1 . What’s the difference between having a dream and making the dream come true? Hard work and perseverance. Wanda Smith always wanted to be a _________, but sometimes meeting life’s demanding realities can mean a dream _________.

Smith, a mother of three, had to care for her mom, _________ her family responsibilities, she took jobs as a bus monitor and gatekeeper for Brenham Independent School District in Texas. The time was _________ for her. But rather than let her dream die, at the age of 37, with the _________ of her husband, she added night classes to her _________. Nine years on, she _________ graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State University.

Smith’s story came full circle when she was _________ as a first-grade teacher back at Brenham Elementary School. _________, her mom and beloved sisters didn’t live to see her accomplishment, but she knows they would have been __________ of her. “When I stand in the front of my classroom, I know I am __________ my dream finally,” Smith said during a show celebrating Teachers’ Day.

During the pandemic, as some of her students __________ to take up distance learning, Smith stepped up to help them. She risked her life to deliver schoolwork to students to ensure that the learning could be __________ as smoothly as possible, which really __________ her students and their parents.

It’s no wonder Smith’s kids __________ her. In a special surprise ceremony, they shouted their __________ and held up big colorful signs __________ their love. Smith’s life is an example as well as a(n) __________ for us. With great determination and __________, she graduated from cleaning classrooms to __________ classrooms.

3 . I strongly believe that we can have a great influence on anyone we meet. Some acts that we think _________ can shape someone else’s future. The right words at just the right time could _________ change someone’s life.

Years ago, that was what happened to me. I was the only _________ child at Blue Creek Elementary School. From almost the first day there, the other kids _________ me mainly because of my hearing aid and the way I talked. And I also had _________ with most of my schoolwork.

When the other kids laughed at me, I was sure that I was a_________ person. I saw myself as a boy who wasn’t smart enough to_________ the class.

Mrs. Jordan, my 5th-grade teacher, _________ all of that with a simple three- word phrase.

One morning, she asked the _________ a question. I read her lips from my front-row seat and immediately raised my hand __________ I was sure I had the right answer. But when she called my name, I was __________. Here was an opportunity to impress the powerful teacher and__________ her I was worthy of her love. Maybe I would even impress my classmates a little. I didn’t want to blow it. __________ my fears, I took a deep __________ and answered Mrs. Jordan’s question.

I will never forget what __________ next. Mrs. Jordan enthusiastically slammed her right foot on the__________ and with sparkling eyes and a wide smile she __________. “THAT’S RIGHT STEPHEN!”

For the first time in my young life, I was a star. I __________ a little taller in my chair.

From that day forward, my grades and speech __________ greatly. My popularity among my peers increased. It was all because Mrs. Jordan believed in me and wasn’t afraid to __________ it.

After an exhausting swim practice on a cold winter evening, I received an invitation from my friend Lucy, asking me to attend a dance. At the top of the invitation, Young Angels was written across the page. Young Angels was organizing a dance to raise money for community service projects. I thought it was such a great idea that I not only wanted to attend it, but also wanted to become involved.

This was over two years ago and since then, I have become a lead member in Young Angels of America. At each dance, teens not only have fun with their friends but are also informed about different charities. Knowing that I have taught others how they can get involved makes me feel satisfied and delighted.

The most memorable experience of my time in Young Angels was the Middle School Winter Dance in 2007, when we had a special child help organize the dance and participate in the event. This child was Lily. Lily had a dreadful disease that will eventually kill her. Lily had the best attitude towards life: she enjoyed every moment and made the best of it. Lily got me inspired to help others and never take any moment for granted.

I now have a dream, I want to inspire as many children as possible to volunteer. So many kids don’t realize how easy it is to make a difference to the world. I am only 15 years old and I have organized over five events, getting nearly 1,000 children involved. I want to be the angel to inspire that passion in others to make the difference that I feel as I have made to my community.

6 . On a sunny day, I visited an art museum alone. I was expecting a ________ view of the artworks and a relaxing afternoon. As I was appreciating the paintings, a young couple ahead of me were ________ endlessly. I watched them for a moment and ________ that the lady was doing all the talking. How did the man ________ her constant stream of words? ________ by their noise, I moved on.

