If life were a book and you were the author, how would you like the story to go? That is the question that 1 my life forever.

    One day I went home from the training of snowboarding with what I thought was the flu, and less than 24 hours later, I was in a 2 on life support with less than two percent 3 of living. It wasn't until days later that the doctors diagnosed me with a 4 blood infection.

Over the 5 of 2.5 months, I lost the hearing in my left ear and both my legs below the knee. When my parents 6 me out of the hospital, I 7 that I had been put together like a patchwork(拼缝物) doll and I had to live with 8 legs. I was absolutely physically and emotionally broken, 9 streaming down.

    But I knew in order to move forward, I had to let go of the Old Amy and 10 the New Amy. It was at this moment that I asked myself that significant 11. And that is when it 12 me that I didn't have to be five-foot-five anymore,13 I could be as tall as I wanted. And 14 of all, I can make my feet the size of all the shoes. So there were 15 here.

    Four months later, I was back upon a 16. And this February, I won two Board World Cup gold medals, 17 me the highest ranked snowboarder in the world.

    So, instead of looking at our 18 and our limitations as something 19 or bad, we can begin looking at them as a wonderful 20 that can be used to help us go further than we ever know we could go.

    Many years ago, Dad worked as a farmhand （农场工人）. At that time, he had a horse. Every Saturday he1to the town after dinner and spent a few hours on social2 with other farmhands, such as drinking, chatting, and playing cards in the café. On Saturday evenings, the café was 3 because many farmhands were there. Before midnight Dad returned home on his horse, quite satisfied with his4 In his words, he5 thought of changing his job.

    At the age of 31, Dad married my mother who was a schoolteacher. In the following spring I came6 into the world. Life became hard, so my mother felt7 She told Dad that they must make a8

    My mother had 9of how some famous persons, especially Thomas Edison who was born in a poor family, fought against fate and achieved greatness and 10And she 11 that I would some day become a great leader 12 men or cities and Dad should be a successful businessman. So she 13Dad to give up his job as a farmhand, sell his horse and 14a small business of his own. And I went to high school and college. She even sent me abroad for 15 education when I graduated from college. Under the drive of my mother's hope, Dad and I16what we have today. Dad runs a big international 17and I am a successful lawyer18great fame in my country,19not a leader as my mother expected.

    Dad said, without my mother, we wouldn't be what we are today; at least, he would remain a farmhand.20 he got a lesson of life —sometimes we really need drive from outside.

    One day, a well-known speaker was invited to give a lecture to an audience of 200. He started his lecture by1a $ 20 bill. He looked around the room, and asked, “Who would like this $20 bill?”2 started going up.

    He said, “I am going to 3 this $20 to one of you, but first, let me do this.” He crumpled up (揉皱) the 20-dollar bill. He then asked, “Who 4 wants it?” Still the hands were 5 in the air.

    “Well”, he replied,“6I do this ?” And he dropped it on the 7 and started to step on it with his shoes. He picked it up. Now it was crumpled and 8.

    “Now, who wants it?” Still the hands went into the air.

    “My friends, we have all learned a very 9 lesson. No matter what I did to the 10, you still want it because it doesn't decrease in 11. It is still worth $20, with 12 we can buy what we need.

    Many times in our lives, we are 13, and trampled（踩）underfoot by the decision we 14 and the circumstances that come our way. We feel 15we were worthless. But no matter what has happened or what may happen to us, you will never 16 your value. Dirty or clean, you are still priceless to those who do love you. The worth of our lives is determined not by 17we do or who we know, but by who we are. You are18. Don't ever forget it.”

    If you 19 this lesson in mind, it will help you to 20 again when you fall. Each time it makes you grow much stronger.

    As a high school coach, I did all I could to help my boys win their game. I cheered as hard for 1 as they did. A dramatic 2 however, following a game in which I was a referee(裁判), changed my 3 on victories and defeats.

