The Broken Lantern

    On a wild July night, the storm was getting worse and worse. Kate Shelley, who lived between Honey Creek(小溪) and Des Moines River, was1looking out of the window, wondering2it would wash away the bridges over them, when suddenly came the loud3of breaking wood, then followed by a great splash(飞溅的水花). She realized the bridge over the creek was4. At that time, the midnight train was almost due. If no one told the engineer to5the train, it would fall into the creek with a hundred or more6. The situation was so urgent that Kate7to go to Moingon Railway Station to get help. Immediately she8out into the storm with her father's railway lantern.

    Moingon lay on the far side of Des Moines River. The only way to get there was to cross a long wooden railroad bridge. Even in the daytime, it was9to walk on it because there was no foot walk or railing(栏杆) except only rails and ties. The ties were 10enough apart for the girl to fall through.

    Kate stopped when she came to the 11  She had never seen the river rising so high that she was 12  Her father had been killed in a train accident by that river and her brother had drowned there. But she soon managed to 13thinking more of the past happenings for she knew that train had to be stopped14it was too late. She started to step on that dangerous bridge, knowing she might fall into the rush water at any moment. What's worse, she broke her lantern while making her way, exposing herself to the 15  She had to climb on her hands and knees…It seemed like a long time. At last she 16the other side. She stopped just long enough to catch her breath. Then she ran 17to the railway station. When she finally got there, she was out of 18  wet all over, her hat blown away, her hands and knees still bleeding and her eyes looking 19. She told the station man what had happened to the Honey Creek Bridge before her fainting. Finally, the passengers were saved. The girl's heroic deed was rewarded. For her 20act, Kate enjoyed a right of getting on or off the train at her door when she wanted.

    When I was a junior school student, I was a slightly bored male student who believed that doing any more than 1 was wasted effort. One day, this idea threw me into 2.

    In Mrs. Totten's math class, she3 assigned daily homework, and on the following day, our 4 were based on our oral answers to homework questions.

    Mrs. Totten usually walked up and down the rows of desks 5 answers from student after student in the 6the questions had appeared on our homework sheets. She would 7either at the front or the back of the classroom and work toward the other end.

    Since I was  8 near the middle of about 35 students, it was easy to9which questions I might have to answer. This particular time, I had completed my usual two or three problems according to my 10.

    What I11 to expect was that several students were 12, which threw off my estimate.13 Mrs. Totten made her way from the beginning of the class，I 14 tried to determine which math problem I would get. I tried to work it out before she got to me, but I had 15freeze and it couldn't even16.

    When Mrs. Totten 17 my desk，she asked what answer I'd got for problem No. 14. "I…I didn't get anything," I answered，and my face felt warm.

    "Correct," she said.

    It 18that the correct answer was zero.

    What did I learn that day? First,19 do all your homework. Second, in real life it isn't what you say but how you say it that 20.

    Whenever my kids have a party at school, I am the mom who always signs up to bring the juice boxes. It's not because I'm 1 or that I don't care if my kids have a good party. I am just not good at making homemade bread into holiday-themed shapes like other mothers. 2, I'm happy to try, even though it'll 3 me a long time to do it.

    People say that housewives should have the 4 to make delicious meals, keep their houses clean, and 5 every minute of their child's life. Their words used to 6 me a lot. I felt that I should also be able to do those things as a housewife. So 7 I couldn't make the turkey-shaped cookies, I 8 feeling like a failure as a mom.

    After many 9 attempts at baking, and many afternoons spent crying over my inabilities as a mother, I finally accepted the 10 that my lot (命运) in life is to be the juice box mom. I worked hard to be the 11 one in the elementary school. And after one of my daughter's class parties, it 12. Her teacher stopped me as I was leaving and said, “Thank you so much for always bringing 13 drinks. Sometimes parents forget that other children will also 14 class parties, and they end up being left out because we don't have enough 15 for everyone.”

    I just accepted her appreciation（感激）, rather than telling her that I brought extra drinks because I could 16 remember how many kids were in the class. But her 17 taught me an important lesson: I'm not a failure as a mom.

    Not everyone is cut out to be a(n) 18 mom. I believe it's okay to be the juice box mom. I may not bake cookies and decorate them beautifully, but I 19 something to drink. And I think that's just as 20.

