An 18-year-old student at Stanford University was struggling to pay his fees.Not knowing where to turn for money,he came up with a bright1.He and a friend decided to host a musical concert on campus to2money for their education.

    They 3out to the great pianist Ignacy J.Paderewski.His manager4a guaranteed fee of $2,000 for the piano recital（独奏会).A deal was5and the boys began to work to make the concert a6.

    The big day arrived. But 7,they had not managed to sell enough tickets.The total8was only $ 1,600. Disappointed,they went to Paderewski and explained their plight (困境).They gave him the entire $ 1,600,plus a9for the balance $400.They promised to honour the cheque at the10possible.Paderewski tore up the cheque,11the $ 1,600 and told the two boys to keep the money they needed for the fees.The boys were12,and thanked him heartedly.

    It was a small act of13.But it clearly marked out Paderewski14a great human being.15should he help two people he did not even know?We all16situations like these in our lives.And17of us only think “If I help them,what will happen to me?”The truly18people think, “If I don't help them,what will happen to them?” They don't do it19something in return.They do it20they feel it's the right thing to do.

    I planted two seeds side by side in the soil in my backyard. The first says, “I want to grow! I want to send my roots1into the soil, and try to2. I want to feel the 3 of the sun on my face!” and it grew. The second seed says, “I am4. If I send my roots into the ground below, I don't know what I will meet in the5. If I push my way through the hard soil, I may6my small sprouts (芽). What if a small child may pull me7from the ground. No, it is much better for me to wait8safe.” A hen walking around for food found the waiting seed and9ate it.

    I sometimes10myself -- What if I stop focusing on the worst and go for the 11? Most people can do12things if they have the confidence to take the 13. Yet most people don't, there are lots of people14on the sofa saying: I'm going …They will do it when they are rich and when they get15and their children are perfectly grown.

    The16is that your life can never be perfect. Part of it might be, though. Step away from the sofa sitters who are17a single perfect day to begin18 their dreams.

    Believe in yourself and know that you can do19! However, those who20to risk get controlled by life finally.

    Like many perfectionists, I truly believed that self-sufficiency was a virtue. And1my brain was so good at finding what it was looking for, I noticed every single time that idea got proved2 and so I always had lots of3for why it really was better if I just handled everything myself.

    This kind of thinking, friends, was the 4in disguise (伪装).

    My self-reliance came in handy when I was a kid in the seventies and in adulthood when I was an independent 5Then, in the first years of 6the Organized Artist Company, I found myself 7everything I could about websites, copywriting, graphic design, etc. Later whenever one of my business friends 8about how her website was being held hostage (人质) by her designer, I9felt too satisfied10if mistakes were made in my business, they were all mine.

    Now this was where my false11showed up—in not wanting others to know I made mistakes. If I had other people12me, they would see my errors and13. Working alone, I could keep up a pretty good display of 14.

    But as the Organized Artist Company became increasingly 15, I realized I was doing harm to the people I was trying to serve by attempting to do everything myself. I was16my growth and the depth of my work.

    I had built a business with my own two hands, and I 17with a business that I could hold in my own two hands. Cozy,18limited in scope (范围).

    Once I was willing to control my ego( 自负) and admit that my vision of self-sufficiency was a 19my business took a remarkable leap forward, and revenue 20 Little change, big difference.

    Jenna had graduated from her middle school and was lucky enough to be admitted to Westwood College. She was ready for new 1  at the college and filled with confidence. 2,  she didn't expect it that college life was quite3.  In the first week, Jenna went to tryouts for cheerleaders. She was competing against very talented girls, and she knew it would be 4 for her to be selected. Two hours later, the 5 read a list of the girls for a second tryout. Her heart 6 as the list ended without her name. Feeling 7, she walked back to her dormitory carrying her schoolbag full of homework.

    Arriving at the dormitory, she started with 8. She had always been a good math student, but now she was 9. She moved on to English and history, and was 10 to find that she didn't have any trouble with those subjects. Feeling better, she decided not to 11 math for the time being.

    The next day Jenna went to see Mrs Biden about being on the school 12.  Mrs Biden wasn't as enthusiastic as Jenna. “I'm sorry, 13 we have enough 14 for the newspaper already. Come back next year and we'll talk then. ” Jenna smiled 15 and left. “Why is college so different? ” she sighed.

    Later in math class, Jenna devoted herself to figuring out the problems that had given her so much 16. By the end of the class, she understood how to get them right. As she gathered her books, Jenna decided she'd 17 to try to fit in with her new school. She wasn't sure if she'd 18, but she knew she had to try. College was just as her mom had said, “You will feel like a small fish in a big pond 19 a big fish in a small pond. The challenge is to become the 20 fish you can be. ”

    After the quake hit northeast Japan on March 11, many moving stories that I saw with my own eyes happened around me.

    I had to walk home since all the 1 had stopped after the earthquake. On my way home I 2 an old lady at a bakery shop who was giving out free bread, which made my heart 3. A man was holding a sign that said, “Please use our 4.” He was 5 his house for people to go to the restroom.

    My friend wanted to 6 others. He stood in the cold with a sign “If you're okay with a motorcycle, I will 7 you to your house.” And then I saw him take one gentleman home, all the way to a faraway place! 

    Then next day I drove to 8 my car with gas. There is a lack (缺乏) of 9  now and many gasoline stations are either closed or have very 10 lines. I got 11, since I was behind 15 cars. Finally, when it was my 12, the man smiled and said, “13 this situation, we are only giving $30 worth gas per person. Is that alright?” “14. I'm just glad that we are all able to 15,” I said. His smile gave me so much comfort.

    I saw a man at the evacuation (疏散) center 16when people brought food to him. It was the first time in three days that food was brought to their center. However, after he wiped the tears, his next 17 surprised me. “I am very 18 that we are provided with food. But people in the city next to us haven't 19 any food at all. Please go to that center as well.” And when hearing that, I realized there is a bright future in the 20.

    There were once two 1 sharing the same hospital room. One man was allowed to 2in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain(排空)the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the only wall in the room that had a window. The other man had to spend all his time lying 3 on his back,4 at the white, dull ceiling.

    The men talked for hours 5 with each other. Best of all, every afternoon when the man by the window described all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour 6 where his world would be 7 by all the activity and colour of the world outside.

    The window 8 a park with a lovely lake. Around the lake there were couples 9 romantically arm in arm. Mothers were pushing their baby carts. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats.

    One warm afternoon, although the other man couldn't hear the 10 -- he could see the parade in his mind's eye as the man by the window 11 it with descriptive words. He knew now 12 he had to get better, and get out there to see all the wonderful things outside again, as soon as possible! 13, the next morning, the nurse found the man by the window had passed away 14 in his sleep. As soon as it seemed 15, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse agreed to make the 16. Slowly, painfully, he supported himself on one elbow to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a 17 wall. The man asked the nurse what could have 18 his 19roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse 20 that the man was blind. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."