Many years ago, Dad worked as a farmhand （农场工人）. At that time, he had a horse. Every Saturday he1to the town after dinner and spent a few hours on social2 with other farmhands, such as drinking, chatting, and playing cards in the café. On Saturday evenings, the café was 3 because many farmhands were there. Before midnight Dad returned home on his horse, quite satisfied with his4 In his words, he5 thought of changing his job.

    At the age of 31, Dad married my mother who was a schoolteacher. In the following spring I came6 into the world. Life became hard, so my mother felt7 She told Dad that they must make a8

    My mother had 9of how some famous persons, especially Thomas Edison who was born in a poor family, fought against fate and achieved greatness and 10And she 11 that I would some day become a great leader 12 men or cities and Dad should be a successful businessman. So she 13Dad to give up his job as a farmhand, sell his horse and 14a small business of his own. And I went to high school and college. She even sent me abroad for 15 education when I graduated from college. Under the drive of my mother's hope, Dad and I16what we have today. Dad runs a big international 17and I am a successful lawyer18great fame in my country,19not a leader as my mother expected.

    Dad said, without my mother, we wouldn't be what we are today; at least, he would remain a farmhand.20 he got a lesson of life —sometimes we really need drive from outside.

    I believe different people have experienced different adolescence, I must admit I was still an angry1in my first year of college. My 2 was that my parents didn't please me at all.

    Our finances were 3so I chose to go to a (n)4college and take a bus to classes every day. One day I had a(n)5fight with my father, We both explode into shouts,6 out of the house and missed my bus to school.

    I rushed all the way to school. As I7across the campus toward my class, I suddenly I realized didn't have the 8 that was due: a thought card. My professor asked us to 9 an index card with our names and the dales every Tuesday.10 what was to be on the rest of the card, we could write a thought, a question or something else.

    Now, outside the door, ten minutes later. I took an index card.11 to write something on it, I could only think about the 12 I'd just had with my dad. I wrote “I am the son of an idiot!” then13 into the room, and handed it to our professor.

    Next day, our professor 14 the thought cards and I 15 that he wrote, “What does the 'son of an idiot' do with the nest of his life?” The professor's innocent-seeming question16me to the issue: whose problem is it?17, my thinking began to shift, I realized that I had created a life18 I was not a central figure!

    The 19 of growth wasn't easy or fast. Years later, from a 20student, I became a successful student and then a successful teacher.

    I worked in a restaurant. One night a woman came in with three small children. As a 1, I could usually tell who is going to tip well and who isn't going to tip at all I 2 got the latter vibe (气息) from her. She asked about the 3 of everything on the menu, but she ordered 4 water to drink. She wasn't 5 appetizers (开胃饮料). At one point her daughter asked her very politely: “Mom, can I have 6?” The woman pulled out her coin purse and 7 her change before saying yes. Then I was 8 that I wouldn't get a tip, but they were very nice and pleasant to 9so I didn't even think twice about it.

    At the end of the meal, she paid 10 in coins.

    When I went back to clear the table, to my 11, there were a lot of quarters left for me. They amounted to $ 8, or about 25% of the 12. Here was a woman who had to count her money before 13 her daughter a milk because she wanted to 14 she still had enough to tip me.

    Was it the largest tip I ever got? No, but it's the only one I 15 after all these years.

    This story is a 16 that the very best aspects of human nature can shine through in even the most 17 of everyday situations. The first 18 may be powerful, but it's important to let others show their true nature rather than making a snap (仓促的)19 about them. As a matter of fact, generosity is a valuable virtue, whether you 20 to be rich, poor, or somewhere in between.

    Two weeks earlier, my son, Ben, had got in touch .he'd moved to England with his mum when he was three and it had been 13 years since I'd 1seen him. So imagine my 2when he emailed me saying he wanted to come to visit me.

    I was 3 ! I arrived early at Byron Bay (海湾)where we were supposed to 4. The bay was 5 in sunshine, and there was a group of kayakers around 150m off the shore. Getting a little 6, I realized one kayak（皮划艇）was in7. "Something's not 8!" I took off my T-shirt and 9 into the water. I saw there were two instructors on board and a man lying across the middle. He was 10 violently. Linking arms with one of the instructors, I helped 11 the young man out of the water. He was unconscious and as I looked at his face, something 12 to me. Those brown eyes were very 13. "What's his name?" I asked the instructor. "Ben," he replied, and immediately I 14.That stranger was my son!

    The instructors called for an ambulance.15 , after a brief stay in hospital, Ben was well enough to be allowed to 16and later the family met up for dinner. We chatted about everything and then Ben 17 to me. "I just want to say thank you," he said, "You 18 my life!"

    I still can't believe what a 19it was. I'm just so glad I was there 20to help my son.

A Story on an Island

    A ship was lost at sea and the only survivor was washed up on a small, inhabited (无人居住的) island. He prayed 1 for God to rescue him and for hours he just2at the horizon (地平线), waiting for a heaven-sent 3but it never came.

    Then he decided to do something. 4tired and upset, he 5some branches and dry grass. Hours of hard work paid off and a little shelter was built. The "Robinson Crusoe" began his life on the island. Believe it or not, a couple of days going by, he6and it seemed not that hard.

    But then one day, after7 for food, he arrived home to find his little shelter in flames and the8rolling up to the sky.

    The9had happened: everything was lost.

    "God, how could you do this to me!" he criedwith10and anger.

    Early the next day,11, he was awakened by the12of a ship that was coming near to the island. It had come to rescue him!

    "13did you know that I was here?" he asked one of his rescuers.

    "We saw your smoke14", they replied.

    It is easy to get15when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose16, because God is at work in our lives, 17when we are in pains and sufferings.

    Remember, next time your little 18 is burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal(信号) that calls 19 the grace of God. For all the negative (消极的) things we have to say to ourselves, God has a/an 20answer for it.

Learning his mom didn't have a job anymore, 9-year-old Aaron decided to take matters into his own hands. He had two main 1. First, to help support his family 2 so that they can 3 the shed(屋棚)where they live at a relative's home. Second, to bring his sister, Ayleen, back from Mexico. The girl had been 4 their grandmother because they didn't have enough 5 to provide her needs.

Aaron and his mom, Berenice, share a great passion for 6. Aaron gets a lot of mosquito bites. When they 7 that the aloe vera(芦荟)has some type of medicine that cures, that passion became a way for them to 8. Berenice only had $12 left in her pocket. Aaron asked if they could 9 it. With his mom's 10, Aaron then used the money to buy his first set of the plants and 11 them in different parts of the city.

Aaron's 12 caught the attention of many, including one of his mom's classmates, Esli Ramos. She wanted to 13 Berenice and her family, so she created a GoFundMe page for Aaron. Because of this fundraiser and several 14 on the media, Aaron's business is becoming more 15.

"We started selling last week. It's 16 that we ran out of plants. "Thank you to all the people that 17 a plant from me. It 18 a lot." said little Aaron. "They19 me to keep moving forward."

Aside from moving into a bigger 20 and bringing his sister back home, Aaron is on his way for other dreams.