One month ago, my daughter started kindergarten. As usual, I wished her success. I was telling a lie. What I actually wish for her is 1. I believe in the power of failure.

    Success is 2 in a sense. Success is proving that you can do something that you already know you can do, or doing something correctly the first time, which can 3 be a problematic victory. First-time success is usually a fluke (侥幸). First-time failure, 4, is expected; it is the natural order of things.

    Failure is how we learn. I have been told of an African phrase 5 a good cook as “she who has broken many pots”. If you have spent enough time in the 6 to have broken a lot of pots, probably you know a fair amount about 7. I once had a late dinner with a group of chefs, and they spent time 8 knife wounds and burn scars. They knew how much credibility (可信度) their 9 gave them.

    I earn my 10 by writing a daily newspaper column. Each week I am 11 that one column is going to be the worst column of the week. I don't just set out to write it; I try my best every day. 12, every week, one column is inferior (较差的) to the others, sometimes extremely so.

    I have learned to 13 that column. A successful column usually means that I am treading (踏) on 14 ground, going with tricks that work, or dressing up popular ideas in fancy words. Often in my inferior columns, I am trying to 15 something I've never done before, something that I'm not even sure can be done.

    My daughter is a perfectionist. She will feel her failures, and I will want to 16 her. But I will also, I hope, 17 her of what she learned, and how she can do 18 next time. I probably won't tell her that failure is a good thing, because that's not a(n) 19 you can learn when you're five. I hope I can tell her, though, that it's not the end of the world. Indeed, with luck, it is the 20.

    When most of us get a text message on our cell phone from an unknown person, we usually say "sorry, 1 number!" and move on. But when Dennis Williams 2 a text that clearly wasn't intended for him, he did something 3.

    On March 19, Dennis got a group text 4 him that a couple he didn't know were at the hospital, waiting for the 5 of a baby.

    "Congratulations! But I think someone was mistaken," Dennis 6. The baby was born and update texts were 7 quickly from the overjoyed grandmother, Teresa. In her 8, she didn't seem to realize that she was 9 the baby's photos with a complete stranger. "Well, I don't 10 you all but I will get there to take pictures with the baby," replied Dennis before asking which room the new 11 were in.

    Much to the family's surprise, Dennis stuck to his 12! He turned up at the hospital 13 gifts for the new mother Lindsey and her baby boy. Lindsey's husband was totally 14 by the unexpected visit. "I don't think we would have randomly invited him over but we 15 it and the gifts."

    Teresa 16 a photo of the chance meeting on a social networking website 17 by the touching words: "What a 18 this young man was to our family! He was so 19 and kind to do this." The post has since gained the 20 of social media users all over the world, receiving more than 184,000 shares and 61,500 likes in just three days.

Joy to the World

    Lights, decorations and Christmas trees filled the stores. Many people were there   because Christmas was only two days 1.

    Thirteen-year-old Joy had just 2 her Christmas shopping. Joy went out of the store and 3 her classmate, Nick, the least 4 student in school, who wore strange clothing and had a face only a mother could love.

    "What are you doing for Christmas?" said Nick with a smile that showed all his yellow teeth.

    "I'm buying presents and having dinner with my 5 ," said Joy, trying to be polite. "What about you?"

    "My parents are away," he said. "I live with my uncle, who doesn't like me very much."

    Joy wasn't sure how to 6, so she said goodbye with an awkward(尴尬的) smile. She felt sorry for Nick since he must feel 7. But it wasn't really her problem.

    On Christmas Eve, Joy's family were busy around 8 for the holiday. Joy's parents were cooking in the kitchen. Joy was a child for holiday cheer, dancing around the house.

    After dinner, the family got into their car and 9to church for the Christmas Eve service. When they walked into the old building, they were 10 by the flow of beautiful songs. A man stood up with Bible and 11 the story Joy had learned on her mother's knee. It was about a baby named Jesus who came to live on Earth to help people who 12 him.

    Joy's thoughts kept turning back to Nick. It must be 13 to be lonely on Christmas, a day that celebrated God's Son coming to Earth. Tears started to run down her 14, but she brushed them away.

