My nephew's 10-year-old son came for a visit one hot, July weekend. I persuaded him to 1 inside and joined him in a game. After 2 for an hour, I suggested that we relax for a while. I 3 my favorite chair to let my neck relax. He left the room and I was catching a few enjoyable4 of peace.

    “Look, Alice,” he said excitedly as he 5 over to the chair where I was sitting. “I found a kite. Could we go outside and 6 it?” Looking out of a nearby window, I noticed it was 7 outside. “I'm sorry. Tripper,” I said, sad to see his 8 expression. “The wind is not 9today. The kite won't fly.”

    The 1010-year-old boy replied, “I think it's windy enough. I can get it to fly,” he answered 11he hurried out to the back door.

    He ran back and forth, as 12as his ten-year-old legs would carry him, looking back 13 at the kite behind. After about ten minutes of unsuccessful trying, he came back in.

    I asked, “How did it 14?” “Fine,” he said, not wanting to admit (承认) the failure. “I got it to fly some.”15 I heard him say secretly, “I guess I'll have to wait for the 16”

    At that moment I heard another voice speak to my17“Alice, sometimes you are just like that. You want to do it your way 18waiting for the wind.”

    And the voice was 19. We usually want to use our own efforts to 20what we want to do. We must learn how to make use of “the wind”in the first place!

    A talented actor, producer, and singer, Will Smith is a success. In fact, his huge success can1back to some valuable lessons life taught him early on.

    Once Will's father2him an outdoor project. He had to rebuild a long 3wall in the yard. He had to4concrete and place one brick at a time, eventually covering the entire wall. Will felt surprised at their father's demand5 he couldn't even think of completing a project as big as this. However, with the 6of "one brick more", he completed it in six months. Will who7was so pessimistic about the job, felt a sense of 8 , and so did his father. Even today when Will thinks that he won't be able to do 9, he looks back to it and10himself, "one brick at a time."

    As a refrigeration engineer, Will's father often11stores to install freezers. Will mostly12his father. During one such visit, both Will and his father were installing a freezer in a supermarket basement and the employees had 13a rat killing solution across the floor. Both Will and his dad went in 14the place for the compressor(压缩机), and they found a dead rat. Will's dad had to 15the exact place where the rat had died; his dad, 16 even the slightest hesitation held the dead rat with his bare hands. He removed the17and fixed the compressor. This taught Will that one should never 18 about life. this made him realize the value of 19and hard work.

    Every successful man is shaped right from his 20. To achieve dreams, one should be disciplined and determined.

    Last spring, I was fortunate to be chosen to participate in an exchange study program. In my application letter, I was careful to 1 how much I wanted to see France; obviously, my excitement really came through in my words. Once I 2 that I was going, all I could think about was the fun of foreign travel and making all sorts of new and 3 friends. While traveling was inspiring and meeting people was4 ， nothing about my term in France was what I 5.

    The moment I arrived in Paris, I was 6 by a nice French couple who would become my host parents. My entire experience was joyous and exciting 7 I received some shocking news from my program coordinator (协调人)：there had been a death in my host parents' extended family. They had to travel outside France for several weeks. That afternoon, I had to 8 out of one family's house and into another. The exchange coordinator told me I'd have a 9 this time and asked whether I could share a bedroom with an English speaker. To avoid the temptation (诱惑) to 10 my native language, I asked not to be 11 with an English­speaking roommate. When I got to my new room, I 12 myself to my new roommate Paolo, a Brazilian(巴西人) the same age as I, whom I was surprised to find playing one of my favorite CDs! In just a few hours, we knew we'd be good friends for the rest of the 13.

    I left France with many 14, so when people ask me what my favorite part of the trip was, they are always 15 to hear me talk about my Brazilian friend Paolo and the scores of weekdays in class, weeknights on the town, and weekends 16 France we enjoyed together. I love how people 17 seem so different, but end up being so 18. The most valuable lesson I gained from studying in France wasn't just to respect the French people 19 to respect all people, for your next best friend could be just a continent away. I would recommend an exchange program to anyone who wants to experience foreign cultures and gain meaningful 20.

