One day, I went to my favorite cafe for lunch. I 1 a burger and went to the outdoor seats. While waiting for my meal, a homeless man on a bicycle stopped to ask if there was a grocery store nearby. After I gave him 2, he asked if I had 3 from Santa Clara University. (I was wearing a SCU T-shirt. )I told him, yes. Little did I know that this 4 response would lead to a 90-minute conversation. The man, Michael, told me he was very intelligent. 5, drug use had ruined both his formal education and his pursuit of 6 in his work. He drifted from one topic to another, 7 the fact that I was ready for my lunch.

    He clearly had more of a 8to talk than I did. I made every 9 to give him my full attention, never 10 our talk would go on and on... Eventually, I did eat my meal, bite by bite 11 responses in our conversation. Michael was a bit strange. 12 his interests and viewpoints. We had little in 13, but he was fascinated with talking with, as he 14 it,“intelligent people.” I have to admit, I wish our conversation had been 15 to ten or fifteen minutes, but when Michael finally 16 off, he thanked me for listening so 17 to him and for my 18 to talk with him for so long. It was then that I 19 that, just maybe, that was my purpose in life for today … to be there, in that place, at that time, to 20 in that conversation.

The Fitting-in of Suzy Khan

    The first time I saw Suzy Khan, I knew I had to help her. She was really small for her age of 12. The boy in my class often 1 about her and laughed their heads off. She would open a book, pretending to read, with tears dropping on the open page.

    All I knew was that she was an orphan (孤儿) from Africa. She had just been adopted by a family in town who 2 that the best way for her to learn American ways of life was to be with American kids. I looked down at this 3 girl and promised myself that somehow I would help her.

    But how could I help her 4 in with us? There had to be a 5 .

    One day, when I went into the classroom, I saw that Suzy had 6 her geography book to a picture of a train, and in her notebook, she had made a(n) 7copy.

    I was surprised and thought that she could do something in the coming 8 show. So, I took her to see the art teacher, Miss Parker, and showed her what Suzy had 9. “Why, it's wonderful,” said Miss Parker, who then showed us a poster she had painted 10 the talent show. “I need more of these, but I just don't have enough  11. Could you help me, Suzy?”

On the day of the talent show, Suzy's 12 were everywhere —- all over the hall and all over the school, each one different.

     “And finally,” said Mr Brown, the schoolmaster, at the end of the show, “we have a (n) award. I'm sure you've all noticed the wonderful posters.” Everyone nodded. “One of our own students 13 them.”

    I could hear everyone whispering. “Who in our school could draw 14 well?”

    Mr. Brown waited a while before saying, “ 15 this student worked so hard on the posters, she deserves a 16 ,too. Our mystery(神秘) artist is our new student 17 Suzy Khan!”

    Mr. Brown thanked her for all the wonderful posters and gave her a professional artist's set. “Thank you,” she cried.

    I 18 , at that time when I was looking at her excited face, she'd probably never 19 anything in her whole life.

    Everyone started to 20 their hands. Suzy Khan gave them a shy smile and the applause was defining. I knew then Suzy was going to be all right.

    I never thought I'd be a “runner”. I was the girl who 1 slowest in the PE class. A few years ago, I was walking with a group of2 in the Race for the Cure, a 5KM race designed to 3 money for the fight against breast cancer4 one lady caught my 5.

    She was one of the weakest-looking women I've ever seen. She must have been close to seventy years old,6a T-shirt with the word “Survivor.” She was so small that it seemed as if she could even be  7by a swift wind. But she was running. And she was 8 me my group of friends. She ran slowly, but 9—as if each step pushed her cancer further into her past. Right at that moment, I 10that in the next Race for the Cure, I'd be running along with her.

    A week later, I found myself in the11, running on the treadmill (跑步机). Three minutes after I started, my face was bright red. I felt like my lungs were going to12. I had to slow down to a walk. I thought of the 13at the race. I kept it up. I was able to go a little  14 each time. Three and a half minutes. Four minutes. Five.

