I think that a great friend is a great artist who can change my feeling about life greatly. When I talk about the person who influenced me most, I must think of my best friend quickly.
When I was in my university, one of my classmates sat beside me. His name is Wang Tao. He is an unforgettable friend in my life. He is good at studying and handsome. Everyone knows that he is a genius of my university.
He is kind-hearted and is always ready to help others. But he doesn't like others to praise him, because he thinks what he did is common. There is an old saying: A friend in need is a friend indeed. Wang Tao sets a good example in many parts in my life.
I remembered that my Mathematics was mediocre at that time, but he was excellent in solving Mathematics questions. He often received high scores. Of course, I wished I could reach his level. Though we talked all day long, he was patient and polite to answer my Mathematics questions. Slowly, I made great progress in Mathematics. I passed the examination finally. Then we became friends naturally. And now, I still remember his strong will to study.
We know that we live in a society, so we all need a lot of friends. There are two kinds of friends, good and bad. Bad friends may make us fail in life, while good ones make our life successful. To me, Wang Tao is a very good friend. I learnt so much from him, and I became better and better.
We separated three months ago. Now I miss him very much, and I hope that our friendship will continue to be just strong after we graduate.
The United States is one of the few countries in the world that have an official Father's Day. On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across the United States are given.
The start of Father's Day is not clear. No matter when the first true Father's Day began, the strongest promoter of the holiday is Sonora Smart Dodd of Washington. Mrs. Dodd felt that she had a great father, He was a soldier of the Civil War. His wife had died young, and he had raised six children alone.
In 1909, Mrs. Dodd advised having a church service to thank fathers on June 5, her father's birthday. But there wasn't enough time left for her to prepare the service, so she put it off a few weeks later to June 19.
From then on. Washington State celebrated the third Sunday in June as Father's Day.
States and organizations began persuading Congress to start a Father's Day. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson approved of this idea. And President Calvin Coolidge made it a national event in 1924. Since then, fathers had been honored and recognized by their families throughout the country on the third Sunday in June. When children can't visit their fathers or take them out to dinner, they send a greeting card. Usually, fathers prefer greeting cards. Most greeting cards are funny. Fathers laugh when they open them.
Father's Day?
Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are very busy trying to make money for my schooling.
One day, my mother was sewing a quilt(缝被子).I silently sat beside her.
"Mom, is there love between you and Dad? "I asked in a very low voice.
With surprise in her eyes, she stopped her work for a while. Then she said, "Susan, look at this thread(线).It can hardly be seen, but it's really there. It makes the quilt strong. If life is a quilt, love should be a thread. Love is inside."
I couldn't understand her until the next spring. At that time, my father suddenly got sick seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month.
After they were back, my mother helped my father walk slowly on the country road every day. They were so kind to each other and it seemed they were the happiest couple.
After two months my father still couldn't walk by himself.
"Dad, how are you feeling now? "I asked him one day.
"Susan, don't worry about me, "he said. "I just like walking with your mom. I like this kind of life." Reading his eyes, I knew he loves my mother deeply.
Now I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life. Love is inside, making life strong and warm.
A few days ago, I ran into a stranger as he passed by. I said sorry to him. And we were very polite. Then we went on our way after saying goodbye.
Later in the kitchen at home, as I cooked our meal, my daughter Betty walked up to me. When I turned around, I nearly knocked her down. "Get out of the way!" I shouted angrily. She ran away, crying.
That night, when I lay in bed, my husband said to me, "You were so rude to Betty. Go and look around on the kitchen floor, and you'll find some flowers there. Betty brought those for you. She picked them herself—pink, yellow, and your favorite blue."
When I heard this, I thought deeply, "While meeting with a stranger, I was calm and polite, but with my daughter, I was not patient." I felt sad and tears began to fall.
