Teachers selected from each district school for the Teacher of the Year competition were recognized.The competition's winner will be1in the spring.All those model teachers got me to think about some of my teachers through the years, and how they2me.

    My college adviser, J.C.Casey, had a big3on my life.She was a teacher and friend.She4me to consider journalism as a career.My high school math teacher,Kathy Cloud,took the time to5math to me in a way I could    6understand.I'd struggled with math until I got in Cloud's classes.She gave me the7to realize I could do it.

    My first-grade teacher, Darlene Dryden, held me back. Now, most people wouldn't8the teacher that kept them back a grade fondly, but Dryden has always been my9teacher.I was the youngest person in my class and very shy. She thought I10another year to mature before moving on to second11.She didn't make me feel12for having to repeat the grade.Instead,he made me feel13.I think I was her favorite, too.

    My senior year of high school, right before14,I wrote Dryden a note letting her know that I'd become a good student and was going to15and that she'd had a16in that.

    The Norman teachers17Wednesday are just a few of the many who are in the classrooms every day making 18in their students' lives.They may not even know the19impact（影响）they're having.I know it's not an20 job, but teachers, just remember that you're a Mrs.Dryden to somebody.

    One night many years ago I was on the bridge of a ship passing one of our large cities on a quiet night. I saw its lights1in the sky and heard the city's noises.

    I have spent twenty-five years on boats. Now I am a 2. My job is to bring in the large luxury3and stay with them until they are safely stopped in their ports.

    I felt very 4the first time I ever docked a big liner. She came5up the harbor on a flood tide and towered high over the short little boat. As we drew alongside, a doorway opened6at water level and two smartly dressed sailors helped me aboard.

    I was escorted to the bridge where I 7from the captain. I realized I was in 8of a great ship worth millions of dollars. Having docked several of the large liners, I realized I was not important, 9simply the quarterback who called the signals.

    In spite of 10we read in the newspapers, I have great faith in this country, praying that a peaceful understanding will come to this11world, so that my children can grow up in a world full of happiness. I believe this will come 12.

    I remember the understanding and 13 that took over this country, back in 1949, when a little girl named Kathy Fiskus 14into an old well in California. Engineers and sandhogs and people in all walks of life worked almost three days, and when they got her out she was dead.

    People sent in thousands of dollars in 15 funds, but those who did the work and 16 the equipment wouldn't take the money. They worked for bigger things. I talked to captains of foreign 17 that came into New York Harbor, and they were just as 18 as we Americans over the tragedy.

I believe some 19 will be found to work together for world peace with the same sympathy and understanding that people worked to rescue little Kathy Fiskus. I believe God will 20 bring this about.

    My name is Timothy. I'm 21 years old and I've been diagnosed with autism(自闭症) since the age of 2. I'd like to 1 my story with you about my life with autism.

    Firstly, autism makes me a loner. I can't easily2too much human-to-human communication at the same time. I find it difficult to process all that spoken and unspoken information. I also3some other stuff that has been a rocky roadblock during my life. It's very4to live through the times that I put up with during my life5 teasing, struggling to adapt to new6like schools, on and off depression.7seeing my relative's death and the struggles with my disability. Well,8all of those horrible barriers that tried to cut me down, I have overcome them.

    Those things I mentioned are just a(n)9part of my life.10 there are good things in my life. Currently, I work at a local library to get some11. Outside of that, I'm a writer and motivational speaker to reach people and12their spirits. Now, I'm writing a book titled Through My Eyes: Tim and his Poetry, which is about my life and the 5013I've written.

    Every day, there will be14challenges that are going to fall on me, but I will get stronger as I conquer them. Now, autism can still15me and I go back into my own little16for a short time, then I bring myself back by trying to be as17as I can. I have a few18to be sociable with people. The first one is to ask others about how their day is going19the reply, and then try to talk about something we have in20

    When 12 girls from San Fernando High School in California received a grant(经费) to develop an invention to solve a real-world problem, they decided to create a solar-powered shelter to help the homeless.

