A

One day, a clergyman(牧师) was walking down the street when he came across a group of boys, all of whom were between ten and twelve years of age.

The group surrounded a dog. Thinking that the boys were hurting the dog, he went over and asked, “What are you doing with that dog?”

One of the boys replied, “This dog is just an old neighborhood stray(走失的狗). We all want him, but only one of us can take him home. So we have decided that whichever one of us can tell the biggest lie will get to keep the dog.”

Of course, the clergyman was surprised at this. “You boys shouldn’t have a competition of telling lies!” he said. He then began a ten-minute sermon(说教)about lying, starting with , “Don’t you boys know it’s a fault to lie?” and ending up with, “Why, when I was your age, I never told a lie.”

There was a dead silence. Just as the clergyman was beginning to think he had gotten through to them, the smallest boy gave a deep sigh and said, “All right, give him the dog.”

       In our old neighborhood, neighbors chatted over fences. Newcomers were welcomed with chocolate and bread. It had been easy to find friends there. Our new community was different. It seemed that family roots grew deep, deep as the Mississippi River that flowed past the tiny river town.

       We’d moved to decrease my husband’s distance to work. Only thirty miles.

       After living there for six months, I was ready to move back home. I was lonely without a friend. My three boys were lonely. My husband, Lonny, seemed okay, but he spent his days at work.

       Lonny noticed my sinking disposition.

       “Shawnelle, you look unapproachable,” he said. He and I were sitting in lawn chairs. Samuel, our three-year-old son sat in his own little chair.

       “What do you mean?”

       “Body language. You placed our chairs fifteen yards away from everyone else.”

       “It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to have friends here.” Just then Samuel looked up. “Mom’s right, Dad. And we just want to go home.”

       That’s when I knew that I needed an adjustment. I didn’t want my boys to learn that the way to work through a tough time was to use a wounded and bitter attitude.

       Over the next few months I smiled when I didn’t feel like it. We signed up for reading programs at the library and often visited parks and the bike path along the river.

       One afternoon Samuel and I climbed up the stairs to the library activity room. A woman who I hadn’t seen before sat at a long table with a tiny boy.

       “Hi,” she said. “I’m Tammy. Do you need a seat? There’s one right here.”
       I sat down next to Tammy. Soon class was over, and we still had a lot to say. “Why don’t you come over later?” Tammy asked.     “I live on a farm. There’s plenty of room for the kids to run.” We went. And since that day, we’ve been back a million times.
       When I look back, I’m grateful for that tough time. I learned to persevere. I’m glad I didn’t give up.     And as for my boys, they learned a lesson, too. “Keep moving forward,” is what I tell them. “Your heart will follow.”

Although he's been homeless for two years，this Sacramento (萨克拉门托) man refuses to accept money from anyone．Instead，Frederick Callison gives people copies of his resume in crisp white envelopes outside Smart & Final store at Watt Avenue and Arden Way．ask—ing them to help him find a job if they really want to help him．

    Callison，a former line cook with years of experience at several restaurants，also carries a Food Handlers certificate and Social Security card．in order to show people that he's seri-ous about wanting to work．

    A nearby business apparently allowed him to use their supplies to print copies of his resume，which he hands out to people willing to help．Apart from a list of restaurants he has worked at in the past and his various qualifications，the 52-year-old's resume also re-veals his work rules．“I am a firm believer in active productivity rather than reactive，”the piece of paper mentions．

    Sacramento resident Michael Marteen said．“He's not at downtown moving steps try-ing to get some help．He's out here trying to work for it．It's something we all try and get，just a chance．”In fact，Marteen was so moved that he shared Callison's story on Facebook，asking people to help the man in his quest for a job．

    To avoid any complaints regarding his constant presence outside Smart & Final．Calli—son moves carts from the parking outside，for free．At night，he tries to find a business open 24／7 with good lighting and video surveillance (视频监控) to make sure no one tries to steal his belongings while he sleeps．It's a tough life，but apparently not tough enough to make him break his rule about begging for money．

My father had always been an alert observer of human character. Within seconds of meeting someone, he could sum up their strengths and weaknesses. It was always a challenge to see if any of my boyfriends could pass Dad’s test. None did. Dad was always right---they didn’t pass my test either. After Dad died, I wondered how I’d figure it out on my own.

That’s when Jack arrived on the scene. He was different from any other guy I’d dated. He could sit for hours on the piano bench with my mother, discussing some composers. My brother Rick loudly announced that Jack wasn’t a turkey like the other guys I’d brought home. Jack passed my family’s test. But what about Dad’s?

Then came my mother’s birthday. The day he was supposed to drive, I got a call. “Don’t worry,” he said, “but I’ve been in an accident. I’m fine, but I need you to pick me up.”

