Dad was not only my best friend, but my compass (指南针). While he was alive, he1 me with his actions and advice. He taught me one important 2: “Believe in yourself.”

    If there was one phrase my dad 3liked to hear, it was “I can't.” He never got to finish high school and 4 two jobs to support his large family, 5 he never complained. Through education and years of hard work, my dad became an excellent journalist.

    When I was in high school, I had a 6time with math. He tried to help me, but I 7 struggled. So my math teacher suggested I meet with him at 7:00 each morning before school for 8 help. I told Dad, “That's9! I'm tired! I can't do that!” He replied, “You're doing it. I'll send you to school.” Every morning at 6:45, we'd leave the10. Despite (尽管) working 12 hours every day, Dad never once11 driving me to school.

    After months of12, I was facing the final exam. I was so13. On the day of the final, my dad hugged me and said, “Luke, 14yourself. You can do it.” His words made me realize I needed to trust in my15 and in the hours of work I'd 16. When I got my17 proudly, the first person I called was my father. He cried, “Yes! You deserved it!”

    Even now, whenever I18 that a task is too much for me, I think back to that exam. No matter how 19something is, if you're willing to work, you can succeed. I'm forever20 to Dad for that lesson.

    Once when there was a famine (饥荒), a rich baker sent for twenty of the poorest children in the town, and said to them, “In this basket, there is a loaf (一条面包) for each of you. 1 it, and come back to me every2at this hour till better times come.”

    The hungry children 3 eagerly around the basket, and quarreled for the bread 4 each wished to have the largest loaf. At last they went away without even 5the good gentleman. But Gretchen, a poorly-dressed little girl, did not 6 or struggle with the rest, but remained 7 modestly in the distance. When the ill-behaved children had left, she took the 8 loaf, which alone was left in the basket, 9the gentleman's hand, and went home.

    The next day the children were as 10 as before, and poor, shy Gretchen received a loaf only nearly half the 11 of the one she got the first day. When she came home, her mother cut the 12 open, and then many new, shining pieces of silver fell out of it. Her mother was very much 13 , and said, “Take the money back to the good 14at once, for it must have got into the loaf 15 . Be quick, Gretchen! Be quick!”

    But when the little girl gave the rich man her mother's 16 , he said, “No, no, my child, it was no 17 . I had the silver pieces put into the smallest loaf to 18 you. Always be as contented (满足的), peaceable, and 19 as you now are. Go home now, and the 20 is your own.”

    I spent last summer volunteering at a hospital.It was a gift to 1so many amazing people and I'd like to share one of these moments.One day，I was called to a room where a(n)2woman was staying. Usually I helped with3who were ready to leave.Instead，she 4to go to the gift shop.I got a 5 ， helped her into it，and headed down to the entrance.

    When we got there，it wasn't open yet.After a 30-minute 6 ， we entered the gift shop.As I pushed her around，I could see the 7in her face as she looked at everything，happy to be out of her room.She 8some window decorations，and then saw chocolates.

    She asked me to push her in that 9 ， and then I helped her10all the different chocolate arrangements.11 she decided on three different boxes.

    She told me to write the numbers 1，2，and 3 on the boxes.She 12that the nurses were taking such good care of her，so she13chocolates for each of the three shifts of nurses.As we gave the current shift of nurses their box of chocolate，they14offered some to me before taking some themselves.

    There were15all around.Witnessing the old lady's16and getting the opportunity to spend time with someone who got so much joy from life was a17in itself. I have so many more stories，and each person made an impact on my life. I've 18that health has a way of bringing people together.19is a blessing，and being in a place where health is so 20and appreciated is unlike anything else.

    After lunch, without permission from parents, the two boys set off to explore the part of the beach which lay beyond the headland(陆岬). They had persuaded their young sister to 1 saying that the long walk would be too 2 for her. Once they had got in the headland, the beach reached away endlessly before them. It was like 3 a new world. There were damp, dark caves to 4 there were many 5 among the rocks, full of sea lives. Here and there along the beach were those 6objects, washed up and 7by the tide.(潮汐)

    The afternoon passed 8The sun was already 9 when the boys reluctantly (恋恋不舍)10to make their 11 homewards. But long before they reached the headland, they could see that tide had come in so sudden that they were now 12from either end of the beach. Their only chance of 13was to find a way up the cliff(悬崖) nearby.

    They soon find a narrow path 14the cliff top. But half way up their path was15by a large rock which they could not climb 16. The two boys had to17at the top of their voices,18 that someone might19over the top of the rock. Finally came their father and two policemen.20 of them climbed down a rope which was lowered over the rock. The boys were then pulled to safety, and thus saved from spending a terrible night on the cliff.

    I believe in my mother very much, and my belief began when I was just a kid. I dreamed of becoming a 1 then.

    My mother was a servant. Through her work, she 2 that reliable people spent a lot of time 3 than they did watching TV. So she 4 my brother and I could only watch two TV programs every week. We had to read two books each week and 5 our book reports to her, 6 she would mark them. Years later we realized her marks were a 7 --she was illiterate (不认识字的).

    When I entered high school I was an A-student. But I wanted the fancy 8 and to hang out with other guys. I went from being an A-student to a B-student then a C-student. One night my mother came home from work and I 9 about not having an Italian shirt. She said, "I'll give you all the money I 10 this week, and you can buy the family food and pay the bills.11 there is some money left, you can have all you want."

    I was very 12 with that arrangement but once I allocated (分配)the money, there was 13 left. I realized my mother was a financial genius and was able to have a(n)14 over our heads. I also realized that 15satisfaction wasn't going to get me anywhere.

    I went back to my 16 and became an A-student again, and eventually I17 my dream and became a doctor.

    My mother is a woman with 18education who can only take her position as a parent to 19 the lives of us. There is no job more 20 than parenting(养育) and it's just what I believe.

    In the clinic, I asked if Michael could be retested, so the specialist tested him again. To my 1, it was the same score.

    Later that evening, I2 told Frank what I had learned that day. After talking it over, we agree that we knew our 3 much better than an IQ test. We 4 that Michael's score must have been a 5 and we should treat him 6as usual.

    We moved to Indiana in 1962, and Michael studied at Concordia High School in the same year. He got 7 grades in the school, especially 8 biology and chemistry, which was a great comfort.

    Michael 9 Indiana University in 1965 as a pre-medical student, soon afterwards, his teachers permitted him to take more courses than 10. In 1968, he was accepted by the School of Medicine, Yale University.

    On graduation day in 1972, Frank and I 11 the ceremony at Yale. After the ceremony, we told Michael about the 12 IQ score he got when he was six. Since that day, Michael sometimes would look at us and say 13, “My dear mom and dad never told me that I couldn't be a doctor, not until after I graduated from medical school!” It is his special way of thanking us for the 14 we had in him.

    Interestingly, Michael then 15 another IQ test. We went to the same clinic where he had 16 the test eighteen years before. This time Michael scored 126, an increase of 36 points. A result like that was supposed to be 17.

    Children often do as 18 as what adults, particularly parents and teachers, 19 of them. That is, tell a child he is “ 20”, and he may play the role of a foolish child.