    For over a year, the girls have been using all their free time to complete the 1“They have this amazing internal(内心的)2that I've never seen in any individual,” Violent Mardirosian, a teacher at San Fernando High who is3with the team on the project, told The Huffington Post. “I thought4that maybe some of them would give up, say 'I didn't5this much work,' but they haven't. They're just working hard and they're not giving up and they're super6.

    Living in a low-income community, the girls have seen the 7 of homelessness first-hand. Many of them are from immigrant families and hoped the 8 which is powered by rechargeable(可再充电的) solar panels(控制板), would help the9.

    Seventeen-year-old Maggie Mejia told the Huffington Post that10she had no previous 11experience, the girl figured out as a team how to12the shelter using how –to videos and books that taught them how to code. But the most important13she's learned during the project isn't technical.

    “I've learned a lot about14others, helping the community and being selfless and showing a better world to other people and15someone else's life,” she said. The project was carried out with DIY Girls, a nonprofit that helps fund STEM-science, technology, engineering and math- projects for16.

    Mardirosian said all the participating students have17their interest in STEM through this project.

    “Many of them didn't think about engineering before. They thought maybe they're not18out to be an engineer. But working together, now they 19their skill - whether a writing skill or a drawings skill or a speaking skill, they're all20in this field. Everyone has found their importance in this picture,” she said.

    I hated math and was really bad at it when I was young, so I found others to allow me to copy their work. Even though they knew they were 1 me, there were lots of people who were glad to “help”. In this way, I2 a few tests.

 But one day something3happened. Our teacher changed our 4 for the exam and I was sitting beside a boy that I seldom5 with before. As I could only answer a question or two, I had to turn to him 6 I didn't want to have a sea of red crosses(叉号) in my paper.

I signaled(示意) to him and managed to7his attention. When he asked me what I wanted, I 8 asked him for the answers. To my surprise, he 9without any hesitation(犹豫). Of course, I was really 10 at his behavior and thought badly of him.

    After the test he 11 me, telling me that I could get good grades in math and that all I needed was to put more 12 into studying the subject. I was still 13 with him, but I couldn't get his words out of my mind.

From that day on, I began to 14 more time to my math. Slowly, the subject I 15 hated so much turned into such an interesting thing. I started to pass my math tests with my own 16.Time passed and I was getting many A's in my math.

    Till today, I am still 17 to my friend who didn't allow me to copy his work. He 18 if he provided me with the “help” during the test, there would be no 19 for me to shine. So let others shine and don't ever rob(掠夺)others of their opportunity to show their 20.

    Cruz Gent, 11, and Anthony Skopick, 10, couldn't agree. Were the 1 out on the ice ducks or geese? There was only one way to find out. So on a 2 January evening last year, the two friends 3 onto the frozen pond near their homes to get a better 4.

    First they threw a rock onto the ice to test it. Then they stepped on it. Convinced the ice would 5 their weight, Anthony took a few steps, then... FOOMP. He crashed through the 6 frozen surface. Instantly Cruz rushed to help his 7 friend. FOOMP — the pond swallowed him too.

    Cruz 8 to lift himself out of the icy water and onto a more solid section. He then 9 worked his way toward Anthony. But the ice didn't hold, and he fell in again. This time, he couldn't get out.

    The boys were up to their necks in the cold water and quickly 10 feeling in their arms and legs. Any chance of their freeing themselves was slipping away. Cruz was sure he was going to 11.

    Anthony's older sister had seen the boys fall through the ice and 12 screaming for help. John Lavin, a 13 driving nearby on his way to the grocery store, heard her. He quickly 14. Seeing the boys, he grabbed a nearby buoy (浮标), 15 his shoes, and ran into the icy water, making his way through the ice with his free fist. Finally, Lavin got close to Cruz and Anthony and pulled them back to   16. They were taken to the hospital, where 17 discovered that their five-minute stay in the water had18 their body temperature nearly ten degrees.19, the boys have fully recovered, but they are still impressed by their 20 neighbor." Just think," says Cruz, "if he hadn't been there, I could have died."