An elephant feels very lonely. He goes to a forest（森林）to1friends. He sees a monkey in a tree. "Would you like to be my2?" asks the elephant. "You are too big. You cannot swing (摇摆) from trees3me." answers the monkey.
After a time, the elephant meets a rabbit. He asks him to be his friend. 4 the rabbit says, "You are5big to play in my home!"
Then the elephant meets a frog (青蛙). "Will you be my friend?" he asks.
"6can I?" asks the frog. "You are too big to jump like me. "
The elephant is7. Then he meets a fox.
"Do you want to be my friend?" he asks the fox.
The fox says, "8, sir, you are too big. "
The next day, the elephant9all the animals in the forest running for their lives. He asks10 what the matter is. The bear answers, "There is a tiger in the forest. He's trying to eat us!" Then they11.
The elephant walks up to the tiger and says, "Please, Mr. Tiger, do not eat these poor animals."
"Mind your own business!"12 the tiger.
The elephant is13and drives the tiger away. All the animals are very happy and14 the elephant. They say, "You are just the right15to be our friend."
After a few months' study in New York, I couldn't wait to go home. Some friends drove me to the airport. I didn't know that two of them wrote 1 and put them everywhere in my luggage (行李箱) on the way.
When I arrived at home and 2 my luggage, I found some 3 notes in my clothes. And they also put some in my bag. 4 during the next month, I would find an encouraging note 5 I was getting a pen or a book.
I put all these notes on the wall next to my bed. They 6 me the great happiness and they came from my 7 small love.
Yesterday I wanted to send some kindness to my 8 for his birthday. He has given so 9 to many people——family, friends and strangers——and I thought that a small of act of kindness is the 10 gift of all.
While I was trying to 11 what to do; I saw the encouraging notes on my 12. I took down some of them and walked 13 my neighbor's house, putting them 14 on the window, the door and the wall.
It made me smile to think of the good friends. They 15 these notes a few months ago and to see how the love would travel around my neighborhood.
I finished middle school in the 1970s. I still remember the teen years were the 1 time of my life. At that time, as a girl, I hated it when my parents asked me 2 about my problems that made me uncomfortable. I also remember many times 3 Mr. Templat, my teacher, would take me aside and talk to me. He had a special way of finding out 4 the problem was. Every time he 5 with me, I felt better. He was a teacher I will never 6.
He had a way of making his classes 7. We always got the highest 8 in math in our grade with his teaching. If there was a big world ball game on the radio, we would 9 everything and he would put the game on, so we could all enjoy it.
Teens often learn things on TV or from adults about world 10 that can make 11 scared. Now it is terrorism. Back in my teen years it was the Cold War. It worried me so much that I 12 each day would be my last. Mr. Templat knew how much it troubled his 13. He opened the subject up to discussion. He gave us a way to express our 14 and helped us understand war and politics.
When I think back to those special days, I appreciate that he helped me go 15 such a difficult time in my life.
Years ago, when Dad moved to the Us, I had to go to school in New York. I was worried. How could I, an 8-year-old girl from 1 , make friends in America?
On my first day at Anna Silver School, I met Miss Alice Green, my class 2 She spoke to me 3 ,and clearly to get me used to her American accent(口音), Miss Green made sure that I fit into(适应) her class easily, and before 1 knew it, I was already having 4 fun, just as other schoolgirls were.
When Dad was sent back to India, I had to 5 Anna Silver School, I was worried again. Miss Green had planned to take us students for a 6trip, but I had to say goodbye to them now.
Back in India, I received a package(包裹) one day. It was 7 Miss Green and my classmates. They had whiten mea litter each, 8 me about the fishing trip. Miss Green said she 9 me very much.
I'm very 10to Miss Green. She not only made a shy lite girl feel at home in a faraway country but also taught me and my classmates to understand the importance of being kind lo others" an early age.
Every year, Julia's grandfather gives her and her cousins some money. One day, he thought the children needed to learn how to1their money well. So he gave them a test. After he gave them the money, he said, " There are seven2before the New Year. Who will buy the best gift with the money at the end of the year? I want to find out the answer. "
The New Year came. Each child showed their gifts. There were nice cards, flowers and other little things. But Julia arrived with two violins! That3everyone. They knew that Julia always wanted to get a violin, but the family was too poor to buy one. Her grandfather asked her, "4did you get enough（足够的） money to buy two violins? "
Julia said, "I saw a poor（穷的） violinist. I gave him all my5and asked him to teach me how to play the violin. He was6to teach me. So every day after school, I learned to play the violin from him. After three months, he lent（借）a violin to me and we played the violin in the7because there were always many people. Most of them liked our music and gave us money. Then I bought two new violins8the money, one for me, and the other for you9I know you like it, too. "
When Julia finished, everyone in the10said Julia's gift was the best and that Julia was a smart girl.
Last month we asked our students about their free time activities. Our questions were about exercise,1 of the Internet and watching TV. 2 are the results.
We found that only fifteen percent of our students exercise every day. Forty-five percent exercise four to six times a week. Twenty percent exercise only one to three times a week. And twenty percent do not exercise3!
