Ever since an accident put him in a wheelchair, Dan has had one dream:1.

    That is why he was 2 to learn about a piece of research that could possibly lead to his 3. But there are two 4. First, the research may take years before it becomes a treatment. And the second is the most 5 of all considerations: money.6by love for Dan, friends worked hard through a series of 7 to raise 20,000 pounds for his future surgery. Dan felt he could really start looking forward to the day when he could turn his 8 into a reality.

Then he 9 Brecon, a 5-year-old who 10 from cerebral palsy (脑瘫). Dan read about a new surgical operation that could 11 the little boy to walk unaided. But the surgery would 12 more than 60,000 pounds — money Brecon's parents were having a 13 time raising.

    Dan said, “I'm in pretty much the 14 condition, but it appears that Brecon can 15 walk if he gets his surgery, and I can't right now. So I thought I might as well pass the money on to him. I'm 16 to everyone who has helped me out, but this boy needs it 17 I do at the moment.”

    And so he took this dream out of the bank and 18 it over to Brecon's parents, telling them, “It would make me very happy to see the 19 made to Brecon's life.”

    “I wanted to help someone whose life could get better,” he said. “If I can help someone to walk, I will. Even if it means 20 a dream to do it.”

    I had worried myself sick over Simon's mother coming to see me. I was a new 1 , and I gave an honest account of the students' work. In Simon's case, the grades were awfully low. He couldn't read his own handwriting. 2 he was a bright student. He discussed adult subjects with nearly adult comprehension. His work in no way reflected his 3 .So when Simon's mother entered the room, my palms(手掌心) were sweating. I was completely 4for her kisses on both my cheeks. “I came to thank you ,” she said, surprising me beyond speech.5 me, Simon had become a different person. He talked of how he 6 me, he had begun to make friends, and for the first time in his twelve years, he had 7 spent an afternoon at a friend's house. She wanted to tell me how grateful she was for the 8 son. She kissed me again and left.

    I had nurtured(培养) in her I sat, stunned ( 惊 呆), for about half an hour , 9 what had just happened. How did I make such a life-changing difference to that boy without 10 knowing it? What I finally came to 11 was one day, several months before, when some students were 12 reports in the front of the class. Jeanne spoke13 ,and to encourage her to raise her voice, I had said, “Speak up. Simon's the expert on this. He is the 14 one you have to convince, and he can't hear you in the 15 of the room.” That was it. From that day on, Simon had sat up straighter, paid more attention, 16 more, and became happy. And it was all because he 17 to be the last kid in the last row. The boy who most needed 18was the one who took the last seat that day.

    It taught me the most 19 lesson over the years of my teaching career, and I'm thankful that it came 20 and positively. A small kindness can indeed make a difference.

    For a few years, I have been wearing a ring on my right hand. It's not always the 1 ring, but it's always a ring that has 2 on it so that when I look at it, I'm 3 or reminded of something important. I have made a4 of buying rings like this whenever I see one in a store. Sometimes I give them away as 5 to someone like Jennie. I first met Jennie in the 6 waiting room and we had talked several times. One night I sat down beside her and 7 how her son was doing because I knew that he was in very 8 condition. She told me that she didn't know what to do anymore because it seemed none of the 9from the doctors was good. They weren't at all sure her son was going to 10 the accident that had him so badly. With 11 in her eyes she said, "They're 12my hope." I knew then that it was 13 just a coincidence(巧合)that I was wearing the ring that I had on that day. As she 14 to talk, I 15 slipped the ring off my finger and placed it in Jennie's hand. I told her to wear it to remember that God loved her and He would be with her 16 all of this. 17 Jennie looked down at the ring, she got excited and then held it tightly, 18 the word written on the ring was "HOPE". The last day I was at the hospital, I saw Jennie in the distance as I got on the lift. She 19and held up the hand with the ring on it as she called out to me saying, "Look, I 20 have Hope!"

    When I was 13, my only purpose was to become the star on our football team. That meant1 Miller King, who was the best 2 at our school.

    Football season started in September and all summer long I worked out. I carried my football everywhere for 3.

    Just before September, Miller was struck by a car and lost his right arm. I went to see him after he come back from 4. He looked very 5, but he didn^'t cry.

    That season, I6all of Miller's records while he 7 the home games from the bench. We went 10-1 and I was named most valuable player, 8I often had crazy dreams in which I was to blame for Miller's 9.

    One afternoon, I was crossing the field to go home and saw Miller 10going over a fence—which wasn't 11to climb if you had both arms. I'm sure I was the last person in the world he wanted to accept 12from. But even that challenge he accepted. I helped him move13over the fence. When we were finally 14 on the other side, he said to me, "You know, I didn't tell you this during the 15, but you did well. Thank you for 16 in for me."

    His words freed me from my bad 17.I thought to myself, how even without an arm he was more of a leader. Damaged but not defeated, he was 18ahead of me. I was right to have

    19him. From that day on, I grew 20 and a little more real.

    If we redouble our efforts, our dream will come true. Chen zuobin had1for 13 years already. Finally, he decided to become a2again. Born in a mountain village in Anhui province, Chen Zuobin walked out of the3 for study when he was 19. Though he had a4life as a creative director of an international agency in Shanghai, he couldn't5the anxiety appearing in his dreams. "I6about countless branch roads several times a year, I didn't know which one leads to7. It made me feel terrible." One day, Chen Zuobin woke up and said to his wife," I want to go home."8being surprised, his wife said, "9your heart. Don't worry about me. "

    The young couple returned to their hometown and10the Real Food Farm just to lead a real and simple life. Chen Zuobin shook off the11and tiredness from too much12in the city. Only in the mountains can they enjoy the13air. There isn't the smell of tail gas, but the smell of14when it shines over the woods. They live a life of "eating healthily and15well."

    In a time when eating 16 becomes a luxury (奢侈)in the 17 life, it's truly a right way to return to the 18. "Life is a journey of19the proper way. " said Chen Zuobin.

    Those dreams about branch roads have 20 because he has found his own path.

    I was studying chemistry at college because my family thought it was the key to success. One day, my professor took me aside and asked a very simple question, "Why are you in my class when it's obvious that you have little or no 1 in chemistry?"

    I came up with an explanation by 2 pressure from my dad, but he knew it was just a /an  3 excuse. He gave me the following advice.

    "Success can only be measured by oneself, and each of us is 4. Your success will not be the same as mine, as your neighbor's or your parents'. There is no secret formula(公式), no examination you have to 5, and no guarantee, but there is a secret ingredient­6. To be successful in life in the broadest sense, you must pursue your passion. 7 it is fixing cars or exploring the world, you must be passionate about your 8 and set a path to achieve it. Only then will you find true 9."

    Since I was just nineteen years old, that was pretty profound advice to 10, but I knew instinctively (本能地) that he was 11. I made a conscious self-examination of my short life to 12 where my passion was hiding. It was so 13 that even my kid sister could have told me my true passion was music. It was in my genes. I could play the piano by ear, but had 14 considered music as a hobby.

    Could I be a successful musician? Or a songwriter? Or a music critic? There was only one way to find out, so I took my professor's 15 and switched to the university's music school. I studied harmony and composition, learned how to play a clarinet(单簧管) and 16 the symphony orchestra. I felt as though I was on top of the world, and that 17 has never left me.

    I'm now fifty-four years old, and a very happy and 18 man. As I look at the walls of my small office, I still get a thrill at seeing the records I 19, the photos of the famous musicians I was lucky enough to play with, and the praises from many of the finest instrumentalists in the world who I am honored to call my friends.

    Life was a long journey, and not a/an 20 one, but I followed my passion and succeeded.