Since finishing my studies at Harvard and Oxford, I've watched one friend after another land high-ranking, high-paying Wall Street jobs. As executives (高级管理人员) with banks, consulting firms,established law firms, and major corporations, many are now 1on their wayto impressive careers. By society's2, they seem to have it made.

   On the surface, these people seem to bevery lucky in life. As they left student life behind, many had a3drink attheir cheap but friendly local bar, shook hands with longtime roommates, and4out of small apartments into high buildings. They made reservations atrestaurants where the cost of a bottle of wine5a college year's monthlyrent. They replaced their beloved old cars with expensive new sports cars.

    The thing is, a number of them have6 thatdespite their success, they aren't happy. Some 7of unfriendly coworkers andfeel sad for eight-hour workweeks devoted to tasks they 8. Some do notrespect the companies they work for and talk of feeling tired and 9. However, instead of devoting themselves to their work, they find themselvesworking to support the10 to which they have so quickly become11.

     People often speak of trying a more satisfying path, and 12 in the end the idea of leaving their jobs to workfor something they   13 or finding a position that would give themmore time with their families almost always leads them to the same conclusion: it's14 . They have loans, bills, a mortgage（抵押贷款）to 15, retirement to save for.They recognize there's something 16in their lives, but it's 17to stepoff the track.

    In a society that tends to18 everything in terms of dollars andcents, we learn from a young age to consider the costs of our19infinancial terms. But what about the personal and social costs  20 in pursuing money over meaning? These are exactly the kinds of costsmany of us tend to ignore — and the very ones we need to consider most.

    When my wife and I decided to open our bookstore in 2012, we were a little 1.

    The challenges facing small bookstores were—and remain— 2. Aside from the obvious 3 in online selling, the increase in the popularity of e-books has had a（n）4 effect on independent providers.

    The question is why a new, small-scale（小规模的）provider would 5 enter such a（n）6 market?

    From a personal view, our reasoning was sound: we wanted to 7 our love of great books and reading for pleasure with as many 8 people as possible.

    Having done our homework, one thing became 9. In order for us to succeed, we would have to offer something that none of our larger competitors already provided.

    And so we 10 the Willoughby Book Club. We set up our website in the summer of 2012—and we haven't looked back.

    The idea of 11 is simple. We offer a range of book subscription gift packages, 12 in three-, six- and 12-month options. Our customers 13 a package, tell us a little about the person they're buying it for, and we use this information to 14 the（接收者）a hand-picked, gift-wrapped（包装的）book once a month.

    We also recently decided to 15 one new book to Book Aid International for every gift subscription sold. These books are sent out to sub-Saharan Africa, 16 the educational work there.

    Within four months of starting out, we won the Young Bookseller of the Year award at the 2013 Bookseller awards.

    Our brief 17 from new booksellers to award receivers has been challenging and 18. The biggest thing we've learned is that, despite the 19 facing independent providers, there is a 20 for then in the UK market. It's just a question of finding it.

    Last Sunday, on my return from a trip to Waterloo, I took a taxi from Waterloo Station to my home. We hadn't gone very far 1 the traffic light changed to red. We waited for minutes. Just as the light was changing to 2, a policeman pulled open the door of the taxi,3 in, shouted to the driver, “4that blue car in front. It's been stolen.” and he sat down on the seat beside me. Then he seemed to see me for the first time for he politely 5, “ Sorry sir, but I've got to catch that car.” The taxi driver 6 the speed without saying anything. After a few hundred yards the blue car stopped at 7 traffic light and we drew up 8. The policeman got out, ran round to the driver's door of the blue car, opened it and 9the driver out. I couldn't hear what he said , but after a few minutes the policeman 10 to me and I went up to him. He asked me to help him take the car thief to the nearest11.

