“Now,” Mrs. Virginia White said, smiling, “we are going to discover our professions.” The class seemed to be greatly surprised. We were only 13 and 14 years old! The teacher must be1“Yes, you will all be searching for your future2 Each of you will have to3 someone in your field, plus an oral report.

    Finally, I picked print journalism. This4 I had to go to interview a newspaper reporter. I was extremely nervous. I sat down in front of him 5 able to speak. He looked at me and said, “Did you bring a pen and some paper?” I6my head.

    Finally, I thought he realized I was 7 and I got my first big tip as a8 “Never, never go anywhere without pen or paper. You never know what you'll run into.”9a few days, I gave my oral report totally from 10 in class. I got an A on the entire project.

    Years later, I was in college looking around for a new career, but with no success. Then I 11Virginia White and my dream at 13 to be a journalist. And I called my parents. They didn't 12me. They just reminded me how13the field was and how all my life I had run away from competition. This was true. But journalism did something to me; it was in my 14 For the past 12 years, I've had the most satisfying reporting career,15 stories from murders to airplane crashes and16 choosing my strongest area.17I went to pick up my phone one day, a wave of memories hit me and I realized that had it not been 18 Virginia White, I would not be sitting at that desk.

    I get 19all the time: “How did you pick journalism?”

     “Well, you see, there was this teacher...” I always start out. I just wish I could 20her.

    Bill White's father is a lawyer. In his 1 time, he likes to get out in the country and take some 2 of animals.

    For a long time, Bill had wanted to go with his father on one of his 3. But his father didn't take Bill along with him 4 he was fifteen.

    He and Bill drove to the farm 5 belonged to（属于）his uncle in the afternoon. They 6the night there, so that they could 7 out early the next morning. Uncle Steve and his son Larry, who was sixteen, were going to go out with them.

    It was still dark when Bill heard the alarm 8 the next morning. He wondered why it was running so early. He couldn't remember 9 he was. He turned over 10 and looked at the clock. It was 5 o'clock. Then he 11 that he was at the 12 and that he was going out to take pictures with his father. He jumped out of bed and got 13 quickly.

    He ran downstairs. The others were already in the 14. Uncle Steve was cooking bacon and eggs. There was a pot of coffee on the stove. It 15 good.

    They ate breakfast quickly. They didn't talk 16, because they didn't want to 17up the other people in the house. They filled a thermos bottle (保温瓶) 18 hot coffee and took some sandwiches 19 Aunt Grace, Uncle Steve's wife, had made for them. They gathered their camera 20 and started out.

    My 8-hour sleepy voyage finally came to an end after I stepped out of the airport. 1 on the bus, I was waiting anxiously for it to start.

    A woman beside me and her daughter both seemed 2. She told me that her daughter had an upset stomach and would3 continuously; 4, the mother had lost her purse. Apart from a significant 5 of money, the purse also had her phone and a phone number of an important 6. She would meet him for discussing a(n) 7 matter which had to be 8 by tomorrow morning.

    I handed her my cellphone without 9 and told her that she could make any 10 she wanted. I also produced a bottle of water I had in my bag to relieve her daughter of her 11. After making several calls, they finally 12 to the official! They turned to look at me 13 and thanked me many times. The woman tried to 14 for my assistance, but I refused 15 I knew she had lost her money.

    The next morning, I received a call from the mother, saying that they couldn't 16 how much my generous act touched them. They were so 17 that they had taken down my number to thank me. I was astonished to be thanked in this way. I never thought my simple offer 18 so much in her heart. And I thought of how many opportunities for kindness we had lost by plugging into cellphones and being disconnected 19 the reality around us-something with easy 20 may make a big difference to others.

    Be a Traveler, not a Tourist

    Last summer, I had just enough money saved to buy a golden ticket—a 3-month train pass that would take me to the furthest reaches of Europe. Excited for my journey, I packed all the necessities(生活的必需品)—except the 1.

    While the convenience of the Internet was definitely a contributing factor to my 2not to take with me the few expensive kilograms of out-of-date information, this was not the only reason why I decided to fly alone.

