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    “I will think of it.” It is easy to say this, but do you know what great things have come from thinking?

    Sir Isaac Newton was sitting in his garden when he saw an apple fall from a tree. He began to think and tried to find out why the apple fell. Then he discovered how the sun, moon, and stars are kept in their places.

    A boy named James Watt sat quietly by the fire, watching the lid of the kettle move up and down. He wanted to find out why the steam in the kettle moved the lid. From that time he went on thinking and thinking. And when he became a man, he improved the steam engine (蒸汽机) so much that it could easily do the work of many horses.

     James Ferguson was a poor boy. Once, seeing the inside of a watch, he wondered. “Why should I not make a watch?” But how could he get the materials to make the mainspring (钟表的主发条)? He soon found he could make it with whalebone (鲸骨). He then made a wooden clock which kept good time. His motto (座右铭) was “I will think of it.” And he made his thoughts useful to himself and the world. 

    Boys and girls, when you have a difficult lesson to learn, don't lose heart, and don't ask someone for help before helping yourselves. Think, and by thinking you will learn how to think to some purpose.

    One day, a fisherman caught a golden fish.” People let me go,” the golden fish said.” I will give you whatever you want.”

    “Thank you, but I don't want anything.” the fisherman said. He put the golden fish back into the sea.But the fisherman's wife was angry.” You should ask for a bigger wooden basin!” she shouted. The fisherman went to the seaside and told the golden fish.

    “Don't worry, she has a new basin now.” the golden fish said.

    The fisherman went home. But his wife was even angrier. “I want a large house!” The fisherman went to tell the golden fish again.

    But the old woman was never satisfied. “I want to be the queen of the sea! And I want the golden fish to serve me!”

    The fisherman went to tell the golden fish. Then golden fish swan away without saying anything. Then fisherman walked back. His wife was in her cold clothes. Her old and broken wooden basin was next to her.

    One day, a farmer was walking along a road with his son Thomas. The father said. “Look! There's a horseshoe. Pick it up and put it in your bag.” Thomas said, “It isn't worth the trouble.” His father said nothing but picked it up himself. When they got to a nearby town, they had a rest. There the farmer sold the horseshoe and with the pennies he bought some grapes.

    It was very hot, and there wasn't a house or a tree where they could have a rest. Thomas felt too thirsty to walk on. At this time. his father dropped a grape on the ground and Thomas picked it up quickly and ate it. After a while, his father dropped another grape and once again. His son picked it up and put it in his mouth.

    And so they went on. The old farmer dropped the grapes and the son picked them up. When Thomas had eaten up all the grapes, his father said to him. “My dear son, if you had bent down early to pick up that horseshoe. It would not have been necessary for you to bend so many times for the grapes, always remember the lesson(教训):  A person who does not worry about the little things

    will find that he can not do the great things.”

    Some British and American people like to invite friends for a meal at home. You should not be upset if your English friends don't invite you home. It doesn't mean they don't like you.

    Dinner parties usually start between 7 and 8 p.m. and end at about 11 p.m. Ask you hosts(主办人) what time you should arrive. It's polite to bring flowers, chocolates or a bottle of wine(酒) as a gift.

    Usually the evening starts with drinks and snacks. If you want to be very polite, say how much you like the room, or the pictures on the wall. But remember—It's not polite to ask how much things cost.

    In many families, the husband sits at one end of the table and the wife sits at the other end. They eat with their guests(客人).

    You'll probably start the meal with soup or something small, then you'll have meat or fish with vegetables, and then dessert followed by coffee. It's polite to finish everything on your plate and to take more if you want it.

    Did you enjoy the evening? Call your hosts the next day, or write them a short “thank you” letter. British and American people like to say “thank you, thank you, thank you” all the time!

    This story happened four years ago. Tom was seven years old then. He was a good boy. He was one of the best pupils in his class. But he could not get up early. He often slept until nine or ten o'clock in the morning. So he was often late for school.

    Tom's mother didn't want him to be late for school. So she bought him a clock. She said to Tom, “You must get up when you hear the clock ring.”

    “Yes, Mum,” said Tom. After that Tom got up at six thirty when he hear the clock ring.

    One day his mother forgot to make the clock ring at the usual time. And the next morning Tom didn't get up at six thirty. It was time for breakfast. Mother went to see him. Tom was still in bed and his eyes were open.

    “Why didn't you get up?” Mother asked angrily.

    “You told me to get up when I heard the clock ring. So I am waiting for the bell. Mum, is the clock still sleeping?” Tom answered.

    I'll never forget that day on which my brother took me to stay at the street. Everytime I thought about his face, my heart shook strongly.

    "Got it? Just a couple of seconds later I will come back." Saying this, his figure went disappearing in the earth. At the same time I saw people sleeping with fear, suddenly realizing that persons didn't belong to anyone. And as time went by, I could never forecast(预想) what would be going on where I stayed.

    I watched the way my brother went on, thinking of something that happened when I was a kid. You know, I was not that outgoing, for which I always refused to talk to anyone including my parents. It is so weird that relations looked down on me and my parents ever sent me to the psychologist(心理医生). They never understood what I was really sick for.

    But something totally changed on a blue moon night. It's him, my brother. He knew the softest in my deep heart, being the first one to care for me. He would stay with me when my sleep was spoiled by horrible dreams; when I was down after something unpleasant occurred; when huge happiness surrounded(环绕) me and was needed to be spoken out to a listener. He gave me all these, on which the others didn't focus. I was moved.

    He always stayed. And kept staying. I was mixed in it. Which ever drove me crazy. But now I have to accept the truth that he has already gone. Like an opening petunias, come with charming smells, and then go with heart breaking. I don't feel sad, or any sense of bitterness. It's just like a two-people party, now it's time to end.

    Had someone given me a chance, could I let him stay? I think it's fate, unstoppable. His eyes are too small, not being able to fill me in. He's right. I shouldn't force him and myself.

    Today I live well. My life goes the right way. I will still miss him, imaging his life in heaven. Then it reminds me of that day. Eight years ago, he felt dying, then held me tightly, passing the beats and temperature to me. That street is in Wenchuan, on May 12th in 2008.