The famous British inventor George Stephenson was born in 1781 and died in 1848．One of his 1 important inventions was the train．He 2 his first train when he was forty-four years old．When he was experimenting with the 3 engine on the train, he met with 4 from the government, the newspapers and the gentlemen in the country．They said that the noise and the smoke would 5 cows, horses and sheep, that the 6 would burst or that the hot coals from it would 7 their houses．At that time, 8 people believed what they said．
George Stephenson 9 the people that the train could go on small 10 , could pull carriages 11 goods and passengers and there was 12 to them．It was a very 13 matter for him to 14 them believe．However, after 15 , he was able to do it; and the first train that 16 by Stephenson himself 17 what he had said．
The first day 18 the people along the way 19 the noises of the train 20 and saw it running quickly to them, they ran back home as quickly as they could and closed their doors tightly, for they thought it a genius(妖怪)．They did not dare to come out until it had passed．
One night I was sitting in my kitchen half-listening as my 15-year-old brother Tommy antagonized(招惹)my 12-year-old brother Kevin．I didn’t pay attention when Kevin 1 up the stairs with the hurt on his face．
About 20 minutes later, I heard Kevin crying inside the 2 ．I knocked on the door and asked, “Hey, Kev, do you want a talk?” No response．So, I grabbed some index(索引)cards and a pencil and wrote, “If you don’t want to 3 , we can write notes to each other．”
An hour later I was still 4 on the floor outside the bathroom with two piles of index cards in front of me．One was 5 and one was cards from Kevin on which he had translated all his unpleasant feelings into words． 6 I read one Kevin’s notes, tears came to my eyes．It said,“ 7 in this family cares about me．I’m not the youngest, and I’m not the oldest, and I’m not 8 ．Tommy thinks I can do nothing and Dad 9 he had the other Kevin as a(n) 10 because he’s better at basketball．And you’re never around to even 1 me．”
It was 12 what he had said about me．I wrote back “I really do love you and I’m 13 I don’t always show it．I am here for you and you are 14 in this family．”
There was no 15 for a while, but then I heard a 16 sound coming from inside the bathroom．Kevin, who had 17 cards wrote on a torn-up paper cup, “Thanks．”
Since then, I try my best to never 18 half-notice my family members anymore．Kevin and I have a closer 19 now, and sometimes when one of us notices that the other is 20 , we’ll smile and say “Write it on a paper cup．”
The famous British inventor George Stephanson was born in 1781 and died in 1848．One of his 1 important inventions was the train．He 2 his first train when he was forty-four years old．When he was experimenting with the 3 engine on the train, he met with 4 from the government, the newspapers and the gentlemen in the country．They said that the noise and the smoke would 5 cows, horses and sheep, that the 6 would burst or that the hot coals from it would 7 their houses．At that time, 8 people believed what they said．
George Stephanson 9 the people that the train could go on small 10 , could pull carriages 11 goods and passengers and there was 12 to them．It was a very 13 matter for him to 14 them believe．However, after 15 , he was able to do it; and the first train that 16 by Stephanson himself 17 what he had said．
The first day 18 the people along the way 19 the noises of the train 20 and saw it running quickly to them, they ran back home as quickly as they could and closed their doors tightly, for they thought it a genius．They did not dare to come out until it had passed．
Vincent Van Gogh is often remembered as the painter who cut off his ear in a fit of passion．He was a lonely man who often 1 without food in order to buy paints, a man with few friends and a 2 temper．Van Gogh’s strong emotions not only 3 his life, but his paintings．Many of Van Gogh’s paintings were 4 by warm, yellow sunlight because he loved how it could 5 the world in different ways．His painting Sunflowers for example, is 6 yellows and browns．These colors give the painting a 7 of warmth．However, the sunflowers are 8 dead and dying．
The result is a painting that 9 the warmth of life that Van Gogh loved with the feelings of 10 that were all around him．It is a painting that is warm, beautiful and sad, all at the same time．
Van Gogh’s most famous painting, The Starry Night, 11 this mixture of joy and sadness one step 12 ．It is a landscape full of deep 13 and shadows which showed the sadness Van Gogh was feeling as he was painting, 14 what he was actually seeing．
This is why Van Gogh’s 15 in his painting look more imagined than real．The stars and moon in The Starry Night are 16 bright, their light swirling above the darkening hills．A tree that looks like black fire cuts through the 17 of the night, interrupting its beauty．
Because of his wild emotions, Van Gogh was not 18 during his life．He sold only one painting．However, people today who stand in front of Sunflowers or The Starry Night can 19 the same joy and sadness Van Gogh once did, 20 he painted those deep blues and sunny yellows．
Perhaps the most interesting person I have ever met in my life is an Italian professor of philosophy who teaches at the University of Pisa． 1 I last met this man eight years ago, I have not forgotten his 2 qualities．First of all, I respected his 3 to teaching．Because his lectures were always well-prepared and clearly delivered, students crowded into his classroom．His followers liked the fact that he 4 what he taught．Furthermore, he could be counted on to explain his ideas in an 5 way, introducing such aids to 6 as oil paintings, music, and guest lecturers．Once he 7 sang a song in class in order to make a point clear． 8 , I admired the fact that he would talk to students outside the classroom or talk with them 9 the telephone．Drinking coffee in the café, he would easily make friends with students．Sometimes he would 10 a student to a game of chess． 11 , he would join student groups to discuss a variety of 12 : agriculture, diving and mathematics and so on．Many young people visited him in his office for 13 on their studies; others came to his home for social evenings．Finally, I was 14 by his lively sense of humor．He believed that no lesson is a success 15 , during it, the students and the professor 16 at least one loud 17 ．Through his sense of humor, he made learning more 18 and more lasting．If it is 19 that life makes a wise man smile and a foolish man cry, 20 my friend is indeed a wise man．