldn't overlook the young girl at the table across from them. When the girl 11toward their table  Joan felt uncomfortable. 12 had taught her that kids could be especially 13.

    The wide-eyed little girl stopped next to Joan. Reaching out a single finger, she14Joan's blouse.

    "You're so 15in that blouse?" The little girl smiled and walked back to her seat

    Simple praise. That was all. But it was enough to change her life and her 16.

    "Now," Joan says, "when people speak in a low voice behind my17, I can bear a young angel's 18reminding me that I'm pretty. And I'm equally sure the words everyone whispers are19.

    "That's all I hear now," Joan says: "Only praises. Words that can never20 me."

    The snow was falling and the roads had become dangerous. The schools were dismissed early, but much to my surprise, my1wasn't canceled. So I went, feeling especially heroic. As far as I could see, I was risking my life to keep my2. Snow or no snow, I would be on time for my scheduled donation at the local3center.

    When I got there, I discovered I wasn't 4. Four more "hero-types" were already lying back in donor chairs with lines5to their veins, and machines quietly pumping away to6their lifesaving gifts.

    Seeing my fellow donors honoring their own commitments, I realized why I was there. I lay back in my donor chair, ready to make a difference in the life of someone I would never7.

    To be honest, I'd never really thought about why I donate. I just do it. But a few months ago, during one of my8donations I learned that my blood was specifically for a cancer patient and for a newborn baby—both patients needed what I would give in order to live. I've viewed my visits to the blood center9ever since.

    My wife Karen is a10, too. And more importantly, she has been on the bone marrow (骨髄) list for fifteen years, ever since she signed up to provide bone marrow to a kindergartner with leukemia (白血病). That little girl died before Karen's bone marrow could help her,11Karen was called again recently. Her test results were still on file, and it turned out she was a potential12for someone else. The caller asked Karen if she would still be willing to become a bone marrow donor. "Yes," she said and then immediately began answering questions on the pages of paperwork for further testing. It was a race13time.

    I wish I could say that this14was won. It wasn't. The caller later thanked Karen for her participation and asked a few more questions—including whether or not she'd15on the donor list. "Of course," Karen answered.

    Last week Karen gave blood and next week I'll make my usual donation. I'll16an afternoon from my schedule and make an appointment. I don't know whose life my donation may17. Most likely it will be a18, but on any day the person needing a blood product could be you or me or maybe a loved one. It is worthwhile to19our time to donate.

    I really do feel20every time I donate. And I like the feeling.