When I got there, we rushed to a flower shop for something for Mom. “How about gardenias?” Jack said, pointing at a beautiful white corsage(胸花). The florist put the corsage in a box.

The entire ride, Jack was unusually quiet. “Are you all right?” I asked. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” he said. “I might be moving.” Moving? Then he added, “Moving in with you.” I nearly put the car on the sidewalk. “What?” I asked. “I think we should get married,” he said. He told me he’d planned his proposal in a fancy restaurant, but after the accident, he decided to do it right away.

“Yes,” I whispered.  We both sat dumbfounded（呆若木鸡）, tears running down our cheeks. I’d never known such a tender moment. If only Dad were here to give his final approval.

“Oh, let’s just go inside.” Jack laughed. My mother opened the door. “Happy Birthday!” we shouted. Jack handed the box to her. She opened it up. Suddenly, her eyes were filled with tears. “Mom, what’s wrong?” I asked. “I’m sorry,” she said, wiping her eyes. “This is only the second gardenia corsage I’ve ever received. I was given one years ago, long before you kids were born.” “From who?” I asked. “Your father,” Mom said. “He gave me one right before we were engaged.” My eyes locked on Jack’s as I blinked away(眨掉) tears. Dad’s test? I knew Jack had passed.

“What is success?” Mr Gruber asked his 6th grade business class. It was his opening conversation for the first class of the term.

“Success is riding in a sweet car, watching an 80-inch TV, and living in a place with at least twelve rooms.” One student answered, earning laughs from all the students.

Mr Gruber smiled, but shook his head. “Tom, that is excess(过量). That is not success.”

“How about being able to provide for your family?” A blonde girl named Sandy in the front suggested as an answer.

“Now we’re getting closer,” Mr Gruber smiled, “but try thinking about what you need and what you want.”

“Getting everything you want.” Tom shouted out an answer again, trying for more laughs.

Mr Gruber sighed. “ I believe we’ve already talked about excess versus(与…比较) success.”

“Getting everything you need, but some of what you want?” James, sitting in the back wondered aloud.

“Quite right!” Mr Gruber clapped. “Success is getting everything you need and some of what you want. The more you get that you want, the more successful you are. You do reach a point where you are living in excess, though.”

“What does this have to do with business?” Tom asked. It seemed if it wasn’t funny, he wasn’t happy.

“Well, Tom, think of it this way: the point of business is to make a living to support your family. Once you have properly seen to (确保) their needs, you can then see to getting the extras that you want.”

“What if I don’t have a family?” he continued to be difficult.

“Then you have to provide for yourself, a family of one.”

“He has goldfish to think about!” Peter, Tom’s friend, shouted out.

“Then he needs to provide for a family of one with a fishbowl.” Mr. Gruber corrected himself.

Tom nodded, satisfied with that answer.

“So in the next nine weeks, we’re going to study basic business situations, like having a checking account and understanding credit cards.”

Tom rubbed his hands together excitedly. “When do we get to start spending?”

“You already are, Tom. You’re spending time with us!” Mr. Gruber laughed. “Now, let’s see what you guys know about credit cards…”

A

The old man walked with a cane (手杖) slowly into the restaurant. His poor jacket, patched (打补丁的) trousers, and worn-out shoes made him stand out from the usual Saturday morning breakfast crowd. Unforgettable were his pale blue eyes that sparkled like diamonds, large rosy cheeks, and thin lips held in a steady smile.

       He walked toward a table by the window. A young waitress watched him and ran over to him, saying, “Here, Sir. Let me give you a hand with that chair.”

       Without a word, he smiled and nodded a thank you. She pulled the chair away from the table. Steadying him with one arm, she helped him move in front of the chair, and get comfortably seated. Then she pushed the table up close to him, and leaned his cane against the table where he could reach it.

       In a soft, clear voice he said, “Thank you, Miss.”

       “You are welcome, Sir.” She replied. “My name is Mary. I’ll be back in a moment. If you need anything, just wave at me!”

       After he had finished a hearty meal of pancakes, bacon, and hot lemon tea, Mary brought him the change, helping him up from his chair and out from behind the table. She handed him his cane, and walked with him to the front door. Holding the door open for him, she said, “Come back and see us, Sir!”

       He nodded a thank you and said softly with a smile, “You are very kind!”

       When Mary went to clean his table, she was shocked. Under his plate she found a business card and a note written on the napkin(纸巾), under which was a $100 bill.

       The note on the napkin read, “Dear Mary, I respect you very much, and you respect yourself, too. It shows that by the way you treat others, you have found the secret of happiness. Your kind gestures will shine through those who meet you.”