    My first job was at a local restaurant, where I worked for seven years and learned so many lessons, especially from a fellow1.

    Helen was in her 30s and had extraordinary self-confidence, something I was really 2. I looked up to Helen 3 she was doing what she loved— 4people better. She always made everyone, customers and co-workers,5and feel good.

    Being a waitress changed my life. One of my6customers was Fred Hasbrook. He always ate an omelet(炒蛋), and when I saw him7, I tried to have it on his table as soon as he sat down.

    Thanks to the newfound confidence I 8from Helen, I dreamed of having my own9. But when I called my parents to ask for a loan(贷款), they said, "We just don't have the money."

    The next day, Fred saw me and asked, "What's 10? You're not smiling today." I 11my dream with him and said, "Fred, I know I can do more if somebody12just have faith in me."

    Before long he handed me checks13$50,000—along with a note that I have to this day. It reads, "The only collateral(抵押品)on this loan is my trust in your14as a person. Good people with a dream should have 15to make that dream come true."

    I took the checks to Merrill Lynch, where the money was provided for me. I16working at the restaurant, making17 for the restaurant I would open. My plans soured, though, and I lost the 18.

    Later I decided to apply for a job at Merill Lynch. Even though I had no experience, I was 19and ended up becoming a pretty good agent. 20. I paid back Fred the $50,000, plus 14-percent annual interest. Five years later, I was able to open my own firm.

    It was early one hot morning in 2015 when, accompanied by my mother, I was1wheeled to the taxi stand. Three weeks earlier, I had2my left ankle at home. Now, I was on my way to being3 for an operation at the Philippine General Hospital.

    I was feeling 4as I'd never had surgery before and the thought of it5me. After waiting for6for more than 90 minutes, we were still standing there. It usually only takes a few minutes, but on this particular Sunday they would7 us either already filled with passengers or8to take us. Perhaps they weren't 9to carry my 10. My mother was starting to get frustrated as we were fast running out of time; our11was scheduled for 10:45am. Then a black SUV12 and stopped in front of us. The driver, taking a look at us, said, "You two look like you could use a13!" He told us he'd seen us earlier as he was taking his son to a14school activity. He was now returning home and saw that we were still there.

    With no questions asked, this good Samaritan welcomed us aboard and got us to the hospital. We arrived at 10:30 – just in time. He refused any15, saying people should help one another. He left with a smile.

    I was finally16. A long recovery process and physical therapy followed and now I am able to17again.

    To this day we have not18again this friendly driver who went out of his way, but his generosity towards us has19in our minds and taught me to keep watch for and help others 20.

At just seven years old, Angelina Tsuboi discovered her passion for innovation. It all began with a simple game she programmed in her Los Angeles public school's Grade 2class. Today , at18, the Grade 12 student's initial curiosity has evolved into a deep-seated desire to use technology to decode (解码) real-world problems. 

In 2021, she co-developed Megaphone, one of her first apps, to tackle unanswered post-class questions and poor communication about events and announcements. Her problem-solving ability kept building from there. 

When she took online CPR classes at the start of the pandemic, she figured it couldn't be just her who was struggling with the steps. So she created an app called CPR Buddy ― a winner in the 2022 Apple Swift Challenge ― which guides users through CPR using vibrations (震动) to regulate breath. After winning the award, Angelina presented her work to Apple CEO Tim Cook, a highlight in her young career, but one she didn't lose her cool over. "There's no point putting people on a pedestal (神坛)," she says. 

The next year, Angelina built an app called Lilac, designed to assist nonEnglish-speaking single parents with resources for housing, job opportunities and translation support. She was inspired by her own experiences as a child of a single mother who immigrated to the US. 

When Angelina decided to pursue pilot training at the age of 16, she was struck by how difficult it was to find financial support, which encouraged her to create yet another app, Pilot Fast Track, which helps those longing to be pilots find scholarships for flight training. 

Looking to the future, besides applying to colleges with great labs, Angelina is exploring the field of aerospace cybersecurity and mechatronics ― combining computer science, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. 

"There's not enough optimism in the world," she says. "I have also been in situations in my life where I've lost a lot of hope. But in the end, it is a mindset, and there are ways in any situation you're in to make it somewhat better. "