There is a workman in America who earns as much as a company director. He is Max Quarterman, a thirty-year-old plasterer (泥瓦匠).

    Max lives in an upper middle-class housing estate. His 1 are mostly bank managers, business executives, airline pilots and the 2, but Max's seven-bedroom house — 3 $ 80,000 — is the largest in the area. 4 outside the house are Max's $ 7000 sports car and his wife's Morris Mini. Indoors is a 150 colour TV set and the family's 5 — a circular bath with gold-plated taps. There are also many labour－saving 6 and luxury furniture.

    How can a plasterer 7 all this? The answer, says Max, is hard work. In 8 with another plasterer, Max 9 contract plastering jobs for a firm. The owner of the firm 10 them as human machines, the best and quickest in the 11, who can do as much in two days as 12 two-man team can in two weeks.

    How do they manage it? Not by working overtime. They work a(n) 13 eight-hour day, five days a week. The secret 14 in Max's hod (桶) in which he carries the plaster to the site of the job. Max's is a superhod — it contains double the usual 15 of plaster, and Max, a strong fellow, runs when he carries it. More time is thus 16 to get on with the plastering. Besides, 17 man wastes time smoking, and they 18 their lunch break to a 19 of an hour a day. Now Max earns over $ 800 a week which is four times the average weekly pay in Britain today, and if he gets as 20 as $ 15, it's a disaster.

    His palms were sweating. He needed a towel to dry his grasp. The sun was as hot as the 1 he faced today at the National Junior Olympics. The bar (横竿) was set at 17 feet. That was three inches higher than his personal best. Michael Stone faced the most 2 day of his pole-vaulting(撑竿跳高) career.

    You couldn't tell whether Michael Stone was surprised, excited or vain about clearing the bar at 17 feet. As soon as he 3 on the inflated(充了气的) landing mat, Michael immediately began 4 for his next attempt at flight. He seemed 5 the fact that he had just beaten his personal best 6 three inches and that he was one of the first two competitors in the pole-vaulting 7 at the National Junior Olympics.

    When Michael 8 the bar at 17 feet 2 inches and 17 feet 4 inches, again he showed no 9. As he lay on his back and 10 the crowd sigh, he knew the other vaulter had missed his final jump. He knew it was time for his final jump. Since the other vaulter had 11 misses, Michael needed to clear this vault to win. A 12 would get him second place. It was nothing to be ashamed of,13 Michael would not 14 himself to have the thought of not winning first place.

    He rolled over and found his pole, stood and stepped on the runway that 15 the most challenging event of his 17-year-old life.

    As he sprinted (冲刺) down the runway, something felt wonderfully different, yet familiar. When he took a deep breath, it happened. He began to 16 like an eagle.

    He later went on that day to clear 17 feet 6 inches: a new National and International Junior Olympics record.

    With all the media attention and sponsorship possibilities, Michael's life would never be 17 again. It wasn't just because he won the National Junior Olympics and18 a new world record. And it wasn't because he had just increased his personal best by 9 inches. It was simply because Michael Stone is blind.

    A chance encounter can sometimes make all the 19 to whether hardship brings 20 the best in us or the worst.

    Many years ago, when we first went to Canada, we were driving through Montana to Colorado with our two children, then aged 8 and 11. As it was getting1we started looking for a hotel, only to find out that it was 2time in that part of the country, and all the hotels were3.

    Finally, around 9 o'clock in the evening, we 4at a gas station to fill up on gas. My husband asked for a 5 book and told the woman at the counter that we were trying to find a hotel. She told us it would be6 He tried for 15 more minutes. When he was 7 the woman, Linda, said she and her family8 nearby and would be happy if we spent the night at her home.

    My husband was 9 at her offer of generosity (慷慨). She called her son to10us, since she had to 11at the gas station till midnight.

When we reached their home, her husband 12 us. He invited us to have coffee and chat while we 13his wife. She came past 12 am. We asked if we could slip away in the morning so as not to14them. They said we were now 15 and we would have to have breakfast with them.

