Perhaps the most interesting person I have ever met in my life is an Italian professor of philosophy who teaches at the University of Pisa. 1 I last met this man eight years ago, I have not forgotten his 2 qualities. First of all, I respected his 3 to teaching. Because his lectures were always well-prepared and clearly delivered, students crowded into his classroom. His followers liked the fact that he 4 what he taught. Furthermore, he could be counted on to explain his ideas in an 5 way, introducing such aids to 6 as oil paintings, music, and guest lecturers. Once he 7 sang a song in class in order to make a point clear. 8, I admired the fact that he would talk to students outside the classroom or talk with them 9 the telephone. Drinking coffee in the café, he would easily make friends with students. Sometimes he would 10 a student to a game of chess. 11, he would join student groups to discuss a variety of 12: agriculture, diving and mathematics and so on. Many young people visited him in his office for 13 on their studies; others came to his home for social evenings. Finally, I was 14 by his lively sense of humor. He believed that no lesson is a success 15, during it, the students and the professor 16 at least one loud 17. Through his sense of humor, he made learning more 18 and more lasting. If it is 19 that life makes a wise man smile and a foolish man cry, 20 my friend is indeed a wise man.

    On a recent sunny, dry fall morning, I found the last outdoor table at my favorite café. Reading 1 I nibbled my breakfast, I was enjoying the feeling of the cool breeze and the warm sun when a table next to me 2. A woman who had been standing nearby, 3 waiting for a seat, stepped toward the table. But from the other 4, straight from the parking lot, came a man who got to the table first.

    The woman, with a 5 on her face, explained that she'd been 6 that table for several minutes and had been on her way over. The man, also smiling but 7, told her she was out of 8; he had happened upon the table first. "You snooze, you lose!" he said cheerfully.

    She stood off to the side, clearly disappointed, and 9 her friend with the frustrating news. I sat at my table, 10 the scene, when suddenly it occurred to me—I had a(n) 11 here to be kind.

    I stood up and 12 her over to my table. Quietly, I told her I had seen what had happened, and I was happy to give her my table. I was only going to be there a few more minutes 13, so I was happy for her and her friend to have the 14.

    "But where will you sit?" she asked. I was almost done eating, I said, and I would find a seat at the counter 15. She thanked me and beamed as she 16 for her friend to sit down.

    Thinking about it as I finished up, I realized that whether or not the woman had fair 17 to the table was unimportant. The emotion of the situation—the look of hurt on her face—had 18 me, and I had the ability to do something about it.

    That isn't always the case with every feeling, situation, or injustice we 19 unexpectedly in our days. But as the early 20th century writer Orison Swett Marden once said, "Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. 20 common occasions and make them great."

    I just hope that woman's morning at the café was great. I know mine was.

    For most people, graduation day is exciting. My graduation day, 1 was not.

    I remember that weekend two years ago. My family and my friends had come to watch our class walk across that 2. But like everyone in my graduating class, I had watched the economy 3from bad to worse during my senior year. We graduates had 4 but very limited prospects(前景). Numerous applications were 5 and I knew that the next day, when my lease(租约)ended，I would no longer have a place to 6"home".

    The weeks 7 were not easy. I drove to California to find work. But what I thought would 8me a week dragged into two, and then four, and 100 job applications later, I found myself 9I was before.

    Days 10 like weeks, weeks like months and those many months seemed 11. The most 12 part was no matter how much I tried, I just couldn't seem to make any 13.

    Then I began to write. Something about putting words on a page made everything seem a little clearer – a little brighter. Something about writing gave me 14.

    I put my frustration into a children's 15, one story of which was about a(n) 16, a little fish, who, fighting in a "river", 17 to give up his dream. I kept on writing. And then one day, 18 any sort of writing degree or contracts in the writing world – just a lot of hard work and perseverance – I was offered a publishing contract for my first book! After that, things began to be in 19 soon. I was offered a second book deal. Then a few months later, I got an interview with the Walt Disney Company and was hired shortly after.

    The lesson of the story: Work hard, give it time and don't give up. Often our dreams lie in wait just a little further upstream. All we need is the20 to push beyond the "river".

