A group of graduates got together to visit their old university professor.

The conversation soon turned into complaints about 1 in work and life. To offer his 2 coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and 3 with a large pot of coffee and a 4 of cups—plastic, glass, metal, porcelain (陶瓷), crystal, some plain-looking, some beautiful. The professor told his students to 5 themselves to hot coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said, “lf you have 6, all the nice-looking expensive cups have been 7, leaving behind the plain and 8 ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the 9 of your problems and stress.”

    The professor continued, “Believe that the cup itself adds no 10 to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases it even 11 what we drink. What all of you 12 wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went 13 the best cups.”

    Now 14 this: life is the coffee; the jobs, money, and 15 in society are the cups. 16 are just tools to hold and contain life, and the different types of cups we have don't decide, nor 17 the quality of life. If we concentrate only on the cups, we will 18 to enjoy the coffee in it. So don't let the cups 19 you enjoy the coffee instead." At these words, the graduates looked at each other in 20 embarrassment.

    Growing roots

    When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn't look like any doctor I'd 1 known. When Dr. Gibbs wasn't 2 lives, he was planting trees.

The good doctor had some3 theories on planting trees. He believed in "No pains, no gains". He never 4 his new trees, which was5 many people. Once I asked why. He 6 that watering plants spoiled them, and that if you water them, each following tree generation will 7 weaker and weaker. So you have to make things8 for them. He talked about how watering trees

    9 shallow roots, and how trees that weren't watered had to grow deep roots in

    10 of water. I came to understand that he meant deep roots were to be 11 I planted a couple of trees a few years back and I took good care of them. Two years of12 has resulted in trees that expect to be waited on hand and foot. Whenever a cold wind blows, they 13and tremble their branches. Funny things about those trees of Dr. Gibbs'. The lack of water seemed to 14them in ways comfort and ease never could.

    I used to15for my sons that their lives will be easy. But16 I've been thinking that it's time to17 my prayer. I know my children are going to meet

    18 and I'm praying they will be strong. The prayer for comfort is seldom met. What we need to do is to pray for deep roots,19when the winds blow, we won't be20away.

    The park bench was deserted as I sat down beneath an old tree. I was feeling 1  for the world was trying to drag me down. And if that weren't enough to ruin my day, a young boy out of breath 2me, all tired from play. He stood right before me and said with great 3, “Look what I found!”

    In his hand was a flower, and what a4sight, with its petals(花瓣) all worn. 5him to take his dead flower and go off to play, I forced a6smile and then turned away. But instead of leaving, he sat next to my side and placed the flower to his 7and declared with overacted(夸张的) surprise, “ It sure smells pretty and it's 8 , too. That's why I picked it; here, it's for you.”

    The flower before me was dying or dead. But I knew I9take it, or he might never leave. So I10for the flower, and replied, “Just what I need.” But11 placing the flower in my hand, he held it mid-air without reason or plan. It was then that I 12for the very first time that the boy could not 13.

    At that moment I heard my voice14; tears shone in the sun 15I thanked him for picking a very best one. “You're welcome,” he smiled, and then ran off to play, unaware of the16he'd had on my day.

    I sat there and wondered 17he managed to see a self-pitying woman beneath an old tree. Perhaps he'd been blessed with true 18from his heart. Through the eyes of a blind child, I19 could see the problem was not with the world; it was me. And for all of those times I myself had been blind, I20 to see the beauty in life and appreciate every second that's mine.

The Grass Cutting Days

    Every time we headed out to cut grass, Dad was there to watch. I used to1why he came with us. He stood watching us in the sticky Florida heat when he could have been inside2with air conditioning and an icy drink.

    One day we were cutting our next-door neighbor's yard. She always waited until the grass was knee-high to call us over. To make matters worse, we had an old lawn mower that kept breaking down as we tried to cut 3 her backyard jungle. This particular afternoon, I was finishing up and was tired and sweaty. I 4 the tall glass of cold juice I would drink in a minute to cool down.

