They tell the story of a mountain climber who, desperate to conquer the Aconcagua, started his climb after years of preparation. But he wanted the 1 all to himself, therefore, he went up 2.
He began climbing and it was becoming late. He did not prepare for 3, and decided to keep on going. Soon it got dark. Night fell with heaviness at a very high altitude. Visibility(能见度) was 4. Everything was black. There was no moon, 5 the stars were covered by clouds.
As he was climbing a ridge at about 100 meters from the top, he 6 and fell. Falling rapidly, he could only see marks of darkness that passed. He felt a terrible sensation of being 7 in by gravity. He kept falling and in those painful moments, good and bad memories 8 his mind. He thought certainly he would die.
But then he felt a jolt(震动，摇晃) that almost 9 him in half. Yes! 10 any good mountain climber he had supported himself with a long rope 11 to his waist. In those moments of stillness, hanging in the 12, he had no other choice but to shout, “Help me, God! Help me!”
All of a sudden he heard a 13 voice from heaven, “What do you want me to do?”
“Save me”.
“Do you really think that I can save you?”
“Of course, my God.”
“Then 14 the rope that is holding you up.”
There was another moment of silence and stillness. The man just held tighter to the rope. The 15 team says that the next day they found a 16 mountain climber handing strongly to a rope … TWO FEET 17 the ground.
As the story suggests, sometimes you have to have some 18.If you cut the rope and 19 the result might be out of your 20.
Since 1985, Johnny Jennings, 86, has1local churches and businesses to collect paper, which he brings to a recycling center for money. But2putting those earnings in his own bank account, he sends every dollar to Georgia Baptist Children's Homes & Family Ministries. Once a year, he'll give the organization a check, which is3between $10,000 and $35,000. By 2016, that 4to $400,000.
Jennings5himself to helping Georgia Baptist Children's Homes & Family Ministries after his first visit there when he was 18. “When I was about to6, these three little boys7me by the knees and said, ‘Will you be my daddy?'” Jennings recalled. “And I said I'll do8I can. That took my 9, right there.”
These days, Jennings' recycling has turned into a community 10. After he's made his own rounds recycling paper from businesses and churches, he'll find more11waiting for him at home. Community members12other recyclables at his house so he can13them, along with books, food, clothes, and other items to 14.
Recycling centers typically pay15one-half to three cents per pound of paper, but in 201616, he sold more than 400,000 pounds of paper and 51,000 aluminum cans, and17more than 32,000 pennies.18the course of 32 years he's recycled more than 9.8 million pounds of paper,19about 79,000 trees in the process.
Jennings says he's20to continue raising money for charity as long as his health allows. “If you got it to give, give it away,” he said.
Annie, my neighbor's daughter, was away for her first term at college this year. She is a very sweet girl but just a bit shy. When her birthday month 1, I found out she was feeling a bit blue and 2.
Her family is quite 3 and finances are tight, so there wouldn't be any birthday visitors.
I wanted to send her a card and maybe a small gift to 4 her up. I got her school address from her mom and planned to 5 send her something. Then I got a(n) 6! I thought perhaps I could give her a big 7. I bought some balloons, birthday hats and other small novelties (新奇玩意) at a one-dollar 8. I took a small 9 and asked three other people in my area to sing Happy Birthday and send some birthday 10 to her. Other people found out 11 we were doing and added their voices, 12 it really sounded like we had a party 13 .
Then I bought her a small present and a card as 14 originally. The real fun was 15 it to be sent. I arranged everything specially so it was like opening a birthday present!
At the last minute, I added a pack of small cakes and a box of birthday 16 before sending it off.
I got a call a few days later. Annie said her roommate and one of her neighbors in her school got together with her and held the party for her once it arrived. She sounded so 17 and I was so glad that she had some friends to 18 her special day with her.
It was such an easy and fun thing to do. The people who helped me make the tape still laughed and talked about the 19 experience. And Annie told me it was the most fun birthday she can 20!
Sudha Chandran, a classical dancer from India, had to have her right leg cut after a car accident. She was also cut off on her bright1road.
