Once upon a time, there was a boy who always enjoyed listening to his mother’s story about the statue (雕像) standing beside their house.

The statue’s name was Miriad, who was the symbol of kindness. People who walked by the statue showed their respect through bowing (鞠躬) in front of Miriad’s statue. It became a tradition in their village that everyman who died due to helping others would be honored as Miriad, and would be remembered by all the people.

One night, the boy asked his mother how Miriad gained his respect from all the people in this village. “He was just a simple man,” his mother said. “He helped people selflessly, thinking others first.” “Well, I can also do that,” the boy proudly told his mother. His mother continued, “That is the reason why people made Miriad a statue, for you child to copy and not to forget.”

One morning, the boy saw a little girl crying under an apple tree. “Why do you cry?” the boy asked. “I was trying to get myself some fruit from this apple tree and suddenly I fell down from it,” the little girl explained. “Let me do it for you,” the boy said. He started to climb up the tree and picked as many apples a she could. After a while, the boy jumped down from the tree and gave all the apples to the little girl.

The little girl thanked the boy for his kindness.

One day, the boy met a homeless man who seemed hungry.

2 . Wang Fang, a Suzhou native, has given her heart and soul to Kunqu Opera. Wang, who has twice won the Plum Performance Award — China’s top award for theater and opera performances-started to learn the traditional art form in 1977.

Born with a melodic voice, Wang loved to sing and dance when she was little. She performed frequently, and was recruited by the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Troupe (剧团) when she was in middle school. However, her parents refused the troupe’s invitation, insisting that she should concentrate on her studies and not drop out of school. After members of the troupe visited the parents repeatedly and showed great sincerity,Wang’s parents finally agreed.

Learning the traditional art form was never easy. She started to learn how to pronounce words, sing them lyrically and make gestures gently. As an actress playing martial artists roles at first, she had to spend extra time practicing kung fu movements. Years later, Wang used the word “unimaginable” to describe how hard the days were when she first learned Kunqu. She was soaked in sweat when practicing movements in summer, while in winter she often had chilblains (冻疮) on her hands when training in shabby classrooms with broken windows. “But I was young and determined at the time. No matter how difficult, I always got up early the next morning to practice,” Wang recalls.

Wang says she did not love Kunqu at first, but in her early 20s,when she watched the show Peony Pavilion performed by Zhang Jiqing, a master of the art form, it clicked. “I was shocked,” Wang says. “Her every movement was full of elegance and delicacy. Each of her lines and songs was perfect. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of Kunqu for the first time in my life, and it has stayed with me since.” Now, Wang has herself become a master of Kunqu. Her performances have impressed generations and helped to promote the art form among young people.

4 . A few years back, I planned to build a networked digital library where theses (论文) from African universities could be stored. I wanted to find a way to make these great _______ visible to the whole world. It took me months and even years to _______ build it to my taste. But finally, it went nowhere.

The other day, I was at a rest area. I observed that when one ant found food, others immediately _______ to help pull the food to their storage. I tried to _______ the pattern, which unfortunately resulted in _______ one. Quickly, they came together to rescue it. Then they reorganized and _______ in the line they had created. I saw no _______ of supervision (监督), yet they were moving pieces of food that were about 30 times their individual sizes, which is a _______ task.

As I watched them, the library plan _______ in my mind. Wouldn’t it be ________ to trust others to help you? Right there, I made the following ________. The ants cooperated with each other: I will form a(n)________, bringing professionals together. The ants trusted one another: I must ________ the notion (观念) that only by working alone can I ensure quality. The ants were ________: I will share my ideas with like-minded people.

It is about a month later now and the project is progressing well. It’s true that by ________ everyone in the organization and trusting people, we will achieve success.

One morning on my way to school, noticed an elderly woman dressed in a yellow vest (马 甲)carrying a garbage bag and one of those rubbish claws (爪形器具)."What's that lady doing?" I asked mum. "Vest Lady. She just picks up rubbish around here for fun," mum said. "Why would someone think picking up rubbish looking like a construction worker is fun?" I puzzled.

For several years I'd witness this mysterious Vest Lady—rain or shine — on my way to school. I had thought she was crazy for picking up rubbish. Eventually I smiled and waved at her each time I saw her. Later, I moved to high school. The time I saw rubbish here and there I felt really annoyed. Then I'd think, "Why isn't anyone picking up this rubbish? People are so inconsiderate I" However, shortly after, I realized picking up the rubbish was not someone ease's problem.

Now I couldn't walk past litter without feeling guilty. I volunteered to clean up rubbish around our school. Strange as it might sound, picking up litter was kind of a thrill for me! In fact, I was so determined that for my 17th birthday I bought myself a rubbish claw, reusable gloves and a reflective safety yellow vest with my own name on it.

During my first attempt in my stylish equipment, met with unfriendly looks from others as if I were a criminal doing community service. One day,I had an epiphany(顿悟):"I'm acting just like Vest Lady!"

But there was too much rubbish around, cigarette ends littered about, cans rolling on the street,pieces of paper hidden in the grass and plastic. alone was too weak J How would I get more volunteers involved in rubbish removal? A smart idea flashed into my mind.

Soon I created my website go picking up com.

More and more people on vests with their own names.

8 . Have you seen the incredible guitar-playing of man born with no arms? The musician who was born without arms is being _________ for his greatest guitar-playing skills in a short documentary (纪实的) video which shows him playing the instrument with his _________.

Mark Goffeney, 46, of San Diego, who is _________ as “Big Toe” because of the way he plays the guitar, shows how he became a talented performer despite his _________ in the inspiring video, “I first _________ the instrument when I was nine, after my father brought home a beat-up _________ with only four strings. My first guitar came from some place like a landfill (垃圾场), ” says Mark, who adds that he became “_________” about becoming a musician at age 12.

Mark devoted every waking hour to searching his town and trying to join a _________, but ran into _________ because of his disability. Therefore, he started his own rock band, called Wicked Misfit, and began booking gigs (特约演奏) in California.

Things were _________ professionally for Mark because of his disability. But everything _________ when he started playing music from the heart.

“When I _________ chasing this fantasy dream of being a rock star and just started playing music to make money to support my family, everything started feeling good and _________ out for me, ” he shares.

Today, Mark _________ with his band, Big Toe, and also becomes a street-performer in California, where he makes quite good money _________ by passers-by.