Katy and I have been friends since college, for more than thirty years. Our friendship has 1 constant(不变的). We have seen each other through all the times when we really need a friend. In 2 of our friendship, Katy and I took our first 3 trip together.

    The first day of our trip ended in Santa Fe, New Mexico. 4 with the long drive, we decided to go to the restaurant for dinner. We sat down and 5our meal. As we talked, I noticed a（n）6 couple sitting a short distance away from us. The look of 7 on the woman's face attracted me.. She stared into the face of the man as he talked, 8 me of a teenager in love!

    I called Katy's 9 to the couple. As we watched, the man reached 10 to place a gentle kiss on the woman's cheek. She 11. “Now that's what I call real love! I imagine they've been married for a long time.” I said. “12 maybe,” remarked Katy, “They haven't been together long.” “Well, whatever the case, it's 13 they care much for each other,” I said.

    Katy and I watched and listened 14 to their conversation. She smiled and 15 whatever he said. We were touched by the warm scene we were witnessing (看到). Then the 16 changed. The woman's wrinkled but beautiful face was suddenly covered with a 17 look. She asked the man in a sweet voice, “Do I know you? What is this place?” “You know me. I'm Ralph, your husband. We're in Santa Fe,” the man said. “Oh, I 18 to have forgotten. I'm not sure,” she said. “That's okay, sweetheart. You'll be all right,” he 19 her, kissing her cheek again. Tears coursed down our cheeks as Katy and I looked at each other. “We were right,” she said 20. “It is the real thing. That is love.”

    Jason, our son, was born one month early and so he was weaker than most children. My wife Margaret and I often comforted him as he faced many 1 in his childhood.

    In his seventh grade, Jason 2up for the school running team, which made me both proud and worried. One afternoon, Jason returned home in tears, covered all over with food. He threw his bag on the floor and shouted: “I'm never going to 3 again!” As we later learned, a few older students made fun of his performance on the playground and then threw 4 at him on the school bus on the way home.

    I called the school leader about what happened on the bus, and Jason never experienced that again. He stayed on the team, even though the trouble 5.

    One day in October, we had a heavy 6.As the other kids exercised in the gym they noticed one runner—Jason—7 around the snow-covered playground.

    A few weeks later, Jason had something to tell us. “Mom, Dad, sit down,” he said. I was ready for the8.

    He told us that each month, students chose an “athlete of the month”. The coach would list the top athletes, and the other students 9 for the winner. Jason's name had never been listed.10 that day, one of the students said: “Sir, I would like to choose Jason for athlete of the month.”

The coach looked surprised.

    “He works 11 than any of us, Sir,” the student continued.

    “Does everyone 12 with this?” the coach asked.

Tears formed in Jason's eyes as he told us what happened next. “Mom ... Dad ...13 in the team put their hands up.''

His mother and I, also in tears, looked on as he14showed his certificate (证书).

    Whenever I am sad, I think of this story. I remind myself that challenges are not overcome (克服) by15 but by patience, determination, and faith.

    Jason is in university these days and often holds the highest mark in his class. He is also training in martial arts. I am completely sure he'll wear a black belt someday, and wear it proudly.

    In 1895, when he was 52, my grandpa, Dennis Fitzpatrick Sr. , had a young man's dream. He1 to own land and build a barn(谷仓) and house on it. In order to2 the dream, he left Hubbardston, Michigan and went to north to Slabtown. In the place, there was 80-acre wasted land with 3 fence(篱笆) and big bushes everywhere. Grandpa walked around the land, dreaming of the day when he would 4it into green meadow(牧场). where there are fields of crops, wandering 5, a big barn and a new house.

    He 6 there and started working. In the summer, a 4-acre field 7 a lot of crops and in the fall, he started working on a new8, carrying stones from a mile away. After the bam completed, a new house was started. By the age of 82, his dream had 9 30 years after he started.

    But by the 1990s the barn was in bad need of 10 or it would fall apart. So we worked to make it as strong as before. During the past years, it had 11 family, gathering, wedding reception, neighborhood parties 12 music and dancing, Christmas ball and more.

