Life is full of surprises and you never know how things will turn out.

Sir John Gurdon is a good example of this. As a boy, he was told he was hopeless at science and finished bottom of his class. Now, aged 79, the very same Gurdon shared the 2012 Nobel Prize in Medicine with Japanese stem cell(干细胞) researcher Shinya Yamanaka.

Like so many scientists, Gurdon shows us where the power of curiosity and perseverance(坚持不懈) can lead.

At the age of 15 in 1948, Gurdon ranked last out of the 250 boys at his high school in biology and every other science subject. Gurdon's high school science teacher even said that his dream of becoming a scientist was "quite ridiculous".

In spite of his teacher's criticisms, Gurdon followed his curiosity and kept working hard. He went to the lab early and left later than anyone else. He experienced thousands of failures.

    "My own belief is that we will, in the end, understand everything about how cells actually work." Gurdon said.

    In 1962, Gurdon took a cell from an adult frog and moved its genetic(基因的) information into an egg cell. The egg cell then grew into a clone(克隆) of the adult frog. This technique later helped to create Dolly the sheep in 1996, the first cloned mammal(哺乳动物) in the world.

    In 2006, Gurdon's work was developed by Yamanaka to show that a sample(样本) of a person's skin can be used to create stem cells. Using this technique, doctors can repair a patient's heart after a heart attack.

    "Luck favors the prepared mind, "Gurdon told the Nobel Prize Organization." Ninety percent of the time things don't work, but when they do, you have to seize(抓住) the chance. "

    Mr. and Mrs Jones seldom(很少) go out in the evening , but last Sunday Mrs Jones said to her husband , “ There is a good film at the cinema this evening . Can we go to see it ? ”

    Mr. Jones was quite happy about it . So they went there and they enjoyed the film . They came out of the cinema at 11 o'clock , going into the car and began to drive home . It was quite dark . Then Mrs Jones said , “ Bill , look , a woman is running along the road very fast and a man is running after her . Can we help her ? ''

    Mr. Jones said , “ Yes , I can .''  He drove the car slowly near the woman and said to her , “ Can we help you ? ” “ No , thank you , ” the woman said , but she didn't stop running . “ My husband and I run home after the film , and the last one will wash the dishes at home .”

    Mrs. Black was worried because she couldn't stop her son, Jack, from betting (打赌). Jack spent all his money betting on horse races. And even worse he would bet on everything. So Mrs. Black asked her family doctor, Mr. Dodd, for help. The doctor was an old funny man with a beard (胡须). He said, “I've stopped many people from betting before. I can help your son, too.”

    The next day Mrs. Black took Jack to see the doctor. While they were talking, Jack was looking at the doctor's beard. Suddenly he said, “I bet you $50 that your beard is not a real one.” “Oh, no,” the doctor said. “Can I pull your beard and find out?” the boy asked. “OK, if my beard is real, you will pay me $50.” Then the boy pulled it and soon found out it was real. The doctor laughed.

    Two days later, the doctor telephoned Mrs. Black, “I think I've stopped your son from betting.” He told her the story. But Mrs. Black said, “You've made him worse.” “Why?” the doctor asked. “Because before he went to see you, he bet me $100 that you would ask him to pull your beard!”

    Steve found a job on a farm. He's the strongest and youngest. He ate most, sleeps most, but worked 1.  He hated to use his 2 and knew little. He had to do some unskilled(无技巧的)  work. He always said he's tired and hoped to have a 3 rest. So he 4 less money than his workmates.

    Winter came. The workers were told to get ready 5 the next year. Only Steve did 6. The farmer told him to cut down some trees in the forest. The young man went there with a chair. He felt lonely in the forest and was afraid of the 7. During his work, he looked around and sang 8, and nobody knew what he was singing.

    Three days passed. Steve didn't cut down any trees. The farmer felt strange. He decided 9 to find out how the young man was doing there. To his surprise, Steve was cutting a tree, sitting on a chair.

    "Why are you 10 here to cut the tree?" asked the farmer angrily.

    "Because I can't work if lying down sir!"