    One night, when I was eight, my mother gently asked me a question I would never forget. “Sweetie, my company wants to 1 me but needs me to work in Brazil. This is like your teacher telling you that you've done 2 and allowing you to skip a grade(跳级), but you'll have to 3your friends. Would you say yes to your teacher？”She gave me a hug and asked me to think about it. I was puzzled. The question kept me 4 for the rest of the night. I had said “yes” but for the first time, I realized the5 decisions adults had to make.

    For almost four years, my mother would call us from Brazil every day. Every evening I'd 6 wait for the phone to ring and then tell her every detail of my day. A phone call, however, could never replace her 7 and it was difficult not to feel lonely at times.

    During my fourth grade Christmas break, we flew to Rio to visit her. Looking at her large 8 apartment, I became 9 how lonely my mother must have been in Brazil herself. It was then 10 I started to appreciate the tough choices she had to make on 11 family and work. 12 difficult decisions, she used to tell me, you wouldn't know whether you made the right choice, but you could always make the best out of the situation, with passion(热情) and a 13 attitude.

    Back home, I 14 myself that what my mother could do, I could, too. If she 15 to live in Rio all by herself, I, too, could learn to be 16. I learnt how to take care of myself and set high but achievable17.

    My mother is now back with us. But I will never forget what the 18 has really taught me. Sacrifices(牺牲) 19 in the end. The separation(分离) between us has proved to be a 20 for me.

    From a young age, Micheal Platt loved two things: Martin Luther King and cupcakes. He set down statistics about income inequality and childhood hunger. But he also1 afternoons at his computer in his home, astonished by YouTube bakers who changed eggs, flour and water2 edible(可食用的) works of art.

    Michael saw a way to3 his two passions. At age 11, he founded a bakery. For every cupcake, cake or cookie Micheal 4, he donates another to the homeless and 5. Micheal, now 13, said he6 enjoys handing out cupcakes to kids.

    Sometimes Micheal bakes to get money for hunger-fighting groups, too. He spent a morning last weekend teaching a baking class to7 money for Nokid Hungry.

    He can keep up with his baking partly because he is homeschooled by his mother, who 8 her job to take care of Micheal full time. Micheal 9 of public school after his epilepsy(癫痫) was diagnosed in sixth grade. His epilepsy became too 10 and too frequent to allow him to sit in a classroom, his mother explained.

    “It was a very, very 11 time," she said of the period after the diagnosis, during which Micheal had to 12 his physical activity. "He had to stop everything he13: gymnastics, climbing trees, diving. So that's14 he kind of threw himself into baking." She said. Baking, Micheal said, makes him feel calm.

    But when he started the bakery, he knew from the beginning that he wanted his 15 to do more than make money. Micheal hopes his cupcakes16 others to work for social equality.

    Sometimes, Micheal17, he grows tired of being in the kitchen. Then he remembers the 18 boy he met once while19 cupcakes. A couple of days afterwards, the boy's father messaged Micheal on Facebook saying that his son, encouraged by Micheal's example, now is eager to 20 a baker. "That inspired me," Micheal said.

I was ready for bed. My eyes fell on the musical 1 on my bedside table. In it was a photo of Dad smiling, and once opened, it would play his 2 song recorded before his death. It was propped(支，撑)open just enough so the recording wouldn't play.

Dad was a 3 man. He was always singing me his little made-up songs to share joy although he was 4 off-key, not hitting every note.

Dad was a man with big heart. When my house burned down a few years ago, Dad 5 my family into his home. When we tried to offer some 6, he said with his characteristic voice, "Don't be 7!"

With happy 8, I fell asleep.

"Beautiful and marvelous-!"

Suddenly, was awoken hours later by the 9 song. The card! I snapped it shut(啪的一声合上).

How did that card just start playing? I checked the windows, all tightly shut. But why couldn't I 10 the feeling that something was wrong?

I decided to 11 downstairs. Opening the door to the laundry room, I was hit with a strong smell of 12. The heat lamp had fallen, and the carpet was burning.

The 13 wasn't too bad. I let out a shaky breath with 14. What could have happened? Perhaps another house fire. . . But we were safe. All thanks to Dad's one-of-a-kind 15.