After thirty years in the classroom, I have come to realize that teacher's behavior can make a world of difference for a child. This is one such 1.

    While I was attending a party being 2 at a high school one evening, I looked around and noticed a young girl who looked 3. I thought she had been a(n) 4 of mine. I tried to remember her 5, but I couldn't. I felt so frustrated (沮丧的), 6 I have always been able to 7 former students.

    Her eyes met mine and she threw her 8 around me and said, “Mrs. G, it's me, Sarah, and I'm still 9!” The memories 10. You see, Sarah was 11 a student in my classroom. Sarah's mother had abandoned (遗弃) her, and her father had 12 her. She was sent to live with her grandparents the year I 13 her. Sarah was angry, often in 14 and often in the office.

    It was during one of those 15 visits that I first met her. She was writing. I introduced myself to her and asked her 16 she was writing. Sarah shared her story with me. I knew it was healing (康复) for her to put her 17 on paper. Every morning before school she would come into my classroom and we would work on her writing skills.

    Our conversation that evening was filled with 18. She expected to go to college. Driving home, I could not help but 19 the impact (影响) for both good and bad that teachers have upon their students. Taking the time to 20 with a child has the power to change that child's life. That's why I teach.

    Long ago there was a poor farmer in Russia. He had been very 1 with everything he had. However, when he found his elder brother was 2 than him, he felt disappointed. So he 3 hard about how he could also be richer. Finally he got an idea. He started to spend less money on food and clothes to 4 some money to buy more land. Once he had enough money, he started 5for land.

    He 6 that on the neighboring land, there were some nomads (游牧民) living there. He bought some gifts and went to 7 their head. He presented the gifts to the head and told him the 8 of his visit. The head welcomed him, accepted the gifts and agreed to his 9 to get the land. The head told him that he could have the land 10 giving him anything. He can take as much land as he could 11 by walking through the land before sunset. He should start in the morning and whatever distance he could travel during the 12, he could have it.

    The farmer became very 13 when he heard this offer. Now he could have lots of 14 without paying anything. He came 15 the next morning and started running, not walking, 16 he could cover the largest area. To reach his goal, he neither ate food, nor drank water, nor had any rest. He just continued 17. Without eating, or drinking, or resting he just got very 18. When he came back to the head in the evening, he 19 right on the spot. Sadly his son buried him in a piece of land about 6 x 4 feet.

    Don't be greedy (贪婪的) or you will 20 everything finally.

    "The biggest obstacles (阻碍) in our lives are the barriers our mind creates..." The quote I saw in an old friend's house when I was about eleven has got me through the 1 parts of my life, which has actually been based on it. When I 2 for the basketball team, not 3 it became what I was worried about most. I went to the tryouts but simply sat on the sidelines and 4. I missed out on making the team, not for lack of 5, but because of the rather too big barriers I bore in my head preventing me getting around and then 6 the ball.

    The year continued, and at that age I hadn't overcome the fears 7 in my mind. Football season came and yet again I had to try out for the team, 8 to display myself to the full. Once again the barrier in my head kept me from doing something I loved.

    From that moment on I knew that God wouldn't make barriers if somebody could 9 them. I started training, mentally, 10, and emotionally.

    I went to a small 11 in the county where the teachers didn't care whether you succeeded. I went to practice daily and competed as if it was my 12 day outing on a helmet. Later that week I made the football team. But it was simply 13. In my eyes this wasn't good enough, and I could do much better. In the middle of the season, the coaches said I was 14 to play with the big boys, and before I knew it I was starting as a(n) 15.

    I'd come a long way from the little boy that was scared from his own 16 I had 17 in whatever I did. I tried out for wrestling and made the team, the AAU basketball team and made that 18. I then realized I was a(n) 19 athlete, and that the obstacle course started to become smaller. I chose to 20 myself and let nothing get in the way.

    A woman professor walked around in a classroom while she was teaching stress management to her students. As she 1 a glass of water, everyone 2 they would be asked the "half-empty or half-full" question.

    3, with a smile on her face, she asked, "How 4 is this glass of water?"

    Answers called out 5 from eight to twenty ounces (盎司).

    She quieted the students down and then replied, "The absolute weight doesn't 6. It all depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a 7. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my 8. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel 9 and paralyzed. In each case, the 10 of the glass of water doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes. Do you know why?"

    All the students kept silent and listened carefully, lost in thought.

    She continued, "our 11 and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and 12 happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to 13. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed— 14 to do anything."

    It's important to remember to 15 your stresses. As early in the evening as possible, put all your 16 down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!

    More often than not life gets terrible 17 we think too much. And the moment you remove your burden, you'll find yourself feeling so much more 18.

    So rather than moping around and feeling sorry for yourself, 19 doing something about it. After all, life is too short to 20 yourself to anything that's not making you happy.

    A beautiful September evening, my 11-year-old grandson, Josh, and his team were warming up for their first football game of the season.

    At six, the 1 called the captains forward, said something and 2 his whistle. The two teams 3 separately. I was 4. The other team was, 5, ten inches taller than our players. It didn't take long for their 6 advantage to show. They took a 7-0 lead very 7 . At the half, the score stood at 34 to 6. Josh 8 minimal play time. In the second half, they used Josh more often. The score climbed to 40 to 6.

    Once again, the other team began their 9 down the field. Their quarterback threw the ball. The receiver caught it and 10 the goal. There was only one man in his 11 —Josh. Josh dove and 12 that boy's legs with all his strength. The receiver dragged Josh a couple of yards and 13 fell down.

    On the next play, their quarterback shot through an opening and rushed to the goal, but there was Josh again. Josh took him off his feet and 14 another goal. They scored on the last play. But it wasn't Josh's 15. The game ended with a score of 48 to 6.

On the way home. I wanted to 16 Josh, but he turned to me with a 17 smile. "Grandpa, that was a18 game."

    "But you lost, 48 to 6!"

    "I know, but I did good."

    The boy understood the 19 better than I did. They didn't win, but he did his best. I was proud of him. More 20 , he was proud of himself.

    Four brothers left home for college, and they became successful doctors and lawyers.

    Some years later, they got together again. While having dinner, they1for a long time. They discussed the2they had given their elderly mother who lived far away in another city. The first said, "I had a3house built for Mama." The second said, "I had my Mercedes-Benz dealer (奔驰经销商) send a4to her." The third said, "I built a beautiful 5for Mama." The fourth said, "You know6Mama loved reading poems and you know she can't read any more because she can't 7very well. I met a businessman who had a parrot that can recite many8. It took him 12 years to9it to speak and he earns his living by renting it out. I had to pay him $100,000 a year for twenty years,10it is worth it." On hearing that, the other brothers were11by his good thought.

    After the holidays, their mother12 her thank -you notes, which read，"Milton, the house you built is so huge. I only live in one room, but I have to clean the whole house. It's a (an)13job. Thanks anyway." "Marvin, I am too old to14.I stay home and have others work for me, so I'll15 use the car. The 16was good, although not realistic. Thanks."

    "Michael, you gave me an expensive building for many people to17plays or I watch movies in it, but all my friends are dead. I've almost18my hearing and I'm nearly blind. I won't use it. Thank you all the same.

    "Dearest Melvin, you are the19 son to have the good sense to give a little thought to your gift. The chicken tasted so20. I liked it very much. Thank you."