When I was little, I lived in a house with a beautiful garden full of all kinds of flowers, and roses were the most beautiful of them. There was nothing I enjoyed more than sitting in the garden with my mother as she read stories to me. When I was in primary school and old enough to read, I enjoyed reading stories aloud to her.

I will never forget one day when I was in the third grade. I had been picked to be the princess in the school play, and for weeks my mother had rehearsed (排练) my lines (台词) so hard with me. But no matter how easily I acted at home, as soon as I stepped on stage, every word disappeared from my head. Finally, my teacher took me aside. She explained that she had written a narrator’s (旁白) part to the play, and asked me to change roles. Her word, kindly expressed, still hurt, especially when I saw my part go to another girl.

I didn’t tell my mother what had happened when I went home after school that day. But she sensed my pain. Instead of suggesting we practice my lines, she asked if I wanted to take a walk in the garden.

It was May and roses were blossoming and, under the trees, we could also see yellow dandelions (蒲公英) in the grass. “I think I’m going to dig up all these weeds,” she said, pulling one dandelion up by its roots. “From now on, we’ll have only roses in this garden.”

“But I like dandelions,” I protested. “All flowers are beautiful — even dandelions.”

My mother looked at me seriously. “Yes, every flower is beautiful in its own way, isn’t it?” she asked thoughtfully. I nodded, pleased that I had won her over. “And that is true of people too,” she added. “Not everyone can be a princess, but there is no shame in that.” Aware that she had guessed my pain, I started to cry as I told her what had happened. She listened and smiled gently.

“But you will be a beautiful narrator,” she said.

After the play, I took home the flower.

I used to be very shy and often felt lonely. Although I did well in all the academic subjects, I was afraid of physical education. My classmates often laughed at me.

“Look at that girl,” they said. “Her feet don’t leave the ground when she runs!”

Their words embarrassed me. Moreover, whenever the teacher organized some competitive games, no one in the class liked to have me as their partner or team member. As a result, I often ended up looking at others enjoy their games.

Things would go on like that if not for a sports meet in my high school. By mistake, my name was put on the list of those who would compete in the women’s 1500 meters race. By the time people found the mistake, it was too late to change.

I was utterly dumbfounded (目瞪口呆的). 1500 meters! Running against the best runners from other classes! And in front of students of the entire school! It would be the worst nightmare I’d ever have!

“You still have time to catch up because there is still one month before the sports meet,” my classmates all said this to me, including my teacher.

My desk-mate patted me on the shoulder, “Cool! You will run for our class! And we will do training together.” Yes, this is not just for myself, but for my class too, I said to myself. But still, 1500 meters to me was like Mount Everest to a beginning climber. I had no idea even how to start my preparation.

Fortunately, my desk-mate gave me a hand. Every afternoon after class, several of us ran together. They gave me strengths. While we were running, some others would stand by the tracks cheering for us.

One month certainly couldn’t make me a good runner. But when I was standing behind the start line, I no longer felt lonely or afraid. I saw my classmates standing by the tracks waving at me as if about to run beside me.

The day finally came!

With the shot of the starting gun, I dashed out and ran as fast as I could.

As expected, I was almost the last to cross the finish line.

“What will we be singing for contest this year?” a student from my high school choir asked eagerly.

I dreaded (害怕) this moment. “I was thinking,” I said, “maybe we’ll skip the contest and just work hard on the concerts this year.”

“NO!” the kids protested.

“We’ve got to go to contest!”

“In Class A.”

“It’s tradition!”

This was true. Medals lined the front wall of the music room from the past successes of large, talented classes. But a swing in educational policies, with an emphasis on academics, had reduced my choir to a me re thirty-two students. My section leaders had graduated or been forced to drop music classes, leaving me with young, inexperienced kids who couldn’t read music, couldn’t hold their parts, and could sing only a simple melody.

“Maybe we could enter Class B this year,” I suggested, knowing even that would be a near-impossible mission.

“No!” the kids screamed. “Class A!”

I shook my head, hoping their enthusiasm would die off in a couple of weeks.

