On the first day of my high school, I ran into my new English teacher, Ms. Kirschmann. I really mean that – I almost knocked her 1 .

    On entering my English classroom, I hit somebody hard. She was tall with red hair, and she was2a black and white skirt. As I began to3, she started “yelling” at me. But soon I realized that she was,4, saying hello and welcoming me to her class in a very 5voice. I realized that I had just met my new English teacher a moment ago.

    Kirsch, as she wanted us to call her, had a6and fascinating character. Her hair color, fashion sense and energy took up the entire room. When we read the play Macbeth by Shakespeare, Kirsch let us play7and wear masks. There was a big drum in the classroom. Every time we read the word “thunder” in the text, she would hit 8 on the drum, making a loud noise! My classmates and I would 9 loudly.

    During group discussions, Kirsch often told us to sit in a10 on the floor. We talked about the 11 while she just sat in a corner and took notes of what we said. Doing so made us feel independent and 12 ourselves more with critical thinking. It is the strangest 13 the most entertaining class I have ever had.

    Kirsch is really a “social butterfly”. She smiles, laughs and tells jokes 14 she goes. But I found out about another 15 of her the other day.

    After school that day, I was walking by my English classroom 16 I saw Ms. Kirschmann with her son. She was trying to 17 him to put on his jacket in a low voice. She spoke in such a gentle manner that I was quite 18 . Until then, it never 19 to me that Ms. Kirschmann could be quiet. I had thought she was 20 energetic, calm, intelligent and caring all at once. All I know was that I couldn't wait for the next day of her English class.

      A few years ago, an elderly woman entered my video store, along with her daughter. The daughter was displaying a serious case of 1, 2 her watch every few seconds. If she had possessed a leash(绳子), her mother would have been 3 to it as a means of pulling her along to 4 the rush of other shoppers.

      I 5 and asked if I could help her find something. The woman smiled up at me and showed me a 6 on a piece of paper. 7 rushing off to find the DVD for the woman, I asked her to  walk with me 8 I could show her where she could find it and I want to enjoy her 9 for a moment. As we walked along the back of the store, I 10 its floor plan: old television shows, action movies, cartoons, science fiction. The woman seemed glad of the unrushed “trip” and 11 conversation.

      I said to her daughter, “ 12 some advice?” “Of course not,” said the daughter. “13 her ,” I said. “When she's gone, it's the little 14 that will come back to you. Times like this. I know.” It was 15 . I still missed my mom and remembered the times when I'd used my impatience to make her 16 .

     Together they made their way toward the store's resting area. They sat there for a moment, side by side, 17 the holiday crowds. Then the daughter 18 and immediately regarded her mother lovingly. And slowly she placed her arm with 19 unaccustomed affection around her mother's shoulders and 20 guided her back into the crowd.

Always Challenge Yourself

    I started out my career as an editor for a travel magazine. I didn't really mind the work, but I wanted something more 1. My sister sent me some details for a content management 2 with a digital reading startup（新创办的小公司）. The job was a seemingly perfect mix of my skills and interests, 3 I jumped at it.

    However, soon after I 4 the company, its model changed to focus on 5, and everything about my position changed. I was asked to6 content to teachers and train people. Although I had no 7 in sales, training and education, I knew I wanted to make a serious 8 on the company. I told myself that everything feels overwhelming（难以应对的）at first and I should 9 have a go.

    I was fortunate to be surrounded by very 10 people. My best friend reminded me I'd made huge leaps of 11 in the past. It also helped that my boss seemed to have more faith in my 12 than I did. She never asked if I thought I could do it she 13 asked if I was interested in trying.

    I spent hours 14 my company's products, asked lots of questions and spoke to so many teachers. I looked for opportunities to put in extra 15. The more I did, the better I felt.

    It was rewarding to see the company 16 and know I had something to do with its success. Sure, I 17 more than I could handle and occasionally made mistakes. But it's important to take risks and accept new 18, even when you're not 19 whether you'll do well. There is nothing worse than failing because you refuse to even20. I'm so glad I tried, and know I'll do it again.