However, she didn't stop 2 In the painful three months that3 Sudha met a doctor who had a(n)4on her leg. So eagerly she wanted to go back to dancing after she had been fitted with a man-made5Sudha knew that she believed in herself and she thought she could 6her dream, so she began her brave journey back to the world of 7— learning to balance, bend, stretch, walk, and turn.
After every public recital (表演), she would ask her dad about her8.“You still have a long way to go” was the9she used to get in return. In January 1984, Sudha made a historic comeback by giving a10recital in Bombay. She performed in11a great manner that it moved everyone to12and this performance pushed her to the number one position again. That evening when she13her dad the same question, he didn't say 14He just touched her feet as a praise.
Sudha's comeback was so touching that a film producer decided 15 the story into a hit film,16has moved more and more people.
When someone asked Sudha how she had17to dance again, she said quite 18“YOU DON'T NEED FEET TO DANCE.” Nothing is 19 in this world. If you have the will to win, you can20 anything.
It's a sad and familiar voice that we often hear in big cities: "Can you spare some change?"
Usually, when faced with that particular 1, I have feelings of guilt if I pass by 2 giving a coin or two.
I had that feeling 3 in Venice while on a tour of Italy's famous sites in 2006. I had taken refuge from the 4 in a quiet café. Outside, there was an old woman kneeling on the hard, ancient paving stones, 5.
Steady 6 of tourists were walking past her. A young backpacker stood away from the crowd, 7 drinking in the scenery, but I noticed the young traveler was also 8 the old woman.
A tourist group walked along the street, 9 the woman and walked on. 10 group of tourists arrived and walked past the old lady. The backpacker watched 11 everybody else went on their way, focused on the 12 around them. Then, I was preparing to leave when I caught sight of the backpacker stepping forward and 13 some money in the woman's cup. He did this somewhat14 just before the arrival of another tourist group. As I 15, the leader of the group stopped and put some money in the cup. Having been shown the way, other tourists followed suit and 16 some more coins to the cup.
His work done, the young man walked over to the old beggar-woman, patted her on the shoulder and said, "I hope that 17 a little."
I don't know if the woman understood his English or 18 what had just happened, but I did.
I placed some money in the woman's cup and continued my travels, 19 after witnessing such an 20 act of kindness.
When Mom pulled in the driveway, Grandpa Joe was weeding his garden. He stood up and 1 us with wide-open arms. In his muddy gloves and jeans, he looked2 like the well-dressed grandfather I remembered. The super professional bank president who loved numbers had retired(退休) and let his hair run3. I wasn't4 him to look so different.
After the hugs and kisses, Grandpa couldn't5 to show off his garden, pointing out his almost-ripe tomatoes and 6 about the rabbits eating his lettuce. The man who had been 7 for ages with interest rates(利率) now cared only about gardening.
Once Mom was gone for business, Grandpa8 me and said, "Now, Anthony, if I remember 9, you like pasta(意大利面) with pesto sauce." I eagerly nodded. "That's perfect!" Grandpa said. "We'll make some."
We10 some vegetables from the garden, and then drove 15 miles to the nearest grocery, where Grandpa bought cheese and nuts. On the drive home Grandpa asked, "What's the11 of having a grandpa if he never makes you a big home-cooked meal?"
Then Grandpa showed me how to 12 eggs with flour to make pasta and then how to prepare the sauce. When everything was ready, he proudly 13 me a large plate of pasta. I 14 a forkful into my mouth and it was just15.
"So," Grandpa said, his eyes16, "what do you think?"
Before answering, I thought about our 17. The garden, the shopping, the 18 "I… I… love it, Grandpa!" I said.
Then his face broke19 a smile so warm that I was sure I hadn't told him a20.
I have lived in Keelung for over twenty years. Before 20, I had not traveled abroad. The 1 places I had visited were scenic spots in my hometown. I was always told to come back home right away after school. My two schools were very 2; it took less than fifteen minutes to arrive at the schools from home.
