On August 26,1999,New York City experienced a torrential downpour.The rain caused the streets to1and the subway system almost came to a stop.

    Unfortunately, this happened during the morning rush hour.Many people who were going to work were2to go home.Some battled to3a taxi or to get on a bus.Still others faced the4bravely,walking miles to get to work.

    I 5 to be one of the people on the way to work that morning.I went from subway line to subway line only to find that most6had stopped.After making my way7crowds of people,I finally found a subway line that was 8.Unfortunately,there were so many people waiting to9the subway that I could not even get down the stairs to the10.So I took the train going in the opposite direction,and then switch back to the downtown train.Finally,after what seemed like an forever,the train11my stop.Then I had to walk several blocks in the increasingly heavy rain. When I finally got to my office,I was12through,exhausted and13.

    My co-workers and I spent most of the day drying off.When it was 5:00 pm,I was ready to go home.I was about to turn off my computer14I received an email from Garth,my Director:

    I would like to thank all of you who made the effort and15reported to work.It is always reassuring（今人欣慰）,at times like these,when employees so clearly show their16to their jobs.Thank you.

    Garth's email was short, but I learned more from that17message than I ever did from a textbook.The email taught me that a few words of18can make a big difference.The rainstorm and the traffic19had made me tired and upset.But Garth's words immediately20me and put a smile back on my face.

    My nephew's 10-year-old son came for a visit one hot, July weekend. I persuaded him to 1 inside and joined him in a game. After 2 for an hour, I suggested that we relax for a while. I 3 my favorite chair to let my neck relax. He left the room and I was catching a few enjoyable4 of peace.

    “Look, Alice,” he said excitedly as he 5 over to the chair where I was sitting. “I found a kite. Could we go outside and 6 it?” Looking out of a nearby window, I noticed it was 7 outside. “I'm sorry. Tripper,” I said, sad to see his 8 expression. “The wind is not 9today. The kite won't fly.”

    The 1010-year-old boy replied, “I think it's windy enough. I can get it to fly,” he answered 11he hurried out to the back door.

    He ran back and forth, as 12as his ten-year-old legs would carry him, looking back 13 at the kite behind. After about ten minutes of unsuccessful trying, he came back in.

    I asked, “How did it 14?” “Fine,” he said, not wanting to admit (承认) the failure. “I got it to fly some.”15 I heard him say secretly, “I guess I'll have to wait for the 16”

    At that moment I heard another voice speak to my17“Alice, sometimes you are just like that. You want to do it your way 18waiting for the wind.”

    And the voice was 19. We usually want to use our own efforts to 20what we want to do. We must learn how to make use of “the wind”in the first place!

    When 12 girls from San Fernando High School in California received a grant(经费) to develop an invention to solve a real-world problem, they decided to create a solar-powered shelter to help the homeless.

    For over a year, the girls have been using all their free time to complete the 1“They have this amazing internal(内心的)2that I've never seen in any individual,” Violent Mardirosian, a teacher at San Fernando High who is3with the team on the project, told The Huffington Post. “I thought4that maybe some of them would give up, say 'I didn't5this much work,' but they haven't. They're just working hard and they're not giving up and they're super6.

    Living in a low-income community, the girls have seen the 7 of homelessness first-hand. Many of them are from immigrant families and hoped the 8 which is powered by rechargeable(可再充电的) solar panels(控制板), would help the9.

    Seventeen-year-old Maggie Mejia told the Huffington Post that10she had no previous 11experience, the girl figured out as a team how to12the shelter using how –to videos and books that taught them how to code. But the most important13she's learned during the project isn't technical.

    “I've learned a lot about14others, helping the community and being selfless and showing a better world to other people and15someone else's life,” she said. The project was carried out with DIY Girls, a nonprofit that helps fund STEM-science, technology, engineering and math- projects for16.

    Mardirosian said all the participating students have17their interest in STEM through this project.

    “Many of them didn't think about engineering before. They thought maybe they're not18out to be an engineer. But working together, now they 19their skill - whether a writing skill or a drawings skill or a speaking skill, they're all20in this field. Everyone has found their importance in this picture,” she said.

