I've loved my mother's desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the most wonderful thing in the world. Years later, during her final illness, mother kept different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she would say again, “it's for Elizabeth.” I never saw her be angry, and never saw her cry. I knew she loved me—she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter. They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional(易动感情的)”. But she lived “on the surface(表面)”. As years passed I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive(原谅) me. I posted the letter and waited for her answer. None came. My hope turned to disappointment(失望), then little interest and, finally, peace— it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn't be sure that the letter had even got to mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not. Now the present of her desk told, as she'd never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside —a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded(折叠) and refolded many times. Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose. Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.

    Hello, my name is Judy. I am a girl. I live in a house with my family. This is Anna. She is my friend. She lives in a house on Park Road. Anna is 11 years old. I'm 12 years old. I'm order than Anna. Anna is 1.5 metres tall. I'm 1.55 metres tall. Anna and I live far from the school, so we go to school by bus. Anna likes to listen to music. I like to read books. We are good friends.

Jenny was a student in my class. She lived in a happy family. She had three sisters and she was the youngest, She seemed to be glued(粘合) to her mother's skirts. Her three older sisters took the bus to school every morning, but she was always driven to school by her mother. 

One Friday, Jenny's mother said to me, "My husband and I have to be away to Europe on business for two weeks. I am very worried about Jenny. She is so young and weak. Will you please help me look after her while we're away?"

As a mother of a kid, I knew how worried a mother would be if she was away from her child. "Don't worry! I'll try my best to take good care of her, "I said. I even volunteered to say that I would wait for Jenny at the school gate every morning to give her a familiar(熟悉的) face. 

I waited at the school gate to meet Jenny the next Monday morning. When the bus arrived, Jenny and her three sisters got off. I was surprised to see a happy girl, not a sad, crying girl. I called Jenny over to ask her how the bus ride was going. "Very interesting!" she said. "I always wanted to take a bus with my sisters, but Mum was always together with me. You see there isn't any baby in our family now. I can take a bus without Mum. I'm no longer a kid. "

 Joe is an American. When Joe was born, he had a problem with his heart and doctors had to perform an operation(手术) on him. When he was 3, Joe had his second operation. This operation didn't go well and he even couldn't move the left side of his body. The doctors at the hospital didn't think he could get better. Then the family moved to Florida.

 Joe liked being in the water and his mother thought swimming could help him. First, they went to swimming pools in hotels, but some hotel guests didn't like them being there. Then one day she went with Joe to a place called Dolphin Plus, where people swam with dolphins. Joe met Fonzie, a 3-meter-long, 275 kilogram dolphin there and the story really began.

 Soon, Joe was eager to see Fonzie every day. He loved playing with him and feeding him. Every time Joe arrived, Fonzie came to see him right away. Joe's mother told him always to feed Fonzie using his left hand, so Joe used his left side more and more. Slowly, he got better and better.

 Joe's mother saw that Fonzie helped him a lot, and she knew it was a good idea for other people, too. So, she and her family worked to open a place called Island Dolphin Care. It's next to Dolphin Plus and many people with health problems come to spend time with the dolphins.

 Joe is now over 30 years old and very well. However, Fonzie died in 2004 when Joe was 17. Joe wrote:"Fonzie was a great friend to me; he and I shared a lot of good times. He always put a smile on my face when I was feeling down."

Helen: Hi, Tom. I called you at 10 o' clock in the morning but you didn' t answer the phone.

 Tom: Sorry, Helen, I was playing tennis with my sister Mary. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

 Helen: I had a problem with my maths homework.

 Tom: {#blank#}2{#/blank#} . He is good at maths.

 Helen: {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

 Tom: Did you solve the problem at last?

 Helen: Yes. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

 Tom: Great! {#blank#}5{#/blank#}