Around twenty years ago I was living in Seattle and going through hard times. I could not find 1 work although I had a lot of experience and a Master's degree.

    To my 2, I had to drive a school bus to 3my family. At the same time, I had some4 with different companies but they all5to say I did not get the job. I went to hit bus barn(车库), feeling6.

    Later that afternoon, 7 doing my rounds through the town I had an inner wave rise from deep 8 me and I thought “Why has my9 become so hard?”

    Immediately after this internal(内心的)scream, I 10 the bus over to drop off a little girl. As she11 she handed me an earring saying I should keep it 12somebody looked for it. The 13 was stamped with words “BE HAPPY” Then I struck me. I had been putting all of my 14into what was wrong with my life rather than what was 15!

    One night there was a phone call for me from the 16at a large hospital. She asked me whether I 17 do a one-day training for 200 hospital workers. I said 18 and got the job.

    My day with the hospital workers 19very well. I got a great 20and many more days of work. To this day I know that it was because I changed my attitude to life.

    Then I started to notice 7 else about Amy. After lunch most of the kids got 8 from their parents, but none came for Amy.

    At 9 I used to sit on a bench at beach, 10 and looking over the lake. As I approached the benches one night, I saw Amy 11 there.

"Hey, Amy," I said, sitting 12 to her. "You see that light there, on the other 13 of water? I like looking at that light. For me it's like my dream. One 14 I'm going to do something important with my life."

The next day when the 15 was handed out, Amy's name was 16 out. She went up to get the letter. I went over and asked, "Hey, Amy, what's your secret?"

    She didn't 17. She looked at the letter, a picture of a lake with a big 18 shining on the other side of it. She looked at me, and put the 19 over her heart.

    On the last day of the camp, she gave me a big hug good bye. 20 she had dream of her own. I hope so.

    One morning last December, Bill McDonald read in the newspaper that a local man, Joe Day, was sick with lung cancer. That meant Day couldn't offer the splendidly lit, handmade Christmas displays which had1as many as 95,000 people to his house to admire them every2.

    It wouldn't be Christmas3Day's lights, thought McDonald. We must try to4him, McDonald decided.

    33 years ago when Day came home one afternoon from work, he found his five-year-old son Nicholas5for him, asking him to build a reindeer(驯鹿). Then they made it on the lawn together and 6up its cherry-red nose for the holidays.

    Each year, Day7 to his handmade works, placing the reindeer above his

    8and hanging so many lights9they were electric vines(藤) around his windows and doors. Finally thousands of lights, figures and models10his yard and extended to next door.

    Then11December 2009 when Day's cancer had spread to his liver(肝). After 19 rounds of chemotherapy(化疗) and 43 radiation treatments, he was12tired and depressed to celebrate Christmas.

    13McDonald called. “You don't know me,” McDonald said, “but I want to help you get your lights14.” McDonald gathered many people,15strangers, to set up Day's displays. For two days, more than 100 volunteers16in.

    On the evening of December 12, with crowds of volunteers cheering him on, Day17the switch(开关) and lit up the spectacle(壮观景象).

    Day's cancer is under18, and he looks forward to this year's Christmas. “In their hearts,” Day says, “people love to give.” He is19that his brilliant displays will continue to light up the darkness for many years to come20Bill McDonald has promise that he'll get the job done.

    Last night my husband and I were taking a walk. Then we saw a man1over on the ground, crushing(砸碎) something with rock. He was completely 2 his task and didn't look up at anyone 3 We kept noticing him. I thought he was crushing stones to make 4 but why would he do that?

    Finally we decided to go up and5 to him. He was crushing pieces of left-over bread to make feed for the birds that 6 there early morning. The large pieces of hard bread would be 7 for the birds to eat so he crushes them into a fine powder.

    He's been doing this every night, by himself, for the last 3 to4 years. What 8us more was that he was surprised we were even taking an9 in this, since for him it wasn't a big deal. Every night, after10 so his accommodation from his job as a tailor, he goes around 11 left-over bread from all his housemates. He12eats a quick meal and comes here, and spends the next 1 to 2 hours13 crushing each piece and makes a neat pile for the birds, which he says will be 14 by next evening. He also leaves grains on top of the pile, which he 15 every month from his wages.

    When we asked him what16 him to do this simple, small but devoted act of 17 he shrugged his shoulders and said. It's just something18I do: so that the left-over bread doesn't go into the rubbish and the birds get 19” We shared his story and perhaps it might inspire someone to start something 20 in their own area,

    My mother has always been involved in early­childhood education. She often set the scene for children to 1  the joy of physical activity, getting them excited and 2 to learn.

    Mum was so proud of me after I 3 the triathlon（三项全能运动）at the 2000 Olympics, but before the dust4, she grabbed me, saying: “Now this is your 5. Use it.” She wasn't speaking from an economic point of view but talking about the 6 of my being a role model, encouraging kids to 7 their dreams.

    Since the Olympics, I have 8more than 100 schools. I talk to the kids 9“living a life less ordinary ”, a concept passed on to me by my parents—the idea of 10 being average. I tell them that what you believe, you will 11.

    As I was a kid, my mother came to every 12—not to pressure me but to 13 me. One of my favorite sports­related memories was when I was 14 in the Canadian Triathlon Championships. As I ran by a big truck, I saw my mother 15 on top of one of its huge wheels, cheering for me. I find it sad when people say their parents have never seen them 16.

    When I was at the University, I completed only one semester and then decided to17 so I could race professionally full­time. Mum was the first person I called. It was a 18  moment. I wasn't sure how she would react.

    “Mum, I have this opportunity, and I think I'm going to take it. What do you think？”

    She was as 19 as ever. It turned out to be a good20. Supporting your children, trusting their decisions, giving well­thought­out advice—those are definitely important qualities.

    Before I came to China, I had been somewhat unlucky in love. Days before my 1for Shanghai in 2016, my cousin made a 2without the slightest bit of irony（讽刺）,“You'll fall in love in China.”

    I met my husband at a Chinese 3. It was an embarrassing place to meet him approaching me 4I attempted to lift free weights. He spoke English poorly, trying to correct my form. I more or less 5him, figuring such a relationship was 6as we had little means to communicate. But I was very much 7. He ran after me for the next couple weeks and his persistence（坚持不懈）8won me over, and I was head over heels in love with him.

    The challenges we faced were 9—deciding where to live, 10over visas, dealing with my parents' doubts. In time, these problems got settled without too much work on our part. When others would 11on how tough it must be to marry someone from a foreign country, I quickly made my 12, trying to convince my questioner that marrying cross-culturally is really no different from 13within one's own circle.

    Our son was born in the spring of 2018. He was a very easy baby to care for—he cried little and slept well at night. My struggles in caring for a newborn were unimportant 14the other pressures I faced. By Chinese tradition, I was 15from taking the baby outside until he was 100 days old, for reasons I still don't fully understand.

    Since giving birth, I've learned that compromise（妥协）is more 16than it seems. If you give up too much of yourself, you may 17resentful（怨恨的）. If you compromise too little, you may be 18in a frequent battle. In a relationship, our values or beliefs often 19with our partner's, but with patience, most difficulties can be overcome. For that reason, I keep on working to better understand his background and beliefs while 20forgetting my own.