Growing up, I always hid my thumbs in my fists because of their unusual shape. 1 they do look more like a big toe（脚趾）2 a thumb. And from an early age, my thumbs 3 another name “toe thumbs” .

    In high school, I served as a cashier in a grocery store. One day, I was 4 a sweet little old lady and as I 5 her change back to her, she suddenly took my hands and said in a thick Polish 6, “You are Polish! Look at those 7 Polish thumbs! They match mine!” She raised her hands and 8 her thumbs to me that 9 weathered and wrinkled, looked exactly like mine! She 10 my hands again and said, “Be11of those thumbs!”

    I'll never forget that 30-second 12 with a stranger that forever 13 my view of a part of me I once was 14 by and now accept. As I was eating dinner with my Samuel tonight, he looked down at my hand 15 on the table next to his and said, “Mommy! Our thumbs 16!” I smiled and answered, “Yes, they do, buddy! Those are strong Polish 17 you have! Take pride in them! Maybe someday you'll have a little boy or girl who will have the same thumbs!” I 18 my son never hides his thumbs like I did. I hope he'll be proud of their “unusualness” and the 19 behind them. He carries on a(n) 20 part of me and that for me will always be beautiful!

    Judging people by what he or she looks like has become a common practice in our daily life. Is it wise to do so? The 1 is "no".

    One day, a(n) 2lady and her husband, both 3in old but tidy clothes, walked into the 40ffice of Harvard University without being 5 The president could6in a moment that they had no business at Harvard, and probably didn't deserve(值得)to stay here. For hours, the president 7 them, hoping that they would 8become discouraged and go away. 9, they didn't. Then the lady said with great care, "We had a son that 10Harvard University, he loved Harvard. Unfortunately, he was killed 11. We would like to donate(捐钱)a building to Harvard University in memory of our son." The president was 12at what he heard. He stared at the ordinary woman, "Donate a building? Do you have an 13 how much a building costs? We 14more than seven million dollars setting up a chemistry lab, can you 15 to set up a building?"

    The lady was 16 for a moment. The president was pleased: He could 17them now. The lady turned to her 18and said quietly, "Is that all costs to start a 19?" her husband nodded. The couple walked away, travelling back to Palo Alto, California 20 they built a university named after their son-Stanford University, which turned out to be a famous university in America.

    When I was growing up, I loved playing sports. This is partly 1 my dad was a high-school athletic 2 who passed his love of sports down to me. The problem was that in the 1960s there weren't any organized sports for young 3.

    In the seventh grade, I finally had a 4 to try out for a team--the cheerleading team (拉拉队). It was the only sport my junior school offered girls, and that was 5 to support the boys' basketball team. I really wanted to play sports, but I devotedly tried out for cheerleading.

    Actually, trying out for cheerleading was a really big 6. It 7 a very organized tryout and a lot of rehearsing (排演练习). I practiced in front of the mirror in my bedroom for days. "I was very 8 and I was an athlete. Why wouldn't I 9 the cheerleading team?” I thought to myself.

    When the results were posted on the locker-room (衣物间) door, my name wasn't on the 10. I was so 11about such a failure. For a week, I didn't want to go to school. I 12 myself as a great athlete, 13 I couldn't even make the cheerleading team! My parents encouraged me. They 14 me that 15 I got to high school, I'd have a chance to play sports. I would go on with life and do just fine. It was my first lesson in coming back from 16.

    When I got to high school, I played on the field-hockey (曲棍球) and basketball teams. I got a scholarship to play basketball in college, and after college I played 17 in France. I went on to have a very successful career in sports, which all 18 with failing to make the junior-high cheerleading team.

    Life is like that. You don't always get what you want. But if you come back 19 after suffering a 20, you can succeed.

    My car needed some mechanical work that I could not do myself. Since the garage I had been taking my car to had 1, my friend Dave gave me a recommendation: D's Auto Repair.

    I was pleasantly 2 to discover that the owner of D's was a mechanic who had worked on my car several years earlier. 3 he was an employee at a gas station near my house. I knew that his work was good.

