My first lesson is at a meeting. As we settle around the table I hear Meg, who is1a recent operation, talking to Judith, the manager of our project. “Thank you so much for2 my daughters to their dance lessons last week.” “Don't mention it,” Judith says, “It was nothing.”

    Knowing how 3Judith's schedule is, with her work, kids and aging parents, I find her driving Meg's children to lessons unbelievably 4. I am about to say more about this when Donna, another colleague, enters the room5. She apologizes for being late, saying she just hosted a lunch for her friends who are over seventy. “That is so nice of you,” I say, 6 how busy she is, how she doesn't like to cook and clean. “Oh,” she says, waving her hand, “It was nothing.”7, I can still tell the 8in her voice. She did gain a sense of satisfaction from the entertainment offered to her friends.

    Seeing their 9 to help others selflessly, I start thinking about the concept of “nothing”, this way of living—had it really been nothing or are they simply saying that? It 10to me that once I spent a whole afternoon after work helping a friend 11a speech she was going to deliver. I12 her to rearrange the sequence of the stories in the lecture to make it sound more 13. After the fifth try, she finally 14it . She hugged me with15, saying thanks to me. I smiled and said it was nothing.

    Suddenly, I realized that helping someone was really something to me. I learned that giving from the heart doesn't 16 mean sacrifice and hard work. The 17is finding something we love to do and finding someone who18 that something. Our generosity can benefit others19 ourselves. Once you have a good 20of it, it's nothing. And it's really something.

    Scott and his companions were terribly disappointed. When they got to the South Pole, they found the Norwegians（挪威人）had 1 them in the race to be the first ever to reach it. After2the British flag at the Pole, they took a photograph of themselves 3 they started the 950-mile journey back.

    The journey was unexpectedly4and the joy and excitement about the Pole had gone out of them. The sun hardly5. The snow storms always made it impossible to sight the stones they had 6 to mark their way home. To make things7. Evans, whom they had all thought of 8the strongest of the five, fell badly into a deep hole in the ice. Having9 along for several days, he suddenly fell down and died.

    The four who were 10 pushed on at the best speed they could 11. Captain Oates had been suffering for some time from his 12 fact; at night his feet swelled（肿胀） so large that he could 13 put his boots on the next morning, and he walked bravely although he was in great 14 . He knew his slowness was making it less likely that 15 could save themselves. He asked them to leave him behind in his sleeping-bag, but they refused, and helped him 16 a few more miles, until it was time to put up the 17 for another night.

    The following morning, 18 the other three were still in their sleeping-bags, he said. “I am just going outside and may be19some time.” He was never seen again. He had walked out 20 into the snow storm, hoping that his death would help his companions.

    I remember the first day when I saw Sally playing basketball. I watched in wonder as she struggled her way through the crowd of boys on the playground. She seemed so 1, but she managed to shoot jump shots just over their heads and into the net. The boys always tried to stop her 2 nobody could.

    I began to notice Sally at other times, basketball in hand, playing 3. She practiced dribbling（运球）and 4 over and over.

    One day I asked Sally why she 5 so much. Without a moment of hesitation she said, “I want to go to college. The only way I can go is to get a 6. I'm going to play college basketball and I want to be the best one. I believe that if I am 7 enough, I will get one. My father has told me that if the dream is big enough, the facts don't 8.”

    I 9 her through those junior high years and into high school. Every week, she led her team to 10. One day in her senior year, I saw her siting on the grass, her head 11 in her arms. Slowly and quietly, I 12 and sat down beside her. “What's wrong?” I asked. “Oh nothing,” came a soft reply, “I am just too short” The 13 told her that at 165cm she would probably never play for a top team－still less she would be14 a scholarship-so she should stop dreaming about college.

    I felt she was extremely 15. I asked her if she had talked her dad about it yet. She told me that her father said those coaches were 16. They didn't understand the 17 of a dream.

    The next year, Sally was seen by a college basketball coach after a big game. She was 18 offered a scholarship and 19 to the college team. She was going to get the college education that she had 20 and worked toward for all those years.

    It's true if the dream is big enough, the facts don't count.

