5 . At 10:00 am on Friday, May 25, 2001, Erik Weihenmayer summited Qomolangma, the world’s highest mountain. The 33-year-old man and his team had been on the mountain for two months, climbing up and down between the Base Camp at 17,600 feet and higher Camps 1 and 3. This climbing helped them get used to the high altitude. It also gave them time to carry supplies, such as tents, and precious oxygen tanks to the higher camps.

After a final climb to Camp 4 at 26,000 feet, Erik’s team had to wait two weeks through howling storms before trying to reach the summit at 29,035 feet. Erik is tough, though, and he could deal with the wait. Erik Weihenmayer is also blind. He is the first blind person to reach the summit of Qomolangma.

Erik was born with a disease that causes blindness, and by age 13, he had completely lost his sight. Erik learned to treat his blindness as an adventure.

The pain and suffering that climbers experience at high altitudes is incredible. Lack of oxygen causes the lung to be strained and can make the brain swell. Climbers can lose track of reality and may wander off the side of the mountain or take off their oxygen tanks without realizing it. The cold, harsh conditions do great harm to climbers’ bodies. One advantage Erik has over sighted climbers is that he is not affected by snow blindness. The glare of the sun on snow makes climbing more difficult for those who are used to being able to see.

Despite all of this, Erik loves climbing. He enjoys the teamwork and the bonding between climbers. His fellow climbers say that describing what they see to Erik makes them appreciate the sights more. They respect his abilities and consider Erik an equal member of their team.

Erik’s eventual goal is to be the first blind person to climb the highest peak on each of the seven continents. Although he takes his role as a spokesperson for the blind seriously, he doesn’t climb just to prove that blind people can do it. Erik Weihenmayer climbs because it connects him with who he is and makes him feel alive.

6 . Rain or shine, Tsering Chopa treks (艰苦跋涉) for long hours to deliver mail. For 18 years, the Tibetan mailman has been an important link between a remote, high-altitude settlement and the rest of the world. At 5,373 meters above sea level, Pumachangthang in Nakarze county of the Tibet autonomous region is China’s highest township(乡镇). The oxygen level is less than 40 percent and the annual average temperature is –7℃ . However, these weren’t the biggest challenges for a postal service. The area of the township is about 1,500 square kilometers, but its population is less than 2,000. The distance from the county town is some 70 km and a single trip to all the six villages can be as long as 160 km. The dogged perseverance required to get the job done under such conditions needs no further explanation.

The busiest time for Tsering Chopa is between July and August each year, when students are waiting for their admission letters from various universities. He recalls once he had to deliver mail to one student whose family had already moved away. He had to quiz neighbors several times to find the new address. It was summer and the usual road to the village was blocked because of rain. He trekked for more than 20 km and grappled with shortness of breath all the way to finally deliver the letter. “I don’t mind the hardships because it is not easy for students from remote villages to get college admission. It was my duty to deliver the mail on time,” he says.

One night in February 2019, a local resident Nyima Tsering’s daughter had fainted and desperately needed help. Knowing that, the mailman arranged for a car right away and sent her to the county hospital. He also gave some cash to the family for the girl’s treatment. Nyima Tsering’s daughter recovered soon, and Tsering Chopa became an idol in the village. “I will never forget his compassion and kindness,” says the grateful father.

In 2019, Tsering Chopa received the China Youth May Fourth Medal. “It is an acknowledgment of what I do and a token of encouragement as well,” he says. “And I want to help more people living in remote areas. I want to bring the world closer to them and take them closer to the world.”

Good morning, everyone. Today, I’d like to share a story about a man of perseverance.

Thanks for your listening.

What does every writer most dread     1     (read) in the comments from publishers? It’s “We regret     2     (inform) you...”，which will make their hearts sink. In fact，a lot of writers of great works have     3     (previous) faced rejection.

J．K.Rowling，after a total of twelve rejections，eventually got her first book Harry Potter published，which became     4     global success. Another famous writer J.D. Salinger persevered in working     5     his novel The Catcher in the Rye despite the criticism along with rejections from several publishers and when it was eventually published，it became an immediate best­seller. The three Brontё sisters lived in the Victorian England，a time     6     women were not encouraged to become writers. Although they     7     (dream) of seeing their words in print，they experienced many rejections，but they persevered and now Charlotte’s Jane Eyre，Emily’s Wuthering Heights and Anne’s Agnes Grey     8     (regard) as classics of world literature.

From the stories of the above famous writers，we can learn that it was     9     (persevere) that made them realize their dreams.Therefore，keep trying and you’ll eventually read the words “We are     10     (delight) to inform you...”

10 . The Power of Determination

The little country schoolhouse was heated by an old coal stove. A little boy came to school early each day to start the ________ and warm the room before his teacher and his classmates got there.

One morning they ________ to find the schoolhouse burning. They dragged (拖) the little boy out of the building. He was almost dead. Then he was ________ taken to a nearby country hospital.

The ________ told the boy’s mother that since the lower part of his body was ________ burnt, he couldn’t use his legs anymore. However, the ________ boy made up his mind that he would walk. Unluckily his thin legs ________ hung there, all but lifeless.

Finally he returned home from the ________. Every day his mother would press his little legs, but there was no feeling, no control, ________. Yet his determination that he would walk was as ________ as ever.

________ he wasn’t in bed, he would sit in a wheelchair. One sunny day his mother wheeled him out into the yard to get some fresh ________. This day, instead of ________ there, he threw himself from the chair and pulled himself across the grass, dragging his ________ behind him.

He worked his way to the white fence (栅栏) around the yard. With great effort, he raised himself ________ on the fence. Then, he began dragging himself along the fence, he ________ that he would walk. He ________ to do this every day. There was nothing he ________ more than to develop life in those legs.

In the end, through his determination he ________. Gradually he began to walk to school, then to run to school, to run ________ the joy of running. Later in college he made the running team.

Still later, this determined young man in Madison Square Garden, Dr. Glenn Cunningham, ran the world’s fastest mile!