Joe Simpson and Simon Yates were the first people to climb the West Face of the Siula Grande in the Andes Mountains. They reached the top 1 but on their way back conditions were very 2 Joe fell and broke his leg. They both knew that if Simon 3 alone, he would probably get back 4 But Simon decided to risk(冒险) his 5 and try to lower Joe down the mountain on a rope（绳）.

    As they 6 down, the weather got worse. Then another 7 happened. They couldn't see or hear each other and,8 Simon lowered his friend over the edge of a precipice（峭壁）. It was 9 for Joe to climb back or for Simon to pull him up. Joe's 10 was pulling Simon slowly towards the precipice.11after more than an hour in the dark and the icy cold, Simon had to 12. In tears, he cut the rope. Joe 13 into a large crevasse（裂缝）in the ice below. He had no food or water and he was in terrible pain. He couldn't walk, but he 14 to get out of the crevasse and started to 15 towards their camp, nearly ten kilometers 16.

    Simon had 17 the camp at the foot of the mountain. He thought that Joe must be 18 but he didn't want to leave 19 Three days later, in the middle of the night, he heard Joe's voice. He couldn't 20 it. Joe was there, a few meters from their tent, still alive.

    Kong Xiangdong, a famous classical 1 always wanted to create something new. He2classical music with Chinese folk music. Music has always been part of Kong's world. Since his mother was a music lover, he lived with music from3However, his mother couldn't buy him a piano so she had to draw piano keys 4a piece of paper. The 5-year-old Kong would practice on the paper piano5his mother clapped the rhythm. Although he thought about giving up because of too much practice, he didn't  6 He began to win7 at the age of 18. He became famous worldwide, but after years of8 he felt in some ways he had lost himself. Therefore he went back to his roots and 9the beauty in Chinese folk music. He even shaved off his hair to change his 10 for the new music style!

    As a kid I loved everything about school. I loved books1tests and homework. Most of all I longed to someday march down the aisle (通道) to receive my2.That seemed more appealing even than getting married. But at 15, I had to3because my parents4afford tuition. My hope of getting a diploma was dead.

Pretty soon, I married. I had three Children, and I thought: "There5my diploma."

    Even so, I wanted my children to be educated. But Linda, our youngest child, had juvenile arthritis (幼年型关节炎) in her6and knees, which made it7for her to function (活动) in a normal classroom.

    One day, I saw an ad in the newspaper for evening courses.

"That's the answer," I said to myself. Linda always feels8in the evening, so I'll just sign her up for night school.

Linda was busy9out enrollment (入学) forms when the secretary said: "Mrs Schantz, why don't you come back to10?"

I11: "There's no way! I'm 55!"

12he insisted, and before I knew what I had done, I was enrolled for classes in English and crafts. "This is only an experiment," I13him, but he just smiled. To my surprise, both Linda and I thrived (茁壮成长) in evening school. I went back again the next semester, and my grades14improved.

It was15going to school again, but it was no game. Sitting in a class full of kids was awkward,16most of them were respectful and encouraging. During the day, I still had loads of housework to do. But when I was down, Linda encouraged me. "Morn, you can't17now!" And when she was down, I18her. Together we saw it through. At last, I got my diploma19 my classmates voted unanimously (一致地) for me to be class speaker, and I got a ＄3, 000 college scholarship.

    Yes, Mom, I was late for school, but I got there20.

    It's a sad and familiar voice that we often hear in big cities: "Can you spare some change?"

    Usually, when faced with that particular 1, I have feelings of guilt if I pass by 2 giving a coin or two.

    I had that feeling 3 in Venice while on a tour of Italy's famous sites in 2006. I had taken refuge from the 4 in a quiet café. Outside, there was an old woman kneeling on the hard, ancient paving stones, 5.

    Steady 6 of tourists were walking past her. A young backpacker stood away from the crowd, 7 drinking in the scenery, but I noticed the young traveler was also 8 the old woman.

    A tourist group walked along the street, 9 the woman and walked on. 10 group of tourists arrived and walked past the old lady. The backpacker watched 11 everybody else went on their way, focused on the 12 around them. Then, I was preparing to leave when I caught sight of the backpacker stepping forward and 13 some money in the woman's cup. He did this somewhat14 just before the arrival of another tourist group. As I 15, the leader of the group stopped and put some money in the cup. Having been shown the way, other tourists followed suit and 16 some more coins to the cup.

    His work done, the young man walked over to the old beggar-woman, patted her on the shoulder and said, "I hope that 17 a little."

    I don't know if the woman understood his English or 18 what had just happened, but I did.

    I placed some money in the woman's cup and continued my travels, 19 after witnessing such an 20 act of kindness.

Be a Traveler, not a Tourist

    Last summer, I had just enough money saved to buy a golden ticket—a 3-month train pass that would take me to the furthest reaches of Europe. Excited for my journey, I packed all the necessities(生活的必需品)—except the 1.

    While the convenience of the Internet was definitely a contributing factor to my 2not to take with me the few expensive kilograms of out-of-date information, this was not the only reason why I decided to fly alone.

    To be honest, my main 3with the guidebook is that I find it 4 the pleasure of a journey—like bossy aunt who is always telling you what to do, 5 she doesn't always know what is the best.

    Experience has taught me that there is an obvious 6 between a tourist and traveler.

    While waiting in a queue, I met a man who had a checklist. He showed me his list of "Top 20 Things To Do in Italy" and 7 off in a loud American accent that he'd seen everything Italy has to offer in just four days.

    The problem I had with this man's 8 to travelling was that he was too 9information provided by his guidebook. He was lost in the 10 attractiveness of the "must-sees" and 11 to all the wonders and adventures that might happen during the 12 trip.

    So, 13any guidebook, I traveled to Estonia, the tiny Baltic country bordering Russia. In the 14 of advance plans as guidebooks would suggest, I had no choice but to turn to some friendly faces for advice. I 15myself first and then asked them what was happening around the town. When this16 an invitation to a beautiful Estonian home by a river where I 17 a 110-degree wood-stove sauna（桑拿浴）, 18 picked forest-mushrooms and the good 19 of our five newfound Estonian friends, I was most glad that I had left my "bossy 20" at home.

    Life is colorful. Sometimes it's just like potato salad; when it's shared, it became a picnic.

    With three young children to bring up, my husband John and I were very 1. "Can we go on a picnic, Mom?" my six-year-old daughter, Becky 2. "Please." I had said no so many times in 3 months, and I decided the usual Saturday morning chores could 4. To her 5, I agreed.

    I prepared a few sandwiches and 6 a cooler with ice and drinks and called John 7.

    My eleven-year-old twin sons loaded the cooler and the picnic basket in the trunk and off we went to spend some 8 time together as a family.

    About the time I got the lunch 9 out on the table, John arrived on the 10. That was one of the happiest meals we ever shared together. The meal was full of 11. We felt a closeness that had been hidden by work and school responsibilities for so many months. John and the boys 12 rocks into the lake, Becky fed the ducks and I sat quietly at the picnic table, 13 God for blessing me with such a wonderful family.

    That night as our children went to bed, I kissed their cheeks. It 14 me what a wonderful life I had. As I walked out of the room it dawned on me that even the busiest 15 could become a picnic when it's shared with the ones you 16. Even though kids have now grown up and 17 from home, I can still remember how I felt that day while sitting at the picnic table.

    Maybe today would be a good time to 18 potato salad, call all of my 19 kids, feed some hungry ducks and skipped a few rocks into the lake. Since life is like potato salad, let's make it a 20.