My Hero

    What does it mean to be a hero? I think a hero is someone who goes out of his way to make others happy. My hero is Mr. Wright, my chorus(合唱队) teacher.

    When I was 12 years old, my grandparents passed away. I was really close to them, and losing them was the hardest thing I've ever had to1through. I couldn't eat, sleep, or think; I felt like I couldn't even breathe. It was as if my whole world had fallen down from under me, and I2into this huge hole of depression(抑郁).

    3I was battling depression, I was determined to make my high school years the best of my life. It was difficult to be 4, but I had to try. I joined Women's Choir. Mr. Wright was the choral director and he was so funny that the first day, I just knew I had made the best5of my life. As the year progressed, I loved chorus more and more. I began to smile again and really enjoy 6.

    Then one day that all changed. My friends—or those that I thought were my friends—started talking about me behind my back. I was7 , and I sat by myself. Mr. Wright came over and asked what was wrong. The look in his eyes told me that I could8him. Trying hard to9 back tears, I told him the whole story.

    When I finished, he nodded and told me, “If you never learn anything from me, learn this: No one is worth 10 your joy.” What Mr. Wright said really11a chord (心弦) in my heart. He 12 cared about me and what was going on. I'll never be able to thank him enough, because he not only saved me but has13every day of it since. Any time I feel like giving 14, I remember Mr. Wright's words and push forward.

    I'm proud to say that I 15 my depression, and I'm now a senior. I'm still a16of chorus, and now I'm also in the best choir at my school.

Mr. Wright is a hero 17 everyone he meets. He cares about every single person who walks through his door, and he loves what he does more than any other teacher I've known. That's18  he deserves to be Educator of the Year. He deserves the19 not just this year but every year.

    I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet you, Mr. Wright. You are an 20teacher, and I hope you realize that. You're my hero.

While high school does not generally encourage students to explore new aspects of life, college sets the stage for that exploration. I myself went through this1process and found something that has changed my2at college for the better: I discovered ASL——American Sign Language(美式手语).

    I never felt an urge to3any sign language before. My entire family is hearing, and so are all my friends. The4languages were enough in all my interactions(交往).Little did I know that I would discover my5for ASL.

    The 6 began during my first week at college. I watched as the ASL Club 7 their translation of a song. Both the hand movements and the very8 of communicating without speaking 9me. What I saw was completely unlike anything I had experienced in the 10.This newness just left me11more.

After that, feeling the need to12 further, I decided to drop in on one of ASL club's meetings. I only learned how to 13 the alphabet that day. Yet instead of being discouraged by my 14 progress, I was excited. I then made it a point to15 those meetings and learn all I could.

    The following term, I 16 an ASL class. The professor was deaf and any talking was 17. I soon realized that the silence was not unpleasant.18, if there had been any talking, it would have19 us to learn less. Now, I appreciate the silence and the 20 way of communication it opens.

    A lady wanted a birthday gift from her husband. For many months she had liked a beautiful1, and knowing her husband could 2 it, she told him that was all she wanted. On the morning of the 3, her husband told her how 4 he was to have such a good wife, and how much he loved her. He 5 her a beautiful gift package (纸盒). She opened it and 6 a Bible. 7, she raised her voice and said to her husband, “With all your money, you give me a Bible?” She was so 8 that she left him.

    Many years passed and the lady was very 9 in business. She owned two large companies. She 10 her husband was very old, and thought perhaps she should go to 11 him. But before she could, she 12 a letter telling her that he had died, and gave all of his possessions (财产) to her. She needed to come back and 13 things.

    When she arrived at his house, sadness 14 her heart. She saw the still new 15, just as she had left it years before. With 16, she opened it and began to turn the pages. A ring 17 from the Bible to the floor and a 18 could be seen. She picked it up and found it was the ring she wanted in those days. And on the card was the date of her birth, and the words “LUV U ALWAYS”.

    19 your gift is not packaged the way you want it, it's because it is better packaged the way it is! Always appreciate little things; they usually lead you to bigger things! The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched for they must be felt with the 20.