I quietly went to Betty's bed, "Wake up, my dear!" I said. "Are these the flowers you picked for me?" She smiled, "I found them by the tree. I know you like them, especially the blue ones." I said, "I am so sorry that I treated you that way today." And she whispered (悄声说), "Mommy, that's okay. I still love you anyway." I kissed her and said, "I love you, too and 1 do love the flowers."
That day Betty gave me a lesson on how to get along with each other in the family. I spent much time on work and didn't realize how important family life was. I decided to do better in the future.
Stories and Art of Chinese Fans
You may think you cannot live through summer without air conditioners. But in ancient China, hand fans were almost the only ones to help people keep cool.
Chinese people started to use hand fans over 2,000 years ago. The fans came in different shapes, such as round and square. They were also made from all kinds of materials, Palm leaf fans were cheap and easy to make. Feather fans(羽毛扇)showed the owners high status. Sandalwood(檀香)fans could send out a sweet smell.
Later, hand fans became far more than just something that could cool you down. They developed into art works, in which tuanshan (round fans)and zheshan (folded fans)were the most common.
In the shape of a full moon, tuanshan was usually made of silk. They had beautiful birds and flowers on them. Women, especially those in the imperial palace(皇宫), liked to use them. Meanwhile, men, especially the literati(文人), used zheshan. The literati liked them because they were usually made of paper and they could paint and write poems on them. It was a way for them to show off their ability in literature, painting and handwriting. Almost anything can be painted on zheshan.
Today. Chinese people still use these fans, but not many people write or paint on them any more. Next time when you are waving a fan, you may think of the stories behind it.
| Names | Features(特征) |
| Palm leaf fans | and easy to make. |
|
| Show the owners' status. |
| Sandalwood fans | Send out . |
| Tuanshan | In the shape of . |
| Zheshan | The literati painted and wrote on them. |
Dear Michael,
I am glad to learn that you have been chosen to study in China. Your dream has come true!
I can well remember that you1China for the first time when you were nine. Ever since you returned, you have been interested in Chinese culture and have put a lot of2into learning Chinese. When you first started to learn Chinese, I3it was nothing but a passing fad (一时的狂热) . However, you didn't4halfway, but kept on learning and did a good job in the HSK (汉语水平考试) . Now you finally got what you had5for a long time. You got the chance to6life in China for one year. You should have it, my son, for chances only come to those who are7.
When you study there, you will have to face8in everyday life that you have never experienced before, but after a year abroad, you will return with a new9at life—and at yourself.
Your mum and I are both10you. Keep it up, my son!
Love,
Dad
Most people think that only a genius(天才) can invent. That is not true, Many of the tools and products we use in our daily life were (发明) by ordinary people by accident.
William Kamkwamba grew up on a farm in a small village in Malawi, Africa. When he was 14, he had to drop out of school (因为) his parents couldn't earn enough money to send him to school anymore.
One day, when William felt the wind, he began to think (怎样) it could be used. He (借) a book from the library called Using Energy, which had (图画) of windmills(风车) in it. Although the book didn't talk about using wind to produce (电能), it gave him his idea.
William started (工作) on a model of a windmill and he used it to power a radio! He then built a much (大的) windmill with old pieces of junk. The villagers were amazed when they saw he used it to power four light bulbs and to charge(使充电) their mobile phones !
William's windmill drew a lot of (注意) and he even wrote a book about his story. Now he travels around the world, speaking about his (项目) and developing other inventions to help people.
提示：1）中国的传统节日之一，已有2000多年的历史（the Dragon Boat Festival; one of the Chinese traditional festivals; two thousand years of history）；
2）为了纪念著名诗人屈原（honor the great poet Qu Yuan）；
3）中国南方有赛龙舟的习俗（Dragon Boat races）；
4）家人团聚吃棕子和其他美食（eat zongzi and other delicious food）；
5）有三天假期，可以外出旅游（a 3-day holiday）。
要求：1）80词左右，书信格式；
2）内容合理，要点齐全；句子及篇章结构正确、连贯；书写规范。