    Grandpa is gone now, but his 13 is still with us. Now I, his great-grandson, 14 the land that he cleared. All seven of my 15 live on or within a mile of the farm. Grandpa's dream so long ago—green meadow, fields of crops and a big barn—is now 16by his many descendants(子孙) more than a17later.

    Grandpa taught us very 18 lessons. It is never too late to 19 If you have one, work at it 20and you'll turn it into reality.

    Last Friday when Jose Rodriguez , a 5-year-old white boy, asked his mother Lydia Rodriguez if he could get his blonde hair cut like his black friend Reddy's, and of course his mother agreed. For a very1reason the two pre-school friends decided to2 their teacher with matching haircuts.

    Jose3that if he and Reddy had the same haircut, no one would be able to4 them. Reddy apparently thought this trick was5as well.

    “It is just two6 boys. Obviously, they see they are different colors, they just don't care. It is not7, Rodriguez said. She sees Jose's inability to see a8 between himself and his friend as a parenting win. “I just taught him to9everyone the same,” she said.

    The teacher played along and10she was talking to Jose when Reddy arrived before Jose, he told the teacher and his11he was Jose.

    On Monday, Rodriguez 12the story on the Facebook.78,000 people 13 it and the story has gone viral（疯传）. On the post she wrote: “If this isn't proof that14and prejudice is something that is15 , I don't know what is. Their16 is the only difference Jose sees in the two of them. Though Jose loves17himself on TV and the Internet, he remains unsure why his haircut became such a big18 .

    “He still has no idea why people19so much”, Rodriguez said. “He wanted to20Reddy and now he thinks they look the same.”

    My father once worked for a big company. However, when I was a year old he 1 his job and then our family got into a difficult station. We were 2, so we sold our house. Then we had to live with my grandmother. 3 she didn't like kids at all. She never 4. But l was very happy with my parents. My father was 5 at making things. I was also 6 and had a talent for designing.

    We didn't have money to buy. 7 so we made our own. I put two tyres together to make a horse. I learned a lot about gravity（重力）because I 8 many times.

    By 10, I knew I wanted to become a(n) 9, but they didn't take women in engineering school, so I went to another school and 10 in 1945. Then I was very 11to be accepted by the army's training programme. I learned a lot there. In 1966, I 12 serving the army. I began to work with children with learning problems. I wanted to 13 something that would help them. Luckily, I 14.

    I tried to retire five times but it 15 worked. In 1997, I went back to school to learn drawing, which was 16 for my inventions. On a TV programin2015, 1 17 David Kelley the founder of the design firm IDEO. When I realized he18 people from different backgrounds, I thought, “I have special life experiences and designing skills. I could be of 19 to his firm.”

I typed a letter to Kelley and quickly, I got a 20that I was accepted. I was 85.

    One night, when I was eight, my mother gently asked me a question I would never forget. “Sweetie, my company wants to 1 me but needs me to work in Brazil. This is like your teacher telling you that you've done 2 and allowing you to skip a grade(跳级), but you'll have to 3your friends. Would you say yes to your teacher？”She gave me a hug and asked me to think about it. I was puzzled. The question kept me 4 for the rest of the night. I had said “yes” but for the first time, I realized the5 decisions adults had to make.

    For almost four years, my mother would call us from Brazil every day. Every evening I'd 6 wait for the phone to ring and then tell her every detail of my day. A phone call, however, could never replace her 7 and it was difficult not to feel lonely at times.

    During my fourth grade Christmas break, we flew to Rio to visit her. Looking at her large 8 apartment, I became 9 how lonely my mother must have been in Brazil herself. It was then 10 I started to appreciate the tough choices she had to make on 11 family and work. 12 difficult decisions, she used to tell me, you wouldn't know whether you made the right choice, but you could always make the best out of the situation, with passion(热情) and a 13 attitude.

    Back home, I 14 myself that what my mother could do, I could, too. If she 15 to live in Rio all by herself, I, too, could learn to be 16. I learnt how to take care of myself and set high but achievable17.

    My mother is now back with us. But I will never forget what the 18 has really taught me. Sacrifices(牺牲) 19 in the end. The separation(分离) between us has proved to be a 20 for me.