I met them several times ________ I moved through the different rooms of art. Each time I heard her continuous flow of words, I moved away ________. But I met them again at the ________ shop. I bought some souvenirs and was waiting at the checkout while the couple were ________ the doorway. Before they left, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a white object. He lengthened (使变长) it into a long ________ and then tapped his way into the coatroom to get his wife's jacket.

“He's a(n) ________ man,” the clerk at the counter said, “Most of us would give ________ if we suddenly became blind at such a young age. During his recovery, he made a ________ that his life wouldn't change. So, as before, he and his wife come in whenever there is a new art show.”

“But what does he ________ out of the art?” I asked. “He can't see.”

“Can't see? You are ________. He sees a lot. More than you and I do,” the clerk said, “His wife ________ each painting so he can see it in his head.”

I was touched and also learned something about patience, ________ and love that day. I saw the patience of a young wife describing paintings to a person without ________. I saw the courage of a husband who would not allow blindness to ________ his life. And I saw the love ________ by two people as I watched this couple walk away, arm in arm.

In March 2019, when Sara Cook first got a letter in the mail telling her that someone had paid off a large amount of her medical debt, she simply couldn't believe it. Cautiously, she called the number listed on the letter. What she learned was that this was not a scam. It was 100 percent real.

A remarkable nonprofit called RIP Medical Debt had indeed paid $5,000 toward her bills. The organization didn't take care of all the debt she'd accumulated from several back surgeries, but the former nurse was still moved by the gesture. “I felt really loved and blessed,” she says, “knowing that complete strangers just did that out of the goodness of their hearts.

Craig Antico and Jerry Ashton do have good hearts. They're also former collection agents who have seen how heavy health-related debt has destroyed lives. “I never thought about all the hardship of the people who couldn't pay. Now I'm trying to find the people who need help.” said Antico. They got their money from individuals and charities that support RIP's mission.

RIP researches potential receivers based on three criteria. First, they look for people who make no more than two and a half times the amount established as the federal poverty level. Then they screen for those whose debt is equal to 5 percent or more of the gross income (总收入). Third, they look to see whether a person can pay off debts.

For the people who do qualify, RIP's help is life-changing. “After their letter, I realized that my life really wasn't so hard,” says Cook, “I may never be able to work as a nurse again but I can sit at the school library and help kids read or serve up food in the soup kitchen. When people do something out of the kindness of their hearts, sometimes they may wonder: Does it really make a difference? I want people to know that this has a positive impact.”

During the years working in Peacekeeping Force(维和部队), I was sent abroad. As a senior analyst, my workdays were routinely twelve to sixteen hours long. Like all the old soldiers, we looked forward to receiving mails from home.

We soldiers received many “To any service member” mails from the States. Those mails were sent by the general public in our mother country to soldiers far away from home, as an expression of support. I never took any of those letters, since I wrote to my wife on a daily basis, as well as occasionally writing notes to my daughter Jenny’s classroom, and I didn’t feel I had time to write to anyone else.

After five or fix months of hearing from the mail—announcing the availability of “To any service member” mail, I decided to take a few of the letters. Because I planned, as time permitted, to drop them a line telling them “Thanks” for their support.

I picked up three letters, and placed them in my cargo pocket and went back to work. Over the next week or so, I started responding to the letters. When it came time to answer the third letter, I noticed it had no return address, but a California postmark, which made me think of home. I had missed spending Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s with my family. Homesickness seized me.

I opened the card and started to read the letter attached, which was a short one. About the third or fourth sentence down, it read, “My daddy is a soldier over there, if you see him tell him hi and I love and miss him.” This statement really touched me and made me miss my family even more. Looking down to the name of the sender, I sat in silence as tears filled my eyes.

9 . I began working in journalism when I was eight. It was my mother’s idea. She wanted me to “make something” of myself, and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.

With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union. For several hours I made myself highly visible, making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. When it was suppertime, I walked back home.

“How many did you sell, my boy?” my mother asked.

“None.”

“Where did you go?”

“The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”

“What did you do?”

“Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”

“You just stood there?”

“Didn’t sell a single one.”

“My God, Russell!”

Uncle Allen put in, “Well, I’ve decided to take the Post.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickel(五分镍币). It was the first nickel I earned.

Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence, and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.

One day, I told my mother I’d changed my mind. I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.

“If you think you can change your mind like this,” she replied, “you’ll become a good-for-nothing.” She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.

My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But never did she expect that, forty years later, such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.