       The man she had served was the owner of the restaurant. This was the first time that she, or any of his employees, had seen him in person.

Some people would go through anything just to achieve their dream. Kasia Siwosz is proof.  For the final year student on the university women’s tennis team, the road to Berkeley, University of California was met with poor advice and misinformation from her home country and two unsuccessful stops along the way that fell short of expectations.

   Born in Poland, Siwosz began playing tennis at seven years old and developed the skills that helped her earn a top-50 ranking among the ITF Junior division (国际网球联会青少年赛). Siwosz wanted to do more with her life than just play tennis, which led her to seek chances that would also allow her to obtain a top education. While most who grow up in the U.S. are naturally accustomed to the American tradition of collegiate sports, such a custom is not as familiar in a country like Poland. “There’s no collegiate sports in Poland and no culture of sports and academic study there. You can only do one, not both,” Siwosz said.

    Her desire to have a quality education led her to America to follow her dream. While Siwosz was talented enough to begin her collegiate tennis career, she could only attend community college because she missed the deadline to apply to four-year schools, mainly due to misinformation provided in her home country of Poland.

   When she had earned all her credits and was able to transfer, Siwosz made the decision to attend Baylor in Texas. Her friends from Poland put in a good word for the university, saying that it was a good fit because there were many international players at Baylor. “I thought it would be a good idea, but it really wasn’t what I thought it would be,” Siwosz said. “I wasn’t happy at Baylor. The level of tennis was high, but the academic standards were no match and I just wanted more.”

    After one year at Baylor, Siwosz’s luck finally began to change when she made the decision to transfer to Berkeley, which was due in large part to Lee, a former Berkeley student. Lee, who is a keen tennis player himself, met Siwosz four years ago in Texas. “I knew she was unhappy there,” he said. “I saw the opportunity for her to come here.” Siwosz visited Lee in Berkeley. “I ended up loving this place and this school,” Siwosz said. “I came here a lot over the summer, I gave it a shot and I ended up with a Berkeley education and a spot on one of the best college tennis teams in the country.”

 Today, roller skating is easy and fun But a long time ago, it wasn’t easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn’t exist. That changed because of a man named   Joseph Merlin. Merlin’s work  was making musical instruments.   In his spare time he liked to play the violin.    Joseph Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.

  One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball（化装舞会）He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to  think how to make a grand entrance at the party.   He had an idea. He thought he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.

On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was astonished to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking to pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin’s grand entrance for a long time!

   It was the first day of second grade, and Sarah had been looking forward to this moment. The night before, she laid out her favorite clothes: a white coat and a bright yellow shirt.

    When having breakfast, Sarah dropped some food on her shirt, so she had to change into her second-best clothes, blue jeans and a Jonas Brothers T-shirt.

   After breakfast Sarah rushed to catch the school bus and when she was just reaching the door the bus driver opened it. The door hit right in Sarah’s face and blood dripped from her nose. The driver wanted to send her home, but she refused, "It is the most important day of the year! I can’t miss it!"

   Before classes, Sarah went to her favorite swing. When rising high, she saw her best friend little Jack. She let go of the swing and waved to him with one hand. Unfortunately, she flew out of the swing and landed hard on the sand, breaking a leg and an arm. As she lay in the sand, she noticed a shiny thing on the ground beside her. With her good hand she took it.

   When Sarah’ mother rushed into the ward（病房）she was surprised by what she saw: her girl was lying in bed with an arm and a leg in the splint (夹板), a broken nose, and blood stains on her second-best clothes. Expecting to see her child crying, she was confused when she saw a big, bright smile on Sarah’s face.

   "Sarah, look at you!" her mother cried. "You were hurt so badly and why are you smiling?"

   "Look, Mommy, I found a diamond!" Sarah laughed.

   Life can be like that. It can be tough, even painful sometimes. But there are always treasures that make the pain worth suffering.

I was never very neat, while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but mine always hid somewhere. She even labeled (贴标签) everything. I always looked for everything. Over time, Kate got neater and I got messier. She would push my dirty clothing over, and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other.

War broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her screaming, “Take your shoes away! Why under my bed!” Deafened, I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.

The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation, I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up, she quickly crawled (爬) under her covers, sobbing. Obviously, that was something she should not go through alone. All of a sudden, a warm feeling of sympathy rose up in my heart.

Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bed, cleaned the socks and swept the floor, even on her side. I got so into my work that I even didn't notice Kate had sat up. She was watching, her tears dried and her expression one of disbelief. Then, she reached out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me, “Thanks.”

Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn't always agree, but we learned the key to living together: giving in, cleaning up and holding on.