Teaching second grade is always a challenge. Each student arrives at school with his own needs and difficulties. One year a student called Billy 1me with his behavior as well as his academic requirements. He struggled daily with his 2emotions and often became angry or violent. I knew that, to make 3progress，his emotions needed controlling.

    One 4I tried to help Billy was to have him come directly into the classroom when he arrived at school. Billy's mom would 5me to alert(警告) me to a particularly emotional morning at home. Then, I would focus on 6his anger and calming him down before the other students arrived.

    One week our class was studying 7.I thought one way to bring learning into the classroom was to bring my dog Rocky to school for the day.

    That day began as normal. I was preparing activities focused on dog themes 8I was told that Billy had a 9morning at home and I might need to get him 10. As I was talking to his mom，Billy 11into the classroom. To Billy's12, Rocky immediately ran up to his new13, wagging his tail and licking Billy's face with doggy affection. Billy couldn't 14Rocky's charm(魅力)and began laughing as his anger melted away.

    Throughout the day，Billy never left Rocky's side, feeding him, being gentle with him and even 15the other students while Rocky was sleeping.

    Billy was known for doing anything he could to avoid16, but on this day he found a good dog story, “ Clifford's Puppy Days”, and read it to Rocky. How 17I was at the sight of Billy reading happily! My little dog was able to 18Billy's day from one of anger and frustration to one of laughter, gentleness and 19.

    That day Rocky more than helped me with my20; he helped to change the life of a child！After that Billy's behavior definitely improved.

    “Mum ,can I invite my classmate Brett over to stay tomorrow night, please? It's Friday ,and we don't have any,Can I1 please?”Mum was sitting at the kitchen table. Dad was2next to her, resting his head on his arms. Mum could3that James wanted so badly to have his friend over.

    “I'm so sorry, James,”she said.

    “I'm never allowed to have friends come to the house? Why, Mum?”James asked sadly ,almost in4

    “I know it's5for you,”Mum said softly.“But I'm just worried other people might think we're a little... strange. And then they would make fun of you.”

    “No, they wouldn't, Mum,”James protested.“We're not6at all. We're just ordinary people.”

    Mum sighed heavily.“To tell you the truth, James, my neck has been so painful that it's given me a heavy7And your poor father—he doesn't feel8He really needs a rest.”

    “I can help, Mum!”James said.“9I can make you and Dad feel better ,can Brett come over? Please?”

    “Well...”Mum began.

    “Great !Thanks, Mum!”James almost shouted.“Just sit there ,don't move.”He rushed over to the kitchen drawer and10what he needed—two spanners(扳手).“Hang on, Mum,”he said.“This won't take a second.”After some11, James was finished. With a smile of12on his face he said,“There! How does that feel? ”“Oh, James,”Mum said.“That's much better! How did you do it?”

    “Easy,”James said13“Dad had tightened your neck bolts(螺栓)too much! I just14them slightly !I learned that in robotic science at school.”

    “What about your father? Can you15him?”asked Mum.

    “I'll try,”James replied. He16up Dad's hair at the back of his neck , and plugged the electric wire into Dad's head. Then he turned the17on. Dad opened his eyes and18immediately .“ He just let his19run too low ,that's all,”James said,“Shall I tell Brett to come over straight after school tomorrow?”

    “I guess so,”replied Mum.“Your friends will just have to20that we are a very unusual family. Thanks, son!”

    As a child, I started learning to play the piano, my favorite musical 1 but I was forced to give up when I started my middle school2 I could concentrate more on my studies.

It's one of my biggest3 to stop practicing the piano when I recall sadly today. During the following years, I kept telling my piano teacher that I would4However, I didn't keep my promise because I was 5 with my study6 I lost touch with my teacher. Some years later, my teacher died. I was very sad because I lost such a good teacher. She was a very warm and gentle person. It hurts me to think she may have been 7 that I never returned. I haven't taken lessons since then but to be honest, I 8 to. Sitting at the piano, I couldn't help recalling many 9 —times of my practising at home and playing before my teacher and one time my teacher 10 me after I played entire pieces of music wrong in front of her colleagues. I was so 11 that I could hardly say anything. But her 12helped ease my shame. These memories13good or bad, never caused my14 for playing the piano again.

