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Paul Wiley was a 27-year-old American ice skater who could never win the big competitions. Many times he considered retirement but he persevered. Younger skaters consistently defeated him, yet he kept practicing and competing. Then he finished second in the 1992 Olympics in France and became a hero. Applause greeted him as he stepped off the plane bringing him home from the Olympics. Fame and endorsements came his way. But he remained very modest and did not consider himself a hero. He said that selfless service can make a true hero, and he also hoped that his story would inspire other people. This would be another kind of hero. Like skating, he felt that life requires the regular practice of small actions which add up to make a larger whole. It's not necessary to be famous to be a hero in daily life.
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I’d like to tell a story of my own. When
I was in the middle school I was very poor at English. Although
I spent a lot of time reading, memorizing the new words,
I simply couldn’t keep the language in mind. I thought I
had got a poor memory and I was not the stuff for it. But
fortunately I didn’t give up easily. Although it was so
hard for me, I kept going. I decided to hang in there. Then
one day suddenly I found I was not that poor. I got the
first place in an English contest held in our school. And
I got very nice marks in the National College Entrance Examination.
I think my success in English learning lies in my perseverance.
As long as we persevere, we can reach our goal no matter
how difficult it is.
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