    Next morning, we ate breakfast, and when we were 16my husband asked if he could offer some 17.They would not hear of it and 18 we were their guests. We kept in touch for many years, and invited them to our 19 too. Over the years, we lost touch, but have 20 forgotten their kindness.

    In 2009 we were staying at our cousin's house in Triora, Italy. Settled just above a window was a bird's nest which my 1 said had been there for many years. Each year, different families of starlings (椋鸟) came back to make it their 2.

    We knew they were 3 because the chattering (鸣叫) of six newly hatched chicks 4us early every morning. Standing on a chair, I 5 to look into their nest. The first time I looked, the chicks were 6 and almost featherless. Their parents 7 backwards and forwards, bringing food to 8 their hungry and noisy chicks.

    Being 9 parents, whenever they saw me they screamed and flew at the window. So I could only 10 the chicks when they weren't around.

    11 the chicks were only a few days old, I realized the parents were teaching their young to fly. One brave chick beat its wings a few times and then 12 across the street landing on the roof of the house 13. Well done, I thought. The next day, my husband and I left for a tour and I was 14, thinking of how I would miss the rest taking their first 15.

    Two weeks later, on our 16, the first thing I did was look in the nest. It was 17. Then, suddenly, I head the beating of 18 and all eight of them were flying toward me. They 19a semicircle, singing to me. I felt as though they were saying, “Thank you for not harming us.” Then they flew off 20 into the blue sky.

    When we're young, especially in our twenties or even thirties, we may feel uncertain about our future. For years I have had no idea what I have been doing with my life, I was a thirty-year-old lawyer in New York. 1 being a lawyer was never my dream or goal in life. I honestly wanted to be a writer. I have a great 2 and would write amazing stories in my head. But I always knew that being a writer was 3 possible for me because it was a better 4 decision to stay a lawyer.

    Lately, I couldn't fall asleep 5 my usual time of 10 p. m. and when I did fall asleep I had the same dream 6. The dream starts with me in the ocean 7 to go for a swim and I'm searching for something, but I start to 8 and have no control over my 9. Then a light shines through the waters and when I look up, all I can 10 is myself in a bright white mom writing a 11. Then I hear a voice say 12, “Now is the time to try something new: now is the time to try something new.

    Something indescribable always stayed in my mind. It wasn't just a dream; it was my 13 to make something good out of my life. That afternoon, I 14 my job at the law firm and I couldn't have been any 15. My life started at 30, and every day 16 that point I haven't stopped enjoying life. I started to 17 and have been on the best-sellers list for the last two months. Things have definitely 18 well.

    19 is a good thing; it gives us an opportunity to take a chance. So my two favorite words I live by and so 20 you are "change and chance".

    Lisa Condie is a woman in her sixties. She runs a business in Italy. Why did she 1 a business there? Here is her 2.

    At 56, Lisa Condie had two 3 for a trip to Europe. However, she had no one to go 4 because she broke up with her boyfriend, which 5 her plan for a romantic (浪漫的) trip. Lisa wondered if her fifties were just about staying on her own and being 6. She was no longer a wife 7 her husband died early. And her kids had all 8 and left her. She had no idea what to do with the 9 of her life.

Condie spent a few sad days in Rome alone, not 10 Italian or knowing her way around. However, by the end of her trip, she cried at the thought of 11 the magical place. Being alone in Italy had helped her realize that she was 12 strong, smart, and in control of her life. She decided right then that she would one day 13 and live there.

    Two years later, Condie is now living out her 14. She lives in Florence and runs a tour company for women 15 Italy — A Better Way To Travel in Italy. So far, her business has been 16. "I can show them life doesn't have to be over at some point of life. It can 17 anytime you like. You can have 18 again. I do think there's a magic in women 19women," she said. "I feel everybody has a dream that can bring them back to life. As women, we often support other people's dreams, but we 20 need to realize our own dreams."