Learning experiences happen to us throughout our lives, and not too long ago, I had one that I would like to 1 . This story began with a 2 three years ago. It's a story of pizza and being3of buying ice cream with a US $20 bill.

    I was going to Marblehead, Massachusetts, with my racing team on the highway and we were all 4Luckily, we saw a rest area5. I had a brand-new US $ 20 bill, and I had 6had that kind of cash before. Spending it on food 7to me like throwing it away.

    We all rushed into the pizza line. 8 I got a cheese pizza and drink. Halfway through the 9, I realized I had not actually 10 any money to the cashier. I felt terrible. I just couldn't go back to the cashier and11my stolen pizza. I would feel embarrassed.

    I was so upset that I refused to give myself the12of an ice cream in fear that someone would say, "Hey, Jeff, why don't you 13 the change from the pizza instead of that nice, new US $20 bill?"

     was not so proud of my 14 now.

    For the next two years, whenever I was15of the "Pizza incident," I 16my eyes and said to myself, "Not gonna think about it, not gonna think about it…"

    I think this 17the saying, "A coward (懦夫) dies a thousand deaths, a hero dies 18." I was a coward and have felt19 about that incident at least a thousand times. If I had been a "hero" and gone 20up to pay for the pizza, then I would have felt a little embarrassed about it only once, or maybe twice.

    A ship was wrecked (失事) and only two of the men aboard were able to swim to a small, desert-like island. Not knowing what else to do, the two 1 agreed that they had no 2 but to pray to God.

    3, to find out whose prayers were more 4, they agreed to divide the territory (领地) between them. What the first man 5 for was food. The next morning, he saw a fruit bearing tree on his side of the island, and he was able to eat its 6 But the other man's side of land remained 7.

    After a week, the first man became 8 and decided to pray for a wife. The next day, a woman swam to his side of the island. But on the other side of the island, there was 9. Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes and more 10. The next day, like magic, all of these things were 11 to him. However, the other man still had nothing.

    12, the first man prayed for a ship so that he and his wife could 13 the island, and in the next morning he found a ship at his side of the island. The first man 14 the ship with his wife and decided to leave the other man on the island, considering him unworthy to receive God's blessings 15 none of his prayers had been answered. As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from Heaven booming, “Why are you leaving your 16on the island?”

    “My blessings are mine alone since I was the one who prayed for them,” the first man answered. “His prayers were all unanswered and so he doesn't 17 anything.”

    “You are mistaken!” the voice 18 him. “He had only one prayer, which I 19. He prayed that all your prayers would be answered. Had it not been for that, you would not have 20 any of my blessings.”

    During the course of a lifetime, we all make mistakes. And often we take for granted what we have, thinking that we 1 what we already have, or believing that we will never need anyone to 2 us out from difficult and 3 times.

    Such was the 4 of Cecilia. Cecilia had a great job, a nice house and everything she needed. 5, she was not a kind person for several reasons that became 6 once you got to know her. The first thing was her lack of 7 for others who were not as fortunate as she was. She would not help anyone, 8 would she even begin to express any sympathy for anyone's troubles. Her 9 was that they were just too lazy.

    But, then came the catastrophic day. Her husband got into financial difficulty, to the point 10 he was forced to declare bankruptcy(破产). She found that she was the one who 11 nothing.

    Now she was 12 for help. She also found out that her parents were unwilling to help her but, 13 for her, his family was willing and able to help them through these difficult times despite the 14 that she had deliberately kept them out of her life. 15 Cecilia was assisted through challenging times, once 16, she changed to her true self.

    But this is not the main point of the story. We all need help 17 along life's path whether we think we will or not. And, if you are the one 18 help, just remember this: no matter what 19 later, you will always be 20 in the fact that you have remained strong and true to assist those that need your help.

    That day the college entrance exam 1were out at 11: 00 a. m., but I didn't know that. A friend of mine said my 2 remained the same as those I got last year. So I went into deep depression. My hard work 3 and I cried a lot in the bathroom. 4I motivated myself and came to the classroom at 5: 30 p. m. without 5the afternoon activities.

    Just then the headmaster came to our 6 and asked who Snehal Tanwar was. Hearing this I 7slowly and said" It's me". He said that I'd gotten the high score of 665. For a while my mind got struck and I asked him to 8 ; so I told him my hall ticket(准考证) number and waited for the result 9. He checked it in front of me and congratulated me. No words to 10 my excitement and I hugged my friends who were sitting beside me. My11were rolling out and I could not be able to speak a 12word and couldn't control myself. 13 in the class stood up, shouted my name and 14me. I was feeling on top of the world.

    15I was not the person who got the highest score in our high school. It was my best friend who attained the top. He was sitting beside me and at the moment he cried and hugged me tightly16I got my tears out again. I 17very happy and couldn't express the feeling of that moment Just 18the situation, the moment when both tears and happiness 19. Success is achieved by us. It was the best time in my life and of course, the 20moment. I was so happy not only for myself but also for my best friend.

    My brother Gene was four years older than me. By the time I turned four, I was upset that he could read but I couldn't. I burned with 1 to read a book like my brother. I begged: "Teach me to read, Mom! Please, please!" Finally, Mom set aside time after lunch 2 reading lessons, and soon after my fifth birthday, I was reading.

    I longed for my father, who was a great storyteller, to read me the books that I couldn't yet read on my own. But my father worked three jobs to feed the family. He didn't have the time or 3 in the evening to read to me. 4, every Sunday morning, my brother and I lay next to him in bed, waiting for him to tell stories about his 5. I can still hear my father's voice 6 the cold winters on the family farm in Poland. His family didn't have enough money to burn wood in the fireplace all night. He told us that he always volunteered to help with 7. I can smell the soup made by my grandma and 8 my father cutting onions, carrots and tomatoes for salad, and when no one was looking, putting a piece into his mouth. "I was always 9," he explained. Hearing my father's stories 10 me closer to the books and the stories they held.

    One Saturday afternoon when I was seven, we walked two blocks to the small 11 in our neighborhood, and my dad filled out forms for a card. That Saturday 12 my life: I met Mrs. Schwartz, the librarian, and my dad said, "You're 13 enough to walk to the library yourself." And so I did—almost every afternoon.

    In my mind, Mrs. Schwartz was "the keeper of books and the guardian of stories." Some days she read aloud to a small group of us 14. Most of time, Mrs. Schwartz let me 15 myself with books I pulled from the shelves and look through them to see which ones I'd 16 out. I remember that sometimes she'd 17 a book and tell me a part of the story. But she always let me choose. Books became my 18 who were my comfort when I felt lonely.

    Yes, reading changed me. It gave me the 19 to study hard so I could become a teacher, and share my 20 of reading with my students. And inside my head, I can still hear the voices of my mother, father, and Mrs. Schwartz, which are with me every time I open the first page of a new book.