Not all heroes wear capes (斗篷) and Steve Montelongo proved the statement. While he doesn’t consider himself a hero, he has saved the lives of three people during the last two decades.

The 80-year-old man was in the right place at the right time, when he pulled a man out of his sinking car after he had accidentally driven into a river. Montelongo jumped to the man’s help without any hesitation (犹豫) or regard to his own health.

The accident happened while the elderly man was taking his granddaughter home after a dentist’s (牙医) appointment. They had stopped at a traffic light when the girl saw the car fall into the river. Montelongo got out of his car to check out the scene and instantly noticed that water had begun rushing into the vehicle of the trapped driver. He walked into the river and managed to open the automobile’s back door, which fortunately was unlocked. As the water began to rush into the car faster, the 80-year-old managed to pull the 62-year-old Jack Swarts from the car by his shirt.

He later said in an interview — “I don’t consider myself a hero. I was just a man that got put in the right place at the right time”— words from a genuine modern-day good person.

This, however, wasn’t Montelongo’s only act of heroism (英雄主义). Nearly 20 years ago, he helped two of his neighbors get to safety as their house was caught in a fire. He was 62 years old at the time and had to kick open his neighbor’s front door to pull out 80-year-old Kathime Mattox and 79-year-old Wayne Maxwell. During the rescue, Montelongo suffered chest pains and had to be hospitalized but made a quick recovery (恢复). He was awarded the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission medal for this bravery and act of heroism.

I felt like I had clicked my heels three and come to a country away from home every morning as I walked through the doors at the Embassy (大使馆) of Australia in Washington. Musical Aussie accents and Aboriginal art exhibits made me wonder if I had entered without a visa. In fact I was a temporary employee, a public affairs unpaid intern (实习生) for three months during the summer in order to engage myself in the culture of the country where I planned to study the next spring.

During the summer I read the Australian news every day. Working at the embassy allowed me to escape the U. S. for six hours per day and learn about what was going on across the planet. After reading the daily Australian and U. S. news I usually helped prepare a PowerPoint presentation for school kids who visited the embassy as part of a school activity. Depending on whether an embassy event was going on, I would attend weekly meetings to listen to planning and see what I could do to help. Usually there were smaller tasks to be done such as creating visitors guides.

The most fantastic event in which I participated was the visit of the Australian Prime Minister. As the only American among countless Australian media and staff, I felt comfortable and was kept busy taking pictures and recording door-stop interviews at famous sites such as the Capitol. As an intern, you will not be exposed to top-secret information, but you are on the inside when it comes to special events.

Government work is a useful addition to one’s experience. As an embassy employee you will gain invaluable knowledge while spending your summer in a culturally diverse workplace.

Martha Graham, one of the most famous dancers and creators of dance, brought modern dance to a new level. Born in a small town near Pennsylvania in 1894, she did not know she would become a dancer. Once in 1910, Martha’s father took her to see a dance performance by Ruth Saint Denis, one of the first modern dancers in America. She decided then to become a dancer.

Martha’s parents did not approve of her desire to dance, as people saw American dance as a lower art form at that time. However, she chose to follow her dream, even though she was considered too old to begin dancing. In her early twenties, she began studying at a dance school in Los Angeles, California. Graham worked very hard to improve her ability to dance. She trained her body to become strong enough to meet the difficult demands of dance. After that, Martha Graham started teaching dance at a school in Rochester, New York. Later she taught at Carnegie Hall. There she began to create the steps of dances and created dances based on ancient Greek stories and famous women. In order to express herself freely, she started the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance in 1926.

Martha Graham received many awards during her lifetime, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom when she was 82 years old. She was the first dancer to receive the country’s highest civilian honor. She died in 1991. However, the Martha Graham Dance Company still performs her dances in New York and around the world.