A large cat arrived at a farm where many mice lived. None of them dared go outside for fear of being 1by the cat.

    The mice decided to hold a 2to find a way of stopping themselves from being in3.One day, when the cat was out, mice of all ages4into the meeting room.

    “Let's build a big trap,” one mouse5.When this idea was6,another said, “What about poisoning(毒死）her?” But7knew where to buy the poison. One young mouse, whose mother had become the cat's food,8said, “Let's cut her teeth, so she can do no more harm,” But the meeting did not accept his9. At last, one mouse,10than the rest, jumped onto a table. Waving a bell, he called for11. “Be quiet!” we'll tie this bell to cat's tail, so we'll always know12 she is! We'll have13to escape, and the slower and weaker mice will hear her coming and he able to14!”Hearing the words, everyone got15and they congratulated him on his good idea.

    We'll tie it so tightly(紧紧地）that it will never16!”

    “she'll never be able to walk17again! Why, the other day, she suddenly appeared right in front of me! Just imagine....”

    However, the wise mouse said, “We must18who is going to tie it on her tail.” There was not a sound in the room. Nobody was19enough to put the plan into action. The meeting ended without any decision being made.

    It's often very20to have bright ideas, but putting them into practice is a more difficult matter.

    As we passed the Eaton's Department store's window, we stopped as usual to gaze and do our bit of dreaming. My mother set her eyes on a red dress1 it long.

    As we continued down the street, mother turned2for one more look. “My goodness! They'd display something a person could use!”

    Christmas was3and the red dress was soon forgotten. Mother was not the one who4items that were not practical. Father5liked to splurge(放纵)whenever the budget(预算)allowed. He'd get blamed for his occasional splurging, but it was all done with the best6.

    On our last trip to town before Christmas, mother suddenly said in surprise, “Would you just look at that!” She pointed7as Dad drove past Eaton's.

    “That big red dress is gone,” she said in8“It's actually gone.” I was certain to feel a bit of yearning(渴望)in her9.

    I'll never forget that Christmas morning. I watched Mother tearing the paper off a large box that read, “Eaton's Finest Enamel Dishpan”. “Oh Frank,” she10in surprise, “just what I wanted!” Dad was sitting in his chair with a huge11on his face.

    “Only a12wouldn't give a priceless wife like mine exactly what she wants for Christmas, “Dad laughed and winked(递眼色)at me, confirming his 13and my heart filled with more love for my father than it could hold!

    Mother opened the14 With trembling hands she touched the elegant material of Big Red.

    “Oh my goodness!” her eyes were15tears. “Oh Frank. You shouldn't have” came her weak attempt at16

    “Oh, never mind that! Let's see if it17he laughed, helping her put on the wonderful dress. Mother completely 18into another person.

I watched surprisedly19by the happiness in my parents I had 20noticed before. “You look beautiful,” my dad whispered to my mom—and she surely did!

    The accident happened on a Sepember night in 2013. A vehicle struck my car from behind 1 I was driving home. At the hospital. the doctors 2 I was a quadriplegic(四肢瘫痪者) and told me I wasn't going to be able to move anything from my neck 3. I had lost the 4 of almost every muscle and was very weak.

    I realized that my life was 5.My head 6 like a heavy ball and I couldn't hold it up. I was unable to use a phone, and unable to 7 or wash myself. I couldn't grasp anything: a fork or spoon was too 8 to pick up.

    However, I saw a glimpse 9 and was inspired by other patients with 10 like mine in the recovery center. The first year was slow and I didn't see much 11. But I had to learn to be 12 with myself and to enjoy every 13 going forward. I was determined to walk again, so giving up was no longer a(n) 14. I struggled hard on my recovery(康复) and still do to this day. I'm now moving my 15 and arms on my own, doing things like swimming and yoga. All of this is 16 my doctor's wrong, and is turning the page from the impossible to the possible.

    My family, friends and team encourage me to 17 to work harder. I believe that this difficulty is an opportunity to 18 and become stronger. I'm sure my story will inspire others not to 19. If I learned one 20 from my car accident, it's this: Never give up on hope.