    The three of us got into the 12. We drove off 13 the taxi following. I didn't like sitting next to the 14, who was a young , rather tough-looking man, but I had no 15. Fortunately it wasn't far to the police station. 16 we got there the policeman took my name and address, thanked me for my 17 and said I could go home now. So I got back into my taxi and we drove off again. The taxi driver said 18 that it was the second time in a month he had been 19to help the police, and he 20 it wouldn't happen again.

    Many years ago, I was working in an office in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We had large 1 that look out over a busy street. I was standing by one of those windows one day when a woman in a 2 car looked up and made eye contact. Naturally I 3. As she turned and tried to identify me, a quiet laugh4my lips. My co-workers began taking an interest, and stood back watching the 5 I received, and laughing happily. Then the stress of work was 6 away.

    Christmas approached, and job 7 were announced. Several of my co-workers were losing their jobs, and everyone was 8. While I was working a night shift, a red jacket , a box of foam packing and strips of tape in the corner caught my 9. They could be Santa's jacket and beard! Then I folded a red file into a hat and tied the 10 to it. With the red jacket , a Santa's Costume appeared.

    The next day I walked 11down into the office in the costume. My co-workers 12around me and laughed for the first time in weeks. Suddenly, my boss came to me, 13, shook his head and then left. I feared14. Then the phone rang.

    With a bead of sweat 15 my forehead, I entered the boss' office . 16, he laughed: "Thanks, Mike! It's been hard to enjoy the Christmas season. Thanks for the laugh. I 17it."

    That evening, I stood 18 by the window and waved at my fans, with my heart 19 with joy. For a few minutes of that day, we'd been able to forget our 20.

    Bill Gates doesn't pretend he lives in an equal household. When it 1parenting his three children, the billionaire admits his wife Melinda has done more than her2of the work raising the kids.

    Gates spent two years taking math and computer science courses, but never 3his degree.“ My eldest daughter graduates from Stanford in June, so I'm4she won't fall into my footsteps.” Gates joked.

    Gates said he and his wife have been quite cautious about the5they've used to' raise their three children. He says the couple 6 a 1970s “Love and Logic” parenting model. The core idea of the philosophy is centered on the idea that taking emotional control, essentially reducing emotional7 like shouting or blaming kids, is8for parents.

    “One of the greatest benefits of9“Love and Logic” is that it helps us learn how to keep a tighter control on our emotions and on our10.”Gates said.

    Gates admits he and his wife haven' at 11the approach. “Can you get rid of the emotion? You can't12 do it.” he said.

    Besides, the “Love and Logic” model also13the importance of not relying on rewards for kids, but instead showing unconditional love and praising kids for who they are, not what they do (or don't)14 ， like a poor test score or a(n)15grade.

    “Many highly successful people16Lwith grades as children.” Gates said，“What's most important is that our17develop good character, curiosity and problem-solving skills.”

    The model is a bit like the Socratic method，18it pushes parents to focus on asking questions of their kids and getting them to think about how to 19their own problems,20 feeding them answers.

    I was touched so much. A while back, my three-year-old son and I settled back for his goodnight1. We lay down in his little bed and he said, "Daddy, when I get big can I live with you?" I assured him he could live with me2he wanted to.

    A moment later he said, "When you die you're going to feel3on your face and it will be me touching you." Then he4,"I will kiss you." He moved over, kissed me. I was aware of tears suddenly welling up in my eyes. I didn't want to explain5I was crying; as I opened my eyes to look at him, he was already6.

    I spent some time looking at him,7the minute and wondering about the depth of the8I'd had. It occurred to me that I didn't remember having much of this kind of9time with my father, and that this was a time that would be10short-lived. This time of11that forms a three-year-old's life, would soon be12. What will remain, however, will be the13of this short while reoccurring in my mind non-stop. It made all of the difficult14of being a father worthwhile.

    Sometimes, being a committed (承担义务的) father can feel like you're15the doorkeeper, driver, and16in the house. Then you will have "a17", one like this in which your child expresses18, pure, and unconditional love for you.

    When your kids have19home and you look back at these years, all of these will be strung (绑) together to20the memories of their lives with you.