My mother used to say things just to make me mad。 Like most teenagers, I thought I knew everything. And what I didn't know, I didn't want to be told. For example, if I said I was going to a movie, my mother would roll her eyes. On my way out, she'd shout, “You need to slow yourself down before something bad happens! You don't want to learn that the hard way!” I didn't know what that meant. I thought she just wanted me to stay at home.

    Many years later I had three teenagers of my own. They thought they knew everything. I would say the same things to them like my mom. That's when I first saw it. My mother wasn't trying to help me.

    Why do we always have to learn things “the hard way”? Why can't we just accept our elders' wisdom? It's a good lesson for anyone. Clearly, I still haven't learned it.

    Yesterday, I stepped out of the shower when I heard my cell phone ringing in the kitchen. Grabbing a towel, I ran through the house. I grabbed the phone and hit my left foot against the table. The X-ray showed that I'd broken two toes.

    We all need to slow ourselves down once in a while, before something bad does it for us. My mother was right about a lot of things. I wish I could have told her.

Classic Is Never Gone

    Every year hundreds of films are produced, yet how many are forgotten after six months? Movies come and go, as throwaway as popcorn bags left on the floor of a cinema. But of those few films that people do remember, there is one that is truly “evergreen”(常青).

    Whether you are young or old, or where you are in the world, the 1939 classic Gone with the Wind never seems to become unpopular. Last year the film celebrated its 75^th birthday.

    The movie comes from a best-selling book of the same name by US writer Margaret Mitchell. Hollywood was soon interested in turning the novel into a movie.

    The story is set in the periods before, during and after the American Civil War (1861-1865). It is about relationships between members of high-class families living in the south of America.

    The Civil War period piece highly rewarded the time and effort of the filmmakers who worked on it. Over twenty years, no studio went beyond it in making the most money of any film ever made. It's the kind of movie that every studio dreams of making.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}⑴Cindy likes drawing(画画) very much. She can draw nice pictures. She always reads books about artists(艺术家).

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}⑵Peter likes watching NBA games. He also knows a lot about tennis stars and basketball stars.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#}⑶Mary studies in a junior school. She can't always get good grades(成绩)，but she can cook(烹任) well. She wants to be a cook(厨师).

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}⑷John is a 12-year-old boy. He likes singing and dancing very much and he also does well in playing the piano.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}⑸Jeff thinks playing games is very interesting. Sometimes games can help him study well.

    Everyone likes to have fun, but not everyone has much money to spend on entertainment. Here are some free or cheap ways to enjoy yourself.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Go with your friends if you don't want to stay at home. Hike or bicycle with a friend on a nearby path or in a park. If you live in a city, you can go window-shopping. Or you can explore an old part of town and admire the buildings.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Planning and taking pictures can make you aware of the beauty all around you. Photographic equipment can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. You probably already own a camera or a cellphone that can take pictures.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Stop by one to find out what's going on. And while you're there, borrow a book or movie for free. Museums and universities also hold free events. If you can't find a free event, you can volunteer at an event that requires tickets. People who organize concerts and plays need help. You can set up or take down chairs or greet visitors. Sometimes they reward volunteers with free tickets.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Whatever you do, find a friend to share it with. For example, invite a friend for a walk, an event or a time working on your hobby. Hosting doesn't have to be difficult. If your friend comes in the afternoon, you don't have to serve a meal. You can sit and talk, play board games or card games or watch a movie together.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} From the bulb to the computer, our life has changed a lot. If you are interested in a creative activity, you might as well put it into practice, starting from small things in daily life, to make your life more colorful.

A. Our life is more convenient because of inventions.

B. Going outside in good weather can be a lot of fun.

C. Relationships are often the best things in life.

D. While you're out, take pictures of things you find.

E. It's a good idea to stay at home to watch a movie alone.

F. Libraries often hold free public events, or you can get free tickets through volunteer activities.

    Do you remember the name of your kindergarten teacher? I do. Her name was Mrs. White.

    I don't remember much about what we learned in her class, but my mother once told me that we used to write a lot. And I would bring back what I wrote and she would look at it and see there were so many mistakes. But there were no red corrections but always a star. Sometimes even a word "Good"! That would make my heart filled with happiness, but it worried my mother.

    So one day when she went to meet Mrs. White, Mother asked her why she never corrected my mistakes, and why she never pointed out those mistakes. Mrs. White said, "The children are just beginning to get excited about using words, about making sentences. I don't want to make them lose that enthusiasm (热情) with red ink. Spelling and grammar can wait. The wonder of words won't ..."

    And thanks to Mrs. White, I had no qualms (顾忌) about writing what I meant even if I couldn't quite spell it out. Life isn't Perfect. It's Beautiful. She helped me understand it.

    There was a park near my home. Many people said there was nothing special there. One afternoon I went into the park. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} "Which way should I go?" I asked myself. The two paths(小路) were different from each other.

    The left one was wide and clean. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The flowers were very beautiful. I decided to take this path. But wait! I looked at the right one. It was not clean. For a long time I couldn't decide which path to choose.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It wasn't nice, but I didn't want to give up. At last I came to the end of the path. Ah! There was a small garden there. It was beautiful. I thought it was the nicest part of the park. When I told them what I had seen in the park, they just smiled at me without saying a word.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    My trip to the park made me understand something about life. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You may get a big surprise!