A Different View

    At age 14, 15 and 16, the way we looked was the most important thing in the world to us. My friends and I wanted nothing less than perfection.

    In high school, we joined the gymnastics team, and our 1became even more important to us. We had no fat, only muscle. On the weekends, we would go to the beach, 2 of our flat stomachs.

    One summer day, all my friends were at my house 3. At one point, I was running back to the pool. I 4 on a bee, and while it was dying under my foot, it stung (蛰) me. I instantly started to feel 5. That night, I began to run a high fever and my leg and foot were red, hot and swollen. I couldn't walk. I could barely6.

    When my foot started to go numb, everyone became more 7. My foot was not getting enough blood. I had to go to the 8, and my leg hurt as if it were badly broken. I couldn't move. All I could do was think about how soft my middle was becoming. That 9 me more than any concern over my leg.

    That would all 10 when I heard the doctors mention possibly cutting off my foot. It was still not getting the 11 supply it needed. The doctors would have to speed up their treatment.

    Never before did I have such great 12 for my foot. And walking seemed like a 13 from the gods. Less and less would I want to hear my friends talk about 14 and who was wearing what. More and more I expected visits from other kids in the hospital, who were quickly becoming my friends.

    One girl came to visit me 15. Every time she came, she brought flowers. She was recovering from cancer and felt she should come back and 16 the other patients.

    She still had no hair, and she was swollen from medications she had been taking. I would not have given this girl a second 17 before. I now loved every inch of her and looked forward to her 18.

    Finally, I was improving and soon I went home. My leg was still swollen, 19 I was walking, and I had my foot! When I would go back to the hospital, I often saw my friend. She was still visiting people and 20 good cheer. I thought if even there was an angel on this earth, it had to be her.

    Whatever misfortune you face, just hold up your head and face it with a smile! I got to know this from a musical soul.

    The other day I was feeling quite1, having just been laid off from my job. With so many2to pay, I was wondering what was going to happen to my family.

    I got off the bus when I heard piano music and3rising above the noise of the traffic. I walked a bit slower, trying to find out where it was coming from. Through the4I saw a young lady sitting at a piano with a box next to her.

    She was singing songs about love and her sweet voice5me a bit. Then I stood there watching her playing, thinking that it must take6to perform on her own in front of hundreds of people she didn't know.

    She might have felt my7for she occasionally looked in my direction.

    By now I was telling myself that I could at least tell her how good she sounded. I walked8and put some money in her box and she expressed her thanks with a smile on her face.

    I asked her9, “Why are you playing the piano in the middle of this crowded place?”

    She explained to me that she sees so many10people in the world that she is trying to relieve the pain by11motivational music.

    Instead of continuing my way home, I said to her, “I have been going through a12time lately, but you've made me13again.”

    “I'm happy that I could be14to you,” she replied. “Why are you so sad?”

    I told her my story and said, “I'm not so15about what to do….”

    “You see, here's the16,” she responded. “When you were walking, your head was down.” She looked me in the eyes and went on, “Don't look defeated, because17comes in different ways and if your head is down you might never see it. You should18more… lift your head up.”

    I was really19by what she said! I did hold my head up and soon got through the difficult time.

    So20in trouble, just face it bravely and you are sure to overcome your difficulty sooner or later.

    When I was 16 I wrote a list of things that I wanted to do in my lifetime. Some things were easy, some difficult and some almost Some things were easy, some difficult and some almost 1. One of the things on the list was to do a 2.

    Two years ago I spent three months travelling and it was a great3. One day, we were 4 in a hotel in Brazil, playing games when my friend suddenly 5 an advertisement on the wall 6“Skydive over Iguassu Falls today!” We looked at each other and 7 it was time to do something crazy. Today would be the day that we would 8 a plane.

    That afternoon we were 9 and taken to the Skydive Centre. We put on our harnesses（跳伞装备）and helmets, were given some 10 and then took off into the air. My heart started to beat very fast and I felt very 11.

