The famous composer, Albert Roussel, didn't have a good start in this career. However, he achieved a great deal of success as a result of a 1.

    Roussel's parents died when he was eight and he went to live with his 2. As a little boy, he fell in love with music and 3himself about it by reading through the family collection that his mother kept,  4 which there were a lot of related books. Three years later, Roussel's grandfather died, and his mother's sister decided to5 him. Her husband was a kind man and6for young Roussel's music lessons. One summer vacation at a Belgian seaside added a second 7to his life—the sea. Then he studied to be a naval cadet（海军学员）, but still took time to study 8.

    In the French Navy, he and two friends found the time to 9a band, playing the works of Beethoven and other 10. Roussel also began composing. On Christmas day 1892, he had his first chance to  11as a composer, which turned out to be a success．

    That success 12 Roussel to write a wedding march（婚礼进行曲）, and one of his navy friends 13to show it to a famous conductor, Edouard Colonne. When Roussel's friend 14with the manuscript（手稿）, he reported that Colonne had advised Roussel to 15his naval career and devote his life to music.

    Not long, 16, at the age of 25, Roussel decided to 17Edouard Colonne's advice. He gave his heart and soul to his composing and 18 a major force in twentieth century French music. Because of Eduoard Colonne's inspiring 19, Roussel devoted his life to music, but Rousssel's 20friend later admitted that he had made it up. He said he had never even shown Roussel's manuscript to the famous conductor.

    I used to hate being called upon in class mainly because I didn't like attention drawn to myself. And 1otherwise assigned（指定）a seat by the teacher, I always  2to sit at the back of the classroom.

All this 3after I joined a sports team. It began when a teacher suggested I try out for the basketball team. At first I thought it was a crazy 4because I didn't have a good sense of balance, nor did I have the 5to keep pace with the others on the team and they would tease me. But for the teacher who kept insisting on my " 6for it", I wouldn't have decided to give it a try.

Getting up the courage to go to the tryouts was only the 7 of it! When I first started 8the practice sessions, I didn't even know the rules of the game, much 9what I was doing. Sometimes I'd get 10and take a shot at the wrong direction—which made me feel really stupid. 11, I wasn't the only one "new" at the game, so I decided to 12 on learning the game, do my best at each practice session, and not be too hard on myself for the things I didn't 13"just yet".

I practiced and practiced. Soon I knew the 14and the "moves". Being part of a team was fun and motivating. Very soon the competitive 15in me was winning over my lack of confidence. With time, I learned how to play and made friends in the 16 — friends who respected my efforts to work hard and be a team player. I never had so much fun!

With my 17self-confidence comes more praise from teachers and classmates. I have gone from " 18" in the back of the classroom and not wanting to call attention to myself, 19raising my hand— even when I sometimes wasn't and not 100 percent 20I had the right answer. Now I have more self-confidence in myself.

    Many years ago, I was working in an office in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We had a large1that looked out over a busy street. I was standing by it one day when a woman in a2 car looked up and made eye contact. Naturally I 3. As she turned and tried to identify me, a quiet laugh 4my lips. My co-workers began taking an interest, and stood back watching the5I received, and laughing happily. Then the stress of work was6away.

    Christmas approached, and job 7 were announced. Several of my co-workers were losing their jobs, and everyone was8. While I was working a night shift, a red jacket, a box of foam (泡沫橡胶) packing and strips of tape in the corner attracted my 9 They could be Santa's jacket and beard! Then I folded a red file into a 10 and tied the beard to it.

    The next day I walked 11 down into the office in the costume. My co-workers 12 around me and laughed for the first time in weeks. Suddenly, my boss came up to me13 shook his head and then left. I feared 14. Then the phone rang.

    With a bead of sweat 15 my forehead, I entered the boss' office.16he laughed: “Thanks, Mike! It's been hard to enjoy the Christmas season. Thanks for the laugh. I 17 it.”

    That evening, I stood 18by the window and waved at my fans, with my heart 19with joy. For a few minutes of that day, we'd been able to forget our 20

    I remember the first day when I saw Sally playing basketball. I watched in wonder as she struggled her way through the crowd of boys on the playground. She seemed so 1, but she managed to shoot jump shots just over their heads and into the net. The boys always tried to stop her 2 nobody could.

