There is a workman in America who earns as much as a company director. He is Max Quarterman, a thirty-year-old plasterer (泥瓦匠).

    Max lives in an upper middle-class housing estate. His 1 are mostly bank managers, business executives, airline pilots and the 2, but Max's seven-bedroom house — 3 $ 80,000 — is the largest in the area. 4 outside the house are Max's $ 7000 sports car and his wife's Morris Mini. Indoors is a 150 colour TV set and the family's 5 — a circular bath with gold-plated taps. There are also many labour－saving 6 and luxury furniture.

    How can a plasterer 7 all this? The answer, says Max, is hard work. In 8 with another plasterer, Max 9 contract plastering jobs for a firm. The owner of the firm 10 them as human machines, the best and quickest in the 11, who can do as much in two days as 12 two-man team can in two weeks.

    How do they manage it? Not by working overtime. They work a(n) 13 eight-hour day, five days a week. The secret 14 in Max's hod (桶) in which he carries the plaster to the site of the job. Max's is a superhod — it contains double the usual 15 of plaster, and Max, a strong fellow, runs when he carries it. More time is thus 16 to get on with the plastering. Besides, 17 man wastes time smoking, and they 18 their lunch break to a 19 of an hour a day. Now Max earns over $ 800 a week which is four times the average weekly pay in Britain today, and if he gets as 20 as $ 15, it's a disaster.

    On June 17,2012, my daughter gave me a new wallet as a Father's Day present. It was a perfect gift considering that my purse used for nearly a decade was much1 I took the opportunity as well to2some cards, notes, or small pieces of paper in it that were no longer needed. As I3out the old wallet, I was amazed at how much it4.Carefully I went through its5piece by piece and6them to their new home. As I was looking at them, I7 the organ donor card (器官捐赠卡) that I had signed nine years ago.8 it hadn't yet been called into use. Still, it felt good knowing that9 something should happen to me, I would be able to give another person a second chance of 10.

    As I11the card into my new wallet, I started thinking about all the 12things we can donate to help others today. We can donate our time, our talents or our wisdom. We can 13our kindness. We can 14 our light into the darkness. We can donate every bit of love and joy inside of us. And the greatest thing of all is that when we do, we15 that we have even more to share than when we start.

    Maybe you wish to 16an organ donor card so you can give something after you 17.But don't be afraid to give something now while you are still 18.Be a donor. Make your entire life a(n)19to others.Donate all your 20 things to make this world a better and brighter place.

    These days，upcycling(升级改造)is popular with people.They 1 something unique from existing materials rather than buy more.My granny，Bobo has spent 92 years doing just that out of necessity.

    Wasting time and resources was 2 an option in the world she grew up in.With seven children to 3she lived a hard and economical life.Bobo has been upcycling 4 the day Great-Granny Annie put a needle in her hand and taught her how to give new 5 to every fabric(织物)in their farmhouse.

    Just like Bobo，my mother，Cindy6making her clothes.She7 her homecoming dress and bought the fabric with money she earned8 at the can factory.One generation passed on to the next the 9of creating something beautiful and useful by hand.

    Granny's and Mom's sewing skills meant that no matter the budget，Christmas，birthday，and wedding gifts were 10From a baby blanket to a bib(围嘴)，each treasure 11a special quality of personalization.In my home I am 12 by upcycling at its best.

    Thanks to Bobo's13 ways，the artistry of handwork lives on in four 14 of crafters.Granny Bobo lived it.Mom carried it on.I am picking it up by listening and 15Now my daughter，Greta，is also learning to use those 16.

    I sit and watch 17 as Bobo's hands weave needle and thread.In 92 years，her hands have known and 18 life，home and family.Age has brought the19 of some memories.But if you listen to her stories while she20you'll journey back to the old farm with her.

    The stage lights dimmed, and I took a quick look from behind the heavy black curtains into the audience. Blinded by the lights, I quickly 1. It seems that a great number of eyes were looking at me. I took a deep 2 as the music of my dance began to play. I entered the stage and began my 3, the graduation test of the classical Indian dance.

    After a decade of learning this art form, I had 4 been considered ready to take on the most difficult act. The test is the most important event in a dancer's life as it pays 5 to all the factors in one's life that 6 the dance form: one's culture and family.

    The performance is undertaken only by the most 7 and determined students. It is a difficult process that requires much 8. For more than six months, I spent two to three hours every day9 these dances. Many times, I 10 myself to my physical and mental breaking point, but still I would not stop. I could not give up. There was always so much more to do and so much more to 11.

    I 12 a lot about myself in those tiring hours. I learned that I was far too 13 to give up, and I was too proud to prove myself 14 after I had set an unrealistic goal. Even with physical pain and mental 15, I forced myself to meet my 16. Even when I was at the end of my 17, there was always something driving me on, forcing me not to give up.

    Fortunately, I made it. What I had done 18 the success. It was in those hours that I learned what a dancer 19 is. Those time was evidence that I could 20 something I set out to do.

    When we finished eating, I quickly grabbed (抓住)the check and 1 to pay. Before I could get to the counter(结账处)a man 2 me over to his table, saying "I know you saw 3 at you and I'm sorry if it made you4. It's just because you look like my old classmate 40 years ago." Then he asked if we would be with them for a few minutes.5, Danielle and I sat down. We talked for about 10-15 minutes and then I 6 I had something 7 to do. As I stood up to leave, the man 8 across the table and took my 9 out of my hand. Before I could explain, he said "I would really like to 10 this meal for you." He continued," The only thing I ask 11 is that some day when you can help others, please pass on the 12."

    As I walked to my car 13 what just happened, Danielle started jumping up and down with 14 , saying, "Mama, now we can get a Christmas tree!" 15 , we bought a Christmas tree for $8.97, which I still have today. I never put an angel (天使)on the top because it has a 16 one! Although I never met that man again 17 the years, there's hardly a day that goes by that I don't think of his 18 .He was right. I have been able to pass it on. I became a speaker and passed on his 19 to as many people as I could reach.

    Whether he's divine (神圣的)or not doesn't 20. I still think of him as a guardian angel.

    When the 28-year-old farmer Ureta met 17-year-old Graciela in his hometown Pampa, they fell in love. Two years later, they 1 and settled down (定居)on the farm where Ureta had been brought up.

    Graciela had many big 2 for the farm in her mind. One day when she was on a 3 over Pampa, Graciela suddenly 4 that another farm looked like a milking pail (桶). Graciela thought her family could create something even more 5 on their own farm-a huge forest 6 like her favorite musical instrument-the guitar.

    But Ureta didn't take his wife's 7 seriously, saying, "We'll talk about it later." Later 8 came. In 1977, Graciela died suddenly of brain cancer at the 9 age of 25 while carrying their fifth child. After his wife's death, Mr. Ureta 10 not satisfying her wish. A few years later, Ureta decided that the best way to honor his wife would be to 11 the big work of art.

    After the local government 12 to help with the project, Ureta and his children took it on their own. One by one, they 13 about 7,000 trees into the "shape of a guitar". It took a few seasons for the trees to take roots(生根),but Ureta's 14 paid off.

    Watching the forest grow over the years gave Graciela's children 15 "It was the closest thing possible to having my mother alive," Maria Julia, Ureta's second daughter, said.