You ____ ____ your schoolbag at home.

白杨礼赞

茅盾

    白杨树实在不是平凡的，我赞美白杨树！

    当汽车在望不到边际的高原上奔驰，扑入你的视野的，是黄绿错综的一条大毯子；黄的，那是土，未开垦的处女土，几百万年前由伟大的自然力所堆积成功的黄土高原的外壳；绿的呢，是人类劳力战胜自然的成果，是麦田，和风吹送，翻起了一轮一轮的绿波——这时你会真心佩服昔人所造的两个字“麦浪”，若不是妙手偶得，便确是经过锤炼的语言的精华。黄与绿主宰着，无边无垠，坦荡如砥，这时如果不是宛若并肩的远山的连峰提醒了你（这些山峰凭你的肉眼来判断，就知道是在你脚底下的），你会忘记了汽车是在高原上行驶，这时你涌起来的感想也许是“雄壮”，也许是“伟大”，诸如此类的形容词，然而同时你的眼睛也许觉得有点倦怠，你对当前的“雄壮”或“伟大”闭了眼，，而另一种味儿在你心头潜滋暗长了——“单调”！可不是，单调，有一点儿罢？

    然而刹那间，要是你猛抬眼看见了前面远远地有一排，——不，或者甚至只是三五株，一二株，傲然地耸立，象哨兵似的树木的话，那你的恹恹欲睡的情绪又将如何？我那时是惊奇地叫了一声的！

    （A）那就是白杨树，西北极普通的一种树，然而实在不是平凡的一种树！

    那是力争上游的一种树，笔直的干，笔直的枝。它的干呢，通常是丈把高，象是加以人工似的，一丈以内，绝无旁枝；它所有的丫枝呢，一律向上，而且紧紧靠拢，也象是加以人工似的，成为一束，绝无横斜逸出；它的宽大的叶子也是片片向上，几乎没有斜生的，更不用说倒垂了；它的皮，光滑而有银色的晕圈，微微泛出淡青色。这是虽在北方的风雪的压迫下却保持着倔强挺立的一种树！哪怕只有碗来粗细罢，它却努力向上发展，高到丈许，二丈，参天耸立，不折不挠，对抗着西北风。

    （B）这就是白杨树，西北极普通的一种树，然而决不是平凡的树！

    它没有婆娑的姿态，没有屈曲盘旋的虬枝，也许你要说它不美丽，——如果美是专指“婆娑”或“横斜逸出”之类而言，那么白杨树算不得树中的好女子；但是它却是伟岸，正直，朴质，严肃，也不缺乏温和，更不用提它的坚强不屈与挺拔，它是树中的伟丈夫！当你在积雪初融的高原上走过，看见平坦的大地上傲然挺立这么一株或一排白杨树，难道你觉得树只是树，难道你就不想到它的朴质，严肃，坚强不屈，至少也象征了北方的农民；难道你竟一点也不联想到，在敌后的广大土地上，到处有坚强不屈，就象这白杨树一样傲然挺立的守卫他们家乡的哨兵！难道你又不更远一点想到这样枝枝叶叶靠紧团结，力求上进的白杨树，宛然象征了今天在华北平原纵横决荡用血写出新中国历史的那种精神和意志。

    白杨不是平凡的树。它在西北极普遍，不被人重视，就跟北方农民相似；它有极强的生命力，磨折不了，压迫不倒，也跟北方的农民相似。我赞美白杨树，就因为它不但象征了北方的农民，尤其象征了今天我们民族解放斗争中所不可缺的朴质，坚强，以及力求上进的精神。

    让那些看不起民众，贱视民众，顽固的倒退的人们去赞美那贵族化的楠木（那也是直干秀颀的），去鄙视这极常见，极易生长的白杨罢，但是我要高声赞美白杨树！

    A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington, DC. I saw many of our nation's treasures, and I also saw a lot of our fellow citizens on the street —1 ones, like beggars（乞丐）and homeless folks.

    Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice saying: “Can you help me?” When I2, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand 3. In a natural reaction, I 4 into my pocket, pulled out all of my loose change and placed it in her hand without even looking at her. I was 5 at being bothered by a beggar.

    But the blind woman smiled and said: “I don't want your money. I just need help finding the6.”

    In an instant, I realized what I had done. I had acted with prejudice（偏见）— I'd 7 another person8for what I believed she had to be.

    I hated what I saw in myself. This incident brought back my basic belief. It 9 me that I believed in being modest even though I'd lost that 10 for a moment.

    The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am a (n)11. I left Honduras and arrived in the U. S. at the age of 15. I started my new life with two suitcases, my brother and sister, and a strong mother. Through the 12, I have been a dish washer, roofer, mechanic, cashier and pizza delivery driver 13 many other humble hobs, and14 I became a network engineer.

    In my own life, I have15 many acts of prejudice. I remember a time, at the age of 17 — when I was a busboy, I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well on school, he would 16 like me. I have also seen the same treatment of family and friends, so I know what it's like, and I should have known 17.

    But now, living my American middle class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lost sight of where I want to go. That blind woman cured me of my18. She reminded me of my belief in being humble, and to always keep my eyes and heart open.

    19, I helped that woman to the post office. And in writing this essay, I hope to thank her for the20 lesson she gave me.