3 I was a junior-high-school student, after a final exam, a few classmates 4 me to visit Taipei. Needless to say, I was full of 5 and asked Mother for 6 to join this hike. But to my 7, my mother refused my request because she was worried about my 8. In spite of(尽管) the fact, I tried to 9 her, telling her about our destinations and my classmates' 10 experiences of visiting Taipei, but she just said, “Unless parents 11 you, you can't go." I did my best to 12 her but it was all in vain. I faced a dilemma. On the one hand, I knew that Mother's firm disagreement was because my brother was injured in an accident when he was traveling. To be a considerate son, should I 13 my desire? On the other hand, I didn't want to 14 a valuable opportunity to grow up and to be 15. Filled with sadness and anger, I 16 a cold war with Mother. I neither talked with her nor did I go out of my room. Two days later, my mother not only 17 my classmates about the visit but also called their parents to 18 safety problem. Through a number of phone calls, finally she agreed. Before I left, 19, she once again talked about her concern. I listened carefully and patiently and gave her a thankful embrace because I knew that was the way my mother's 20 went.
One winter, when I was eight, my father and I took a ride to Aunt Sally's house. Halfway back home, the car 1 to shake and slow down. Dad 2 that the car had a flat tire. To make 3 worse, we were stuck in the middle of a snowstorm. I could hear the 4 in my dad's voice as he said, "we could only use a Christmas miracle right now.” I remember how much I 5 that old red car, mainly because the radio didn't work. Actually, 6 really worked in that car, but 7, Dad got his miracle- the heater began to operate and we were very 8 that we wouldn't freeze to death. We 9 there for someone to come along and help us out.
The cold wind started blowing in 10 the little space in the door and the window. It whistled and moaned and 11 me very much. From the wind, I could 12 the pine tree in the air, tied to the roof of the car. Dad and I both began searching for some 13 to clog(堵塞) that thin space to14the cold out. As I 15 my jacket pocket, I realized there was a piece of folded paper in it. I pulled it out, 16 to realize that it was the words of the carol(颂歌), Hallelujah. I had a sudden 17 to sing, so I began to sing it. Dad also 18 me now and then. By the time I sang Hallelujah after the second verse, the winds had 19. As we sang, " and every breath we drew was Hallelujah", we heard a 20 honk (喇叭声) coming from behind us. It was my uncle Mitch coming our way with help.
Four weeks after you were born, I still served in the navy(海军). Had I1in the navy, I would always be leaving you. So I left the navy and applied to Bowdoin College and was2- though, at 27, I was considered a very3student. Your mother was having a 4time. She reached a5point, so I took you to school with me.
It was very6at the beginning. I feared Bowdoin knew it, so I didn't7you to anyone. For the first8, I lived off campus and worked at night. I had to take you in sometimes and9you in the closet(壁橱). Working, studying and taking care of you filled all my life. I1027 pounds just from stress.
I11that I could do it myself, but it was getting very difficult. A woman helped me move to12housing during the second semester. I was the first single13raising a child on campus.
14, you were a healthy child. You were quiet and didn't15anyone. And you16school right away. I would take you to17and give you things to do, and you would just sit at a desk and do them.
My graduation day was18. I carried you in my arms to get my diploma. All my classmates stood up and19. They gave me the only standing ovation(欢迎) of the day. It20what I had endured(忍耐) for the past four years.
I was in my third year of teaching creative writing at a high school in New York, when one of my students, 15-year-old Micky, gave me a note from his mother. It 1 his absence from class the day before.
I had seen Micky himself writing the note at his desk. Most parental-excuse notes I received were penned by my 2. The forged(伪造的) excuse notes made a large pile, with writing that ranged from imaginative to crazy. The 3 of those notes didn't realize that honest excuse notes were usually 4: "Peter was late because the alarm clock didn't go off."
The students always said that it was hard putting 200 words together on any subject, but when they 5 excuse notes, they were brilliant.
So one day I gave the excuse notes to my classes, saying, "They're 6 to be written by parents, but actually they are not. True, Micky? " The students looked at me 7.
"Now, this will be the first class to study the 8 of the excuse notes — the first class, ever, to practice writing them. You're so 9 to have a teacher like me who has taken your best writing and turned it into a 10 worthy of study."
Everyone smiled as I went on, "You used your 11. So try more now. Today I'd like you to write 'An Excuse Note from Adam/Eve to God'." 12 went down. Pens raced 13 paper. For the first time ever I saw students so 14 in their writing that they had to be asked to go to lunch by their friends.
