When I was a young man I had much ego(自负). I though I ________ everything. I looked forward to fame and success. I can even remember once in college _________ telling one of my friends: “ If only everyone listened to me, then they would all be happy.” I ________ left school, ready to take on the world. Little did I know the world was about to take on me.

In the _________ following college, instead of success, I found struggles. I had _________ in finding work. My jobs were either temporary or were ________ badly. When my wife and I had children, we were ________ to learn that both of our sons had Autism(自闭症) and would need to be ________ for the rest of their lives. I had no ________ why this had happened to us.

In time, however, I began to ________. My ego was decreasing fast. Instead of success, I found my ________ in moments of love. Playing and ________ with my sons brought me so much happiness. My boys ________ me more about peace, patience, joy and love than I could have ever learned on my own. I began to share the ________ I learned through my writings and my life. I finally realized that my ________ in this world had nothing to do with fame or success. _______, it had everything to do with allowing love and light into my life and ________ it with everyone I could.

You may not be happy 100% of the time. ________ can be in this world. Yet, you will find a joy no earthly(世俗的) ________ could ever give. Put all of your moments, days and years to good use then. ________ them with love.

The science teacher, Mr. Black, had asked his students to study a particular animal. They were asked to write a short report and then make a ___________ in class. Some talked about dogs, others about horses, and some chose fish. But the most ___________ discovery of all was made by little Sophie.

“I found that _________ are terribly bad-tempered” she said for certain.

Everyone smiled, waiting for her to ___________. Then Sophie explained. “I spent hours _________ flies. When they flew normally, everything was okay, but when they found a window they would make a noisy sound. I had always thought they make that noise _________ their wings, but they don’t. With my daddy’s binoculars(双筒望远镜), I watched the flies really ___________, and saw that what   they were doing was shouting. They were angry because they ___________ fly out of the window. Later, a butterfly passing by the window tried to ___________ them the top of the window was open, but it had no effect at all. The flies just ____________ shouting.”

Mr. Black laughed and explained to the class that the flies’ behaviour had nothing to do with ______________. Instead, it was an example of animals having different levels of intelligence(智力). At the ______________ of the class, Mr. Black asked the students to bring a list of animals in order of their intelligence.

What surprised Mr. Black was that many parents came to the school to ____________ the next day, because their children had listed their parents among the least ______________ animals! This, said the children, was because their parents did nothing but complain.

Mr. Black had to do a lot of explaining to calm the parents down. However, it also helped some of the parents ​__________ that although they weren’t stupid, they didn’t often behave very intelligently.

Now you’re a fool for helping. “I don’t want to get involved” seems to have become a national motto. One summer I was driving from my hometown. In the middle of the desert, I passed a young man standing by the roadside. He had his _________ out and held a gas can in his other hand. I drove right by him. There was a time _________ you’d be called a jerk (混蛋) for passing by somebody in need.

Several days later I was still thinking about the hitchhiker (搭便车的人), about how I didn’t even lift my foot _________ the accelerator (加速踏板) for him. “Does anyone stop any more?” I wondered. I recalled Blanche DuBois’s famous line —“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.” Was that _________ these days? One way to test this would be for a person to journey _________ the US without any money just _________ on the good will of others. What would happen? Would he find food, shelter and support? The idea intrigued (激起兴趣) me.

The week I _________ 37, I realized that I had never done something truly crazy._________ I decided to really do it: travel from the Pacific to the Atlantic without a penny. I would only accept _________ of rides, food and places to sleep. For six weeks I hitched 82 rides and covered 4,223 miles across 14 states. I was treated kindly everywhere I went. I was ____________ by people’s readiness to help a stranger.

In Oregon a house painter named Mike ____________ the cold weather and asked if I had a coat. I didn’t, so he gave me a big green army-style jacket. A lumber-mill worker in Michigan named Tim invited me to a ____________ dinner with his family in their shabby house. Then he offered me a tent. I refused but Tim insisted, packing it into my bag himself. I found people were generally compassionate (有同情心的). Hearing I had no money and would take none, people bought me food or shared with me whatever they happened to have. Those who had the ____________ to give often gave the most.

I’m grateful to all the people I met for their rides, their food, their shelter and their gifts. My faith in ordinary folks was ____________. I was proud to live in a country where people were still willing to help. In spite of everything, you can still depend on the ____________ of strangers.