    An 18-year-old student was struggling to pay his tuition fees. As an orphan, he didn't know whom to 1 to for money. So he decided to host a musical concert at Standford University to 2 money for his education.

    He reached out to the great 3, Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Paderewski 4 a fee of Us $2,000 for the piano concert. A deal was 5. And the boy began to 6 to make the concert a success.

    The 7 day arrived. Paderewski performed at Standford University. But 8, the boy hadn't managed to sell enough tickets. The total 9 was only US 1, 600. Disappointed, he went to Paderewski and 10 his plight (困境). He gave Paderewski the entire US $ 1, 600, plus a cheque for the 11 of US $4, 00. The boy promised to 12 the money as soon as possible.

    Paderewski tore up the cheque, 13 the US $1,600 and told the boy, "14 the money for your tuition fees, and just give me whatever is left." The boy was very 15, and thanked him sincerely.

    It was a small 16 of kindness. We all come across 17 like this in our lives. And most of us only think, "If I helped them, what would happen to me?" The truly 18 people would think, "If I don't help them, what would happen to them? They don't do it 19 something in return. They do it because they feel it's the 20 thing to do.

    In my childhood, there were no smart phones or computers. Still, I never felt bored. The field, 1 and woodlands around my home were the perfect playground. I can remember once hiking to a nearby2 and walking slowly around it. At the back of it I was amazed to find an old dirt road that I had never seen before. It was full of muddy tyre tracks and deep woods bordered it on both sides, but 3 it still seemed like a fine adventure.

    I4 on and on for what seemed like hours. I was sure my guardian angel was 5 in my ears to turn around and6back home but I was7 and even a bit stupid, so I walked on. There was still neither a car nor a house 8. My legs were getting tired. I noticed that the sun was starting to go down and I grew 9. I didn't want to end up10on this road in the dark of night, and I was worried that it would be dark 11  I could make my way back to the lake again.

    I continued to walk on with the fear growing inside of me. My heart was 12 and my legs were aching. When I 13 one last corner and saw a house that I 14 , I jumped up and down and laughed out loud. I knew the way home! It was still over a mile away, but 15 felt like feathers. I 16 into the house with a big smile just in time for dinner. Then I ended my adventure with a good night's sleep.

    I remembered this recently when I saw a 17 that said, "All roads lead home". This is true. I also remembered a sage (圣人) compared life to a journey. Are we going to make this life a terrible 18 or are we going to make the life a joyful one? It 19 our own choice.

    All road no matter how they twist and turn, can 20 us home in our hearts. May you always walk your path with love! May you always help your fellow travelers along the way!

    I fell in love with Yosemite National Park the first time I saw it, when I was 13. My parents took us there for camping. On the way out, I asked them to wait while I ran up to E1 Capitan, a 1 rock of 3,300 feet straight up. I touched that giant rock and knew 2 I wanted to climb it. That has been my life's passion (钟爱) ever since--3 the rocks and mountains of Yosemite. I've long made Yosemite my 4.

    About 15 years ago I started seeing a lot of 5, like toilet paper, beer cans, and empty boxes, around the area. It's 6 me why visitors started respecting the place less and treated such a 7 home-like place this way.

    I tried 8 trash(垃圾)myself, but the job was too big. I would 9an hour or two on the job, only to find the area trashed all over again weeks later. Finally, I got so 10 it that I decided something had to 11.

    As a rock-climbing guide, I knew 12about organizing any big event. But in 2004, together with some climbers, I set a date for a 13. On that day, more than 300 people 14. Over three days we collected about 6,000 pounds of trash. It was 15how much we were able to accomplish. I couldn't believe the 16 we made --the park looked clean!

    Each year volunteers come for the cleanup from everywhere. In 2007 alone, 2,945 people picked up 42,330 pounds of trash and 17 132 miles of roadway.

    I often hear people 18about their surroundings. If you are one of them, I would say the only way to change things is by 19 rather than complaining. We need to teach by 20. You can't blame others unless you start with yourself.