    A year later, I was 15 at the Race for the Cure, but this time, I 16 with the runners. When the race started, the other runners passed me by. I ran forward. I wondered if I'd be 17 to do it. But then, I remembered the brave woman. I ran as fast as I could until I finally crossed that finish line. I had just 18 my first race! I looked down at my legs, 19. They had done something I'd never thought 20. I have never felt stronger than at that moment. And, I knew that I wanted to do it again.

    I grew up in a community which was called Estepona. I was 16 when one morning, Dad told me I could drive him into a 1 village called Mijas, on condition that I took the car in to be 2 at a nearby garage(汽车修理厂). I readily accepted. I drove Dad into Mijas, and 3 to pick him up at 4 pm, and then dropped off the car at the garage. With several hours to 4, I went to a theater. 5, when the last movie finished, it was six. I was two hours late!

    I knew Dad would be very angry if he 6 I'd been watching movies. So I finally decided not to tell him the truth. When I 7 there I apologized for being late, and told him I'd 8 as quickly as I could, but that the car had needed some major repairs. I'll never forget the 9 he gave me. "I'm disappointed you feel you have to lie to me, Jason." Dad looked at me again. "When you didn't 10, I called the garage to ask whether there were any 11, and they told me you hadn't yet picked up the car." I felt 12 as I weakly admitted my 13 to the movie theater. A 14 passed through Dad as he listened attentively. "I'm angry with 15. I realize I've failed as a father. I'm going to walk home now and think seriously about 16 I've gone wrong all these years." "But Dad, it's 18 miles!" My protests and apologies were 17. Dad walked home that day. I drove behind him, 18 him all the way, but he walked silently.

    Seeing Dad in so much 19and emotional pain was my most painful experience. However, it was 20 the most successful lesson. I have never lied since.

    By the end of last year, my husband and I had settled in a house with an ocean view in New Zealand. We love it here and feel like we have 1 our life goals-well, one of them.

    The ocher goal is to 2 what we have now.

    Life isn't always like this. I 3 when I was growing up I always felt as though I was going through life for the only purpose of 4 my parents. The only 5 with this was that I was the only person who knew about that 6.

    Things did it really 7 when I went to boarding school. I was 8 sorry I would let my parents down. I was 12 years old then and 9 80 kg—not good for a 12-year-old girl. I hated myself. I did not 10 sports activities because I didn't know what to do. My self-esteem (自尊) was below the horizon and I felt a total 11, as if I was not good enough for 12.

    In my second year I thought I had turned things 13 when I came top of the class. It was only later that I learned 14 is not about people-pleasing and seeking 15 from others is not the way to long-term happiness—this is something that needs to come from within, from feeling complete, feeling 16, loved, successful and worthy. This is how I am today.

    I had been a victim (受害者) in life, feeling like everyone was 17 me, like I was never going to be 18 enough and so on. Then one day I discovered life coaching. Coaching was the life blood of my very being. I discovered I had a 19 in life. I will always have a choice, 20 that every decision I make is my decision. How powerful it is!

    As she waited at the edge of the ice for her music to start, Peggy took a quick look at her father standing nearby with a group of parents and teachers. He smiled at her. Then she 1 out at the audience, 2 to see her mother. These two, Alvert and Doris Flemint, had 3 all the way from California more than 2,000 miles away, to see their 4 compete in this sports meet in Cleveland, Ohio.

    The music 5 and Peggy moved onto the ice, letting the music 6 her along into her turns, and she began skating with much 7 in herself. The cold fear she always had in the 8 seconds before skating onto the ice was 9. She was feeling the movement of the 10 and letting it carry her. She skated easily, 11 did some jumps, a final turn and her performance was 12.

    The crowd loved it and cheered 13 she skated off the ice. "Nice job," said one of the other 14. It was the remark that 15 came after a free-skating performance. But what should the 16 say? Standing beside her father, Peggy 17 for the scoring to be finished. On all sides were other young skaters, some waiting 18 alone, others with a parent. Shortly before 10 o'clock the results were 19. The new United States Women's Figure Skating Champion was Peggy Fleming of Passdena, 20.