One month ago, my daughter started kindergarten. As usual, I wished her success. I was telling a lie. What I actually wish for her is 1. I believe in the power of failure.

    Success is 2 in a sense. Success is proving that you can do something that you already know you can do, or doing something correctly the first time, which can 3 be a problematic victory. First-time success is usually a fluke (侥幸). First-time failure, 4, is expected; it is the natural order of things.

    Failure is how we learn. I have been told of an African phrase 5 a good cook as “she who has broken many pots”. If you have spent enough time in the 6 to have broken a lot of pots, probably you know a fair amount about 7. I once had a late dinner with a group of chefs, and they spent time 8 knife wounds and burn scars. They knew how much credibility (可信度) their 9 gave them.

    I earn my 10 by writing a daily newspaper column. Each week I am 11 that one column is going to be the worst column of the week. I don't just set out to write it; I try my best every day. 12, every week, one column is inferior (较差的) to the others, sometimes extremely so.

    I have learned to 13 that column. A successful column usually means that I am treading (踏) on 14 ground, going with tricks that work, or dressing up popular ideas in fancy words. Often in my inferior columns, I am trying to 15 something I've never done before, something that I'm not even sure can be done.

    My daughter is a perfectionist. She will feel her failures, and I will want to 16 her. But I will also, I hope, 17 her of what she learned, and how she can do 18 next time. I probably won't tell her that failure is a good thing, because that's not a(n) 19 you can learn when you're five. I hope I can tell her, though, that it's not the end of the world. Indeed, with luck, it is the 20.

    My father's only child, I was an obvious candidate to be his fishing companion.

    My most vivid1 of our fishing outings are those at Lily Lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. By the age of 6, I'd 2 my first lesson in fish behavior: fish like an 3 breakfast, which means crawling from our sleeping bags 4We climbed the winding road to the lake,5 the wooden footbridge, built above a dam. A path led us to the6tied up at the water edge.

    My father rowed us through the dark green channels. We spoke7 and the only other sounds were the liquid dipping of the oars（橹）and an occasional bird cry.8a promising-looking spot, we baited our hooks,9 our lines, and waited. For those few hours, the lake was ours.

My father and I had an uneasy 10His behavior had too often embarrassed me. But on those fishing mornings, he could11 me the lessons of fishing—not only how to fish, but also other lessons:

    We wouldn't always get what we 12

    With patience, though, we might.

    The wait could be as13 as the reward.

    Much could be heard in the quiet of the dawn.

    14between two people don't need to be filled.

    I don't remember how old I was the last time I went fishing with my father at Lily Lake. But those times 15fishing were the closest moment I 16with my father as a child.

    My father is gone now, but I 17 recently to Lily Lake. I crossed the wooden footbridge and stood on the shore. A silver flash18 the water's surface, spreading littering rings. I was there again with my father,19 through islands of lily pads, and I whispered a thank-you for 20 he taught me.

    Many years ago, when we first went to Canada, we were driving through Montana to Colorado with our two children, then aged 8 and 11. As it was getting1we started looking for a hotel, only to find out that it was 2time in that part of the country, and all the hotels were3.

    Finally, around 9 o'clock in the evening, we 4at a gas station to fill up on gas. My husband asked for a 5 book and told the woman at the counter that we were trying to find a hotel. She told us it would be6 He tried for 15 more minutes. When he was 7 the woman, Linda, said she and her family8 nearby and would be happy if we spent the night at her home.

    My husband was 9 at her offer of generosity (慷慨). She called her son to10us, since she had to 11at the gas station till midnight.

When we reached their home, her husband 12 us. He invited us to have coffee and chat while we 13his wife. She came past 12 am. We asked if we could slip away in the morning so as not to14them. They said we were now 15 and we would have to have breakfast with them.

    Next morning, we ate breakfast, and when we were 16my husband asked if he could offer some 17.They would not hear of it and 18 we were their guests. We kept in touch for many years, and invited them to our 19 too. Over the years, we lost touch, but have 20 forgotten their kindness.

    I arrived at my school one morning. As soon as I walked in, the 1immediately felt sad and uncomfortable. I knew exactly why the mood felt this way. The people around me were 2their emotions, trying to keep their 3steady. Today was the day when our teacher would 4 and move to another school. Mr. Smith was finally saying goodbye to our school after five years'5 here.

    Mr. Smith was a(n)6 likable man. He would tell a lot of jokes during the class 7 so you would remember it. He was very easy to talk with and to have 8 with. He was cool, relaxed,9 was always friendly when you would see him. It was 10 hard not to like him.

    I felt sad and 11.I couldn't even imagine how things were going to be 12 him: all the good times I've had with him. The 13 he said that made me laugh, the countless hours of watching him play the guitar, and the warm 14 he kept on his face. These thoughts 15 my mind, and I became 16.Why did Mr. Smith have to go? This is so 17.I was lost into my thoughts.

    "Hey, are you all right?" My friend Peter 18.

    "Yeah, I'm all right. I'm just kind of sad," I 19.

    "Yeah, me too. I wish he was our teacher forever. Mr. Smith is the best," he 20.

    A storm was coming, but Alex was too busy fixing her leg bandage to notice it. She said to herself, "Great. I 1 myself the week before Cross Country Running tryouts (锦标赛). I am so 2. Why did I think running through the forest would be a good idea in the first place?"

    After 3, Alex went to the kitchen and poured herself some lemonade. She opened the door to her 4 and sat down outside. "Every year, I work so hard and yet, I always 5," Alex said. This year, I was one spot away from Varsity(校队). The previous 6, I handed in my medical forms late…"

    Suddenly there was a flash of 7. It sounded like it's going to be a thunderstorm, Alex thought and 8 to head inside. She tried to 9 the door, only to find that she had locked herself out. 10, Alex shook the door handle 11 back and forth. As she took a quick step backwards, she lost her 12 and fell down. "Why me?" she yelled. "Why did this all happen to me?" Once Alex 13 to pull herself up, she sat silently on the staircase. As rapidly as the rain poured from the sky, so did the 14 stream down Alex's face. Alone and wet, Alex cried until all the 15and wetness of the day washed away. Finally, when she16crying, she looked up at a suddenly 17 image of her backyard. The air felt light and the sun shone through the clouds. 18 her leg still felt stiff, Alex tore off the 19 and stood up. "I will take part in the Cross Country this year and I will make Varsity," Alex 20 with a breath of inspiration, "Nothing will stop me."

    As a temporary teacher, my daily routine1driving to a new school2every day, so I'm usually unable to anticipate (预料) the day's events, good or bad.

    On one particular day, I was teaching in a very3class. I was managing behavior all the morning and by lunch time, I needed coffee to4the afternoon. So at my lunch5, I drove to a nearby plaza to get a cup of6. Upon returning to the car, I realized I had7my keys and my phone8. I had about 15 minutes to get back to the school which was a good 4–or–5 minute9. I thought of rushing back, but it being10, I thought a nasty fall on ice would only make the situation much11.

    So I ran into a McDonald's which was in the12plaza and asked the man at the counter who 13to be the manager to help me call a tab. I14explained my situation and he hurried to the back to use the phone15I paced in the restaurant.

    The manager returned16to tell me that the cab company had put him on hold and then the line got17. My expression began to resemble some combination of hopelessness and fear.

    Almost immediately, the manager grabbed his coat and18to drive me to the school. Without19, I followed him into his car and made back into my classroom with 2 minutes to 20before the bell!