One summer, Aunt Betta and Uncle Bill invited me to travel with them back home to Pennsylvania. I had never been1Los Angeles and was eager to meet our relatives.

    Our first night, we drove through the desert, and then through roads cut through hills. The next day we went through the Rocky Mountains. It was2driving up long inclines（斜坡） with abrupt U-shape turns on the steep hillsides, then driving3slowly with great caution. Beyond Colorado, we drove through miles of 4, where I saw actual food being grown. I5some of the crops.

    In one small town we passed through, Aunt Betta decided I needed new6and took me to a country 7. I was used to8dresses and skirts. Now I had my first pair of jeans, a flannel shirt, shorts and a T-shirt. I loved them all.

    9 we reached our destination. Uncle Bill's aunt had a perfect little two-story house. The first thing I 10was a bed in a cute little room — for me! I looked forward to that. It would be like sleeping in a dollhouse. In the backyard, I saw red things11the back fence. Uncle Bill's uncle said, "I think you never ate a 12tomato in L.A." I hadn't. He 13picked one for me.

    I met all my new aunts, uncles and cousins. My cousins taught me how to do cartwheels (恻手翻) in the big front yard. Country people have more14, I thought.

    All the adults cried when we 15, but I took home all the 16of everything I'd seen. Back in L.A., my lungs hurt when I took a deep breath. I 17 the fresh air. I dreamed of homegrown tomatoes. My country clothes seemed out of 18, but I wore them anyway.

    I was two weeks late starting19, but I told my teachers only that I'd been in Pennsylvania and decided to 20all the rest to myself. If only they could have experienced everything that I did!

    Since my childhood, I always dreamed of becoming a full - time writer. Two years after my graduation, I 1my job and made up my mind to realize my 2.

    No one could tell me 3I would succeed or not. I rented a cold storage room in a building, set up a used desk and4 to write. I had too many things to write and I had to write because the5was full of my heart.

    After a year or so, however, I began to doubt myself. I found it6to earn my living by selling what I wrote. I can't remember how many times my novels were7during that year. But I8to put my dream to the test—even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of9I believed anyone with a dream must learn to struggle for the10 .

    During the most difficult period of my life, one of my classmates came to see me and tried to 11me, “Yun, come to our company, and we will 12you 2,000 yuan a month.” 2,000 yuan was really a big13at that time. It would enable me to live14As the money were dancing in my 15, something cleared my senses. Hadn't I dreamed of being a writer A full - time writer.

    “Thanks, but no,” I said16 , “I'm going to stick to writing.”

    Again and again, I said to myself, “I will be17. People will love my novels.”

    Finally my first novel was 18 in 1991. I had the kind of fame and success that few writers ever 19.

    Twenty years have passed, but the effect it had on my life has lasted. Now I often20the time working in that cold storage room. I will say, “Anyone with a dream, courage and persistence will be successful.”

    When I was a little girl, I remember that when my dad was repairing something, every time he asked me to 1 the hammer, just so we would have a time for a 2 with each other. I 3saw my dad drinking or taking a night out with the boys, all he did after 4 was taking care of his family.

    I 5 and left home for college and since then, my dad had been calling me every Sunday morning, no matter what. And when several 6 later I bought a house, my dad was 7 it by himself for three days in the 80°F summer heat. All he 8 was to hold his paint brush and talk to him. But I was too9in those days, I did not find any time for a conversation with my dad.

    One Sunday 10 we had a telephone talk as usual, I noticed that my dad had 11some things that we discussed 12 . I was in a hurry, so our conversation was 13 . Few hours later that day came a call. My father was in a hospital with an aneurysm(动脉瘤). 14 I bought a ticket for a flight and 15 I was thinking about all 16 occasions(场合) to have a talk with my dad.

    By the time I 17 at the hospital, my father had passed away. Now it was he who did not have 18 for a conversation with me. After his death I 19much more about him, and even more about myself. All he ever asked me was my time. And now he has all my 20every single day.

    Years ago, when I arrived to speak at a high school in Louisiana, I heard a lot about a student called Wild Man. Long-haired, plate-throwing…Teachers and students thought 1 of him. Unlike Wild Man, there was a student who had been a 2 to everyone. Zachary was a kid who helped with all the games and dances. But he had a 3, and for years Zach had been in a wheelchair (轮椅) controlled by 4, moving from class to class.

    A month before I arrived, Zach's condition got worse and he 5 an electric wheelchair to stay at school. 6 it, he would have to leave school.

    It turned out that Zach couldn't 7 the new electric chair, so his only 8 was to check out. When the day of Zach's 9 came, all the teachers and students got together in a hall. Zach 10 it was his last day at school.

    The student president was introduced and he then 11 everyone when he introduced Wild Man. Without saying a word, Wild Man 12 Zach and brought him to the center of the stage (舞台). Wild Man then 13 himself and disappeared backstage. Seconds later, he reappeared driving a new and shiny electric wheelchair. After 14 Zach in the chair, he showed Zach how to use it and let Zach 15 around the stage. With tears streaming from their faces, two thousand teachers and students 16 and clapped for five minutes.

    Were they just 17 Zach and the fact that he could now 18 in their school? No, they were also cheering for Wild Man, who got Zach a new 19 by collecting money from his friends.

    So, it's 20: we shouldn't judge (评判) a book by its cover.

    As the train picked up its speed, the passengers slowly settled down on their seats, I1the lower berth(铺位),so that I could enjoy the2of outside from the moving train. I don t know why I always preferred to get the 3 seat. An elderly lady4the front seat of mine. I looked at her. She must be in her eighties, I guessed. At one point, we met our5. She smiled at me and I gave her a response. Both of us were6. By that time, the train was in its full speed.

    It was 4:50 pm, evening time. So,7time was still in a long way, I couldn't8myself any longer and asked, "Auntie! Where are you going?"

    She looked at me and friendly said, "9 camp, dear."

    Suddenly my enthusiasm10to know the reason. I politely said. "Auntie, you are 11 someone?"

    She smiled and said, "Yes!"

    Just to continue the conversation, I talked to her in a very cheerful 12. "Auntie, you must he feeling so13to see your child and your grandchildren."

    14, this question hurt her a little but boldly (大胆地) she answered, "Oh, dear! You are so sweet! Anyway, I had only one son who was15and was killed in a battle just a few days before. I bought so many new clothes for him. So, I thought why not 16my son's clothes for some other soldiers, so that I would control my 17and would be happy thinking that my own son has18it."

    I was shocked hearing her heartbreaking story! But I19the old lady from the core of my heart, I was thinking of her20heart!

I walked through the Prudential Center wearing my old black sweatpants and a simple T-shirt. Then the bright lights from the window nearby 1 my eye and I came near to it. The window was 2 with the new collection and some classics. That was when I saw those beautiful but 3 Gucci T-shirts. The green and red stripes a key 4 of any Gucci product that everybody knows, shouted so loud that I could hear their cries 5 the glass. What's more, all of the pictures of those Gucci T-shirts I had seen 6 me that I needed them.

But then I collected my thoughts and asked myself, "Do I truly 7 the design of them, or do I want them just for 8 (to let my friends and even strangers notice that I have Gucci T-shirts)? After thinking 9, I figured out that those T-shirts aren't really 10 to me and that they wouldn't help me improve myself.

In my opinion, it is 11 to rely on luxuries (奢侈品) to make us feel special. 12, not only do these brands lead us to spend a lot of money, but they also fool us into thinking these items are going to make us get 13 by a particular group. A sense of true 14 should come from what you have added to the world and how you have 15 other people's lives in a good way.