The next day everyone had excuse notes. 15 discussions followed. The headmaster entered the classroom and walked 16, looking at papers, and then said, "I'd like you to see me in my office." My heart 17.
When I stepped into his office, he came to 18 my hand and said, "I just want to tell you that that lesson, that task, whatever the hell you were doing, was 19. Those kids were writing on the college 20. Thank you. "
We are warned by our teachers not to waste time because time1will never return. I think it quite2. What does time look3? Nobody knows, and we can't see it or touch it and no4of money can buy it. Time is abstract, so we have to5about it.
Time passes very quickly. Some students say they don't have6time to review their lessons. It is7they don't know how to make use of their time. They waste it in going to theatres or playing, and8other useless things. Why do we study every day? Why do we work? Why do most people9take buses instead of walking? The answer is very10. We wish to save time because time is11.
Today we are living in the 21st century. We12time as life. When a person dies, his life ends. Since life is short, we must13our time and energy to our study so that we14be able to work and live well in the future. Laziness is the15of time, for it not only bring us16, but also does other17to us. If it is necessary for us to do our work today,18 we do it today and not19it until tomorrow. Remember that time is much more20.
In the doorway of my home, I looked closely at my 23-year-old son, Daniel. In a few hours he would he flying to France to1a different life. It was a transitional(过渡的)period in Daniel s life. I wanted to2him some words of significance. But nothing came from my lips, and this was not the3time I had let such moments slip away.
When Daniel was five, I took him to the bus stop on his first day of kindergarten. He asked, What is it going to he like, Dad? Can I do it? Then he walked4the steps of the bus and disappeared inside. The bas drove away and I said nothing. A decade later, a similar5was played out. I drove him to college. As I started to leave, I tried to think of something to say to give him6and confidence as he started this new stage of life. Again, words7me.
Now, as I stood before him, I thought of those8opportunities. How many times have I let such moments9? I don't find a quiet moment to tell him what he has10to me or what he might11to face in the years that followed. Maybe I thought it was not necessary to say anything.
What does it matter in the course of a lifetime if a father never tells a son what he really thinks of him?12as I stood before Daniel, I knew that it did matter. My father and I loved each other. Yet I always13never hearing him put his14into words. Now I could feel my palms sweat and my throat tighten. Why is it so15to tell a son something from the heart?
My mouth turned dry, and I knew I would he able to get out only a few words clearly. "Daniel," I said, "if I could have picked one, I would have picked you." That's all I could say. He hugged me. For a moment, the world16, and there, were just Daniel and me. He was saying something, but tears misted my eyes, and I couldn't make out what he was saying. All I was17of was the stubble(胡子茬)on his chin as his face pressed18mine. What I had said to Daniel was19.It was nothing. And yet, it was20.
Word came that a 13-year-old girl fell into a sewer(下水道) and was rescued. The girl, Alice, was 1for more than 12 hours in the city's 2underground sewage system. It was filled with waste liquids and other waste materials 3 a a disgusting smell, which was 4.
Alice had been playing at a public park with other kids during a family 5on Sunday. At one point, the children were on pieces of wood that 6 an opening leading to the sewage system. One of the wooden boards 7suddenly. Then Alice quickly fell about six meters down and 8 in fast-moving waste water. The other children 9told adults what had just happened. The adults quickly made an emergency call for help. Rescuers immediately began 10 Alice underground— they set cameras on floatation devices, which they put into the sewage system.
Rescuers finally11 Alice after seeing image of fingerprints on a pipe. A crew of 12 also hurried to the area and opened a hole. The first thing they heard from the girl was “help!”. Hearing Alice's cry, the workers lowered down a 13 and strong rope to her. The girl 14 onto the rope while the workers 15 her up. By the time Alice was found, about 700 meters of pipes had been 16 during a 12-hour period, she was taken to the hospital for a full 17 examination and then to 18 with her family.
More than 100 people took part in the rescue 19, Alice was able to find a small area of breathable air and 20 there until she was found.