    I'm Therese, a business manager living in Berlin, Germany. Last month, I 1 to read over 100 nonfiction books in psyshology, politics, and leadership. It might sound 2, but I really did.

    It started with a 3. A colleague 4 me to read Mallcolm Gladwell's The Story of Success in two 5. Determined as I was, I just couldn't 6 the deadline. I 7 the first few chapters quickly but found it impossible to finish all in 2 hours. So I 8 the bet, but it gave me an idea: I needed to find a better way to consume nonfiction books. I finally registered the Blinkist app, which is really 9 for me to read quickly. Blinkist is one of the apps that transform books into "bite-sized" 10. I've learned that in order to produce proper insights from every book, over 100 literary experts 11 themselves to work. I also love that the app has an audio 12 allowing me to listen to great ideas. So I set a fresh 13 with this cool app — to read the key insights from 100 books in one month. How did I do? I read 102 titles exactly.

    I used to 14 much time on social media. Moreover, my job is exhausting, so by the time I leave work, my brain is pretty useless. 15, reading a book on the Blinkist app is like a snack for my 16. I'm happy that I'm doing something  17 with my time. Every day, I wake up 18 than the day before. If you want to get wiser too, then I challenge you to try and 19 my 102-title record! 20 the Blinkist app and start your reading adventure!

    It's 27 years since my last conversation with my mother, who didn't finish school like many of her contemporary girls. She often told me, "I never got my 1 but one day you will."

    Pointing to a tree or cow, she asked me to 2 their English names after her. Feeling 3, I asked, "Mama, why do I have to learn these 4 phrases?" She held her pen right before my eyes. "Hold it firmly," she 5 me, "for this pen and the new foreign language will be your compass to 6 around the world." Sadly, my mother died of breast cancer when I was six.

    Turning seven, I traveled 30 miles to live closer to my school. But "closer" is a 7 term in Uganda, which 8 I had to get up as the 9 sun rose and then ran 8. 8 miles barefoot to school. Also, I needed to carry a stick in 10 of snakes and dogs. During the 11 season, the path to school was 12 daily and I'd swim with one hand, using the other hand to 13 the book bag on my head.

    Research shows 70 percent of poor children don't 14 primary school in Uganda. Reasons for this 15 dropout rate includes the long 16 some children must 17 among many other reasons.

    Fortunately, I've made it. Whenever I see the sun rise, I am 18 of the wisdom of my mother, who 19 me to dream big and to use the 20 of the pen to make my dream come true.

Another person's enthusiasm was what set me moving toward the success I have achieved. That person was my stepmother.

I was nine years old when she entered our home in rural Virginia. My father1me to her with these words: "I would like you to meet the fellow who is2for being the worst boy in this county and will probably start throwing rocks at you no3 than tomorrow morning."

My stepmother walked over to me, 4my head slightly upward, and looked me right in the eye. Then she looked at my father and replied," You are5This is not the worst boy at all, 6the smartest one who hasn't yet found an outlet(释放的途径) for his enthusiasm."

That statement began a(n)7between us. No one had ever called me smart. My family and neighbors had built me up in my8as a bad boy. My stepmother changed all that.

She changed many things. She9my father to go to a dental school, from which he graduated with honors. She moved our family into the county seat, where my father's career could be more10and my brother and I could be better11.

When I turned fourteen, she bought me a secondhand12and told me that she believed that I could become a writer. I knew her enthusiasm, I13 it, and I saw how it had already improved our lives. I accepted her14 and began to write for local newspapers. I was doing the same kind of15that great day I went to interview Andrew Camegie and received the task which became my life's work later. I wasn't the16beneficiary(受益者). My father became the17 man in town. My brother and stepbrothers became a physician, a dentist, a lawyer, and a college president.

What power18has! When that power is released to support the certainty of one's purpose and is19 strengthened by faith, it becomes an irresistible(不可抗拒的) force which poverty and temporary defeat can never20.

You can communicate that power to anyone who needs it. This is probably the greatest work you can do with your enthusiasm.