    I 4 the paperwork for the repair and 5 while D took a phone call from another customer. As I sat there, I looked around the small office to keep myself 6 A framed newspaper article caught my attention. The headline 7: "Local Dairy Farmer Kills Whole Herd.” The article was about the 8 of a fifth-generation dairy farmer during the polluted milk scare in Michigan several years earlier. Dairy cows were becoming 9 a disease that was affecting the milk supply. The fifth-generation dairy farmer paid to have all of his cows 10. It was found that out of the entire herd, only a few were were infected. Because no one could 11 that the other cows were totally 12, he had the herd killed and buried to make consumers feel rest assured(放心). The farmer's insurance did not cover his 13 because the state had not issued a(n) 14 for him to get rid of the herd. Asked why he did it, the farmer replied "Because it was the right thing to do.

    I asked D why he 15 the article on the wall. I thought that he might be related to or 16 knew the farmer. He said he had never met the man, but that the farmer was a(n) 17 to him and set a standard for integrity(正直), trust and honesty. He said that is how he 18 his auto Repair business.

    I was now doubly 19 by both the farmer and D. The next year, 20 my recommendation, my son started a nine-month mechanics apprenticeship(学徒) at D's Auto repair.

    I was the fool at school, regarded as a special needs student. I was termed as such, obviously, because I was not interested in school and did not care for my 1.

    Over time, I started to believe in my stupidity. I 2 the fact that I was in special needs classes and poured it out as anger and depression. But one activity 3 this view of myself chess.

    I started to play chess with my father after school simply because I wanted to 4 him at something. My father was a5 man, fond of physics, writing, religion…, almost every 6. He was called a walking dictionary. So, winning in chess against my father would be a 7that I had intellectual power. On the small chessboard. I had a chance to 8 my so—called inability.

    Game after game. I wanted to beat my father even more. I started to study chess books and play against a chess computer to 9 my skills. One weekend. I finally checkmated （将杀） my father on a ferry ride, which made me feel 10 .

    Two years later, I became the second board on my school chess team, with our top board being the best high school player in the state. But before the tournament season, our top player 11 to come. There came my chance to play as top board against the best players in other states.

    I was determined to show who I had become：a（n） 12 person able to win with calculation, logic and will. My most 13game came in the final round. Our team was facing a high school which only excellent students attended. It was 14 a match between a special needs student and a smart soul. My opponent （对手） was playing well and kept 15 while I kept defending to keep my king safe. He spent long trying to break down my defenses, but could not find the final push. I 16with more defensive moves, trying to make it as difficult for him as possible. With little 17 left, he started to make rapid moves. 18he could make the final decision, he ran out of time. Honestly, as his clock flag fell, I jumped up out of my seat and kissed the floor out of excitement. Of course it was not the most sportsmen—like 19 but I could not control my emotions.

    While holding my winner's cup, I knew I was not 20. The inferiority complex （自卑感） had melted away, and I realized that underneath our thoughts, each person is a genius.

How to Make a Homemade Gift

Looking for a heartfelt gift that won't leave you broke? Try making your own. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Such sorts of gifts can make a major impression.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} While cards can be purchased at nearly any supermarket or department store, making one yourself can make a statement about the time and effort you're willing to spend on the recipient. The most important part, though, is the words you write on it. Try to be sincere and honest while writing something.

Create a scrapbook(剪贴簿). A scrapbook isn't just a great gift. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} To make a scrapbook, you'll just need some paper, glue and photos of you and the gift recipient. Stick the pictures in any order you want on your sheets of paper. For example, you can begin with photos of your first meeting.

Prepare love coupons (礼券). These are fantastic gifts for family members and close friends. The basic idea is to make a small book of "coupons" from zero. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} For example, if you're giving the coupons to your mother, you might write "I will go to a movie with you" on one of the coupons.

Make a pack of cards. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} For this gift, you take an ordinary pack of cards and turn it into something special by writing your praise for the gift recipient on each one. When you give the gift, offer to use the cards to play your favorite card game together.

A. Write a heartfelt card.

B. Make a piece of DIY art.

C. Write things they would like on each of them.

D. This is sometimes also called "The Things I Love About You".

E. There are hundreds of affordable DIY projects that make great gifts.

F. It's a way to remind your friend of all the great memories you have together.

G. Making something by hand is often more impressive than spending lots of cash.