One day I visited an art museum while waiting for my husband to finish a business meeting. I was expecting a quiet 1 of the splendid artwork.

    A young 2 viewing the paintings ahead of me 3 nonstop between themselves. I watched them a moment and decided the lady was doing all the talking. I admired the man's 4 for putti ng up with her 5 stream of words. Disturbed by their noise, I moved 6.

    I met them several times as I moved 7 the various rooms of art. Each time I heard her continuous flow of words, I moved away   8.

    I was standing at the counter of the museum gift shop making a purchase 9 the couple approached the 10. Before they left, the man 11 into his pocket and pulled out a white object. He 12 it into a long stick and then 13 his way into the coatroom to get his wife's jacket.

“He's a 14 man.” The clerk at the counter said. “Most of us would give up if we were blinded at such a young age. During his recovery, he made a promise his life wouldn't change. So, as before, he and his wife come in 15 there is a new art show.”

     “But what does he get out of the art”. I asked “He can't see.”

“Can't see You're 16. He sees a lot, more than you and I do,” the clerk said, “His wife 17 each painting so he can see it in his head.”

    I learned something about patience, 18 and love that day. I saw the patience of a young wife describing paintings to a person without  19 and the courage of a husband who would not  20 blindness to change his life. And I saw the love shared by two people as I watched this couple walk away, their arms intertwined.

    Many years ago,I was working as a psychologist at a children's institution in England.One day an adolescent boy1in my office.His headmaster had2him to me."David,"he wrote,"is very sad since both his parents died. He refuses to talk and I'm very3about him.Can you help?"

    How could I help him?There are human tragedies psychology doesn't have the4to.Sometimes the best thing one can do is to listen5.

    The first two times we met,David didn't say a word.I6we play a game of chess the third time he came.He 7.After that we played chess every Wednesday afternoon in8.It's not easy to cheat in chess,9I made sure David won once or twice.It seemed as if he enjoyed my10.But why did he never talk with me?

    "Perhaps he11needs someone to share his pain with,"I12.Some months later,I sat staring at David's head, while he was bent13the chessboard.Suddenly,he looked up at me.

    "It's your14,"he said.

    After that day,David started talking. He got friends in school and joined a bicycle club.He wrote me15a few times about how he would try to get into university.The letters16after some time.I knew he had really started to live a(n)17life.He needn't write me any more to tell me that.

    Maybe I gave David something.At least I18a lot from him.For example,David showed me19one—without any words—can reach out to another person.All it20is a hug,a shoulder to cry on,a friendly touch and an ear that listens.

    Around twenty years ago I was living in Seattle and going through hard times. I could not find 1work although I had a lot of experience and a Master's degree.

    To my 2, I had to drive a school bus to 3my family. At the same time, I had some 4with different companies but they all5to say I did not get the job. I went to the bus barn（车库）, feeling6.

    Later that afternoon, 7doing my rounds through the town I had an inner wave rise from deep 8 me and I thought “Why has my9become so hard?”

    Immediately after this internal（内心的）scream, I 10the bus over to drop off a little girl. As she11, she handed me an earring saying I should keep it12somebody looked for it. The13was stamped with words “BE HAPPY”. Then it struck me. I had been putting all of my14into what was wrong with my life rather than what was15!

    One night there was a phone call for me from the16at a large hospital. She asked me whether I17do a one-day training for 200 hospital workers. I said 18and got the job.

    My day with the hospital workers19very well. I got a great20and many more days of work. To this day I know that it was because I changed my attitude to life.

    Once upon a time, a group of businessmen were sailing on the Atlantic Ocean, 1 much American goods back to Paris, however, they 2 a terrible thunderstorm, both the men and ship 3 into the Atlantic Ocean 4 their goods.

    The only survivor of the shipwreck was washed up on a small, 5 island. He prayed 6 for God to rescue him, and every day he 7 the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. 8, he eventually managed to build a little hut(小木屋) out of driftwood to 9 him from bad weather, and to store his few 10. But then one day, after searching for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was shocked with 11 and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried.

    Early the next day, 12, he was awakened by the 13 of a ship that was 14 the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the 15 man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke 16," they replied. It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and 17.

    Remember, next time your little hut is 18 to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that calls for the grace of God. For all the 19 things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive 20 to it.

    Ferdinand de Lesseps, once a French diplomat(外交官)，became 1 with the cultures of the Mediterranean(地中海)and Middle East and the growth of western European 2. But in 1849 he retired after a disagreement with the French government.

    In 1854,3his expectation, he returned to Egypt, 4 he was given a warm welcome and, soon afterwards, permission to begin work 5 the Suez Canal. De Lesseps had been 6 by reading about Napoleon's abandoned plans for a 7 that would allow large ships wishing to sail to the east to go8 from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, therefore 9 out the long sea journey around Africa.

    De Lesseps' plan was 10 by an International commission of engineers, but failed to win the support of the British government, 11 de Lesseps making a number of trips to London. He persevered and 12 attracted financial support from the French emperor Napoleon III and others.

    De Lesseps was no 13 ­ his achievement lay 14 organizing the necessary political and financial backing, and providing the technical support 15for such a huge project. 16 began in April 1859, and the Suez Canal was 17in November 1869. British attitudes changed when the canal was seen to be a 18and de Lesseps was treated as a great celebrity (名人) on his later visit to Britain. In 1875, the Egyptian government sold its 19, in the canal and the British prime minister, Benjamin Disraeli, 20effective control of the Canal Company.

    Returning from a trip overseas, I sensed that something was wrong between Keith, one of my two sons, and me. So I asked him, "Keith, have I done anything that really1your feelings?" Immediately, he said, "Yes. Last Christmas you promised us a special2 that we really wanted but you3gave it to us. The4was that I'd completely forgotten about it. I5, "Is there anything else I've done wrong, but I haven't apologized for?" Again, his6was immediate, "Remember last Christmas when Mom said you had to go to the7 because Kate, my little sister, was going to be born? You left us at home and8in a hurry. Remember?" "Well, you left and 9the suitcase." I couldn't believe he10all the details! "After you came back from the hospital, you were11to see the suitcase had been opened and12 had been thrown all over the place, and then you13 me."

    "And you didn't do it?" I asked. "No, I didn't. I was just searching for my gift." My heart sank. I felt14. I hugged Keith and asked him to15 me. His honesty made me think of my other son, Kevin. Maybe I'd hurt his feelings, too. I went to ask him the16question. Kevin answered as immediately as his17, "Last Christmas you18us a special toy, but you forgot about it."19 Christmas had passed, I took my two sons to the store that day and bought them what I had promised. The20thing wasn't the toy. The problem was I'd made a promise too lightly and didn't keep it as their father.