A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had 1a beautiful sports car in a showroom, and knowing his father could well2it, he told him that was all he wanted.

    As Graduation Day came near, the young man awaited 3 that his father had bought the car. 4, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his5 study room. His father told him how 6 he was to have such a fine son, and told him how 7 he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully8 gift box.

    Curious, and somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and 9 a lovely, leather- bound (皮纸封面) Bible, 10 the young man's name pressed in gold. 11, he raised his voice to his father, and said “With 12 your money, you give me a Bible?” and stormed out of the house.

    Many years passed and the young man was very successful in 13. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very 14, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him 15 that graduation day.

    Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram16 him his father had passed away, and gave all his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and 17things.

    When he arrived at his father's house, sudden 18and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still gift — wrapped Bible 19 as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. Suddenly, a car key dropped from the back of the 20. It had a tag (标签) with the date of his graduation on it, and the words PAID IN FULL.

    Some years ago when I was in my first year in college, I heard Salome Bey sing for the first time. The moment was exciting. Salome's1filled the room and brought the theater to life. I was so2that I decided to write an article about her.

    I3Salome Bey, telling her I was from Essence magazine, and that I wanted to meet her to talk about her career. She4and told me to come to her studio next Tuesday. When I hung up, I was scared out of mind. I5I was lying. I was not a writer at all and hadn't even written a grocery list.

    I interviewed Salome Bey the next Tuesday. I sat there6, taking notes and asking questions that all began with, “Can you tell me. . . ? ”I soon realized that7Salome Bey was one thing, but writing a story for a national magazine was just impossible. The8was almost unbearable. I struggled for days9draft(草稿)after draft. Finally I put my manuscript(手稿)into a large envelope and dropped it into a mailbox.

    It didn't take long. My manuscript10. How stupid of me! I thought. How could I11in a world of professional writers? Knowing I couldn't12the rejection letter, I threw the unopened envelope into a drawer.

    Five years later, I was moving to California. While13my apartment, I came across the unopened envelope. This time I opened it and read the editor's letter in14:

Ms Profit,

    Your story on Salome Bey is fantastic. Yet we need some15materials. Please add those and return the article immediately. We would like to16your story soon.

    Shocked, it took me a long time to17. Fear of rejection cost me greatly. I lost at least five hundred dollars and the chance of having my article appear in a major magazine. More importantly, I lost years of18writing. Today, I have become a full-time writer. Looking back on this19, I learned a very important lesson: You can't20to doubt yourself.

    One morning last December, Bill McDonald read in the newspaper that a local man, Joe Day, was sick with lung cancer. That meant Day couldn't offer the splendidly lit, handmade Christmas displays which had1as many as 95,000 people to his house to admire them every2.

    It wouldn't be Christmas3Day's lights, thought McDonald. We must try to4him, McDonald decided.

    33 years ago when Day came home one afternoon from work, he found his five-year-old son Nicholas5for him, asking him to build a reindeer(驯鹿). Then they made it on the lawn together and 6up its cherry-red nose for the holidays.

    Each year, Day7 to his handmade works, placing the reindeer above his

    8and hanging so many lights9they were electric vines(藤) around his windows and doors. Finally thousands of lights, figures and models10his yard and extended to next door.

    Then11December 2009 when Day's cancer had spread to his liver(肝). After 19 rounds of chemotherapy(化疗) and 43 radiation treatments, he was12tired and depressed to celebrate Christmas.

    13McDonald called. “You don't know me,” McDonald said, “but I want to help you get your lights14.” McDonald gathered many people,15strangers, to set up Day's displays. For two days, more than 100 volunteers16in.

    On the evening of December 12, with crowds of volunteers cheering him on, Day17the switch(开关) and lit up the spectacle(壮观景象).

    Day's cancer is under18, and he looks forward to this year's Christmas. “In their hearts,” Day says, “people love to give.” He is19that his brilliant displays will continue to light up the darkness for many years to come20Bill McDonald has promise that he'll get the job done.

    I often go to France to visit my grandmother who is very dear to me. She's now 76 years old, so every time I go to1 the two of us are very aware that it might be the2time we see each other for she has cancer.

    Last time I visited her in December of 2012. I did a series of short video3about her life. I asked her about her greatest memories and life learning so far, her 4books, food and stories. I learned a large quantity of amazing new things about her I5knew before.

    This year, I did not really have 6 only a great urge for her to know how much she is loved. I cooked for her and read her stories.

    Before leaving, I was7a way to leave something8behind besides the memory of our 9together. So I wrote her five different 10and gratitude notes to let her know how much she11to me, and hid them in different places where I knew she would 12find them. One under her pillow. Another one 13from the lamp cover by which she reads in the evening. Another one by her toothbrush. One in her14which she eagerly checks every day. And the last one on her car's steering wheel.

    I left 15knowing that these cards would surely 16her up after I left. She called me as I was departing for Paris to catch my plane back to the US and said, “I17your three cards! By the time I discovered the third card, I was laughing out loud!18 they did me so much good. Thank you so much!” I19to myself, knowing she still has two more to go! It was Sunday, so my 20was that she had not checked her mailbox and had not yet driven her car!

    When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my 1. Week by week her list grew: I was very thin; I wasn't a 2student; I talked too much; I was too3 , always feeling superior to（胜过）others, and so on. I tried to hear all this as long as I could. 4, I became very angry. I ran to my father with 5in my eyes.

    He6 to me quietly, and then he asked. “Are the things she says true or not? Janet, didn't you ever 7what you're really like? Well, you now have that girl's8. Go and9a list of everything she said and mark the points that are10. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”

    I did11 he told me. To my great12, I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn't 13 (like being very thin), but a good number I could – and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I went to a fairly 14picture of myself.

    I brought the list back to Daddy. He15to take it. “That's just for you,” he said. “You know16than anyone else the truth about yourself. But you have to learn to17, not just close your ears in 18, feeling hurt when something said about you is true, you'll find it of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your affairs. Don't 19your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you know is the right thing to do.”

    Daddy's advice has always 20 me at many important moments. In my life, I've never had a better piece of advice.

After moving to the United States in 1901, 19-year-old Bob Douglas found a job as a doorman in New York. Later, a co-worker took him to visit a basketball court, and he was amazed by the athletic prowess on display. At that moment, Douglas, who had enjoyed playing sports as a child, was determined to create a basketball team and provide greater opportunities for New York City's Black athletes. 

He needed to find a place for his team to play. When asking a ballroom owner, William Roach, for permission to use one of the dance floors, Douglas was replied with "you guys will break up my place". After promising to take on all the financial risk, he finally persuaded Roach to change his mind and called the team "Rens". 

However, their ballroom had fewer seats and attracted fewer people than others, so Douglas had to pack the house to generate profits and keep his team alive. They traveled the country playing any opponent that would agree to schedule them, during which they repeatedly faced discrimination and unfair treatment and the players were often banned from hotels and restaurants. 

No matter the obstacle, the Rens just kept strict practicing. They helped change the game of basketball by focusing on quick passing, which let the players move faster, play a more fluid (流畅) game and keep winning. In 1925, the Rens shocked the world by defeating the Original Celtics, the most dominant team of their day. During the 1932-33 season, the team won 88 straight games, a professional basketball record that remains unbroken. 

Unfortunately, the Rens disbanded (解散) in 1949. But in time, they were recognized for the important role they played in advancing Black athletes in basketball, ensuring that although the Rens aren't a household name, their story will never be forgotten.