Dear Aihua,

    How are you? I've been busy arranging my 1 with my brother, Colin. We plan to 2 a few weeks travelling before he is admitted to the univers ity. We will 3 so many exciting places and do lots of 4 things.

    My first 5 is Morocco, in northern Africa. We're going to 6 camels through the Sahara Desert. I 7 it will be very hot, dry and 8 there. Even though it may feel uncomfortable to sit on a 9 for almost a week, I still look forward to it.

    Then we are going to travel down the River Nile. We will 10 white-water rafting there. It's so 11 that we have to wear special clothing, a helmet and a life jacket for protection just 12 the rafts gets turned upside down or sinks.

    After that, we will live with the 13 people in Kenya and 14 local customs(习俗). We'll eat and drink 15 they do, including cow's blood!

    Due to the 16 walk we have to cover everyday, I need to buy a large, strong, light backpack to carry my 17 of food and water. During the day, we'll walk 18 the land, following the 19 of big animals. Of course, I will try to 20 the animals to take some good photos. I will email you as soon as I come back.

                                                                                                                                                                              Love

                                                                                                                                                                              Toby

My Hero

    What does it mean to be a hero? I think a hero is someone who goes out of his way to make others happy. My hero is Mr. Wright, my chorus(合唱队) teacher.

    When I was 12 years old, my grandparents passed away. I was really close to them, and losing them was the hardest thing I've ever had to1through. I couldn't eat, sleep, or think; I felt like I couldn't even breathe. It was as if my whole world had fallen down from under me, and I2into this huge hole of depression(抑郁).

    3I was battling depression, I was determined to make my high school years the best of my life. It was difficult to be 4, but I had to try. I joined Women's Choir. Mr. Wright was the choral director and he was so funny that the first day, I just knew I had made the best5of my life. As the year progressed, I loved chorus more and more. I began to smile again and really enjoy 6.

    Then one day that all changed. My friends—or those that I thought were my friends—started talking about me behind my back. I was7 , and I sat by myself. Mr. Wright came over and asked what was wrong. The look in his eyes told me that I could8him. Trying hard to9 back tears, I told him the whole story.

    When I finished, he nodded and told me, “If you never learn anything from me, learn this: No one is worth 10 your joy.” What Mr. Wright said really11a chord (心弦) in my heart. He 12 cared about me and what was going on. I'll never be able to thank him enough, because he not only saved me but has13every day of it since. Any time I feel like giving 14, I remember Mr. Wright's words and push forward.

    I'm proud to say that I 15 my depression, and I'm now a senior. I'm still a16of chorus, and now I'm also in the best choir at my school.

Mr. Wright is a hero 17 everyone he meets. He cares about every single person who walks through his door, and he loves what he does more than any other teacher I've known. That's18  he deserves to be Educator of the Year. He deserves the19 not just this year but every year.

    I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet you, Mr. Wright. You are an 20teacher, and I hope you realize that. You're my hero.

    A boy named Nick dialed 911 this Thanksgiving. He just wanted to give 1 to his local police office. Nick asked the police officers to 2 him and his family for their holiday dinner at their home.

    "With all the 3 calls we take on a daily basis, this one was a welcomed happy call that made all of us 4," said Monica from the police office.

    The boy admitted that he'd 5 the number soon. "I had told him to do that for 6 only." The boy's mom, Mary Ann 7.

    When two officers 8 Nick's house to thank him for his 9 offer, she said her young son began crying because he thought he was 10.

    "The policemen had to 11 my son, so did I," Ann said.

    "The officers told Nick that it was 12 to know someone that young was still thinking about them over the holiday and that they were very proud of him, " she 13.

    The officers didn't 14 eating any of the family's turkey, but they did give the boy a badge（警徽） and let him take 15 inside their police car. While he now knows that the number 911 16 be used for non-emergencies, Nick also has his 17 set on becoming a policeman when he's older.

    "It just goes to show that policemen aren't just about 18 people and putting them in prison," Monica told the local media.

