I was born an albino (白化病人) in Pennsylvania in 1945. No one in my family had 1 known what an albino was and what it meant to be an albino.

    Like most albinos, I had terrible eyesight, but the fact that I could hardly see didn't 2 me that much. Kids would tease me, calling me “Whitey”. People3at me when I held reading material right at the tip (尖) of my 4 so that I could see it well enough. The 5 part for me was that because my 6 was so bad, I couldn't play sports very well. I didn't give up trying,7 I shot hoops (投篮) every day. And I studied harder.

    8I got belter at school and loved it. By the time I got to college, I was double 9, going to summer school and busying 10with every activity I could find. I had learned to be proud of being an albino. I did my best to make “albino” a 11 word. And I decided to make my living with my eyes and in12.

    I couldn't see very well to play sports, but with solid education and 13to do it, I could make a living 14 in the area I loved. I've done it now for over thirty years in 15and in video, and now on the Internet. People make jokes about 16 I can be a “blind editor”, but the jokes are 17,and some of them show 18.

    I was just a proud albino kid from the coal country of Pennsylvania. I now 19 that being born an albino helped me overcome difficulties, gain confidence and be proud of my personal20.

    Once a little boy found a caterpillar（蝴蝶幼虫）. After he was allowed to 1 it at home, the little boy got a large box from his mother and put plants to eat, and a 2 to climb on. One day the caterpillar climbed up the stick and started acting 3. The boy worriedly called his mother who came and understood that the caterpillar was creating a cocoon（茧）. The mother 4 how the caterpillar was going to go through a(n) 5 and become a butterfly.

    The little boy watched every day, 6 the coming out of the butterfly. One day it happened, a small hole 7 in the cocoon and the butterfly started to struggle（挣扎）to come out. At first the boy was 8, but soon he became concerned. The butterfly was struggling so hard. But it looked like it was making no 9. Longing to see it out, the boy 10 to help. He cut the cocoon with scissors to make the hole 11 and the butterfly quickly flew out!

    To his 12, the butterfly had an unexpectedly large body and small wings. He 13 to watch the butterfly, hoping that the wings would dry out, enlarge and expand to support the huge body. 14 nothing happened! It never was able to 15.

    The boy tried to 16 what had gone wrong. To help him, his mother took him to talk to a scientist. He 17 that the butterfly was supposed to struggle. Without the struggle, the butterfly would never fly. The boy's good wish 18 the butterfly.

    As you go through school, and life, keep in mind that struggling is an important part of any experience for 19. It is the struggle that 20 us to develop our ability to fly.

    Looking at the checkout lines at the grocery, I quickly turned my handcart to line number three. There were only two women there, and neither had kids or coupons(赠券) ! The store was my first 1that morning, and I had a half dozen others on my2before meeting my husband for lunch.

    Two minutes turned into ten, and I watched as the other lines moved 3. I moved my 4in the shopping handcart and dug for my wallet, trying to5the cashier that it was time to get a move on. Finally, after fifteen minutes, I took a breath and6. Then I heard the cashier tell the women in front of me: “And just like that, he told me what she looked like and 7one hundred dollars here to8her groceries. He said not to worry about the9, just give it to charity.”

    The story she was10had taken place in the sales department. An older man had witnessed a(n) 11mama in need.12for foods with kids around, she was sticking to her list and 13the items on her calculator as she went. The gentleman said he had a little 14on him that day, so he left one hundred dollars to 15her groceries and, just maybe, add a little wiggle room(回旋的余地) to her 16.

    After hearing about the man who had17served a fellow traveler in life, I realized that my hurry, 18and general worries were19. What's five extra minutes in a line to hear a story of a man sharing his  20? Suddenly, I know I could wait.

    It's a sad and familiar voice that we often hear in big cities: "Can you spare some change?"

    Usually, when faced with that particular 1, I have feelings of guilt if I pass by 2 giving a coin or two.

    I had that feeling 3 in Venice while on a tour of Italy's famous sites in 2006. I had taken refuge from the 4 in a quiet café. Outside, there was an old woman kneeling on the hard, ancient paving stones, 5.

    Steady 6 of tourists were walking past her. A young backpacker stood away from the crowd, 7 drinking in the scenery, but I noticed the young traveler was also 8 the old woman.

    A tourist group walked along the street, 9 the woman and walked on. 10 group of tourists arrived and walked past the old lady. The backpacker watched 11 everybody else went on their way, focused on the 12 around them. Then, I was preparing to leave when I caught sight of the backpacker stepping forward and 13 some money in the woman's cup. He did this somewhat14 just before the arrival of another tourist group. As I 15, the leader of the group stopped and put some money in the cup. Having been shown the way, other tourists followed suit and 16 some more coins to the cup.

    His work done, the young man walked over to the old beggar-woman, patted her on the shoulder and said, "I hope that 17 a little."

    I don't know if the woman understood his English or 18 what had just happened, but I did.

    I placed some money in the woman's cup and continued my travels, 19 after witnessing such an 20 act of kindness.

    Sitting in my favorite restaurant one day I noticed a man come in. He looked 1 and mad with the world, a look I had 2 many times before. I gave him my happy "good morning"3 but his response was still less than 4. He looked at me, sat down and 5 his head in the menu.

    I was not 6 by his response but I wondered if he would 7 and give just a small hello or smile. Over an hour passed and every time he looked my way, he looked meaner (低劣的) and meaner. Finally he called the 8 over to 9 his bill. I turned my head away for just a 10 and he was gone quickly. 

    I looked down at his 11 and there was a beautiful rolled up $ 100 bill on it. I was in shock. I 12 got up to get the cash. In my head Right and Wrong were fighting it out. Before I knew it, I was 13 behind the man to offer this 14 back to him. Out of breath, I said, "Sir, did you 15 this?" He looked shocked. His face turned 16 and a big lump (块) that could 17 an elephant came in his throat. He looked at the ground and finally said "yes", and then he slowly said "thank you".

    Without 18 looking at me, he turned around, got in his car and 19 away. I said "thank you" to God for letting me change one person's 20 towards friendly strangers.

    Living in a foreign culture can be exciting, but it can also be 1. A group of Americans who taught English in other countries 2 discussed their 3.They decided that miscommunications were always 4, even over something as 5 as "yes" and "no."

    On her first day in Micronesia, Lisa thought people were 6 her requests. The day was hot, and she needed a cold drink. She went into a store and asked, "Do you have cold drinks?" The woman there didn't say anything. Lisa 7 the question. Still the woman said nothing. Lisa gave up and left the store. She later learned that the woman had 8 her: She had raised her eyebrows, 9 in Micronesia means "yes."

    This 10 Jan of an experience she had in Bulgaria. She had gone to a restaurant that was well-known for a 11 named stuffed cabbage( 塞馅卷心菜). She asked the waiter, "Do you have stuffed cabbage today?" He 12 his head. Jan eagerly waited, 13 the cabbage 14 came. In that country, a nod means "no."

    Tom had a 15 problem when he arrived in India. After 16 something in class, he asked his students if they understood. They responded 17 many different nods and shakes of the head. He guessed some people had not understood, so he explained again. When he asked again if they understood, they did the same thing. He soon 18 that his students did understand. In India, people nod and shake their heads in different ways 19 where they come from. You have to know where a person  is from to 20 whether they are indicating(表示) "yes" or "no."