    12, I was tied to an instructor so I didn't have to worry about anything; I just had to 13 myself. He asked me if I was 14 to fall from the plane but before I had time to15, we fell to the ground at 200 km an hour! After about 20 seconds of 16, the parachute（降落伞）opened and everything slowed down. We 17 peacefully towards the earth, leaving the clouds 18 us.

    This was definitely one of the scariest 19 most exciting experiences of my life. I would do another skydive if I had the20. I think that everyone should do something that scares them once in a while.

    Douglas was my cousin. I first met him when he came to stay with my family for a 1, because his parents were going to teach in Africa.

    He and his family 2 all the way on the other side of the country, so we had never had a chance to visit. 3, when we arrived at the airport, it was not hard to find which person was my 4. He was the one standing all alone, looking around for someone to 5 him. He looked a little scared to meet us, 6 started to smile shyly after my mom hugged (拥抱) him.

    When we got back home and Douglas 7 putting his things away, I could not believe it. All of his 8 were the same, all white shirts and dark blue shorts. He 9 had a dark blue jacket with a tie!

    "How come you 10 only one kind of clothes?" I asked him.

    "That's the way my school has 11 been," he said. "We have to wear uniforms."

    "I would hate having to wear the 12 thing every day," I said.

    "I don't 13," Douglas said. "It 14 time. I don't have to think about what I am going to wear."

    "Well, we don't wear uniforms at our 15. You're going to look pretty 16 if you come to school in a jacket and tie."

    Douglas looked worried. I felt bad. I had not meant to 17 his feelings. After all, it was not  18easy to live with some 19 family for a year. Then and there I decided that I was going to 20 my cousin and try to make this as good a year as possible for him.

    Alia Baker is a librarian in Iraq. Her library used to be a 1 place for all who loved books and liked to share knowledge. They 2 various matters all over the world. When the war was near, Alia was3that the fires of war would destroy the books, which are more 4 to her than mountain of gold. The books are in every language — new books, ancient books, 5 a book on the history of Iraq that is seven hundred years old.

    She had asked the government for to 6move the books to a 7place, but they refused. So Alia took matters into her own hands. 8, she brought books home every night,9her car late after work. Her friends came to 10her when the war broke out. Anis who owned a restaurant 11 to hide some books. All through the12, Alia, Anis, his brothers and neighbours took the books from the library, 13them over the seven-foot wall and 14them in the restaurant. The books stayed hidden as the war15. Then nine days laters, a fire burned the16to the ground.

    One day, the bombing stopped and the17 left. But the war was not over yet. Alia knew that if the books were to be safe, they must be 18 again while the city was 19. So she hired a truck to bring all the books to the houses of friends in the suburbs(郊区). Now Alia waited for the war to end and 20 peace and a new library.

This is a story that happened 15 years ago, but it has always stayed with me since then.

On the way back from work every evening, there would be a 1 man, standing at the exit of the freeway. He often 2 at every car, smiling. Every time I got close to him, I would hand him some spare coins. He always said to me, "Thank you. I'm blessed!" And I always left with 3 and satisfaction.

It 4 me that even in the unsettled lifestyle i he was so 5. And his reply would remind me / of how 6 I was — a single mother with a lovely child, with a place to call home and with a t job to 7 my kid.

One day, I was informed by my boss that I was 8 due to the terrible economy. A feeling of 9 surrounded me. I was in no mood to do anything. On my way home, I didn't do 10 had always done when I saw the man, who was still 11 others by waving with a smile. I just drove straight ahead.

To my 12, while I was in line at a red light y to leave the ramp (坡道), he stopped at my car with a dollar bill, saying 13, "You look unhappy, but you know all will tum out fine. Give you a dollar today and 14!" Then he left.

That day he taught me a lesson. No matter what material things are taken from you, no one can take away your 15 to be joyful.