A few years ago, I worked a 12-hour night shift(夜班) and got home from work.

    I was on my way back home and was very tired. I 1 at a restaurant to have breakfast. Right after I placed my order, I saw a man come in. He was carrying a small backpack and looked like he had seen better times. He reached in his pocket and pulled out some2 . He asked the waitress if 38 cents was 3 to buy a cup of coffee. She looked at his backpack and said, “ 4. Have a seat.” (Coffee was 50 cents a cup at the time.) It really touched me how she had tried to protect his pride and how he hadn't asked for any charity.

    Shortly before my 5 came, I asked the waitress to come over. I said, “You know, I am not feeling well. I don't think I am going to be able to eat my breakfast. Do you think there is6 here who might eat it?” She first asked if I was OK and then she 7. She said, “I think so. Are you sure?” I told her that I was sure.

    She then walked over to the gentleman and told him that I had ordered food and it was too8 to stop the order but I didn't feel like eating. Would he be so kind as to take it 9they wouldn't have to throw it away? I had walked to the cash register(收银台) and was paying for the meal. At the cash register, I asked if they had gift cards. They did. I bought one 10 $25.00 and asked them to give it to the gentleman after I left.

    Once there lived two brothers. The elder was called Simon and the younger Victor. They1each other very much, and always took care of one another. Every day they worked from morning2night, getting as much grain(谷物) as possible from their fields.

    One late autumn evening, after their work in the3was done, Simon said to his wife, "Victor got married last month. He has many bills(账单) to pay. I think I will put a bag of rice in his barn(谷仓). “Oh, that's a good idea,” said his wife. “But please don't tell him,” said Simon, “If he knows I put the rice there, he will4take it.”

    So, late that night Simon took a bag of rice to Victor's barn. The next day, while looking at his own barn, he found5strange. “I took a bag of rice to Victor's house last night,6I still have the same number of bags in my barn.7did that happen?”

    Simon decided to take another bag of rice to his brother's barn that night. But the next morning, he found the8number of bags in his barn again! “This is very strange,” he thought. That night he9again. He carried a large bag of rice on his shoulder(肩膀); and walked down the road to his younger brother's house. In the bright moonlight, he could see another10coming down the road. He was carrying something on his11, too. “Younger Brother!” Simon cried, “What are you doing?” “I was 12you, Older Brother,” said Victor, “Your family is13than mine. I thought you needed more rice.” The two brothers quickly14that they had been taking rice to each other. They15what had happened. “It is good to have a brother like you,” they both said. And they lived happily ever after.

    Many people do not like to stay at home on vacation. They usually 1out to see something different or do something exciting. So people from the country come to the city and people from the2go to the country for vacation. During the vacation, trains, buses and planes are all very busy. It is very hard to buy train tickets or air tickets. Many people3cars or buses for traveling.

    Last May Day my family went to the countryside in our4. There was too much traffic on the road, so we had to move very slowly. It took us about an hour to get out of the city. Two hours5, we came to a hill. It was6. We thought this was a good place for a picnic, so we stopped and7the food, fruit and drinks out of the car. We sat down and began to8. Suddenly it started to9, we had to run back to our car and have our food in the car. Then we drove back home. What a10trip!

    I have a friend named Monty Roberts who owns a horse ranch (牧场).He has let me use his ranch to raise money for youth at risk programs.

    The last time I was there he told me his story. When he was young, his family is too 1 to have a house to live in. When he was in high school, he was asked to write a paper about 2 he wanted to be and do when he grew up. That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday 3 a horse ranch. He wrote about his dream in great 4 and he even drew a picture to show a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on a 200-acre dream ranch. The next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, "See me after class." Roberts went to see the teacher and asked, "Why did I receive an F?" His teacher said, "This is a(an) 5 dream for a young boy like you. Having a horse ranch requires a lot of money. There's no way you could ever do it." Then the teacher added, "If you will rewrite this paper with a more possible goal, I will reconsider your 6."

    The boy went home and thought about it for a 7 and hard time. He asked his father what he should do. His father said, "Look, son, you have to 8 your own mind on this." Finally, after sitting with it for a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no 9 at all.  He told his teacher," You could keep the F and I will 10 keep my dream."

    Monty tells me this story because I am sitting in his 4,000-square-foot house in the middle of his 200-acre horse ranch. He said kids' dreams can be stolen. Don't let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what.

    Robert De Vincenzo, the great golfer, once won a competition. After receiving the check(支票), he went to the club and prepared to leave. He walked alone to his car and met a young woman.

    The young woman stopped him and said congratulations on his1, then she told him that her child was badly ill and she was dying. But her family was poor. She did not know how she could pay the hospital bill.

    De Vincenzo was2by her story, and gave his winning check to the woman. "Make some good days for the baby." He said as he put the check into her hand.

    The next week, he was3in the country club when a policeman came to his able. "Last week, some of the boys told me that you met a young woman after you won that competition."

    De Vincenzo said, "Yes."

    "Well," said the policeman, "I have news for you. She does not have a sick baby. She's not even married. She cheated you, my friend. "

    "You4there is no baby who is dying?" said De Vincenzo.

    "Yes, that's right," said the policeman.

    "That's the best news I've heard all the week." De Vincenzo said happily, "Life is more important."

    Good news or bad news? It depends on how you5it. You can be sad after being cheated.6you can choose to go on with your life bravely.