    Jumping into the cold sea from 25 meters above the sea level. This was my short journey in year seven, well known as 1 education in Australia.

    I have weak memory of the place,2 when it was just last year. From the following day of our arrival, we were told that we were3 to jump off the platform next to where we lived. Yet I didn't have the4 to do it.5 we came, we had swimming lessons to learn how to dive from a platform. Now, I wanted to be 6. So I got up there and looked down ... I did not want to go down there. Then I 7 back down. Everyone 8 me.

    The next day, I went up again. This time, I jumped. I 9my eyes. I had my hands on the 10side's shoulders in a cross formation, standing straight and waiting for the 11, just like we were taught in school. There was a 12 second or two before I 13 the water. My thighs (大腿) were burning. My heart was 14 fast.

    I kept 15 under my breath. It was hard not to. Soon enough, I climbed up onto the platform to find everyone 16 me. My teacher came up to me and 17my hands. “You did it, mate! You jumped off. It's the18 of the year!”

    The next day, we were leaving. One of my roommates came over to me. “Remember yesterday? You landed with a 'POW' into the water!” he had a little 19 “You were saying the bad words over and over again and the teacher didn't even mind!” I laughed with him. But the 20 was indeed, an interesting one.

    When I was in school, I joined an undergraduate program to chat with specific patients and then discuss it with others. On one special visit, I1entered a darkened room to find an elderly man lying in the bed. When I moved a little closer to the bed, I realized that he was quite 2, but also very confused and anxious. He3wanted to communicate something to others. He seemed weak, and I couldn't tell if he was in 4, or just scared. He obviously didn't want me to leave.5 I felt so lost and uncomfortable that I had to leave the room after a couple of minutes.

    The next time I was at the hospital, I was asked to make follow-up visits with the same6of patients. I expected my time7 the confused man to be just as short as the last time if he was even still alive. As I arrived at the 8, his daughter was there chatting with him. He was sitting up in the bed and looked a bit better than before. I introduced myself to the daughter and explained to her that I had come by before.9 the patient, I then suggested that I was certain he didn't 10 me at all.

    To my surprise, he 11 me immediately. "I remember you. You were the 12 !" he said excitedly. I thought he must be 13 me for someone else, but he then accurately told me enough details of our first 14. I was so confused about that. During my first visit to this weak patient, I did absolutely15 to help this man but 16. Then he explained that my 17 last time gave him hope to live, I must 18 that a stranger in hospital whose name I even didn't know changed my attitude to the life with a single19, It makes me want to offer whatever kindness I can to others, and I try to recognize and 20 the kindness that others offer to me. Obviously, we couldn't know the impact our actions, or even just our presence, has on life.

    One night, when I was eight, my mother gently asked me a question I would never forget. "Sweetie, my company wants to 1 me but needs me to work in Brazil. This is like your teacher telling you that you've done 2 and allowing you to skip a grade, but you'll have to 3 your friends. Would you say yes to your teacher?" She gave me a hug and asked me to think about it. I was puzzled. The question kept me 4 for the rest of the night. I had said "yes" but for the first time, I realized the 5 decisions adults had to make.

    For almost four years, my mother would 6 us from Brazil every day. Every evening I'd 7 wait for the phone to ring and then tell her every detail of my day. A phone call, however, could never replace her 8 and it was difficult not to feel lonely at times.

    During my fourth-grade Christmas break, we flew to Rio to visit her. Looking at her large 9  apartment, I became 10 how lonely my mother must have been in Brazil herself. It was then that I started to appreciate the tough choices she had to make on 11 family and work. 12  difficult decisions, she used to tell me, you wouldn't know whether you made the right choice, but you could always make the best out of the situation, with passion and a 13 attitude.

    Back home, I 14 myself that what my mother could do, I could, too. If she 15 to live in Rio all by herself, I, too, could learn to be 16. I learnt how to take care of myself and set high but achievable17.

    My mother is now back with us. But I will never forget what the 18 has really taught me. Sacrifices 19 in the end. The separation between us has proved to be 20 for me.