Life comes in a package. This package includes happiness and sorrow, failure and success, hope and despair. Life is a learning process. Experiences in life teach us new lessons and make us a better person. With each passing day we learn to handle various situations.

Love

Love plays a pivotal role on our life. Love makes you feel wanted. Without love a person could go hayward and also become cruel and ferocious. In the early stage of our life, our parents are the ones who shower us with unconditional love and care, they teach us about what is right and wrong, good and bad. But we always tend to take this for granted. It is only after marriage and having kids that a person figures out and becomes sensitive to others’ feelings. Kids make a person responsible and mature and help us to understand life better.

Happiness and Sorrow

Materialistic happiness is short-lived, but happiness achieved by bringing a smile on others’ face gives a certain level of fulfillment. Peace of mind is the main link to happiness. No mind is happy without peace. We realize the true worth of happiness when we are in sorrow. Sorrow is basically due to death of a loved one, failure and despair. But these things are temporary and pass away.

Failure and Success

Failure is the path to success. It helps us to touch the sky, teaches us to survive and shows us a specific way. Success brings in money, fame, pride and self-respect. Here it becomes very important to keep our head on out shoulder. The only way to be grateful to God for bestowing success on us is by being humble, modest, courteous and respectful to the less fortunate ones.

Hope and Despair

Hope is what keeps life going. Parents always hope their children will do well. Hope makes us dream. Hope builds in patience. Life teaches us not to despair even in the darkest hour, because after every night there is a day. Nothing remains the same we have only one choice keep moving on in life and be hopeful. Life teaches us not to regret over yesterday, for it has passed and is beyond our control. Tomorrow is unknown, for it could either be bright or dull. So the only alternative is to work hard today, so that we will enjoy a better tomorrow.

MARTIN Luther King Day fell on Janthis year, the third Monday in January. It would just have been a one-day holiday for me had I not taken part in the march held near St. Louis Park to support equality (平等) for African Americans.

It was four o’clock in the afternoon when Bridget, my host mother, and I arrived at the local church where the march started. Hundreds of people had already gathered together for the march. Among them there were not only African Americans, but also large numbers of supporters from many different backgrounds. There were black boys playing the saxophone (萨克斯管) and drums, white girls holding up banners (横幅), old couples in “Black Lives Matter” T-shirts and priests (神父) from the church in white robes (长袍). Some of them were Catholic (天主教徒), some were not, yet they all came together to support what they thought was right and just.

This march was full of positive energy and high spirits. It started when a young black lady of about years old from the local church sang a song and the group joined in. Whistles (口哨) and timbrels (手鼓) could be heard along with the singing and clapping.

For a moment, I felt shocked and confused. I used to think of the fight for equal rights as a hard struggle, but these people showed the world their optimism (乐观) with smiles and music. I couldn’t help joining them, saying from the bottom of my heart that black lives matter. While we were marching, the passers-by waved hands at us, gave us thumbs-up, and some cars even made noise with their horns (号角) to support us. Bridget and I left the march about ten minutes later, but it was said to last over half an hour.

The march is only one of the many examples that show how much Americans care about human equality. High school students are asked to read books like To Kill a Mockingbird to learn about the lives of African Americans. My host parents even chose my host brother’s school because of the children of many different backgrounds that go there. Human equality has indeed become common sense in Americans’ daily lives and education.

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B

_________73______His discussion with his new boss, Hu Xin (HX) , was to strongly influence his life as a journalist.

HX: Welcome. We're delighted you're coming to work with us. Your first job here will be an assistant journalist. Do you have any questions?

ZY: Can I go out on a story immediately?

HX: (laughing) That's admirable, but I'm afraid it would be unusual! Wait till you're more experienced. First we'll put you as an assistant to an experienced journalist. Later you can cover a story and submit the article yourself.

ZY: Wonderful. What do I need to take with me? I already have a notebook and camera.

HX: No need for a camera. You'll have a professional photographer with you to take photographs.

________________74_________________

ZY: Thank you. __________75_________

HX: Good.