    To be honest, my main 3with the guidebook is that I find it4 the pleasure of a journey—like bossy aunt who is always telling you what to do, 5 she doesn't always know what is the best.

    Experience has taught me that there is an obvious 6 between a tourist and traveler.

While waiting in a queue, I met a man who had a checklist. He showed me his list of “Top 20 Things To Do in Italy” and 7 off in a loud American accent that he'd seen everything Italy has to offer in just four days.

    The problem I had with this man's 8 to travelling was that he was too 9 information provided by his guidebook. He was lost in the 10 attractiveness of the “must-sees” and 11 to all the wonders and adventures that might happen during the 12 trip.

    So, 13any guidebook, I traveled to Estonia, the tiny Baltic country bordering Russia. In the 14 of advance plans as guidebooks would suggest, I had no choice but to turn to some friendly faces for advice. I 15myself first and then asked them what was happening around the town. When this 16 an invitation to a beautiful Estonian home by a river where I 17 a 110-degree wood-stove sauna（桑拿浴）, 18 picked forest-mushrooms and the good 19 of our five newfound Estonian friends, I was most glad that I had left my “bossy 20” at home.

The Fitting-in of Suzy Khan

    The first time I saw Suzy Khan, I knew I had to help her. She was really small for her age of 12. The boys in my class often 1 about her and laughed their heads off. She would open a book, pretending to read, with tears dropping on the open page.

    All I knew was that she was an orphan (孤儿) from Africa. She had just been adopted by a family in town who 2 that the best way for her to learn American ways of life was to be with American kids. I looked down at this 3 girl and promised myself that somehow I would help her.

    But how could I help her 4 in with us? There had to be a 5 .

    One day, when I went into the classroom, I saw that Suzy had 6 her geography book to a picture of a train, and in her notebook, she had made a(n)  7 copy.

    I was surprised and thought that she could do something in the coming 8 show. So, I took her to see the art teacher, Miss Parker, and showed her what Suzy had 9. “why, it's wonderful,” said Miss Parker, who then showed us a poster she had painted 10the talent show. “I need more of these, but I just don't have enough 11. Could you help me, Suzy?”

On the day of the talent show, Suzy's 12 were everywhere —- all over the hall and all over the school, each one different.

    “And finally,” said Mr Brown, the schoolmaster, at the end of the show, “we have a (n) 13 award. I'm sure you've all noticed the wonderful posters.” Everyone nodded. “One of our own students 14 them.”

    I could hear everyone whispering. “Who in our school could draw 15 well?”

Mr. Brown waited a while before saying, “16 this student worked so hard on the posters, she deserves a 17 , too. Our mystery(神秘) artist is our new student —- Suzy Khan!”

    Mr. Brown thanked her for all the wonderful posters and gave her a professional artist's set. “Thank you,” she cried.

    I 18, at that time when I was looking at her excited face, she'd probably never 19 anything in her whole life.

    Everyone started to 20their hands. Suzy Khan gave them a shy smile and the applause was deafening. I knew then Suzy was going to be all right.

    If we redouble our efforts, our dreams will come true. Chen Zuobin had 1 for 13 years already. Finally, he decided to become a 2 again. Born in a mountain village in Anhui province, Chen Zuobin walked out of the 3 for study when he was 19. Thought he had a 4 life as a creative director of an international agency in Shanghai, he couldn't 5 the anxiety reflected in his dreams.

    “I dreamed about 6 branch roads several times a year. I didn't know which one leads to 7 . It made me feel terrible.” One day, Chen Zuobin said to his wife, “I want to go home.” 8 being surprised, his wife said, “9 your heart. Don't worry about me.”

    The young couple returned to their hometown and 10 the Real Food Farm just to lead a real and simple life. Chen Zuobin shook off the 11 and tiredness from too much 12 in the city. Only in the mountains can they enjoy the 13 air. There isn't the smell of tail gas, but the smell of 14 when it shines over the woods. They live a life of “eating healthily and 15 well.

    In a time when eating 16 becomes a luxury（奢侈）in the 17 life, it's truly a right way to return to the 18 . “Life is a journey of 19 the proper way.” Said Chen Zuobin.

    Those dreams about branch roads have 20 because he has found his own path.