    When my wife, Jane, and I were 16, we were in the same class. About a week before Thanksgiving Day, we found out that our teacher Edward was having some1challenges. We wanted to do something to help, so as a class we2to gather food, clothing and gifts to3his family had a good Thanksgiving Day.

    When Jane told her family about our plan, her mother was4. Together they searched their house for things they could5. Her mother went to the kitchen,6a big turkey and saying, "Thanksgiving Day won't be7without a turkey dinner." To this day, Jane remembers how moved she was by her mother's8.

    Before making our9, we said a prayer of appreciation for the wonderful10to help others. I will never forget the surprised11of our teacher and his wife when they12the door; their four children gathered around them as we handed out the gifts. It was a cold night; we all felt warm inside,13.

    Last month while I was in a meeting, my secretary informed me, "Your high school teacher Mr. Edward is wondering if you could14him a few minutes. He's sitting in your office right now!"

    I left my meeting and went to my office15. My teacher and I hugged and began to16 the last years. He told me he17remembered that cold winter night when we brought the18of Thanksgiving Day to his family. The food and gifts were certainly19, but what warmed his heart that night was to see a group of teenagers who understood the20of Thanksgiving Day.

It was the early 1950s, and I was a member of the A class at Armidale Senior High School in norther New South Wales. 

In the second and third years we all did General Maths, and our teacher was Mrs Lindsay-Clare Lindsay. Her arrival at our classroom was always quick, "Good morning everyone!" Then our books would be out, and we would watch her closely. 

I've thought a lot about Clare Lindsay over the years. What was her special magic? There are two reasons and I think they're necessary for all excellent teachers. She loved her subject, and she loved us, in a patient and objective way. She had no favorites that I can remember, and she called us all by our first names pleasantly She had a way of teaching that I loved. 

"Now we could go down this path couldn't we? We could argue this, and then this, but that doesn't work because of this. No Can Do(NCD)!" She would put a big cross, and write" NCD" against what she had put down. "Right! Why not go down this new path?" And she would show us that this new way worked. It was fun. We, whether the poor students or the skilled, all did well because of her. I've never found maths difficult, and I_put_that_skill_down_to_her. 

In the fourth and fifth years,we were divided into the science and arts streams(按学生能力划分的班级), and Mrs Lindsay didn't teach us any more. But as the Leaving Certificate exams were coming, one of my friends became nervous about how much maths he didn't know. With great courage, he went to see Mrs Lindsay, and asked if she would help him prepare for his General Maths paper. "Of course!" she said, and did just that, after school, in her own time. He passed. What a good teacher!

Faye and Matthew Gooding and their five young sons appear to have perfect lives. Mrs. Gooding 1 beautiful photos of life in their four-bedroom house on Instagram(一种社交软件), and more than 32, 000 people 2 them. For the couple themselves, 3 , this "materially(物质地) perfect world" was lacking something—so now they are giving up all their 4 to travel around the world with their kids.

This was the last Christmas that the couple spent in their house, which has already been sold. Most of their belongings are 5 too. Shortly their Ford car will be sold and the family will take just one backpack each.

Mrs. Gooding said: "Some friends and family think Matt and I are 6 to be giving up so much. It's been difficult giving up so many possessions. Yet 7 enjoying spending time with the boys, I found myself cleaning the house all day before. The older ones were at school and I thought, 'I 8 see them'. I admitted how I felt to Matt. He agreed it felt as if our lives moved around 9 things—both of us working to 10 the mortgage(贷款) and keep ourselves in our materially perfect world."

    They will leave this month and plan to start their 11 in Sweden where they have friends.

Mr. Gooding added: "People have said 'aren't you worried about stability and safety?'— 12 as we have five small children. It is a (an) 13 because we are giving up so much. But we can't wait to spend more time with our sons without the 14 of everyday routines. We don't know what will happen, but we do know if we didn't do this we would always 15 it."