I was just about to turn off the lawn mower 5 I saw Dad pointing to one single blade of grass (一片草). I thought about the small amount of money I was getting 6 for cutting grass so high that it almost broke the mower. I ignored him and kept walking. Dad called me out and yelled, "You missed a blade."

I frowned (皱眉),hoping he would let me go home. He kept pointing. Though 7 and discouraged, I still went back to cut that blade of grass. I thought to myself, "That one blade isn't 8 anyone. Why won't he just let it go?"

    But when I reached adulthood, I understood his 9 : When you're running a business, the work you do says a great deal about you. If you want to be seen as an honest businessman, you must deliver a quality product. That single blade of grass 10 the job was not done.

    Other neighbors took 11 of the good work we did and we soon gained more 12. We started out with one customer, but by the end of the summer we had five, which was all we cared to handle because we wanted time to enjoy our summer break from school.

    The lesson my dad taught me stayed with me: Be 13 . If you say you are going to perform a job at a certain time, 14 your word. Give your customers the kind of 15you would like to receive. It shows how sincere you are and how much pride you take in your work.

    Feeling tired of waiting for a lift for so long because you don't want to take stairs? Or even feeling so exhausted that you wished for a(n)1 when you could just lie down on the bed all day and not worry about work or studies?

    My name is Beena, and my story begins from here.

    I was born in a poor family. While growing up, I saw my parents making many 2 for me and my brother. They wouldn't buy anything for themselves so that they could 3 all our wishes. The small amount of money they earned is 4 in our childhood to make sure we don't feel lesser than other kids around us.

    I decided to 5 my studies and give my parents a better life, the life that they 6 for all they have done. I finished my 7 and got placed into a Leading firm in Audit industry.

    In the process of fulfilling my dreams, I took my health for granted. I was 8 tired and that was the time I felt that I needed a rest from work and relax for some time.

    I went to a doctor's clinic when I heard these three words which changed my life forever—I was 9 with Guillian Barre Syndrome, a rare neurological autoimmune disorder.

    My breathing was becoming increasingly 10 for me while I was in the ICU. I was in the hospital for two months on life support. During these two months I had 11 some near death experiences, including skin 12 and multiple infections.

    I was sent home from the hospital immediately after being taken off the life support. My body was still fully 13 from neck down and I couldn't even lift a finger at that time. I started my physical 14 from home. It took me one year to take my first few 15 with the help of a walker. I had two options at that time. The first was to give up and 16 that I will never be myself again and the other was to keep pushing. I chose to be my own 17.

    I 18 everything that could help me go to work without having any caretakers around and finally after 2 years of hard work I was ready to go to work again.

    I still have a long way to go, but I have decided I will never give up my 19. It's that door you 20 that will decide whether you will fly or live your life in a cage.

    Since I was young, my parents have encouraged me to watch the news every day to learn about major events in the world. And at school, my teacher urges us to study 1 so that we can one day become "global citizens".

    2, does simply having the skill of commenting on world affairs in fluent English make one a citizen of the 3? My experience in this summer school inspired me to 4 the answer, which would have been "Yes" if you had asked me this question earlier.

    In July, I 5 the PLE—Political science, Law and Economics—a session at the Yale Young Global Scholar Program. We had about 230 students 6 and about 45 percent of us were 7 students.

    We enjoyed lectures 8 by Yale professors and students. I was 9 with how the speakers stood on the stage. But more importantly, it was their 10 that impressed me most and made my experience in Yale especially 11.

    I talked to students from all over the world: a Palestinian girl told me the real living 12 of refugees (难民) in her country; a Greek guy 13 me to his country's government and people's attitude toward the debt crisis; a Mexican boy 14 the story behind his national flag, and how his country gained independence with me.

    By talking to them, I found myself opening a gate to a whole new world. I suddenly realized even if we're able to 15 different media and discuss world affairs in English, we're still 16. What really makes us think "internationally" is how we engage in 17 with people from different backgrounds and how we 18 their identities and opinions.

    If you were to ask me the question again, my answer would 19 be "No". To really 20 yourself a global citizen, open-mindedness and empathy are the real key.