    I began to notice Sally at other times, basketball in hand, playing 3. She practiced dribbling（运球）and 4 over and over.

    One day I asked Sally why she 5 so much. Without a moment of hesitation she said, “I want to go to college. The only way I can go is to get a 6. I'm going to play college basketball and I want to be the best one. I believe that if I am 7 enough, I will get one. My father has told me that if the dream is big enough, the facts don't 8.”

    I 9 her through those junior high years and into high school. Every week, she led her team to 10. One day in her senior year, I saw her siting on the grass, her head 11 in her arms. Slowly and quietly, I 12 and sat down beside her. “What's wrong?” I asked. “Oh nothing,” came a soft reply, “I am just too short” The 13 told her that at 165cm she would probably never play for a top team－still less she would be14 a scholarship-so she should stop dreaming about college.

    I felt she was extremely 15. I asked her if she had talked her dad about it yet. She told me that her father said those coaches were 16. They didn't understand the 17 of a dream.

    The next year, Sally was seen by a college basketball coach after a big game. She was 18 offered a scholarship and 19 to the college team. She was going to get the college education that she had 20 and worked toward for all those years.

    It's true if the dream is big enough, the facts don't count.

    Don't Be Afraid to Make a Fool of Yourself and Reach out to Strangers

    Growing up, I was glued to my mother's hip, ready to follow her wherever the world took us. I used to sleep at her 1 on the floor of her law school lecture halls while hundreds of 2 poured over scores of legal terms and historical court 3. When my mother and I would travel to different countries together, she always talked to 4 . She would tell our life story and I was often 5. I figured that people thought she shared too much and it was 6.

    I now recognize the importance of the 7 my mother made. After she died, I received hundreds of phone calls from people all over the world. They 8 to offer their condolences (吊唁), but 9 to share how much my mother had meant to them.10 she offered legal advice or simply shared a story, they11their heart to me about how she 12 their lives.

    When she first decided to buy an apartment and settled down in Paris, she 13 the writers of her favourite blogs and instantly began to form their own French14. They spent hours eating carefully selected cheeses and sipping (啜饮) coffee while 15 favorite Parisian restaurants. These are the people I now call my 16 aunts and uncles.

    What I judged as my mom making a 17 of herself was her way of sharing her 18 and charm. This taught me to 19 into fear and not to let self-criticism govern anything I do. Now, I speak up. I talk to strangers. I 20 myself and because of it, I receive.

    In the summer before I entered middle school, I read the book They Cage the Animals at Night. It's a story about Jennings, a boy living in various orphanages (孤儿院) with only his stuffed animal (毛绒玩具), Doggie, for companionship. It's a fascinating book, but little did I know how it would 1 my life and the lives of others.

    One day, as I looked across my room at the pile of stuffed animals, a(n) 2 came to me. I would 3 stuffed animals for children like Jennings. 4, I contacted agencies that support those children and they said the stuffed animals would certainly 5 children's spirits.

    I named my project "Cuddle Buddies". I wrote articles for the local and school newspapers, 6 donations of the "buddies"—stuffed animals. My phone 7 ringing; schools, families, and toy factories all wanted to help. Much to my 8, by the second week my living room looked like a zoo. Whenever Mom and I 9 the "buddies" to the agencies, the kids would be waiting there with their eyes down, too 10 to look but shaking with excitement.

    Six years after its launch, Cuddle Buddies continues to 11. Now over 25, 000 stuffed animals have been 12 to agencies worldwide. Simon, a seven-year-old boy in an African Children's Home, couldn't sleep at night after he lost his parents. When asked to choose his "buddies", Simon 13 a panda and soon after was sleeping through the night. I never dreamed Cuddle Buddies would 14 this way.

    Upon graduation from high school, I designed a website, www. cuddlebuddies. net, to 15 the project. The response was 16. More and more people joined me and two dozen Cuddle Buddies 17 were established across the nation.

    This has been a great experience. I've learned how to follow through on an idea and how to18 impact a life. I will go to college with these 19 in mind and continue my work with Cuddle Buddies, even when I 20 a whole new set of exciting academic and nonacademic pursuits.