    It was a league championship basketball game between New Rochelle and Yonkers High. New Rochelle was 4 by Dan O'Brien, Yonkers by Les Beck. The gym was5, and the noise made it impossible to hear. The game was well played and 6 competed. Yonkers was 7 by one point as I 8 at the clock and discovered there were but 10 seconds left to play. New Rochelle, the home team, took 9 of the ball, passed off and shot. The ball 10 around the rim(篮筐边沿) and off. The fans11. New Rochelle recovered the ball, and tapped it in for what looked like victory. The noise was 12.

    I looked at the clock and saw that the game was over. I hadn't heard the final buzzer(终场哨) because of the noise. I 13 with the other official, but he could not help me. So, I 14 the timekeeper, a young man of 17 or so. He said, “Sir, the buzzer 15 before the final tap-in was made. ” Yonkers won!

    I had to tell O'Brien the sad news. His face 16. The young timekeeper came up and said, “I'm sorry, Dad. The 17 ran out before the final basket. ”18, like the sun coming out from a cloud, O'Brien's face lit up. He said, “that's okay, Joe. You did what you had to. I'm 19 of you.” The two of them then walked off the 20 together, the coach's arm around his son's shoulder.

    Many families usually take their children to travel during school breaks. But Julie and Tim Rivenbark planned a(n) 1 vacation with their two children―a one-year trip around the world. They plan to 2 30 countries in all.

    Right now, the four travellers are about halfway through their 3. Ms. Rivenbark says they are trying to see as much of the 4 as they can.

    Mr. Rivenbark says the family has 5 on ostrich (鸵鸟) birds, elephants, and camels. But, he says, one of the most 6 experiences of the trip has been meeting new people.

    “People have been 7 friendly and welcoming and love our kids and it's lovely to see them interacting (互动) with new people and their 8 to see our kids enjoying themselves in their country.”

    Eleven-year-old Tyler says he has enjoyed 9 about the people they have met. “I learned in Africa that people have very 10 lifestyles to those in America.” His sister Kara 11 that she liked Thai food.

    Ms. Rivenbark says that the trip is 12 the children a lot more than short visits would have. “I think that the longer we travel, the more 13 it has on how they see the world. I can see them 14 more than they can see themselves,” she said.

    It took the family a year to 15 for the trip. They had to sell their house and cars. Ms. Rivenbark 16 her job and her husband is using unpaid leave. They carry small bags 17lightweight clothing and whatever else they need. Ms. Rivenbark says she 18 being able to carry everything she needs on her back.

    Tyler and Kara each have iPads so they can communicate with teachers to stay 19 with their schoolwork. Tyler is also 20 a 365-day video blog.

Sandra was a businesswoman in Orlando. Approaching her 50th birthday, she decided to1 her love of cats and her work experience to start the Orlando Cat Cafe.

As a lifelong cat fan, Sandra's main goal in opening the cafe was to help 2 cats up for adoption with proper pet parents. What she didn't 3at the time was that her café would help human visitors as much as the cats!

"The most4thing in the cafe is that they always have new cats and cats need socialization, so both sides 5!" says Laurie, who is one6guest. She, like many other cat lovers, who 7have pets at home because of allergies (过敏反应) in the family, often comes to the cafe to experience the benefits of 8with cute animals whenever she likes.

Plus, Sandra's cat-adoption 9aren't the only charitable initiative happening at the cafe! The coffee and food10for visitors are made by Axum Coffee, a company that was also started to11others. Axum is a city in Ethiopia where fresh water is 12and even poverty is widely visible. In fact, the coffee and food are sold at a low price at the cafe, some of whose13go to the people of Axum, Ethiopia, to help improve their14 of life.

"My cafe and Axum Coffee have a(n)15 mission to reach out to others. We hit it off and became partners," says Sandra.

Maybe the next time you visit Orlando, you'll16Sandra's cafe, and hit it off with one of the cats up for17 ! Adoption specialists are always on-site to help match the personalities of potential 18 with those of the cats in the play area. And it 19 ! More than 80 cats have been adopted since Sandra20 her business in 2016.