At the age of 16，Julia left school and worked at a restaurant. For many years, she was only interested in making money. Then one day she had a serious car accident which changed her life.“I had a terrible car accident in August 1996.It took me 10 months to recover （康复) from the accident. During that time，I realized I wanted to find a more meaningful reason for being here in this world，”said Julia.

    As soon as she recovered，Julia gave up working at the restaurant and traveled to California. One day she found a big company wanted to cut down part of a forest. In the forest there were lots of redwood trees. One of the trees was more than 1,000 years old.

Then Julia learned a group called Our Earth was trying to save the redwood forest from the company. They decided to find someone to live in a redwood tree and hoped this would stop the company from cutting the trees down. Julia volunteered.

    Julia lived in the tree for over two years without ever going down. It was cold and wet in a redwood tree. There were even very serious winter storms while Julia was in the tree.

Finally the company decided to protect the tree Julia lived in. They agreed never to cut down the big redwood tree or the trees around it. When Julia put her feet on the earth，she began to cry. But she continued to do other things to protect the environment.

    The English writer, Richard Savage, once lived a very poor life in London. In order to make a little money, he wrote the story of his life. But the book did not sell well in the shops. Savage was living from hand to mouth. Because he didn't have enough food to eat, he became very ill. Luckily, a doctor came and looked after him. A few days later, after taking some medicine, he got well again.

    After a week or two, the doctor sent a bill to Savage for his visits, but poor Savage didn't have any money and couldn't pay it. The doctor waited for another month and sent the bill again. But still no money came. After several weeks, he sent it to him again asking for his money. In the end he came to Savage's house and asked him for the payment, saying to Savage, "You know I saved your life and I'm waiting for something from you."

    "I agree," said Savage," that you saved me, and to prove that I don't forget anything work. I will give my life to you. With these words, he handed him one of his books. The life of Richard Savage.

    In the summer between my first year and second year in college, I was invited to be an instructor(辅导员)at a high school camp. On the first day, when we were dancing and playing games, I noticed a boy under the tree who was small and thin. His shyness made him appear weak. I walked towards him, introduced myself and invited him to join in the activities and meet some new people. He quietly replied, "No, I really don't want to do this." I could understand that he was in a new world but I knew it wouldn't be right to force him either. Actually, the boy didn't need a close talk but a friend.

    At lunch the next day, I was leading camp songs when I saw the boy under the tree sitting alone. I tried again with the same invitation, but he refused once again. That evening I was told the boy's name was Tommy. Then I asked the campers to pay special attention to the boy and spend time with him when they could.

    The days went by and the time came when we had to leave. We held a big, warm party to celebrate the closing of the camp. All the campers shared their wonderful moments. To my surprise, I found the boy from under the tree dancing joyfully with two girls. I couldn't believe it was the same person.

    In October of my second year, I received a phone call from Tommy's mother. She told me that Tommy was hit by a car and died. I offered my deep sadness. The mother said, "Tommy mentioned you so many times. I want you to know that he went back to school and made new friends with confidence. You made a difference to Tommy during his last months."

    At that moment, I realized how easy it was to give a bit of yourself every day. You may never know how much each gesture may mean to someone else. I hope that everyone can pay attention to his own "boy under the tree".

    James Cleveland Owens was the son of a farmer and the grandson of black slaves. His family moved to Cleveland when he was 9. There, a school teacher asked the youth his name. "J.C., "he replied.

    She thought he had said "Jesse", and he had a new name.

    Owens ran his first race at age 13. After high school, he went to Ohio State University. He had to work part time so as to pay for his education. As a second-year student in the Big Ten games in 1935, he set even more records than he would in the Olympic Games a year later.

    A week before the Big Ten meet, Owens accidentally fell down a flight of stairs. His back hurt so much that he could not exercise all week, and he had to be helped in and out of the car that drove him to the meet. He refused to listen to the suggestions that he give up and said he would try, event by event. He did try, and the results are in the record book.

    The stage was set for Owens victory at the Olympic Games in Berlin the next year, and his success would come to be regarded as not only athletic but also political. Hitler did not congratulate any of the African-American winners.

    "It was all right with me," he said years later. "I didn't go to Berlin to shake hands with him, anyway."
    Having returned from Berlin, he received no telephone calls from the president of his own country, either. In fact, he was not honored by the United States until 1976, four years before his death.

Owens' Olympic victories made little difference to him. He earned his living by looking after a school playground, and accepted money to race against cars, trucks, motorcycles and dogs.

    "Sure, it bothered me," he said later." But at least it was an honest living. I had to eat."

    In time, however, his gold medals changed his life. "They have kept me alive over the years," he once said. "Time has stood still for me. That golden moment dies hard."

    Once Mr. King had a cat, and he loved it very much. He called it "Sky", because he thought "Sky" was the strongest (最强的) name in the world.

    One day he had a meal at a restaurant with his cat. He met his old friend. He told him about his lovely cat and its name. His friend said, "How silly you are! Sky is not the strongest thing in the world. My cat is called ‘Cloud' because cloud is stronger than sky." After hearing this, Mr. King called his cat "Wind" because he thought wind was stronger than cloud.

    After a few days he suddenly (突然) thought that "Wall" was stronger than wind. And "Mouse" was stronger than the wall. So he went to his friend to ask for an idea. His friend said, "Don't you think 'Cat' is stronger than the mouse?" "Yes, but…"

    The man thought and thought and then decided his cat's name had better be "Cat" because a mouse was always afraid of a cat. Don't you think Mr. King is very silly or funny?