    "Nick's call 19 all of our days, and the officers' surprise visit gave Nick a sweet Thanksgiving 20 that will stay with him for the rest of his life. It is a special holiday for Nick and us."

    I had worried myself sick over Simon's mother coming to see me. I was a new 1, and I gave an honest account of the students' work. In Simon's case, the grades were awfully low. He couldn't read his own handwriting. 2 he was a bright student. He discussed adult subjects with nearly adult comprehension. His work in no way reflected his3 .

    So when Simon's mother entered the room, my palms(手掌心) were sweating. I was completely4 for her kisses on both my cheeks. "I came to thank you," she said, surprising me beyond speech. 5 me, Simon had become a different person. He talked of how he6 me, he had began to make friends, and for the first time in his twelve years, he had 7 spent an afternoon at a friend's house. She wanted to tell me how grateful she was for the 8I had nurtured(培养) in her son. She kissed me again and left.

    I sat, stunned (惊呆), for about half an hour, 9 what had just happened. How did I make such a life-changing difference to that boy without 10 knowing it? What I finally came to 11 was one day, several months before, when some students were 12 reports in the front of the class, Jeanne spoke 13 , and to encourage her to raise her voice, I had said, "Speak up. Simon's the expert on this. He is the 14 one you have to convince, and he can't hear you in the 15 of the room." That was it. From that day on, Simon had sat up straighter, paid more attention, 16 more, and became happy. And it was all because he 17to be the last kid in the last row. The boy who most needed 18 was the one who took the last seat that day.

    It taught me the most19 lesson over the years of my teaching career, and I'm thankful that it came 20 and positively. A small kindness can indeed make a difference.

    It was 7 in the morning. I was on a train to another city when I started a(n)1with a young man sitting next to me. From what he said, I2that he came from a farming family and was now doing very well in the IT industry. He was3enough to give me a window seat, help a co-passenger when he dropped his coffee, etc. These small4showed what a good person he was!

    I was lost in reading a biography(自传) on Arnold Schwarzenegger. Arnold Schwarzenegger has played a huge role in my life5I haven't met him. Reading a6about him is great fun.

    Now my co-passenger7to see the book, so I handed it to him. Minutes passed into hours. From the train window, I8him reading the book carefully. Towards the end of the trip, I even saw him9everything about the book including the publishing house and code number. He turned to me and asked where he could buy this book.

    "You can10 it," I said. "This is the second time that I've read it anyway."

    I was lying! Actually it was last weekend that I bought it. I loved it so much and how I11to hold on to it myself! 12, when I thought of his kindness, I thought I should do something too. "Wow," the man said to me. "This is really13. Thank you so much."

    "No problem. Don't worry about it."

    I got off the train and walked into the new city with a sense of14. I did not regret giving the book to him as I believed15each other is really a good thing.

    John's parents acquired the washer when he was a small boy. It happened during World War Ⅱ. His family never 1 a washing machine and, since gasoline was expensive, they could not 2 trips to the laundry several miles away. Keeping clothes 3 became a problem for young John's household.

    A family friend joined the army, and his wife 4 to go with him. John's family 5 to store their furniture while they were away. To the family's 6, the friend suggested they use their Bendix. So this is how they 7 the washer.

    Young John helped with the washing, and across the years he 8 a love for the old, green Bendix. But 9 the war ended. When the friends came to take it back, John grew terribly 10. His mother 11 him and said. "You must remember, that machine 12 belonged to us in the first place. That we ever got to use it at all was a gift. So, instead of being mad at it being taken 13, let's use this 14 to be grateful that we had it at all."

    The lesson turned out 15. Years later, John watched his eight-year-old daughter die a slow and painful death of leukemia (白血病). Though he 16 for months with her death, John could not begin getting over from the 17 until he remembered the old Bendix.

    His daughter was a 18. When he realized the simple fact, everything changed. He could now begin recovering from the death of his daughter. He started to see her as a marvelous gift that he was fortunate enough to 19 for a time. He felt 20. He found strength and recovery. He knew he could get through the valley of loss.