Finally one morning I entered the classroom. “Look at the clock!” I demanded. “We’ve wasted two full minutes because some of you don’t have your music ready. If we are entering the contest in Class A…” The rest of my sentence was lost in screams of delight and applause.

“From now on,” I continued when the noise faded away, “you will find the day’s lesson plan on the board. Be in your seats with your music folders on the desk when the bell rings and sit at attention, ready for warm-ups the instant I’m ready to begin. When I’m working with one section, there will be no talking from the others. You will listen, and you will learn. You will work harder than you’ve ever worked in any class before. And if one of these rules is broken, we will not go to the contest. Does everyone agree to this?”

Emily White came to the world 17 years ago, with so many birth problems in her body. Some of her organs, bones and muscles were out of shape. No one expected her to survive long. She did make it but with her strange body figure, everyone could recognize her, even from a distance.

In her hometown, a yearly outdoor performance was held in the school auditorium (礼堂). It had been performed for so many years and actually had become one of the most important events of the Christmas season for many of the town’s people.

Many people tried out each year for it, but so many were turned away. It can only include the most excellent people in the field.

Emily had a beautiful singing voice. Last year she went to Mrs. Owens-her music teacher-to ask to join in the performance. Without letting her sing, Mrs. Owens took a glance at Emily’s body and said, “Child, you are just not suitable. Everyone would stare at you and that would make you uncomfortable. It would make them uncomfortable, too.”

Without singing a single note, Emily was sent back through the door of the choral (合唱的) room. Hurt and upset, she decided never to try out again. But Mrs. Owens then retired.

This year, there came a new music teacher, Mr. Butler. He heard about Emily and suggested that she have a try.

Emily didn’t want to be rejected again, so she hesitated about it. As Emily struggled, the door was pushed open and Mr. Butler called, “Emily, you’re next.” Kind of nervous as she was, Emily did as Mr. Butler told her to. Mr. Butler sat by the piano to keep Emily company. When Emily finished her testing performance, she thanked Mr. Butler and knew the result would be posted on the door of the choral room the next day.

Emily couldn’t sleep that night. She tossed and turned in bed one thousand times.

She was suffering from the feelings that she didn’t fit and the great need to be accepted.

By the next morning, her stomach was even in pain due to stress.

Emily hurried to school and anxiously glanced at the list on the door of the choral room.

Finally, the day for the performance came.

The science teacher, Mr. Moose, decided that the school would have a paper airplane contest (比赛). Each student would design a paper airplane. And then they would take turns throwing their airplanes. The student whose airplane flew the farthest would win.

When Mr. Moose announced the paper airplane contest, all the students were very excited. Paul, who was on the wrestling (摔跤) team, said to other students. “I am the strongest. And I will be able to throw my airplane the farthest.”

However, another student, Brian, was thinking how he could win. He did not play any sports and was not very strong. But he loved airplanes and really wanted to win the contest.

Brian knew what he had to do. He went to the store and bought a big pile of paper. When he got home, he took the paper into the backyard. He took a piece of paper and folded (折叠) an airplane. It didn’t go very far, so Brian took another piece and folded another airplane and threw it. This airplane went a little farther. Brian kept folding different kinds of airplanes and throwing them. Some went very far and some did not. Finally, when Brian had used all the paper, he walked up to the airplane that had flown the farthest and picked it up.

The contest day arrived in the end and all the students gathered on the playground.

Excitedly, Brian got the prize from Mr. Moose’s hand and all the students clapped their hands for him.

In the first and second grades, I was extremely shy. I had friends, but it just wasn’t in my personality to be very outgoing, even if I knew someone well. I was even quieter with strangers, and so I wasn’t very good at meeting new people. I was afraid that I would do or say something wrong.

So in our school’s annual grand play, I usually sat in a secluded (僻静的) corner to watch the performance alone. I hoped to sit in the background and watch the actors sweat in front of all those pairs of eyes.