Klaila had hiked five miles up La Luz Trail (小路) and was heading back down when she heard a dog's cries. She finally found it down at a valley. The 1 dog, weighing about 100 pounds, was breathing heavily, shaking and lying on its side.
With no one else 2, Klaila knew it was up to her to go down to help the dog, which she couldn't 3 leaving to die alone. Klaila called 911, but couldn't 4. She tried to 5 the large dog, but was not strong enough. She had no choice but to make her way back up to the trail to flag someone down for 6.
Jason, a marathon runner, 45, was halfway into his weekly run up La Luz when he saw Klaila 7 her arms. Knowing what happened, Jason rushed down to the dog, picked it up and took it back up to the trail. 8 to carry this huge dog down the trail, Jason was so 9 that he rested often.
Then a couple on vacation 10 the rescue. But trying to carry the dog with two people on a 11 trail turned out to be too 12. So Jason lifted the dog onto his shoulders, carrying it until they made it to the trailhead, where the dog's owner was anxiously searching for it.
It is really 13 that a group of 14 came together to save the dog of someone they didn't know. Having 15 contact information, the four rescuers went their separate ways.
Some American leaders proposed major1in the language. Benjamin Franklin wanted a whole2system of spelling. His3were not accepted. But his ideas did4others. One was Noah Webster.
Webster5language books for schools. He believed the United States should have a system of its own language as well as government. Webster6a dictionary of the American language in 1828. It established7for speaking and spelling the words8in American English.
Webster wrote that all words should be said in the order of the9that spell them. This is why Americans use the letters "e-r" to10many words instead of the British "r-e." He11the word "center," for example, "c-e-n-t-e-r," instead of the British "c-e-n-t-r-e."
Noah Webster said every part of a word should be12. That is why Americans say "sec-re-ta-ry" instead of "sec-re-try," as the British do. Webster's rule for saying every part of a13to a large extent made American English14for foreign settlers to15. They learned to say "waist-coat," for example, the way it is spelled instead of the British "wes-kit."
The different16of many people who came to the United States also17make American and British English18. Many of their foreign words and19became part of English as Americans20 it today.
You don't have to be a gardener, a farmer, or a vegetarian to appreciate how much we all depend on plants. Plants 1 us with food, shelter, clothing, medicine, and even the air we breathe! Here are just some of the ways that people rely on plants, 2 those native to the United States.
CLEAN AIR AND WATER: Plants are the basis of healthy ecosystems that 3 many functions, including purifying air and water. Green plants harness energy from sunlight through the 4 of photosynthesis (光合作用). With every breath we take, we depend on the oxygen that is given off as a by-product of that reaction. Plants also 5the water cycle. More than 90% of the water that is taken in through a plant's roots is eventually 6 back to the atmosphere in a process called transpiration.
FOOD: Plants provide the basis of most food webs on Earth. Even the 7 meat eaters, such as lions, need plants because the prey they 8 are plant eaters. The wild relatives of our own food plants are becoming increasingly important for breeding to make healthier and more productive crops. 9 the Texas wild rice, known from only one river in Texas, is being bred with northern wild rice to develop a new strain suitable for mild climates.
SHELTER: Plants provide not only food and oxygen, but also10 and shelter. The wood from trees is used in the construction of many of our homes. Plants also 11 habitats for many other animals. A single tree in the tropics can be 12 to more than 1,000 different insect species alone.
ENERGY: Every time we 13 the lights in a room, we use plants that lived a long time ago. Over 350 million years ago, giant relatives of today's ferms (蕨类) 14 mud as they died and so were prevented from decaying. Over the years, they were compressed (压缩) to 15 coal and other fossil fuels upon which most of the world now relies for energy.
One morning our new neighbor saw my grandfather planting two rare tree saplings(树苗）in our garden. And he also planted the same kind of tree saplings in his garden. My grandfather gave1enough amount of water to his plants and didn't always give them full 2while our neighbor gave a lot of water to his plants and 3them too well. My grandfather's plants were simple but looked good, 4our neighbor's plants were much fuller and greener.
