Hiking through the mountains of Colorado was never my plan. I wanted to take1at Yale University but I abruptly (意外地) decided to explore the great outdoors of the American West with an adventure program. Before I knew it, Chicago and my comfort zone were being left behind and2mountains and sand dunes (沙丘).

    On the morning of June 27, I was3by a burst of sunshine. I 4slowly but suddenly realized I was not in Chicago anymore. I was in a5in the middle of nowhere in Colorado. I was going to have to6my three tent mates. I tiredly took my clothes and hid behind a large bush to7. It was soon time to 8 ourselves to everyone at camp. Everyone seemed pretty friendly, but why didn't I feel a little9? I was starting to10not having chosen a roommate at Yale.

    After a quick 11, we made our way to the Great Sand Dunes.  12 it as the Egyptian capital of Colorado,” said my camp leader. Egypt in Colorado? Now things were really starting to become13. When we arrived, we were stroked by endless amounts of14. Brief thoughts of being15 by sand monsters came before me. My16increased when my camp leader told us, “Today, we are going to climb to the top of the Dunes.”

    Three hours later, I was out of breath17I made it to the top. Suddenly, I felt the18was worth it.

The next two weeks flew by. I met19that tested my survival skills, but I pushed through every one of them. I was glad that I had somehow developed a new sense of20.

    I often go to France to visit my grandmother who is very dear to me. She's now 76 years old, so every time I go to1 the two of us are very aware that it might be the2time we see each other for she has cancer.

    Last time I visited her in December of 2012. I did a series of short video3about her life. I asked her about her greatest memories and life learning so far, her 4books, food and stories. I learned a large quantity of amazing new things about her I5knew before.

    This year, I did not really have 6 only a great urge for her to know how much she is loved. I cooked for her and read her stories.

    Before leaving, I was7a way to leave something8behind besides the memory of our 9together. So I wrote her five different 10and gratitude notes to let her know how much she11to me, and hid them in different places where I knew she would 12find them. One under her pillow. Another one 13from the lamp cover by which she reads in the evening. Another one by her toothbrush. One in her14which she eagerly checks every day. And the last one on her car's steering wheel.

    I left 15knowing that these cards would surely 16her up after I left. She called me as I was departing for Paris to catch my plane back to the US and said, “I17your three cards! By the time I discovered the third card, I was laughing out loud!18 they did me so much good. Thank you so much!” I19to myself, knowing she still has two more to go! It was Sunday, so my 20was that she had not checked her mailbox and had not yet driven her car!

    I was eighteen years old and I was the golden girl. I was president of the college drama society, a member of the student senate and so on. I was the 1of all my friends and I was in a state of 2.

    The old Greek tragedies 3us that when pride rises, punishment falls. My universe 4with great suddenness. The scenery（舞台布景道具） fell on my head and I was left almost 5for the next four months.

    My memory was in a mess and within a few months all my 6were taken away. I was even told that I would have to leave the college at the end of the spring term 7, clearly, I couldn't do academic work."

    Sad, I took one last 8by Dr. Jacob Taubes. He was the most brilliant teacher I had ever 9and in his class, I began to raise a tentative 10and ask an occasional question. He would answer with great intensity, and soon I found myself asking 11questions constantly.

    One day I was walking to the bus when I heard Dr. Taubes 12me, "Miss Houston, let me walk with you. You know, you have a most 13mind."

    "Me? I have a mind?"

    "Yes, of course." Then he asked my understanding of some problems discussed in the classes.

    From that day on, Dr. Taubes continued to14me to the bus, always 15me with intellectually vigorous questions. Within several weeks my eyesight came back and my spirit 16.

    What I acquired from this experience was a 17sense of life. I remain deeply 18for the attention Dr. Taubes had shown. He 19me when I most needed it. I swore then that I would try to20and acknowledge the unlucky person as I had been acknowledged.

    I went with some colleagues from my office for a dinner in a very popular local restaurant. It was1business time and the restaurant was packed. We2found a table in a corner for three of us.

    As soon as we sat down, we heard a crash when a cleaning boy3the floor with all the plates he was carrying. There was4and no one was saying or doing anything.

    In a flash I remembered my5many years ago. Once, I6in the airport because I had rushed there on my own on an empty stomach. I was picked up and taken care of by two7. Now this was my chance to8it forward.

    I ran to the young man's side immediately, turned him on his back and screamed for someone to9a hot drink. Soon people started asking if I was a doctor. I said I was not,10I was skillful at blacking out(晕厥).

    The kid soon opened his eyes,11what had happened. I12him by saying it was OK and I had had a13experience. He had not eaten anything. I held the14drink to his mouth till he finished it and sat with him till he felt OK. By then the15had arrived. I asked her to give the kid something to eat. I offered to pay.

    The manager was kind enough to refuse the16and agreed to make sure the kid ate before he went home. By the time all this was17it was getting late for my colleagues. We hadn't 18 anything yet, so they decided to go home.

    I slowly walked home, not hungry any more, feeling19for the opportunity I pay forward the20I had received many years ago.

    Alia Baker is a librarian in Iraq. Her library used to be a 1 place for all who loved books and liked to share knowledge. They 2 various matters all over the world. When the war was near, Alia was3that the fires of war would destroy the books, which are more 4 to her than mountain of gold. The books are in every language — new books, ancient books, 5 a book on the history of Iraq that is seven hundred years old.

    She had asked the government for to 6move the books to a 7place, but they refused. So Alia took matters into her own hands. 8, she brought books home every night,9her car late after work. Her friends came to 10her when the war broke out. Anis who owned a restaurant 11 to hide some books. All through the12, Alia, Anis, his brothers and neighbours took the books from the library, 13them over the seven-foot wall and 14them in the restaurant. The books stayed hidden as the war15. Then nine days laters, a fire burned the16to the ground.

    One day, the bombing stopped and the17 left. But the war was not over yet. Alia knew that if the books were to be safe, they must be 18 again while the city was 19. So she hired a truck to bring all the books to the houses of friends in the suburbs(郊区). Now Alia waited for the war to end and 20 peace and a new library.