A group of graduates got together to visit their old university professor.

The conversation soon turned into complaints about 1 in work and life. To offer his 2 coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and 3 with a large pot of coffee and a 4 of cups—plastic, glass, metal, porcelain (陶瓷), crystal, some plain-looking, some beautiful. The professor told his students to 5 themselves to hot coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said, “lf you have 6, all the nice-looking expensive cups have been 7, leaving behind the plain and 8 ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the 9 of your problems and stress.”

    The professor continued, “Believe that the cup itself adds no 10 to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases it even 11 what we drink. What all of you 12 wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went 13 the best cups.”

    Now 14 this: life is the coffee; the jobs, money, and 15 in society are the cups. 16 are just tools to hold and contain life, and the different types of cups we have don't decide, nor 17 the quality of life. If we concentrate only on the cups, we will 18 to enjoy the coffee in it. So don't let the cups 19 you enjoy the coffee instead." At these words, the graduates looked at each other in 20 embarrassment.

    As I held my father's hands one night, I couldn't help but notice their calluses (老茧) and roughness. His hands tell the story of his life as a1, including all his struggles.

    One summer, I remember, a drought (旱灾) hit Ontario, turning it into a2desert. On one of those hot mornings I was picking sweet corn with my dad to fill the last3from the grocery shore. Fifty dozen was all we needed, which4took twenty minutes. That morning, however, the process didn't5quickly. After forty minutes of aimlessly walking in the field, we6needed twenty dozen. I was completely frustrated and7. Dropping the basket heavily, I declared, “If the store wants its last twenty dozen, they can pick it themselves!” Dad8“Just think, my little girl, only ten dozen left for each of us and then we're9. ” Such is Dad—whatever problem he10he never gives up.

    11the disastrous effects of the drought were felt all over our country. It was a challenging time for everyone,12Dad remained optimistic. He13to be grateful for other things like good health and food on our plates. Only then did I truly begin to14Dad and his faith guided us through the hard times.

    Dad is also a living example of real15From dawn to dark, he works countless hours to16our family. He always puts our happiness17his own, and never fails to cheer me on at my sports games18his exhaustion after long days. His loving and selfless nature has inspired me to become more sympathetic and19, putting others first.

    Dad, the life20I have learned from you will stay with me forever. You are my father, teacher, friend and, most importantly, my hero.

    Every day on the way to work I drive down a street lined with pine trees. One tree in particular1 my attention. It must have suffered some 2Part of its trunk grew nearly parallel to the ground, and then in an effort to 3its own course of life. The trunk took a 90-degree turn 4 to stand tall and stretch toward the sun.

    This tree became a5for me. Each day as I drove by, I saw this bent but determined tree and I would be 6. It was a reminder to me that 7I may not have had the best start in life, I could change8 in the parts of my life at any time.

    I was planning to stop one day to get a perfect 9of my kindred-spirit (志趣相同) tree. But that week I was10. After that busy week, I still didn't take any action. Every time I drove by the tree I would11 myself, “Tomorrow, I'll stop tomorrow to take one.” Then one day, as I 12by “my” tree, I glanced over, and much to my13 I found a sawed-off stump (树桩) where that symbolic tree had stood. Gone. I had14my plan until “tomorrow” and tomorrow proved to be too15.

    A picture of a tree is not of great 16. But my lesson rang through clearly17I found out one of my colleagues had been18 with stage-four cancer. He may no longer have many19.

    What have you been putting off? What would you do today if you knew you would 20 have the opportunity to do it again? Why not do those things that you have been putting off until tomorrow?

    My husband kissed me goodbye, stroke (轻抚) the baby's cheek and then rushed out of the door, into his busy day. With the cold of the morning fading, I fed my baby and it fell fast asleep. Usually I would place it in bed and quickly have the house somewhat in 1.

    However, this morning, I stayed seated, just 2, with the baby in my arms. The thoughts ran into 3of the mornings with my husband, a father rushing out of the door to meet the obligations of life. It was only a small jump to thoughts of my own 4.

    My mother passed away when I was ten, and as I looked 5, I could see how much of a family man my dad was. He went to work every morning and 6 to his family every evening. He 7 food, clothing, warmth, and protection. He was a faithful father.

    Setting the baby down, I dialed the 8 number. I had just realized the 9 of the ordinary－the daily life going on around us that we often took for granted, and that it needed to be 10.

    "Hi, Dad." I said, 11 back tears.

    "Hey, Bud. How are you?" 12 was in his voice.

    "Fine, I'm just calling to say … thank you." I got it out before my throat 13 too much for me to speak.

    "What for?"

    "For getting up and going to work every morning of my life. Now that I have my own 14 and I see my husband doing the same, I just wanted to thank you for being 15."

    There was 16 for a moment as my dad composed himself, and with a small 17 in his voice he said, "You're welcome, Bud."

    I don't remember much of the rest of the call, 18 that moment of revelation (显露) about my father, I will never forget. There are those who are known for their heroic 19, and also those who are known for their fortunes and fame, but it is the 20 everyday fathers who are the true heroes. I'm thankful that my father was one of them.

    William Butler Yeats, a most famous Irish writer, was born in Dublin on June 13, 1865. His childhood1the harmony that was2of a happy family. Later, Yeats shocked his family by saying that he remembered "little of childhood but its pain". In fact, he3excellent taste in art from his family — both his father and his brother were painters. But he finally4literature,5drama and poetry.

Yeats had strong6in the coming of new artistic movements. He set himself the7task in founding an Irish national theatre in the late 1890s. His early theatrical experiments,8, were not received9at the beginning. He didn't lose heart, and finally enjoyed 10in his poetical drama.

    11with his dramatic works, Yeats's poems attract much12notice. The subject matter includes love, nature, history, time and aging. Though Yeats generally relied on very traditional forms, he brought modern13to them. As his literary life14, his poetry grew finer and richer, which led him to worldwide15.

    He had not16a major public life17winning the Nobel Prize in 1923. Yet, he continued writing almost to the end of his life. Had Yeats stopped writing at age 40, he would probably now be18as a minor poet, for there is no other example in literary history of a poet who19his greatest works between the ages of 50 and 75. After Yeats's death in 1939, W. H. Auden wrote, among others, the following lines:

    Earth, receive an20guest:

    William Yeats is laid to rest.

    Let the Irish vessel (船) lie.

    Emptied of its poetry.

    At an airport I overheard(无意听到) a father and daughter in their last moments together. They had announced her plane's1and standing near the door, he said to his daughter, "I love you; I wish you enough."

    She said, "Daddy, our2together has been more than enough. Your love is3I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Daddy." They kissed good-bye and she left.

    He walked over4the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to5. I tried not to interfere(干涉) his6, but he welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone7it would be forever?" "Yes, I have," I replied.

    Saying that brought back8I had of expressing my love and9for all my Dad had done for me. Recognizing that his days were10, I took the time to tell him face to face how much he meant to me. So I knew what this man was11. When I asked why it was a forever good-bye, he said he was12and her daughter lived much too far away. He guessed this departure might be the13before his funeral. When I asked him why they said "I wish you enough", he explained that had been14from other generations. His parents used to say it to15, by which they wanted other people to have a life filled with enough16things to support them.

    "I wish you enough sun to17your attitude bright. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit18. I wish you enough pain19the smallest joys in life appear much bigger. I wish you enough gains to20your wanting. I wish you enough "Hellos" to get you through the final 'Good-bye'."