We have been driving in fog all morning, but the fog is lifting now. The little seaside villages are 1 one by one. "There is my grandmother's house," I say,2 across the bay to a shabby old house.

    I am in Nova Scotia on a pilgrimage (朝圣) with Lise, my granddaughter, seeking roots for her, retracing (追溯)3 memory for me. Lise was one of the mobile children,4 from house to house in childhood. She longs for a sense of 5 , and so we have come to Nova Scotia where my husband and I were born and where our ancestors 6for 200 years.

    We soon 7 by the house and I tell her what it was like here, the memories8back, swift as the tide (潮水).

Suddenly, I long to walk again in the 9where I was once so glorious a child. It still 10a member of the family, but has not been lived in for a while. We cannot go into the house, but I can still walk11the rooms in memory. Here, my mother 12 in her bedroom window and wrote in her diary. I can still see the enthusiastic family 13 into and out of the house. I could never have enough of being 14 them. However, that was long after those childhood days. Lise 15 attentively as I talk and then says, " So this is where I 16 ; where I belong. "

She has17her roots. To know where I come from is one of the great longings of the human 18. To be rooted is "to have an origin". We need 19 origin. Looking backward, we discover what is unique in us; learn the20 of "I". We must all go home again—in reality or memory.

    It was already half past seven and I was running late again for the dinner appointment with my wife, Eleanor. We had 1 to meet at the restaurant at seven o'clock. I felt a little uneasy, but to my2 ， I had a good excuse: A business meeting had 3and I'd wasted no time getting to the dinner.

    When I arrived at the4 ，1 apologized and told Eleanor I didn't mean to be late. She screamed, "You never mean to." Well, I 5tell she was angry. "I'm sorry but it was not6," I said. Then I told her about the business meeting.7, my explanation seemed to make things worse, which started to drive 8 mad as well.

    Several weeks later, when I9 the situation to my friend Ken Hardy, he smiled, "You10a classic mistake. You're stuck 11your own way of thinking. You didn't 12 to be late. But that's not the point. What is13in your communication is how your lateness affected Eleanor." He pointed out that I focused on the intention14Eleanor focused on the result. Thus, 15 of us felt misunderstood and crazy.

    Thinking more about Ken's words, I 16 recognized the root cause of such disagreement. It's the result of the action that really 17.I should have started the conversation by expressing18 my actions affected Eleanor and 19the discussions about my intention for later, much later and even never.

    Later on, after talking to Eleanor and really20her experience of the results of my lateness, I've managed to be on time a lot more frequently.

    The Grand Ole Opry, in Nashville, Tennessee, has always been American's most important concert hall for country music. Every Saturday night the place is filled with country music1

    One 2 in January 1967, it was a very 3night at the Opry and for the first time a4 man was an attraction (吸引力).5 music has always been thought of as “white music”. For many, it was a strange 6 to see Charley Pride step 7 the Opry stage. Some people felt 8 about whether a black man could sing country songs.9 Charley's smooth voice quickly 10 over the Opry 11 Charley was so good that before long, he was country music's biggest12.

    Like many country singers, Charley was13on a farm. He spent his youth milking cows and picking cotton. But he knew he wasn't going to make 14his career (事业). Later, he became a baseball player.

    Charley made it to a major league team. But he didn't stay on for more than one season.

    In the winter, after the baseball season, Charley 15 at a local nightclub. One evening, Red Sovine, a great country music star,16 Charley sing and told Charley to forget about 17 and go for a singing career.

    Charley took the 18and became a true hit-maker. His 19 were always near the top on the list. Some were number one all over the country.

    Today Charley Pride is 20one of the biggest stars in country music. But he says his real wish is to own a baseball team.

    My class and I visited Chris Care Center in Phoenix, Arizona to comfort the old people. The first two 1 there were for persons requiring 2 in taking care of themselves. They loved our sweet songs we sang and the flowers we gave them.

    As we were 3 on the third floor for old people with Alzheimer (老年痴呆症), most of them 4 off at the walls or floor. However, one lady 5my eye. She was singing songs to herself. They weren't the songs that we were singing, at least they didn't 6 like that. As we got7with each song, she did as well. The louder we got, the louder she got.8 she was singing, she was also 9out to us with her hands and body. I knew that I should have gone over to her, but I thought that my10were to my students. People who worked at the care center could 11to her, I thought.

    Just when I stopped feeling 12 about not giving her the attention she needed, one of my students, Justin, also 13 the same lady. The difference between us is that he 14 on her needs, but I didn't. Justin looked this aged lady in her15 and said, “You're important, and I will take my 16 to let you know that.” This elderly lady stopped singing and held his hand. Tears felt down her face. No 17can completely describe that touching moment.

    It took a boy to 18me about kindness and love. Justin's example of a complete, selfless attitude toward another was a19that I'll never forget. He was the teacher that day, and I consider myself 20 to have witnessed his lesson.

    When you're willing to ask for what you want but don't insist on getting it, there are some potential hidden benefits as well. For example, you sometimes 1 the sympathy and generosity in others.

    Several years ago, I arrived in Mumbai very late one evening. 2 having a confirmed reservation, the hotel was overbooked and was 3 people away. The man in front of me was angry and became very 4.

He insisted on getting his way—but there were no 5. He stormed out, defeated and angry. He was totally 6 to the fact that it wasn't the receptionist's 7. It wasn't personal.

I walked up to the receptionist and said8, “I really understand your9 and don't blame you a bit. I would 10 it so much if you would help me. I know you don't have any rooms here, but could you help me find another 11 close by?” I thought it was wise to ask—as long as I didn't 12.

    Hearing my words, she was 13. Remarkably, she said she had some great news, She had completely 14 that fact that one of the guests had to leave in an 15 and wouldn't be back. It turned out the most expensive room! Because I had been so 16, she gave it to me at lower rate.

    The question is, why didn't she 17 this empty room and give it to the angry man in front of me? I think the answer is pretty 18. His insistence pushed her away and may have even 19 to her “forgetfulness”. When I was talking to her, however, she relaxed and felt less 20. Her memory returned and I ended up getting a few hours of much-needed sleep.

    So be sure to ask for what you want, but don't insist on getting it.

    "What an excellent thing is knowledge," said a sharp-looking, talkative man to one who was 1 older than himself. "Knowledge is an 2 thing, as everyone can see,"3  he. "My boys know more at six and seven years old than I did at twelve. They can read all sorts of books, and 4 on all sorts of subjects. The world is a great deal wiser than it used to be. Everybody knows 5 of everything now. Do you not think, sir, that knowledge is an excellent thing?" " 6  , sir," replied the old man in surprise, looking 7 in manner, "that depends 8 upon the use it is applied. It may be a blessing or a curse(诅咒）. Knowledge is only an 9 of power, and power may be bad, 10 a good thing" "That is what I can't understand," said the 11 little man. "How can power be a bad thing?"

    "I will tell you" calmly replied the old man and thus he went on: "When the power of a horse is under control, the animal is 12in bearing burden, drawing loads, and carrying his master, but 13 that power is out of control, the horse 14 his bridle (缰绳），dashes to pieces the carriage that he draws, or throws his 15. " "I see!" said the little man.

    "When the ship is operated alright, the sail that she 16 enables her sooner to get into port, but if operated 17 ,the more sails she carries, the further she will go out of her course" "I see!" said the little man, " I clearly see! "

    "Well then，"18the old man, "if you see these things clearly, I hope you can see, too, that knowledge, to be good thing, must be rightly applied. God's grace in the heart will make the knowledge of the head a blessing but 19 this, it may 20 to us no better than a curse." "I see! I see! " said the little man, "I see! "