【推荐1】Long before the arrival of Europeans on the Canadian prairie (the wide grasslands of what is now called Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba), the First Nations people lived in a harmonious relationship with their natural surroundings. Every item of their culture, from sewing needles to homes was from nature. Their homes were called teepees and were like large tents made from the skins of deer. These people are different tribes(部落) who travelled from place to place following the animals they hunted or the growth of the berries and fruits on the bushes and trees.

They had horses, although horses came to North America after escaping from the Spanish explorers who brought them here to explore the areas around Mexico and Texas. Boys and girls were both expert riders.   They did not use saddles or reins or stirrups; they rode “bareback”. Their clothes were made from deer skins and buffalo( 水 牛 ) skins and decorated with the parts of other animals — tails from squirrels and gophers, quills from porcupines and the bones of birds.

These children of nature did not ever have to go to school. They did not have to study to get into a top college, nor did they have to worry about finding a job after graduation. This does not mean their life was easy. The winters were very long and very cold and there were sometimes wars between tribes. There were also the very great dangers involved in the buffalo hunt. Hunters rode at top speed beside the huge buffalo shooting arrows to bring them down. The chances of a buffalo turning suddenly or of falling off the horse were very great. We must remember that there were also no hospitals in those days.

Even so, the young people of the tribes must have enjoyed a very pleasant lifestyle: fishing and gathering berries in summer, hunting in the forests in the early morning, dancing around the fire at night and listening to the old people tell stories and legends from long ago.

【推荐2】How do top athletes handle defeat and disappointment? Can an athlete turn to his or her teammates for support or encouragement? The following top performers' responses will be helpful to you.

Think positively

Siri Lindley is a top triathlete (三项全能运动员), competing in events that combine long-distance running, swimming and cycling. “I try to use what I learn from each loss to make me stronger and more determined,” she says. “Then I pick my head up and start thinking positive, and I visualize myself succeeding the next time. Let the losses make you stronger.”

Stick with it

Allen Johnson won a gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the 1996 Olympics, but he knows that he can’t win every race. “When I don’t win. I have to accept the fact that I made a mistake or that someone was better on that day,” he says. “You can’t be the best every day, but you can be the best on some day.”

Pick yourself up

Figure skater Michael Weiss is one of the best in his sport, but there have been a lot of failures along the way. “I look at failing as a part of growing,” he says. “When you lose and you are feeling down, without teammates to lift you up, you have to be strong enough to pick yourself up.”

Learn from mistakes

Gymnast Shannon Miller has won several Olympic medals, including two golds. “If I make a mistake in the middle of a competition, I try to forget about it because I have to go on.” she says. “If I do poorly over the course of an entire meet, I go back to the gym and figure out what went wrong. It’s so important to learn from your mistakes.”

【推荐2】Once, I was invited to see a performance by my friends. Little did I know that I was about to see something I would never forget.

After the host made a brief introduction, the young musician, Mr. Patrick Henry Hughes, was rolled onto the stage in his wheelchair and began to play the piano. His fingers danced across the keys as he made beautiful music. He then began to sing as he played, and it was even more beautiful. For some reason, however, I knew that I was seeing something special. About ten minutes into Patrick’s performance, someone came on the stage and said, “I’d like to share a seven-minute video.” Then the lights went dim.

Patrick Henry Hughes was born with no eyes and the inability to fully extend his arms and legs, which left him disabled for life. However, as a child, he was fitted with artificial eyes (义眼) and placed in a wheelchair. Before his first birthday, he discovered the piano. His mom said, “I could hit any note on the piano, and within one or two tries, he’d get it.” By his second birthday, he could play simple songs as requested. His father was excited. “We might not play baseball, but we can play music together.”

Later, Patrick became a junior at the University of Louisville. His father attended classes with him and he made nearly all A’s. He was also a part of the marching band. He and his father did it together. They attended all the band practices and performances.

But even more than his unbelievable musical talent, it was Patrick’s “attitude of gratitude” that touched my soul. On stage, between songs, he talked to the audience about his life and about how blessed he was. He said, “life made me blind and unable to walk. BIG DEAL! It gave me the ability… the musical gift I have… the great opportunity to meet new people.”

When his performance was over, Patrick and his father were on the stage together. The crowd rose to their feet and cheered for over five minutes.

【推荐3】Samuel Osmond is a 19-year-old law student from Cornwall, England. He never studied the piano. However, he can play very difficult musical pieces by musicians such as Chopin and Beethoven just a few minutes after he hears them. He learns a piece of music by listening to it in parts. Then he thinks about the notes in his head. Two years ago, he played his first piece Moonlight Sonata (奏鸣曲) by Beethoven. He surprised everyone around him.

Amazed that he remembered this long and difficult piece of music and played it perfectly, his teachers say Samuel is unbelievable. They say his ability is very rare, but Samuel doesn't even realize that what he can do is special. Samuel wanted to become a lawyer as it was the wish of his parents, but music teachers told him he should study music instead. Now, he studies law and music.

Samuel can't understand why everyone is so surprised. "I grew up with music. My mother played the piano and my father played the guitar. About two years ago, I suddenly decided to start playing the piano, without being able to read music and without having any lessons. It comes easily to me—I hear the notes and can bear them in mind—each and every note," says Samuel.

Recently, Samuel performed a piece during a special event at his college. The piece had more than a thousand notes. The audience was impressed by his amazing performance. He is now learning a piece that is so difficult that many professional pianists can't play it. Samuel says confidently, "It's all about super memory—I guess I have that gift."

However, Samuel's ability to remember things doesn't stop with music. His family says that even when he was a young boy, Samuel heard someone read a story, and then he could retell the story word for word.

Samuel is still only a teenager. He doesn't know what he wants to do in the future. For now, he is just happy to play beautiful music and continue his studies.