No one is born a winner. People make themselves into winners by their own 1.

    I learned this lesson from a(n)2many years ago. I took the head 3 job at school in Baxley, Georgia. It was a small school with a weak football program.

    It was a tradition for the school's old team to play against the 4 team at the end of spring practice. The old team had no coach, and they didn't even practise to 5the game. Being the coach of the new team, I was excited because I knew we were going to win, but to my disappointment, we were defeated. I couldn't 6 I had got into such a situation. Thinking hard about it, I came to 7that my team might not be the number one team in Georgia, but they were 8me. I had to change my 9 about their ability and potential.

    I started doing anything I could to help them build a little10. Most important, I began to treat them like11. That summer, when the other teams enjoyed their 12, we met every day and 13 passing and kicking the football.

    Six months after suffering our 14 on the spring practice field, we won our first game and our second, and continued to 15. Finally, we faced the number one team in the state. I felt that it would be a16for us even if we lost the game. But that wasn't what happened. My boys beat the best team in Georgia, giving me one of the greatest 17 of my life!

    From the experience I learned a lot about how the attitude of the leader can 18 the members of a team. Instead of seeing my boys as losers, I pushed and 19them. I helped them to see themselves 20, and they built themselves into winners.

    Winners are made, not born.

    I was eleven years old when the fire broke out that year. I stood outside in just my underwear while I watched the 1 that I grew up in rapidly burn to the 2. A few minutes earlier I had been 3 asleep in my nice, warm bed when a 4 woke me up. My mum's bedroom was just next to mine and my brother's. A fire had broken out there and 5 her. While I stumbled(跌跌撞撞地走)around in the 6 and darkness, she ran from room to room quickly waking everyone in the house. The house, however, was over 50 years old and made of wood. Before we could do anything the fire 7 it. We all barely 8 outside before the 9 engulfed(吞没) every room.

    I stood there 10 while the fire destroyed my books, clothes, and toys. I watched 11 while my mum cried and my Dad swore. I 12 what was going to happen to us 13 we had lost all of our things. As I looked around, though, I realized something for the first time: The things that 14 aren't things. I realized at that moment that we were all alive. 15 that was essential had 16 the fire. We would all be around to love each other for many years to come. And that was all that mattered.

    I still think of that fire in the 17 that helped me to become who I am today. It showed me for the very first time what is truly 18 in this life. It helped me to learn that the love we 19 is far more important than the things we 20.

    Each week, I give my elderly neighbor a ride to the store when I am going. She keeps trying to 1 me for the ride, and I always 2 refusing. I tell her that it doesn't cost any more for her to 3 with me and it is 4 for me to do this.

    Last week, she brought a(n) 5 and said happily, "I have something for you and you must accept it." I said, "If there is money in it, I don't want it." But she 6 it on a stand. Later, I opened it to find a "thank you" card with 7 in it. That night, I stopped at her house to give a plate of 8 fried chicken that I had. I took an envelope and put the $10 9 it along with a"10" card. When leaving, I left it 11 in her door.

    The next day, she paid a(n) 12 to my home to return my 13. She said, "Look, I know you put that letter in my door this morning, didn't you？" I had 14 forgotten about it, and I thought from the sincere 15 on my face, she believed me when I said that I hadn't put any letter in her door that morning. Actually, it was the night before, 16 I thought I wasn't lying. She went on to17 the envelope and enclosed (装入) the "smile" 18, and told me how she was blessed with so many good things lately. I told her that I was so 19 for her, and that I hope she 20 to be so blessed.

Pleasanton Partnerships in Education Foundation (PPIE) was started in 1987 to raise money by organizing running events for local schools. Based in Pleasanton, California, a suburb of San Francisco, the non-profit organization recently hosted a family-focused fitness event for the community. "Our event helps to bring the community together," said Mindy Louie, events and outreach manager for PPIE. "We have more than 3,000 participants, hard-working volunteers and viewers."

This year's fitness event took place on April 30 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. It featured races of two miles, five kilometers and ten kilometers. A new Kids Challenge consisted of a quarter-mile run to encourage younger children to participate. When asked to describe the run, 11-year-old Jeremy Louie said, "Fun, exciting and enjoyable." Jeremy added that he was happy to help support his school.

PPIE supports all 15 schools in the Pleasanton Unified School District, which include more than 14, 500 students and 800 teachers and staff. The nonprofit organization tries to fund programs affected by budget cuts, while encouraging fitness and athleticism. To date, the PPIE has raised over $1 million for the school district.

A local runners' group called the BURN Youth Development (B. Y. D.) participated in the fundraising. The B.Y.D. has since grown to more than 100 youth members, 30 of whom ran in April's PPIE event. Jerry Wu, the group's founder and lead coach, explained that the B.Y.D. was born to keep kids running. "Watching them running strongly and happily makes me smile every time," Jerry said.

Jerry encourages teamwork and teaches the students valuable running techniques. As a B.Y.D. member, Ollie Gu, an eighth grader, was one of the top finishers in the ten-kilometer run. He completed the race in 40 minutes and 46 seconds and won first place in the 12-to-15 year-old age group. "The race was extremely rewarding," Ollie said. "I'm looking forward to it next year."

After months of preparation, my husband Bill and I flew to China to welcome our new daughter, our 18-month-old angel "Shirley". But when we picked her up, Shirley missed her Chinese mother so 1 she would barely look at Bill and me. Instead, she'd stand at our hotel room door and 2 for the only mother she had known. 

I was so embarrassed that lunch in a restaurant was out of the 3 . I was afraid people would think I was a "bad mother. " So I 4 our meals from room service. 

One time I chose the noodle plate and tried to use chopsticks for the very first time. The noodles kept 5 off my chopsticks. At this time, Shirley's screaming suddenly stopped. 

Peeking out of the corner of my eye, I saw her sitting in the room corner 6 me attentively. And in no time, a tiny hand came into 7 , took the chopsticks from my big hand. As I looked up, Shirley — with the chopsticks skillfully arranged in her little fingers — began expertly feeding me noodles, without 8 a single one. 

I looked at Bill, who was wide-eyed with 9 . "Do you think she would 10 me?" he wondered 11 . So, trembling with 12 , I asked, "Shirley, will you feed your daddy now?" and 13 to Bob. She nodded "yes" with a big smile on her face!

That meal was definitely a 14 experience. Shirley must have felt that we would 15 without her assistance!