On the first day of my high school, I ran into my new English teacher, Ms. Kirschmann. I really mean that – I almost knocked her 1 .

    On entering my English classroom, I hit somebody hard. She was tall with red hair, and she was2a black and white skirt. As I began to3, she started “yelling” at me. But soon I realized that she was,4, saying hello and welcoming me to her class in a very 5voice. I realized that I had just met my new English teacher a moment ago.

    Kirsch, as she wanted us to call her, had a6and fascinating character. Her hair color, fashion sense and energy took up the entire room. When we read the play Macbeth by Shakespeare, Kirsch let us play7and wear masks. There was a big drum in the classroom. Every time we read the word “thunder” in the text, she would hit 8 on the drum, making a loud noise! My classmates and I would 9 loudly.

    During group discussions, Kirsch often told us to sit in a10 on the floor. We talked about the 11 while she just sat in a corner and took notes of what we said. Doing so made us feel independent and 12 ourselves more with critical thinking. It is the strangest 13 the most entertaining class I have ever had.

    Kirsch is really a “social butterfly”. She smiles, laughs and tells jokes 14 she goes. But I found out about another 15 of her the other day.

    After school that day, I was walking by my English classroom 16 I saw Ms. Kirschmann with her son. She was trying to 17 him to put on his jacket in a low voice. She spoke in such a gentle manner that I was quite 18 . Until then, it never 19 to me that Ms. Kirschmann could be quiet. I had thought she was 20 energetic, calm, intelligent and caring all at once. All I know was that I couldn't wait for the next day of her English class.

    “Daily Star, sir,” called Jason, carrying some newspapers under his arm. The little boy had been running up and down the street, but there were still twenty1left. His voice was almost gone and his heart was2. The shops would soon close, and all the people would go home. He would have to go home too, carrying the papers3money. He had hoped to sell more papers tonight to make more money to buy a4for his mother and some seeds for his bird. That was why he had bought the papers with all his money. He almost5as he thought of his failure to sell all his papers.

    “You don't know the6of selling papers. You must shout, “Hot news! Bomb bursting(炸弹爆炸)!” another newsboy Chad told Jason. “7 such news is not in the paper at all,” replied Jason. “Don't be so honest. Just run away quickly8they have time to see, and you'll9out the paper and get your money,” Chad said.

    It was a new10to Jason. He thought of his bird with no11and the cake he wanted to buy for his mother, but was12that he would not tell a lie. Though he was13a poor newsboy, he had been14some good qualities.

    The next afternoon Jason went to the office for his papers15. Several boys were crowding around Chad, who declared with a16smile that he had sold six dozen papers the day before. He added that Jason17money because he would not tell a lie. The boys18at Jason. “You wouldn't tell a lie yesterday, my boy?” A gentleman at the office came up and patted(轻拍) Jason's shoulder19, “You're just the boy I am looking for.” A week later Jason started his new20. He lost the sale of twenty papers because he would not tell a lie, but got a well-paid job because he told the truth.

    As a child, I was told that a wise person is the one who learns from everyone. It is a great way to live by this 1 — One begins to look at people very 2 and he no longer puts others 3 in order to feel good about himself.

    Living in China 4 me with many wonderful opportunities to put this principle into practice. China is quite5 and as a Westerner, it's easy for me to consider many of the local habits as “strange” and even “rude”. However, slowly I began to  6 a lot about the culture and about where many of their 7 came from. I decided to make an effort to meet people and 8from them.

    I am living in Harbin now, a city in the Northern part of China, near Russia. Yesterday I 9to get money from the ATM and have a good cup of coffee after lunch. But I can't speak Chinese yet and there are no signs in English 10 the nearest supermarket or coffee shop. There are signs in Russian. 11 “espaciba” which means thanks, I don't know much else. 12 I decided to smile at my every attempt to13and ask for information that would 14 me to an ATM and a coffee shop. It turned out that my efforts and my 15 were met with more smiles. I learned that16is to be found everywhere even 17I cannot communicate, and that people will 18depending on what I give.