    Last spring, I was fortunate to be chosen to participate in an exchange study program. In my application letter, I was careful to 1 how much I wanted to see France; obviously, my excitement really came through in my words. Once I 2 that I was going, all I could think about was the fun of foreign travel and making all sorts of new and 3 friends. While traveling was inspiring and meeting people was4 ， nothing about my term in France was what I 5.

    The moment I arrived in Paris, I was 6 by a nice French couple who would become my host parents. My entire experience was joyous and exciting 7 I received some shocking news from my program coordinator (协调人)：there had been a death in my host parents' extended family. They had to travel outside France for several weeks. That afternoon, I had to 8 out of one family's house and into another. The exchange coordinator told me I'd have a 9 this time and asked whether I could share a bedroom with an English speaker. To avoid the temptation (诱惑) to 10 my native language, I asked not to be 11 with an English­speaking roommate. When I got to my new room, I 12 myself to my new roommate Paolo, a Brazilian(巴西人) the same age as I, whom I was surprised to find playing one of my favorite CDs! In just a few hours, we knew we'd be good friends for the rest of the 13.

    I left France with many 14, so when people ask me what my favorite part of the trip was, they are always 15 to hear me talk about my Brazilian friend Paolo and the scores of weekdays in class, weeknights on the town, and weekends 16 France we enjoyed together. I love how people 17 seem so different, but end up being so 18. The most valuable lesson I gained from studying in France wasn't just to respect the French people 19 to respect all people, for your next best friend could be just a continent away. I would recommend an exchange program to anyone who wants to experience foreign cultures and gain meaningful 20.

    I was about to get on a plane after a trip. Honestly speaking, the trip was very 1 and exhausting. To make things worse, I had a middle seat in Zone 5, where they 2 the baggage because there wasn't much room in the overhead bins (行李架).

    I had to ask the flight attendant if I could 3 my seat. Trying to be 4, she asked if I was willing to sit in an exit row. "Yes, sure!" I 5 responded, full of hope. But a moment later, she told me that row might not be 6. I could only accept the reality.

    Suddenly I heard her offer two seats in the exit row 7 a young couple next to me. I was filled with 8 that I was ready to get up and 9 with her. I wondered how she could 10 me and then go to help others. I was about to shout at her, 11 my good sense won. For that belief moment, I tried to comfort myself. "If you are impatient, you'll make a 12 of yourself." Then though I was still annoyed, I managed to 13.

    With about 5 minutes to board, when I was worried about how to keep my 14, the attendant handed a new ticket to me. "Is this for the 15 seat?" I asked. "No, it isn't," she responded. "Once in a while I'm able to do this and I'm glad it has 16 this time." glanced down—business class, Seat 2F—no charge! I was very 17 for that and I felt relived that I had 18 my anger. I do know even if I shouted at the attendant, she would 19 try hard to help me, because she seemed very responsible. Now I realize that it is always important to show 20 and understanding for others in life.

My First Marathon

A month before my first marathon, one of my ankles was injured and this meant not running for two weeks, leaving me only two weeks to train. Yet, I was determined to go ahead.

I remember back to my 7th year in school. In my first P.E. class, the teacher required us to run laps and then hit a softball. I didn't do either well. He later informed me that I was "not athletic".

The idea that I was "not athletic" stuck with me for years. When I started running in my 30s, I realised running was a battle against myself, not about competition or whether or not I was athletic. It was all about the battle against my own body and mind. A test of wills!

The night before my marathon, I dreamt that I couldn't even find the finishing line. I woke up sweating and nervous, but ready to prove something to myself.

Shortly after crossing the starting line, my shoe laces(鞋带) became untied. So I stopped to readjust. Not the start I wanted!

At mile 3, I passed a sign:"GO FOR IT, RUNNERS!"

By mile 17, I became out of breath and the once injured ankle hurt badly. Despite the pain, I stayed the course walking a bit and then running again.

By mile 21, I was starving!

As I approached mile 23, I could see my wife waving a sign. She is my loyal supporter. She never minded the alarm clock sounding at 4 a.m. or questioned my expenses on running.

I was one of the final runners to finish. But I finished! And I got a medal. In fact, I got the same medal as the one that the guy who came in first place had. 

Determined to be myself, move forward, free of shame and worldly labels(世俗标签), I can now call myself a "marathon winner".