Miss Bessie was only five feet tall, but she was the only woman strict enough to make me read Beowulf. I shall never forget the day she 1 me and persuaded me to read it.

    “But Miss Bessie,” I complained, “I ain't much2 it.”

    “Boy,” she said, “how dare you say 'ain't' to me! I've taught you better than that.”

    “Miss Bessie,” I responded, “I'm trying to be the 3of the football team, and if I go around saying 'it isn't' and 'they aren't', my friends are going to laugh at me.”

    “Boy,” she said, “you want to be the leader4 you have courage. But do you know what5 takes courage? It's 6to lower your standards to those of the crowd.”

    Then, I 7 saying “it isn't” and “they aren't, '' and I 8 became the leader, without losing my friends' 9

    Born in 1895 in poverty, Miss Bessie grew up in Athens, Alabama. She never attended university because she could not 10 it. In the local high school, she11a lot about Shakespeare and the great importance of12“What you put in your head,” she once said, “can never be13 by anybody.”

    During her14 44-year career （职业生涯）, Miss Bessie taught hundreds of youngsters. I remember her now with 15and affection. Miss Bessie noticed things that had nothing to do with schoolwork, but were important to a youngster's 16 Once a few classmates 17 my worn-out overcoat, and as I was leaving school, Miss Bessie18 me,” Carl, never worry about what you don't have. Just make the most of what you do have —a brain.

    When Miss Bessie died in 1980, hundreds of her former 19mourned. Many of them20 by Miss Bessie's example, became excellent teachers.

Honest Thanks

    I sat down at my desk and started writing. I wrote an emotional letter of gratitude. I put the notecard into the 1, sealed it and stuck the stamps on it, but when it came to actually placing the letter into the mailbox I 2.

    The letter was to a schoolmate with whom I kept in contact via（通过）Facebook 3. She had inspired me to live a(n)4 life—for example, by5 more.

    Her volunteer efforts weren't 6—she wasn't building well in Uganda, but7she was doing small, local good deeds, such as serving as a crossing guard. These were things I could do, too. She made me 8 I could make a difference here at home. I felt I should let her know how her 9 positively influenced my life. I could have easily sent her an e-mail,10 that seemed a bit lame for such an important thank-you. That's why I ended up 11 the letter. But now I stood before the mailbox, unable to place the envelope inside. What was 12 me? Why was this so13 to do? I guess I felt strange because it wasn't like she was my best friend, I just knew her. “people don't 14 do this,” I thought to myself. However,15 thinking it over, I still felt a(n)16 to let her know how grateful I was. Finally, I put the envelope in the mailbox.

    Weeks later I received her reply, she was 17 a tough time and my letter meant the 18 to her. She didn't know she had such a(n)19 on others. Not only did this letter make her happy, but her response to it increased my20 of happiness. I decided to write a gratitude letter to someone each month. Cultivating（培养） gratitude is a great skill to practise. Life is too short not to do it.

    When I entered Berkeley, I hoped to earn a scholarship. Having been a Straight-A student, I believed I could1tough subjects and really learn something. One such course was World Literature given by Professor Jayne. I was extremely interested in the ideas he2in class.

    When I took the first exam, I was3to find a 77, C-plus, on my test paper,4English was my best subject. I went to Professor Jayne, who listened to my arguments but remained5.

    I decided to try harder, although I didn't know what that6because school had always been easy for me. I read the books more carefully, but got another 77. Again, I7with Professor Jayne. Again, he listened patiently but wouldn't change his8.

    One more test before the final exam. One more9to improve my grade. So I redoubled my efforts and, for the first time,10the meaning of the word “thorough”. But my11did no good and everything12as before.

    The last hurdle(障碍) was the final. No matter what13I got, it wouldn't cancel three C-pluses. I might as well kiss the14goodbye.

    I stopped working hard. I felt I knew the course material as well as I ever would. The night before the final, I even15myself to a movie. The next day I decided for once I'd have16with a test.

    A week later, I was surprised to find I got an A. I hurried into professor Jayne's office. He17to be expecting me. “If I gave you the As you18, you wouldn't continue to work as hard.”

    I stared at him,19that his analysis and strategy(策略) were correct. I had worked my head20, as I had never done before.

    I was speechless when my course grade arrived: A-plus. It was the only A-plus given. The next year I received my scholarship. I've always remembered Professor Jayne's lesson: you alone must set your own standard of excellence.

    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.

The very unusual series of events finished as Sondrup was heading home from an extended work shift. She had just completed her fourth continuous night shift, and 1 was coming over her. Little did she know that July 26, 2023, would become a day unforgettable in her 2 .

While driving home, Sondrup 3 a truck had overturned on State Route 143 near Sky Harbour, with a man 4 inside. Despite her tiredness, she made an inspiration—of-the-moment decision to help.

"It's 5 , but there were so many reasons that led me to that fine moment," recalled Sondrup. "6 , I wouldn't have been there."

Under what she described as a turn of fate (命运), Sondrup 7 , joined by a couple of other individuals who happened to be passing by. With unquestionable timing, no other cars were on the road, allowing her to cross over safely and reach the 8 scene.

Sondrup courageously 9 under the truck to check the injured man. In an act of 10 , she used a bystander's belt as a makeshi ft tourniquet (止血带) to stop the bleeding. Months have passed since that fateful day, and on October 18, the Phoenix Fire Department 11 Sondrup for her life-saving actions.

"I really feel that my guiding 12 led me to that very moment," she told Fox 10Phoenix. "I'm not without imperfections, but I believe that at that 13 moment, I received a guiding premonition (预感)."

 The man Sondrup rescued recently reached out to express his 14 for the second chance at life. "I wish him nothing but the best," Sondrup said. "I hope he experiences a new 15 and a future filled with success."

In Hollywood, few actors have experienced a career as diverse and prolific as Harrison Ford. From the fearless Indiana Jones to the charming Han Sol o and the world-weary Rick Deckard, Ford's portrayal（饰演） of iconic characters has left a permanent mark on cinema and pop culture. Yet, the irony lies in how many of his career-defining roles fell into this "late bloomer's" lap by chance.

Born in Chicago, Harrison was discouraged from pursuing a career on the silver screen early on, having failed to land any significant parts. Instead, he turned to professional carpentry（木工） as a means to keep his family fed.

But fate had other plans. While working as a carpenter in Hollywood, Ford crossed paths with numerous celebrity clients such as Joan Didion and, most notably, director George Lucas, who hired him to build cabinets for his office. Little did Ford know that this chance encounter would lead to his breakthrough role as the charming Han Solo in Star Wars. Lucas was impressed by Ford's presence and offered him the iconic role. In time, Ford rose to a star.

Ford's next lucky moment came when he tried out for the role of Indiana Jones in a massive project by Lucas and Steven Spielberg, Raiders of the Lost Ark. Spielberg initially wanted Ford for the role, but Lucas was hesitant as he had already worked with Ford on Star War and 1973'sAmerican Graffiti. Then the production team tried many other possibilities but without luck. Eventually, the role went to Ford, strengthening his status as a Hollywood legend.

The film series became a worldwide sensation, stimulating people's imagination and inspiring a generation of future archaeologists. Over 40 years and four films later, Ford found himself completing the series with the fifth and final installment. Eighty-one-year-old Harrison received a five-minute standing ovation（鼓掌） at the Cannes Film Festival Premiere and picked up an honorary Palmed' Or for his achievements.

Ford's commitment to his career is evident as he said, "I love the work! My luck has been to work with incredibly talented people, to find my way into this crowd of geniuses." Despite his legendary status in Hollywood, Ford's humility shines through.