We all know that many students often go online, but we were surprised that ninety percent of them use the Internet every day. 4 ten percent use it at 5 three or four times a week. Most students use it for fun6 not for homework.
The answers 7 our questions about watching television were also8. Only two percent of the students watch TV one to three times a week. Thirteen percent watch TV four to six times a week. And eighty-five percent watch TV every day! 9 many students like to watch sports, game shows are10 popular.
It is good to relax by using the Internet or watching game shows, but we think the best way to relax 11 through exercise. It is healthy for the 12 and the body. Exercise 13 playing sports is fun and you can 14 time with your friends and family as you play together. And remember "Old habits die hard.” So start exercising before it's 15 late!
Last weekend, the four members of my family spent an excellent holiday at the Magic Kingdom-Disneyland. And one thing made our visit seem1.
We got to the front of the line at Space Mountain, only to find out that our little daughter Gloria couldn't take her 2 on the ride. It was our first time to be there, so we were too 3 to remember that ice-cream was not allowed on the ride.
Gloria started 4 and we all didn't know what to do. Then Tony, one of the staff(员工) members, came over. He bent(弯腰) down and told Gloria that he would 5the ice-cream for her and give it to her when she finished the ride. Gloria said, "really?" Then she gave Tony her ice-cream, and enjoyed 6on the ride.
Sure enough, when we 7, there was Gloria's new friend 8 "her" ice-cream. Now you and I both know what happened, 9we know that an ice-cream won't last thirty 10 on a summer afternoon in Florida. Tony knew clearly 11we would get off the ride. He went to the nearest shop and 12a new ice-cream half a minute before we walked out of the exit(出口). Gloria said, "13". But I'm sure she didn't know it was a 14 ice-cream.
Thanks so much for giving us 15 and make our visit pleasant!
On December 10, 2021, a fire broke out in a family's home on the third floor in Wuhan.
Zhang Yu 1 what was happening. He climbed up the balcony* on the second floor.
"Come on, give me the child!" Zhang Yu shouted to the 2 on the third floor. They threw a two-year-old girl out of the balcony. Zhang Yu hooked the balcony on the second floor with one hand, 3 held the little girl with the other hand, and took 4 safely into a house on the second floor. Then he helped the mother and father move safely.
Several people 5 him when he left silently after saving the family of three. "Hero! Don't wear your mask and let's take a picture 6 your face!"
One hour later, we learned 7 about the hero from a reporter. Zhang Yu worked for Shunfeng then and had been an armed policeman for two years.
"When I saw the fire, I was receiving mail. I found people trying to catch the girl's family with a blanket, 8 it was too dangerous. At that time, I only had one idea—to make people 9. I wanted to climb to the second floor to pick up the people. "
Zhang Yu is the hero around us and we should 10 him. He was awarded MaylLabor Medal in Wuhan on December 20, 2021.
An old man went to India. When he got there, he saw some fruit for sale, but most of it was very cheap. The cheapest thing was a basket of red fruit.
"1 is a kilo of fruit?" the old man asked.
"Two rupees(卢比), " the villager answered. Two rupees in India is almost nothing, so the old man bought many and started 2 it.
However, as soon as he started eating, his mouth began to be 3, his eyes began to water, and his face became as 4 as the fruit. As he coughed(咳嗽) and it was difficult for him to say anything, he jumped up and down, shouting, "Ah! Ah! Ah！"
But he 5 kept eating the fruit. Some people who were looking at him shook(摇) their heads and said, "You are feeling terrible? Those are chili peppers(辣椒)! 6 can't just eat them by the handful！"
The old man said to himself, "I 7 them, so I must eat them."
This old man looked like a fool. But are we so 8? All of us have spent money and time on something—maybe a friendship, or a job—and sometimes even though we know there's no 9, we still go for it.
What we can 10 from the old man is this: If you've lost a lot over something that doesn't work, let it go and move on.
In New York, on a Friday night, a poor young artist stood at the gate of a train station. He was playing his1. His music was so great that many people put money into his2.
The next day，the young artist came to the 3place, and played the violin as usual. Different from the day before, he took out a piece of paper and put 4 on the ground. The paper read，“Last night，a man named George Sang put an important thing into my hat5. Please come to get it soon.”
6about half an hour, a (an)7man went there in a hurry, “Oh ,it's you . You did come here.” The young violinist asked8, “Are you Mr. George Sang?” “Yes! Yes!” Then the violinist asked , “Did you lose something?” “Lottery（彩票）. It's the most valuable lottery in my 70 years of life,” said the man.
The violinist 9a lottery ticket. George Sang's name was on it, so the violinist10it to him.
Later someone asked the violinist, “Since you11play the violin every day to make your tuition(学费) in the university, why didn't you keep the lottery ticket for yourself?” The violinist said, “12I don't have much money, I live happily; but if I lose honesty, I won't be happy forever.”
Through our lives, we can get a lot and lose so13. But being14should always be with us. If we act in a dishonest way, we may15in a short period. However, from the long-term view, we will be a loser.