One day in the third grade, my teacher Mrs. Sally called me into her office and said, “Oh, Mary, you re great at memorizing things, and you have such a sweet personality. Perfect for Jenny! ‘ But I bowed my head and dared not speak. The teacher saw this and then said, “Of course, plenty of girls would love the role, and I could find somebody else. But I hope you could try it for me. I had you in mind for Jenny while writing the play! If you really don’t want to, I won’t force you. It’s your choice.”

My mind was spinning (快速旋转) faster than the windmill (风车) on the school playground. Mrs. Sally, whom I loved and admired, wanted me to play this role. She believed in me. My eyes moved across the room to a poster I had never noticed before. It showed a shooting star and read, “If you reach for the stars, you might at least grab a piece of the moon.” I looked into Mrs. Sally’s shining blue eyes and said, “Okay, I’ll try.” I realized it was time to throw off my shy mask and show the world who I really was.

In the following five months, the teacher taught me how to set, put on makeup, memorize lines, create costumes and so on. Gradually, I mastered (掌握) my lines and songs.

The big day came at last.

At that time, Mrs. Sally came backstage for her final check-up and noticed my nervousness.

My knees started shaking, yet my body froze. It felt as though my soul departed my body and I had no control over it. Anxiously, I looked through the roster (名单) posted on the wall of the locker room. My heart was beating harder and harder as I slowly saw all my friends’ names on that list but could not find mine. At that moment, I froze. I just could not accept that all my friends were on the basketball team while I was not.

I was so convinced there was a mistake that I went and found the coach. “Hey coach, are you sure that the roster you posted is correct?” I asked anxiously, dreading (担心) his answer.

“Yes, the names on the list are finalized. Sorry if you did not make it this year, there is always next year,” the coach replied.

I could feel the hot, bitter tears filling my eyes, and I ran out of the room as fast as I could. Trying to forget about the situation, I headed over to the cafeteria to buy some food. I felt dead inside, like nothing mattered. Walking was such a burden that it felt as if I had a 100-pound weight tied to my backpack. My mind was also blank for the rest of the school day. Everything my teachers said went in one ear and out the other.

After school, as I walked to the parking lot to get picked up, I saw all my friends gathered near the rear of the lot, celebrating and joking around. I detoured (绕道) around the side of the school to avoid them, trying not to think about being the only one in our friend group failing to make the team.

I saw my father’s car pull up near the school lot, and I walked up to the car and got in. He smiled at me, played the radio, and started driving home.

Noticing my bad mood, he asked me what was wrong.

Inspired by what my father said, I decided to work toward my goal.

One time, the teachers at a school wanted to teach the students about airplanes. While all airplanes can fly, some are able to fly farther than others. This is because not all airplanes are built the same. For example, a fighter plane looks very different from a plane that people fly in when they want to go on a holiday. The teachers wondered how they could make students understand this.

Then, the science teacher, Mr Moose, decided that the school should have a paper airplane contest. Every student would design a paper airplane. They would stand in a line in the playground behind the school. The students would take turns throwing their airplanes. The student whose airplane went the farthest would win.

When Mr Moose announced the paper airplane contest to the students, they were very excited. A student named Paul, who was on the school sports team, said to everyone else that his airplane would win. “I am the strongest,” Paul said. “So I will be able to throw my airplane the farthest.”

However, while Paul was saying this, another student, Brian, was thinking how he could win. Brian did not play any sports and was not very strong. But he loved airplanes and really wanted to win the contest.

Brian realized what he had to do. He went to the store and bought a big stack (叠) of paper. When he got home, he took the paper into his backyard. He took a piece of paper and folded an airplane. It didn’t go very far, so Brian took another piece and folded (折叠) another airplane and threw it. This airplane went a little farther. Brian kept folding different kinds of airplanes and throwing them. Some went very far and some did not. Finally, when Brian had used all the paper, he walked up to the airplane that had flown the farthest and picked it up.

The next day was the contest. All the students lined up. Everyone took turns. After a while, everyone had thrown except Paul and Brian. Paul went first. With a loud yell, he threw the airplane into the sky. It went farther than every other airplane. Everyone cheered.

Finally, it was Brian’s turn.

Brian won because he tried out many solutions to the problem of how to make an airplane fly very far.