Normally, in summer, we have strong thunderstorms called "Kalboishakhi" which can bring great damage to life and 5. After a "Kalboishakhi", my grandparents and I came out to6the damage to our garden and saw the neighbor was in his garden, too, but look 7as his plants were uprooted. Our plants weren't damaged and were standing 8 on the ground, our neighbor was9 to see this, and he came up to my grandfather and said with10, I actually looked after my plants better than you did for yours. 11, my trees came off from the roots, but yours didn't. How is this12?"
My grandfather smiled and said, "You gave your plants more attention and water, so they didn't have the 13to work themselves for anything. I gave them just the ample amount of and manure (肥料），letting their14 search for more;thus they went deeper and made their position stronger, That is why my plants15 With an expression of deep16 our neighbour nodded17It made me realize then that though my grandfather was 18with me on many occasions even during our vacations with his do's and don'ts, I became aware that anything 19got or can go off that much more easily and we will not 20the hard work it takes earn those things."
Alison Malmon was a freshman when she got a call from her mother: Her fun, outgoing older brother, Brian, had taken his own 1.
When Malmon returned to school after Brian's funeral that spring of 2000, she was still 2 . But when she looked for help on campus, there was nobody to 3Back then, said Malmon, "Students weren't encouraged to talk about their worries about 4 . I started 5 on the fact that there was a great need to give help."
She was only 19 and had no 6 with mental health issues, but that didn't 7 her from launching Open Minds at Penn. Now, 20 years later and with a new name - Active Minds - it is the largest young adult mental health advocacy 8 in America. "What V m most 9 by is that my generation and the generations coming behind me are taking on mental health as a social justice 10" says Malmon. "Our tools are changing not only their campuses, but they're 11 their families too."
Active Minds' techniques are more 12 than ever. A survey found that 45 percent of students reported feeling so 13 in the previous months that it was difficult to function; 66 percent felt overwhelming anxiety; and 13 percent 14 considered suicide (自杀).
Malmon's goal has always been to 15 the prejudice against mental illness, the language and 16the word we use to talk about it. Take the word suicide for example. You don't say" commit a heart attack or cancer", 17 you will say "commit suicide". Suicide is the only death where we use that pejorative (贬低 的) word, she says. "If we take that 18 out of our conversation, we can make significant changes in how we 19 suicide to the point. If we change, we can give the people the20 they reach out for."
Molai grew up in a tiny village in India. The village lay near some wetlands which became his second 1. He learned the value and beauty of 2 there from a very young age.
When he was 16, Molai began to notice something 3 happening around his home. A flood had hit the area earlier that year and the 4 it caused had driven away a number of birds. 5, the number of snakes had declined as well. He 6 that it was because there weren't enough trees to protect them from the 7. The solution, of course, was to plant trees so the animals could seek 8 during the daytime. He turned to the 9 department for help but was told that nothing would grow there. However, Molai went looking on his own and 10 a nearby island where he began to plant trees.
11 young plants in the dry season was 12 for a lone boy. Molai built at the 13 of each sapling(幼树)a bamboo platform, where he placed earthen pots with small holes to 14 rainwater. The water would then drip(滴落)on the plants below.
Molai 15 to plant trees for the next 37 years. His efforts have resulted in 1, 360 acres of naturally-grown land that has become home to many plants and animals.
I worked in a restaurant. One night, a woman came in with three small children. As a waiter, I could 1 tell who is going to tip well and who isn't going to tip at all. She asked about the 2 of everything on the menu, but she ordered 3 water to drink. Her daughter asked her "Mum, can I have milk?" The woman pulled out her purse and 4 her change before saying yes. Then I was 5 that I wouldn't get a tip.
At the 6 of the meal, she paid entirely in coins. When I went back to clear the table, to my 7, there were a lot of coins left for me. It amounted to 8 dollars, about the 25% of the 8. Here was a woman who 9to count her money before 10 her daughter chocolate milk, 11she wanted to make sure she still had enough to tip me generously.
Was it the 12 tip I've ever got? No, but it's the only one I 13 after all these years.
This story is a(n) 14that the very best aspects (方面) of 15 nature can shine through in even the most 16 everyday situations. The first 17 may be powerful, but it's important to let others 18 their true nature rather than making quick 19 about them. Generosity is a valuable virtue to develop, whether you 20 to be rich or poor.