    My father once worked for a big company. However, when I was a year old he 1 his job and then our family got into a difficult station. We were 2, so we sold our house. Then we had to live with my grandmother. 3 she didn't like kids at all. She never 4. But l was very happy with my parents. My father was 5 at making things. I was also 6 and had a talent for designing.

    We didn't have money to buy. 7 so we made our own. I put two tyres together to make a horse. I learned a lot about gravity（重力）because I 8 many times.

    By 10, I knew I wanted to become a(n) 9, but they didn't take women in engineering school, so I went to another school and 10 in 1945. Then I was very 11to be accepted by the army's training programme. I learned a lot there. In 1966, I 12 serving the army. I began to work with children with learning problems. I wanted to 13 something that would help them. Luckily, I 14.

    I tried to retire five times but it 15 worked. In 1997, I went back to school to learn drawing, which was 16 for my inventions. On a TV programin2015, 1 17 David Kelley the founder of the design firm IDEO. When I realized he18 people from different backgrounds, I thought, “I have special life experiences and designing skills. I could be of 19 to his firm.”

I typed a letter to Kelley and quickly, I got a 20that I was accepted. I was 85.

    I believe in miracles(奇迹) because I've seen so many of them. One day, a patient was referred to me who was one hundred and two years old. "There's a1in my upper jaw," she said. "I told my own dentist it's nothing, but he 2I come to see you."

    Her eighty-year-old son accompanied(陪伴) her. He would3to add something, but she stopped him. She wanted to tell everything herself. I found a large cancer that spread over much of the 4of her mouth. A careful examination later 5that it was a particularly bad sort of cancer.

    During her next appointment, I explained to her the6of the problem She held my hand in hers and said, "I know you're worried about me, but I'm just7."

    I thought otherwise. After a great deal of 8on my part, and kindness on her part because she wanted to 9me, she agreed to have me refer her to a cancer surgeon. She saw him, but as I expected,10treatment.

    About six months later she returned to my office, still energetic and11.

    "How are you?" I asked.

    "I'm just fine, honey," she responded in 12 spirits. "When can I get started on fixing my dentures(假牙)?"

    Surprised to see her at all, I answered 13 ,"Let me take a look in your mouth and we'll see about it. "

    I couldn't believe my eyes. The cancer that had 14 nearly the entire roof of her mouth was gone—only one small area of redness 15.

    I had read of such things happening, but had 16seen them with my own eyes. That was my first miracle. Since then I've seen many others, because they keep getting 17to see. In fact, miracles are daily events for me now. And people are in miracle,18through them we have a chance to know ourselves and to19the miracles of one another.

    Since my first miracle, I've come to understand that a miracle is20we choose to find it.

    I met Mrs. Neidl in the ninth grade on a stage-design team for a play and she was one of the directors. Almost instantly I loved her. She had an unpleasant voice and a direct way of speaking, 1 she was encouraging and inspiring. For some reason, she was impressed with my work and Mrs. Neidl would ask me for my 2. She wanted to know how I thought we should 3 things. At first I had no idea how to answer because I knew 4 about stage design! But I slowly began to respond to her 5. It was cause and effect. She believed I had opinions, so I began to 6 them. She trusted me to complete things, so I completed them perfectly. She loved how 7 I was, so I began to show up to paint more and more. She believed in me, so I began to believe in myself.

Mrs. Neidl's 8 that year was, "Try it. We can always paint over it 9!" I began to take 10. I had been so afraid of failing but suddenly there was no failing—only things to 11 upon. I learned to dip my brush into the paint and 12 create something.

    The shy, quiet freshman achieved success that year. I was 13 in the program as "Student Art Assistant" because of the time and effort I'd put in. It was that year that I 14 I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing stage design.

    Being on that stage-design team 15 Mrs. Neidl changed me completely. Not only was I stronger and more competent than I had thought, but I also 16 a strong interest and a word I hadn't known existed. She taught me not to 17 what people think I should do. She taught me to take chances and not be 18. Mrs. Neidl was my comforter when I was upset. Her 19 in me has inspired me to do things that I never imagined 20.