    Joy lay awake that night 15 everyone else was sleeping like a baby. She was thinking of ways to help Nick. 16 she heard parents get up, she jumped out of bed. She found them in the kitchen and told them about Nick. Then she asked, "Can we invite him 17 today?" "Sure," answered Joy's mother, who was always happy when 18 came. Her father smiled.

    When Joy called Nick later that day, he was excited. After getting his uncle's 19he joined them for dinner. To her surprise, Joy enjoyed spending time with him.

    Joy came to understand 20 Christmas cheer is a joy to Nick, even to the whole world.

    I stopped to watch my little girl busy playing in her room. In one hand was a plastic phone; in the other a toy broom. I listened as she was speaking to her make-believe(假想的) little friend and I'll never forget the words she said, even though it was1.

    She said, “Jane's in the corner because she's not been very 2. She didn't listen to a word I said or do the things she should.” In the corner I saw her baby doll all dressed in lace and pink. It was clear she'd been put to sit 3and think.

    My daughter continued her “4”, as I sat down on the floor. She said, “I'm all5up. I just don't know what to do with her any more. She cries whenever I have to work and wants to play 6, too. She never lets me do the things that I just have to do. She tries to help me with the dishes, but her arms just cannot7. And she doesn't know how to fold towels. I don't have the8to teach. I have a lot of work to do and a big house to keep clean. I don't have the time to sit and play — Do you see what I 9?”

    And that day I thought a lot about making some 10in my life, as I listened to her words that cut me like a knife. I hadn't been paying enough 11to what I hold most dear. I'd been caught up in responsibilities that increased over the years.

But now my 12has changed, because, in my heart, I realize that I've seen the world in a different light13my little darling's eyes. So, let the cobwebs(蜘蛛网) 14the corners and the dust rabbit rule the floor. I'm not going to worry about keeping up with them any more.

    I'm going to fill the house with15of a child and her mother, for we are granted only one childhood, and we will never get another.

    Many years ago at Christmas time I parked my car in the town centre on my way to the post office to post my Christmas cards. It was the last posting day for Christmas cards if they were to be1before Christmas.2I came out of the car park I saw a boy who was3and holding his right hand side. I 4some bigger boys had perhaps bullied him and he was in5. I had to go to his aid and see if I could6.

    He told me that his sister who was a7had bought him a Christmas present. It was a mobile phone. He only had it days when he8it and cracked the screen! That's9he was holding his right hand side of his body—his mobile phone was in the upper right hand pocket of his coat. The little guy was extremely 10, tears rolling down his face as he told all this to me. My heart11for him. It was clear he12his present and knew that this was a lot of money for his 13to spend on him, for nurses didn't make much money. He'd been to a phone shop and they'd told him it would be ￡80 to get a new14.

    I had to help, though I was15to make ends meet myself. I searched my purse and gave the boy the only ￡20 I could find and made some16as to why I could only give him so little. I didn't want him to know it was all I had until pay day. I could not17pay for his phone to be repaired but I hope the18he received from a stranger was19that stayed with him when he became a man.

    The Christmas cards not getting posted somehow didn't seem20; greater issues had been addressed with a kindness stamp.

    I was a young newspaper reporter, and I wanted to succeed. My first 1 was in Latin America. It was almost my last job.

    I had not 2 to stay in the village of Zacate, 3 it had been raining hard for a whole day. So I had to stay there.

    I found people there full of 4 . This village was at the foot of a volcano (火山). It was becoming more 5. Men, women and children came to the square. A few helped each other and went out of town to get as far away from the volcano as possible, with large and full 6 in their hands. Suddenly, I felt a strong 7. The villagers in the square 8 as soon as they felt the earthquake.

    Suddenly, I saw black smoke 9 down the side of the mountain towards the village. Trees and grass 10 up in a second. The volcano was coming so 11 that in less than a minute the roads to the villages were 12 . All I could do was watch and 13. Suddenly, my landlord (房东) cried out, "Look!" He 14 to a small hill. The lava (岩浆) was not coming over it but 15 on each side of the 16, leaving the village center 17. For a time, at least, we were 18, unless the lava grew much and bigger.

    My landlord gave me a wet blanket to cover myself to avoid the 19 and we poured water over our heads to cool ourselves. We could hardly breathe (呼吸) because of the heat and the 20 of the burning houses. Thanks to my landlord, I survived the volcano.