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11惟独你不可取代Asateenager，IfeltIwasalwayslettingpeopledown.Iwasrebellious1out－side，butIwantedtobelikedinside.OnceIlefthometohitch-hike2toCaliforniawithmyfriendPenelope.Thetripwasn'teasy，andthereweremanytimesIdidn'tfeelsafe.Onesituationinparticularkeptmegratefultostillbealive.WhenIreturnedhome，Iwasdifferent，notsooutwardlysureofmyself.Iwashappytobehome.ButthenInoticedthatPenelope，whowasstayingwithus，waswearingmyclothes.Andmyfamilyseemedtolikeherbetterthanme.IwonderedifIwouldbemissedifIweren'tthere.Itoldmymom，andsheexplainedthatthoughPenelopewasalovelygirl，noonecouldreplaceme.Ipointedout，ＳheismorepatientandisneaterthanIhaveeverbeen.Mymomsaidthesewerewonderfulqualities，butIwastheonlypersonwhocouldfillmyrole.Shemademerealizethatevenwithmyfaults-andthereweremany－Iwasalovedmemberofthefamilywhocouldn'tbereplaced.Ibecameasearcher，wantingtofindoutwhoIwasandwhatmademeunique.Myviewofmyselfwaschanging.Iwantedasolidbasetostartfrom.Istartedtoresist3pressuretoactinwaysthatIdidn'tlikeanymore，andIwasdelightedbywhoIreallywas.Icametofeelmuchmoresurethatnoonecanevertakemyplace.Eachofusholdsauniqueplaceintheworld.Youarespecial，nomatterwhatotherssayorwhatyoumaythink.Soforgetaboutbeingreplaced.Youcan'tbe.当我还是个10几岁的少年的时候，觉得自己总是让人失望。从外表上看，我似乎很叛逆，但是在内心深处，我是如此地渴望被人疼爱。有一次我离开了家和我的朋友佩内洛普搭便车去了加利福尼亚。这次旅行并不轻松，而且有很多次我感觉不安。有一次的突发状况让我一直庆幸自己还活着。回到家，我发觉自己变了，看上去不那么自信了。我很高兴能回到家，但不久我注意到和我们一起的佩内洛普穿着我的衣服，而且我父母看上去更喜欢她，我想知道如果我不在家的话他们是否会想念我。后来，我把我的想法告诉了母亲，她说尽管佩内洛普是个可爱的女孩，但她始终不能取代我，我说：她比我有耐心而且无论何时看上去她都比我要整洁大方。母亲说这些都是非常好的优点，但我却是惟一个能扮演好自己角色的人。母亲让我感到尽管我有缺点---似乎还很多---但是，我被家中每一个人爱着，谁也无法取代。我成了一个探寻者，想要知道自己到底是谁，又是什么让我变得独一无二。我的人生观开始改变。我需要一个坚固的基础来发展，我忍受住压力，不再做自己不喜欢做的事。而且我为真实的我感到高兴。渐渐地我越发肯定自己无可替代。每个人在这个世界上都占有一个独一无二的位置。无论别人说什么，你自己怎么想，你都是特别的。所以，不要担心自己会被取代，因为你永远是惟一的。2就在正上方太多的时候，我们总认为光明就在脚下，就在不远的前方，于是忘了去仰望头顶的那片天……Ifyouputabuzzard1)inapen2)sixtoeightfeetsquareandentirelyopenatthetop,thebird,inspiteofitsabilitytofly,willbeanabsoluteprisoner.Thereasonisthatabuzzardalwaysbeginsaflightfromthegroundwitharunoftentotwelvefeet.Withoutspacetorun,asisitshabit,itwillnotevenattempt3)tofly,butremainaprisonerforlifeinasmalljailwithnotop.Theordinarybatthatfliesaroundatnight,whoisaremarkablenimble4)creatureintheair,cannottakeofffromalevelplace.Ifitisplacedonthefloororflatground,allitcandoistoshuffle5)abouthelplesslyand,nodoubt,painfully,untilitreachessomeslightelevation6)fromwhichitcanthrowitselfintotheair.Then,atonce,ittakesofflikeaflash.Abumblebee7)ifdroppedintoanopentumbler8)willbethereuntilitdies,unlessitistakenout.Itneverseesthemeansofescapeatthetop,butpersists9)intryingtofindsomewayoutthroughthesidesnearthebottom.Itwillseekawaywherenoneexists,untilitcompletelydestroysitself.Inmanyways,therearelotsofpeoplelikethebuzzard,thebatandthebumblebee.Theyarestrugglingaboutwithalltheirproblemsandfrustrations10),notrealizingthattheanswerisrightthereabovethem.2如果把一只秃鹫放在一个6～8平方英尺的无顶围栏里，这只大鸟尽管会飞，也绝对会成为这栏中之囚。原因是秃鹫从地面起飞前总要先助跑10～12英尺的距离。这是它的习惯，如果没有了足够的助跑空间，它甚至不会尝试去飞，只会终身困囿于一个无顶的小囚笼中。晚上飞来飞去的普通的蝙蝠，本是一种在空中极其敏捷的动物，但却无法在平地上起飞。如果被放在地板或平坦的地面上，它就只会无助地挪动，毫无疑问这样很痛苦。除非它到了稍高的位置，有了落差，才可以立刻闪电般地起飞。一只大黄蜂如果掉进了一个敞口平底玻璃杯里，除非有人把它拿出来，否则它就会一直呆在里边直到死去。它永远不知道可以从杯口逃出，只坚持试图从杯底的四壁寻找出路。它会在根本不存在出口的地方寻找出路，直到彻底毁了自己。其实在很多方面，很多人也像秃鹫、蝙蝠和大黄蜂一样，使尽浑身解数试图解决问题、克服挫折，却没有意识到解决之道就在正上方。Vocabulary1.buzzardn.[动]秃鹫2.pen[pen]n.围栏，围圈3.attemptvt.尝试，企图4.nimbleadj.敏捷的5.shufflev.拖着脚走，慢吞吞地走6.elevationn.高地，海拔7.bumblebeen.[动]大黄蜂8.tumblern.(平底)玻璃杯9.persistvi.坚持，持续10.frustrationn.失败，挫折3我的第一份工作BothmyparentscamefromtownsinMexico.IwasborninElPaso,Texas,andwhenIwasfour,myfamilymovedtoahousingprojectinEastLosAngeles.Eventhoughwestruggledtomakeendsmeet,myparentsstressed1)tomeandmyfourbrothersandsistershowfortunateweweretoliveinagreatcountrywithlimitlessopportunities.Theyimbued2)inustheconceptsoffamily,faithandpatriotism.IgotmyfirstrealjobwhenIwasten.Mydad,Benjamin,injuredhisbackworkinginacardboard-boxfactoryandwasretrainedasahairstylist.HerentedspaceinalittlemallandgavehisshopthefancynameofMr.Ben'sCoiffure3).TheowneroftheshoppingcentergaveDadadiscountonhisrentforcleaningtheparkinglotthreenightsaweek,whichmeantgettingupat3a.m.Topickuptrash,Dadusedalittlemachinethatlookedlikealawnmower.MomandIemptiedgarbagecansandpickeduplitter4)byhand.Ittooktwotothreehourstocleanthelot.I'dsleepinthecaronthewayhome.Ididthisfortwoyears,butthelessonsIlearnedhavelastedalifetime.Iacquired5)disciplineandastrongworkethic6),andlearnedatanearlyagetheimportanceofbalancinglife'scompetinginterests7)-inmycase8),school,homeworkandajob.Thisreallyhelpedduringmysenioryearofhighschool,whenIworked40hoursaweekflipping9)burgersatafast-foodjoint10)whiletakingafullloadofpercolatecourses.Thehardworkpaidoff11).Iattended12)theU.S.MilitaryAcademyandwentontoreceivegraduatedegreesinlawandbusinessfromHarvard.Later,IjoinedabigLosAngeleslawfirmandwaselectedtotheCaliforniastateassembly.InthesejobsandineverythingelseI'vedone,Ihaveneverforgottenthosedaysintheparkinglot.Theexperiencetaughtmethatthereisdignity13)inallworkandthatifpeopleareworkingtoprovideforthemselvesandtheirfamiliesthatissomethingweshouldhonor.我的父母都来自