B

    People sometimes like to read stories of dogs very much. They think that dogs are much cleverer than cats, sheep, cows or other animals in their homes.

    One of my close friends, Bob, has a very large dog named Jack. Every Sunday afternoon, Bob and Jack have a walk in the park nearby. Jack likes these walks very much.

    One Sunday afternoon, I paid a visit to my friend. I stayed there for a long time and my friend and I had much more to talk with each other than ever before. Soon it was time for them to take a walk in the park. We forgot it. Jack became worried about it. He walked around the room several times and then sat down in front of me and looked at me. But we still paid no attention (注意) to him. I went on talking with my friend. At last, Jack could not wait any longer. He went out of the room and came back a few minutes later. He sat down in front of me again. But this time, he held my hat in his mouth. Suddenly, I understood what Jack meant and so did my friend.

    Bill is a student. He is twelve. The child likes to fly kites and play some other games.

    One Monday afternoon Bill flies kites with his friends after school. But Bill's kite is in the tree and he cannot get it. Bill and his friends do not know what to do. They worry very much and Bill comes to his father, Mr. Green, for help. His father wants to get the kite down from the tree, but he can't. So Bill asks him to make a new one for him. Mr. Green makes a new kite for Bill. When the boy gets the new kite, he is very glad. He thanks his father for the kite and goes out to play with his friends.

    One day, John read an advertisement in a newspaper. It said "Wanted. The best salesman in the world." John thought he was a great salesman and went to ask for the job. "I'm the best salesman in the world," he said to the manager. "Give me the job."

   "You must prove you're the best," the manager said.

   "OK I will," John said.

   "Good." The manager took several boxes of sweets out of his desk." Last week I bought a thousand boxes of sweets. If yon can sell them all before the end of the week, yon can have the job," said the manager.

   "That's easy," John said. He took the boxes of sweets and left the office.

    Every day and all day he went from shop to shop, trying to sell the sweets. But he couldn't sell one. The sweets were too bad for him to sell. At the end of the week he went back to the manager." I'm sorry, sir," he said," I was wrong about myself. I'm not the best salesman in the world, but I know who is."

   "Oh" said the manager. "Who?"

   "The person who sold you a thousand boxes of the sweets."

    After giving a talk at a high school, I was asked to pay a visit to a special student. An illness had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me, and it would mean a great deal to him. I agreed.

    During the nine-mile drive to his home, I found out something about Matthew. He had muscular dystrophy(肌肉营养不良). When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to five, and then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal power lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles and going for my dreams.

    I spent over an hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he complain or ask, "Why me? "He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about. He didn't mention that his classmates had made fun of him because he was different. He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weights with me. When we finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I had won and put it around his neck. I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me. He said, "You are a champion. You earned that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you. "

    Last summer I received a letter from Matthew's parents telling me that Matthew had passed away. They wanted me to have a letter he had written to me a few days before: Dear Dick,

    My mum said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me. I also want to let you know that the doctors tell me that I don't have tong to live any more, but I still smile as much as I can. I told you someday I was going to the Olympics and win a gold medal, but I know now I will newer get to do that. But I know I'm a champion, and God knows that too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there, I will show, it to you. Thank you for loving me.

Your friend,

Matthew