When my sister Diane began playing the violin, she was seven. How did she sound? Terrible. But she didn't 1. At twelve, she asked our parents if she could 2 a full-time music school. They said no. Actually, everyone agreed that my sister 3 talent.

    I was better at my 4. My teacher had told my parents that I had great 5. So my parents found the best piano teacher in the area to 6 me. But the only time he was 7was Saturday afternoons at 3 P. m. Back then, I was 8 about the British TV show “The Avengers”, which was 9 every Saturday at 3 P. p. m. I let nothing take up my “Avengers” hour . So I 10 this amazing opportunity. Today, I don't even have a 11 in my house.

    My sister became an engineer, but she 12stopped making music. When she was in her 40s, she switched （转换）13. She went back to college, got a 14 in music education, and became a music teacher. She starts kids out on their first instrument and gives them all the encouragement and support she never 15.

Recently, she and a pianist pal put on a recital（音乐独奏会）. A big crowd of friends and family 16 for her. As she played, I looked around at the 17. Everyone was 18enjoying the music. It occurred to me that I was the only person who remembered that 7-year-old kid making those perfectly 19 sounds and knew how far she had come, despite 20.

    Talent is important. But enthusiasm is even more important.

    When I was shopping a few months ago , I saw a man trying to get people to donate(捐赠)to a very well-known charity(慈善团体)for children. I1to him that I can't donate money any more2my bank account(账户)having some problems last year. It was a3time and took months to get back our money.4, I noticed the man was hungry and cold, so I offered him a(n)5 in the nearby restaurant.

    Last week I6home on a really hot day. My husband Stewart was at the table with a person from a Charity having a7. We talked for a while and then I said, “I8you!” and he looked at me in surprise and said, “Oh, you're the lovely lady that9me a big lunch and drinks when I was at  10trying to get people to donate.” We both laughed and we had a little 11.

    He told me that he had let the organizers know about this lovely woman 12him out on a cold day. He said 13was so unexpected. I was so 14to see him again, sitting in my home. My act had really 15him for the kindness of it and I loved the fact that Steward had 16him in out of the heat for a cold drink.

    In our daily life, maybe we 17know how we18people when we do good things. But in fact, 19we do does affect others, for it is a lovely 20. Kindness is so catching (感染力的).

    On July 24, 1916, a natural gas explosion trapped 32 men working in a tunnel 250 feet below Lake Erie. The first rescuers who entered the tunnel were 1 by gas, and for hours no one else dared to enter the suffocating (窒息的)2 deathtrap.

    Then, late that night, someone had an idea3 Garrett Morgan and his new invention. Garrett Morgan was a successful 4 owner in Cleveland. The son of freed slaves and the seventh of 11 children, mechanically minded Morgan had opened his own sewing machine shop, which he soon 5 to a tailoring factory with 32 employees.

    In the early 1900s, factory buildings were crowded and untidy. They were often6 of wood, with no fire escapes. Fire could cause serious7 Concerned about his employees, Morgan 8 with a “safety hood” (头罩) that would allow the wearer to9 despite a fire's poisonous smoke.

    Morgan knew smoke rises during a fire10 he created a heat-resistant hood with a long tube reaching to the floor. Wearing Morgan's hood, a firefighter could breathe the 11 air near the 12 Morgan lined the breathing tube with a sponge-like material that was wetted before use to13 the air. A second tube was designed to14 exhaled (呼出的) air.

    Called to the scene on the night of the tunnel explosion, Garrett arrived with samples of his safety hood. Still in their nightwear, he and his brother Frank put on the hoods and 15 entered the tunnel. It was a dangerous 16 of the invention, but they saved two lives and 17four bodies before officials closed the18Morgan knew that more lives might have been saved if he had been called sooner.

    The daring19 made Morgan famous and brought requests for safety hoods from fire departments around the country. But his greatest20 was knowing that his invention would now save more people.

