My father was a highly educated, intelligent gentleman. He could debate or discuss for hours on almost any topic and hold your 1 in the process. I thought there was nothing he wasn't 2 to do.

    A few days before my younger brother's 7th birthday, Dad planned to assemble（装配）a new  3 as a special birthday surprise. After nearly an hour of  4 the instructions, Dad was still unable to 5 the new bike together. Later he 6 the paper of instructions, 7 up his tool box, and decided to take the bike back to the local toy store and pay extra 8 to have it correctly assembled there. 9 an idea came to him, as he called out to Lovett, the quiet little man who cut our grassland.

    “Lovett, have you ever assembled a boy's bicycle?”

    As Lovett walked towards the bike, Dad handed him the 10 . Lovett handed it back to him, saying, “No, thanks. I can't read. When you can't read, you have to 11 .” Less than 15 minutes later, the new bicycle was 12  assembled, with no 13  parts remaining. Dad shook Lovett's hand, patted him on the back, thanked him, and hid the bike.

    On the night after my brother received his shiny new gift, Dad announced at the family dinner table what had happened several days earlier. He took great 14  in telling it over and over again — he used it as an example of thinking.

    He did not refer to illiteracy（文盲）, but strongly taught us to use our  15  . The joke was on my father,  16  he was able to turn it into a learning tool, and I liked him even more after that incident. I also gained a new  17  for Lovett. To me he had  18  been the old yard man who didn't 19  much, but after that day, he seemed to smile 20  , even walk taller. It's amazing what a real nod of approval can do to lift people up.

    Jack Baines is a self-made millionaire, but his beginnings were very lowly. He was the youngest of eight children. His father had a1in a cotton mill (纱厂), but he was often 2to work because of poor health. The family couldn't 3to pay the rent or bills, and the children often went4. After leaving school at the age of 14, Jack was 5what to do when Mr Walker, his old teacher, offered to lend him ￡100 to start his own6.

    It was just after the war. Raw materials were not enough, and Jack saw a7in scrap metal(废弃金属). He bought bits of metal and stored it in an old garage. When he had built up a large amount, he sold it and8plenty of money.

    Jack9working hard. After one year he succeeded in10 the ￡100.

    By the time Jack was 30 years old he had11 his first million, and he wanted to12this achievement by doing something “13”. With all his money it was14to build a beautiful home for himself and his parents. In 1959, “Baines Castle” was built in the 15of the Lancashire countryside. It was one of the finest buildings in the country.

    Jack has recently sold “Baines Castle” for ￡500 million,16Jack still can't get used to 17the good life. He can 18be found drinking with the locals at the local pub(酒吧).

    “I remember being very19as a child, but never 20as a child,” says Jack, “and I will never forget where I came from and who I am.”

    Whatever misfortune you face, just hold up your head and face it with a smile! I got to know this from a musical soul.

    The other day I was feeling quite1, having just been laid off from my job. With so many2to pay, I was wondering what was going to happen to my family.

    I got off the bus when I heard piano music and3rising above the noise of the traffic. I walked a bit slower, trying to find out where it was coming from. Through the4I saw a young lady sitting at a piano with a box next to her.

    She was singing songs about love and her sweet voice5me a bit. Then I stood there watching her playing, thinking that it must take6to perform on her own in front of hundreds of people she didn't know.

    She might have felt my7for she occasionally looked in my direction.

    By now I was telling myself that I could at least tell her how good she sounded. I walked8and put some money in her box and she expressed her thanks with a smile on her face.

    I asked her9, “Why are you playing the piano in the middle of this crowded place?”

    She explained to me that she sees so many10people in the world that she is trying to relieve the pain by11motivational music.

    Instead of continuing my way home, I said to her, “I have been going through a12time lately, but you've made me13again.”

    “I'm happy that I could be14to you,” she replied. “Why are you so sad?”

    I told her my story and said, “I'm not so15about what to do….”

    “You see, here's the16,” she responded. “When you were walking, your head was down.” She looked me in the eyes and went on, “Don't look defeated, because17comes in different ways and if your head is down you might never see it. You should18more… lift your head up.”

    I was really19by what she said! I did hold my head up and soon got through the difficult time.

    So20in trouble, just face it bravely and you are sure to overcome your difficulty sooner or later.

    In high school I had a math teacher, Mrs. Davies, who took her job seriously and expected her students to put forth the same degree of commitment (付出). Strict but fair, she held our attention with her great method. One of her 1 was for students who were more advanced academically. I chose to 2 it and soon realized that the course was a bit over my head. I 3 with the complex problems that others seemed to learn without much effort.

    One Friday we were tested 4 our ability to use a theorem (定理) that no one in the class thoroughly understood. The teacher would 5 our papers based on our ability to progress through the problem which easily filled two pages of formulaic notations (公式符号). I was absolutely 6. Finally, I didn't use the required theorem. Instead, I decided to use more familiar theorems to arrive at an 7. I knew I had failed because I hadn't done the 8 assignment. I became resigned (顺从) to my fate.

    Our test papers were 9 back the following Monday. Everyone received a "C" except for me. To my surprise, I received an "A". I 10 that there must be a mistake. I watched 11 as the teacher approached my desk, smiled, and asked for my test 12 back. She then went back to copy my work onto the blackboard, 13 the class how I had arrived at the correct answer. "Mathematics is meant to be a creative tool, pushing our minds to a rewarding answer," she said with confidence. 14 I didn't use the required theorem, she seemed really proud of how I'd worked through the problem. The class saw her fold my test paper and put it into her textbook. She announced that it would be 15 with future classes.

    My teacher would have been justified (合理的) in giving me a 16 grade. Instead, she used the 17 to deeply influence a student who often struggled. And after forty years, I still cherish the 18. It helped change my self-image. I 19 up to a broad boundary of possibilities which has made my life an adventure. She understood that teaching went beyond strict demands and could be used to 20. Thank you, Mrs. Davies.

    I grew up with two elder sisters. If I wasn't courteous(礼貌)to them, they'd fix me. So courtesy wasn't really 1 in my childhood home.

    My sisters 2 every chance to train me how to be a courteous3. They made me open doors for them or help them into their 4 at dinner.

    Years later I went away to college. The first time I walked into the library, I noticed a woman walking behind me and I 5 the door open for her.

    6 , she glared at me, asking loudly, “Do you think that because I'm a woman I'm not 7 enough to open a door for myself?” She slammed(摔)the door shut, leaving me astonished and 8. My face burned with 9. I decided 10 that there would be no more courtesy!

    As I stood there, another lady 11 the door, her arms 12 with textbooks. Instinctively(本能地)I  13  to open the door for her. 14 I realized what I had done. I prepared myself for shouts. However, I received a warm smile and a look of  15 .

    “Thanks!” she said brightly. “It's nice to see we still have a few gentlemen around here!”

    Of course, if I were REALLY a gentleman, I would have 16 to help with her books. Despite this, I appreciated the good 17 I got from performing all act of simple courtesy. To do otherwise would be to 18 my lifetime of training.

    Courtesy brings pleasant, refreshing light to our lives whether we are the giver, the 19 or just an interested observer. Courtesy doesn't 20 change our lives, but it can certainly transform the way we feel about life.