    Look around you for opportunities to learn from the most19 people. You will be surprised at what they can 20you!

    When I heard the news, tears ran down my face. Some years ago on a hot summer day, a little boy decided to go for a 1 in the lake behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the 2 water, he ran out of the back door. He flew into the water, not 3 that an alligator（鳄鱼）was swimming toward the 4. His mother in the house was 5 of the window and saw the alligator 6 it got closer and closer. In fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her sin as 7as she could.

    Hearing her voice, the little boy became 8 and made a return to swim to his mother. It was to 9. Just as he reached her, the alligator 10 him. From the shore, the mother grasped her little boy by the arms just as the alligator grasped his legs. The alligator was much 11 than the mother, but the mother was much too struggling to let the boy go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard her 12, raced from his truck, took aim and 13 the alligator.

    14, after weeks in the hospital, the little boy 15. His legs were scarred by the animal and, on his arms, were 16 scratches where his mother's fingernails scratched. A newspaper reporter, who 17 the boy, asked if he would show him his 18. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious 19, he said to the reporter, “But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my mom wouldn't let me go. They are my mother's 20 for me.”

    When we're young, especially in our twenties or even thirties, we may feel uncertain about our future. For years I have had no idea what I have been doing with my life, I was a thirty-year-old lawyer in New York. 1 being a lawyer was never my dream or goal in life. I honestly wanted to be a writer. I have a great 2 and would write amazing stories in my head. But I always knew that being a writer was 3 possible for me because it was a better 4 decision to stay a lawyer.

    Lately, I couldn't fall asleep 5 my usual time of 10 p. m. and when I did fall asleep I had the same dream 6. The dream starts with me in the ocean 7 to go for a swim and I'm searching for something, but I start to 8 and have no control over my 9. Then a light shines through the waters and when I look up, all I can 10 is myself in a bright white mom writing a 11. Then I hear a voice say 12, “Now is the time to try something new: now is the time to try something new.

    Something indescribable always stayed in my mind. It wasn't just a dream; it was my 13 to make something good out of my life. That afternoon, I 14 my job at the law firm and I couldn't have been any 15. My life started at 30, and every day 16 that point I haven't stopped enjoying life. I started to 17 and have been on the best-sellers list for the last two months. Things have definitely 18 well.

    19 is a good thing; it gives us an opportunity to take a chance. So my two favorite words I live by and so 20 you are "change and chance".

    I grew up in a nice house in a middle-class area in Boston, England, and had a very happy childhood. My mother 1 herself to bringing me and my siblings up.

    As a child I was overactive and 2 in school. I wouldn't listen to anyone and thought I 3 everything. At home, I was always breaking things and 4 everyone. Dad was worried, so when I was eight, he took me to boxing classes in an 5 to divert (转移) my energy and keep me out of trouble. It made a huge 6 to the way I saw life and taught me discipline. It also taught me respect, because Dad made it clear that if I didn't 7 properly, I wouldn't be able to go back to the gym. 8 it hadn't been for him, there is no doubt I'd have just 9 my life.

    Dad was surprised when people at the gym started saying that I had the 10 to be a champion. His 11 had been to keep me off the streets, not to make me a world-class boxer. But he was so proud, 12 when I won a silver medal in the 2004 Olympics. I was only 17 and I know Mum and Dad were 13 for me because I was just a boy, yet I was fighting men.

    I don't have to 14 the business side of my career, because Dad oversees all that. He deals with the lawyers, making sure my fight contracts (合同) are all up to date and 15 properly.

    Dad's always at the ringside during my 16—his main priority is that I'm safe. Mum 17 coming when the fights got harder, because she couldn't bear to see the blood. She'll 18 sit at home or in the hotel, waiting until it's all over.

    The boxing world can be a very lonely one, and I'm so 19 every day to have Dad and my whole family behind me. It would be unthinkable if I didn't have their 20.