    For Nick Vujicic, life was going to be difficult from the day he was born.When Nick arrived into this world, he 1 everyone.He was not like the other babies and it was 2 obvious to his parents and to the doctors in the hospital.

    There was no 3 or answers for his condition.Nick was born without any limbs—that is he was born without any arms or legs.But despite being physically  4 , he was mentally 5 and the rest of his body was functioning fine.

    6 he had loving parents, Nick would find school hard as he would often be looked down upon by the other children and at the young age of 10, he considered  7 his life by drowning himself in a bathtub.These dark thoughts were 8 by his negative attitude to being disabled and at the time, he thought that he would never be able to do 9 by himself, that he would never have a job and that he would always have to 10 on his parents for help.

    Nick was wrong.As an adult, Nick is a successful public speaker and is famous for his motivational 11 which focus on life with a disability, hope and finding meaning in life worldwide.He  12 so many people with the story of his life, how he has 13 so many difficulties and most importantly how he is happy every day.

    Despite having no arms or legs, Nick lives 14 , even finding ways to do almost  15 things like brushing his teeth on his own and swimming.He has to work harder than a full bodied person and he achieves his goals.

    At the first impression, you may look at Nick and feel 16 .You may feel sad that this man has no arms or legs and you might feel his 17 and upset that he could find everyday situations difficult.But we should

    18 Nick, as he is extremely positive and he gets on with life.He 19 every day and makes the best of what he has: a positive attitude, a creative mind and a powerful 20 .He also has a very kind and very beautiful wife and they are truly happy and in love.

    One of my favorite things in life is my monthly date with my daughter. Now it has become our 1to include some kind of Smile Card activity whenever we can. It's very2today, so we planned to make our3act something cool. We went to an ice cream shop,4 at the table near the counter.

    As we5our ice cream, we said that we'd like to6ice cream for the next person who came to the counter. After knowing my intention, the cashier was so excited and couldn't7for the8person. My daughter was also excited to9our victim(受害者) secretly.

    About five minutes later the cashier told us, "Oh, a mother and two little kids are coming!" As the woman10their ice cream and11for her wallet, the cashier told her that someone wanted to buy her family's ice cream. She couldn't 12it. "Seriously?" she asked with 13. Rachel and I14not to notice.

    The cashier came over to "wipe our table", leaving our15without being seen. She was as16as we were about our act of kindness. We took a piece of paper and  17a note to the cashier thanking her for helping us. We placed the note and a Smile Card on the counter, leaving the shop before we were seen.

    When we got home, my daughter was still excited to tell her mom what we did. I love my date with my daughter more than18in the world. What's more, I19every moment with her. It is even more special that we20our Smile Card adventure together.

    One day, when I was in high school, I saw a kid named Kyle from my class walking home from school with all his books. I thought to myself, "1 would anyone bring home all his books for the weekend? He must really be 2."

    As I was walking, I saw several kids running toward him. They ran at him, 3all his books out of his arms and he fell down in the dirt. His glasses went 4and landed in the grass.

    My 5 went out to him. So, I ran over to him. 6 I handed him his glasses, he looked at me and said, "Hey, thanks!"

    I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it 7, he lived near me. We talked all the way home. Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.

    Kyle was the 8 student of our class, one of those guys that really found 9 during high school. Therefore he had the honor to prepare a 10 speech. On the graduation day, I could see that he was 11. So, I patted(拍) him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be 12!" He looked at me and smiled.

    He cleared his throat, and began. "Graduation is a time to 13 those who helped you make it through those 14 years. Your parents, your teachers…but mostly your friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best 15 you can give him."

    I just looked at my friend with 16 as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to 17himself over the weekend and was carrying his books home. "Thankfully, nothing happened. My friend 18 me from doing the unspeakable(不能说出来的)."

    Not until that moment did I realize that you should never underestimate(低估) the 19of your actions. With one small act you can 20 a person's life. For better or for worse.