George Stephenson was born in 1781 in a poor family. He had to start work when he was only eight. When George was fourteen, he became his father's helper. He spent a lot of time learning about engines. On holidays, he often took one engine into pieces and studied each piece carefully. Soon he became a very good worker though he could not read or write.

      He began to learn the English letters when he was seventeen years old. Every day after he did twelve hours of hard work, he walked a long way to have lessons from a young teacher.

      On his eighteenth birthday, he wrote his own name for the first time in his life. George invented many things in his life. The train was the greatest one among them. Today when we watch or take trains from one place to another, we will think of this great man—George Stephenson.

    Brenda Bongos was a happy, talented girl. She had one big dream-to play the drums in a band. But one big problem lay in her way. To be good enough to play in a band, Brenda had to practice a lot, but she lived next-door to a lot of old people. Many of them are sick. She knew that the sound of beating drums would really get them nervous. So, she had tried playing in the strangest places: a basement, a kitchen, and even in a shower. But there was always someone who would get mad.

    One day, while watching a science documentary on TV, she heard that sound cannot travel in space, because there's no air. At that moment, Brenda Bongos decided to become a musical astronaut.

With the help of a lot of time, books and work, Brenda built a space bubble (透明圆形罩). This was a big glass ball connected to a machine which sucked out (抽出) all the air inside. All that would be left inside was a drum kit (成套设备) and a chair. Brenda got into the space suit she had made, entered the bubble，turned on the machine, and played those drums like a wild child.

    It wasn't long before Brenda Bongos became very famous. Many people came to see her play in her space bubble. Shortly afterwards she came out of the bubble and started giving concerts. Her fame spread so much that the government suggested that she be part of a special space journey. Finally,           , and it was far beyond (超越) her first dream of playing drums in a band.

    Years later, when asked how she had achieved all her dreams, she thought for a moment, and said," If those old people next-door hadn't mattered so much to me, I wouldn't have found a solution, and none of this would have ever happened."

    Margaret Hilda Thatcher was Britain's first female prime minister and served three terms in office. She is one of the greatest political figures of 20^th century Britain.

    Margaret Hilda Roberts was born on October 13, 1925 in Grantham, England She studied chemistry at Oxford University and was made chairwoman of the Oxford University Conservative Association(保守党协会). In 1951, she married a wealthy businessman, Denis Thatcher, with whom she had two children.

    She often stated that she was brought up very strictly, "I owe everything in my life to two things: a good home, and a good education. My home was ordinary, but good in the sense that my parents were passionately interested in the future of my sister and myself. At the same time, they gave us a good education—not only in school, but at home as well. "

    In 1970, Thatcher was appointed secretary for Education and Science. Five years later, she challenged Heath for the leadership of the Party and, to the surprise of many, won. In the 1979 general election, the Conservatives came to power and Thatcher became Prime Minister.

    In foreign affairs, Thatcher had a close political and personal relationship with US president Ronald Reagan. She was nicknamed the "Iron Lady" by the Soviets. She visited China four times and made a great contribution to Hong Kong's returning to China.

    Thatcher resigned as Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party in 1990. She remained in the House of Commons until 1992. In the same year, Thatcher was made a Baroness(贵族) by the queen and became a member of the House of Lords.

    Reading Thatcher's whole life, it seems that she always knew what she wanted, and then she would put all her efforts into it to live her dream. She had a quick mind and an even quicker tongue. Her sense of self confidence and ambition(雄心) ruled her life from the time she was a small child, through her Oxford years and during her early years in politics.