Do you believe that we can have an important influence on anyone we meet? The right words at just the right time could 1someone's life.

    When I was 3 years old, my parents discovered I was2. After asking many doctors and parents of other deaf children, they decided not to put me in a special school. Although I seemed outgoing, my self-esteem（自尊心）was quite low. On my first day at school, the other kids3 me because of my hearing aid andthe way I talked. I was hurt deeply and I saw myself as a(n)4kid.

    Mrs. Green, my5,changed all of that with a simple three-word phrase. One morning, she asked the class a question. Sitting at my desk silently, I 6 herlips（嘴唇）and raised my hand right away. She called on mein front of the blackboard. I took a deep breath and7 answered Mrs. Green's question.

    I will8forget what happened next. Mrs. Green pointed directly at me. With sparkling （闪光的）eyes and a big smile she cried:         "That's right, Ben!"

    For the first time in my young life, my confidence（自信）rose. At that moment, I decided that no matter how many9 I may face, I can overcome（克服）them. Thanks to those three 10 words, my whole life changed from that moment.

    Tongtong is three years old. She likes1English very much. Her mother2 English in a high school.

    Tongtong likes to3English cartoon videos. She plays games with her dolls and4with them in English. She learns a lot by watching the videos. Sometimes she can5but doesn't know the6. When her mother comes back home，she will tell Tongtong what the words and sentences mean.

    Tongtong's mother thinks that interest is important，and7is more important. Tongtong has great interest in English speaking. She can learn to speak by8and listening. But she should have chances(机会)to use it. So her mother tries to talk with her in English at home and takes her to the 9at school. Though Tongtong makes many mistakes，her English improves10.

    Having brothers or sisters means owning the most expensive gift in the world. With them, we do not have to live a 1 life and we can also learn a lot from them.

I 2 in a blue-collar (蓝领的) large family a few miles into the countryside outside Chicago. There were four 3 in my family and my parents lived a hard life to bring us up. Among all my sisters, Cynthia, who is four years older than I, has 4 me the most. Cynthia has never 5 to be different. She has always dared to point the unfair things out and 6 the way things were around us, trying to change the negative (消极的) situations through her own efforts. She has always had the 7 to look at life from a different and unusual perspective (角度). That made me 8 her very much. Her example gave me the courage to question things like her and taught me to explore my own world 9.

    Now we're both old 10 we're still exploring. We 11 a lot together each year and this year we're going to visit a few African countries. After experiencing more and more, I realize that it's great to grow old because without work to 12, you have more time to take trips and have adventures, like we are now. Cynthia and I have always been 13, and now in our 60s, we still keep a good relationship as ever. I'm so grateful to have such a sister.

    Do you have any brothers or sisters? If you do, you're in 14. They will be your lifelong wealth. Please 15 your time together and be a positive role model for the younger ones.

    The story goes that two friends were walking across the desert.

    During the journey they had a1, and one friend hit the other in the face. The one who got hit was hurt, but2saying anything, he wrote in the sand, "Today my3 friend hit me in the face." They kept on walking until they found green fields and a beautiful river where they decided to4.The one who had been hit fell into the river and started5, but the friend saved him. After he was out of 6, he wrote on a stone, "Today my best friend saved my life."

    The friend who7and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now you write on a stone. Why? "The other8, "When someone hurts us, we should write it down in the sand where wind of forgiveness(宽容)can blow it away.9when someone does something good for us, we must carve(雕刻)it in the stone where no wind can ever blow it away."

    Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your benefits in the stone. Send this phrase to people you will10forget. It's a short message to let them know that you will never forget them.

    Look! Here is a photo 1 my family. I have a big family. My 2  are old now. My grandfather is 72 years old and my grandmother3 70 years old. I have an4. He's my father's 5. I have two6. They're my mother's sisters. I have7 cousins—a boy and a girl. They are my uncle's8 and daughter. I have a sister, too. But she 9 in the photo. I am in a nice 10. I love my family.