    This thought then led me to think that 15 is like music, and that we all try to play different 16 in the instrument of our life. Sometimes the pitch (音高) is17when we play it well, but sometimes we are out of tone. However, we all continue to create our own 18style of music. No matter what style our music is, it is 19 that we sing the songs of joy, quietness and love. Though I may never make it back to piano lessons, it doesn't 20 that I've stopped making music.

    Until a few years ago, I had what most people would call a good life. I had a 1 job that paid the bills; I had a good family that I was close to, and I had a place to live and money in the bank for trips and 2, and there was nothing much wrong in my life. 3, I was bored.

    I wanted more. I wanted to live 4 and loudly and make sharp memories instead of the 5 ones of everyday life. But I was 6. I had never had any 7 in myself. As a child, even buying something in a shop caused me a great deal of 8, and even though I did get better as I got older, I never quite 9 that childhood shyness.

    And I tried everything, like reading books about confidence. I also took tiny steps leading to my goals. But none of them really 10.

    So I 11 that the small steps weren't enough. I signed up for an internship (实习期的工作) of teaching English in Vietnam, an 12 huge step, one that 13 me as much as it excited me. And then the day came and I left my home and my loved ones. I was alone in a country where the food was 14 and the streets were unfamiliar. I had no idea whether I would be able to 15 everything that this very strange environment would 16 at me.

    I spent five months in Vietnam, teaching, exploring and laughing, I'd learnt to 17 myself, my skills, my abilities and my decisions. I returned home 18, even to myself, let alone to others. The 19 that had controlled my life and the self-doubt were 20.

    That one big chance changed everything for me, and in me.

    I'll never forget that "very important meeting" with a guidance counselor (咨询师) during my senior year of high school. I gladly 1 my dreams，and was looking forward to hearing his 2 advice on how best to achieve my academic and professional goals for the future. He told me that I was not college material and that "3 a nice secretarial school" would be my 4. His advice did change my life, 5 not in the way he expected—because I didn't follow it. I didn't even 6 it. By trying to put limitation on my future, he made me even more 7 to pursue a college degree and a 8 of my choice.

    At that moment in my eighteenth year, I started to be 9 for my life. I decided what kind of college I wanted to attend—one that was small, personal and would develop my enthusiasm and 10. I searched through many resources until I found the one for me: Endicott Junior College, then a women-only college in Beverly, Massachusetts. When I visited Endicott, it felt like home, and my 11 was made. It was the only college I visited, 12, and was interviewed by.

    I was 13 to Endicott for the fall term and immediately knew it was the 14 school for me. After studying subjects 15 from English to early childhood education to psychology and art, I 16 with all associate degree in advertising. Then I went to one of the state universities. I decided to acquire my Bachelor's 17—and I did, while holding two 18 jobs. Now, when my little girls tell me they want to do this or that, I always tell them that I'll be fight there for them, doing everything in my 19 to support them in making it happen, because I know dreams really do 20.

    In the past year I have lost two of the people I loved most. One was my little sister, and the other a best friend. I 1 them. They are still in my heart, and there they'll 2.

    3, when I moved to another city eight years ago, I didn't get to see them as much as I wanted to. Something always seemed to get in my 4­work, my dogs and, yes, the money to fly up for 5 visits.

    I was too 6 to whisper in their ear what they meant to me and to thank them for the 7 they gave me. And this is something I 8. But instead of beating myself up, I'd rather9 from this hardest of lessons.

    I've decided to put those I love 10 everything from now on­to make keeping in 11 the very first to do and to enjoy time with them while they are here. In fact, I have 12 I am going to take something 13 from their loss and enjoy everything more. Not to 14 doing things I can do straight away. To enjoy everything I own. Why? It's as John Lennon said, "life is what happens while you're busy making other plans".

    After the funerals (葬礼) of my darlings, I watched as their 15 dealt with their possessions. It 16 me of sorting out my mother's things following her 17, and the sadness that brought me. I've given up trying to "get ahead" in life; now my very 18 thing is myself and the people and things that make me happy. And I am going to remind those I love that this is the case, not just in writing 19 face to face and as often as I can. Because leaving anything for later is taking the risk that later may never 20.