One day I got in a taxi, and we left for the airport. We were driving in the right lane（车道）when, suddenly, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver stopped his car at once. The tire（轮胎） made a very loud noise, and at the very last moment our car stopped just one inch from the back of the other car.

I was frightened. But then I couldn't believe what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, turned his head and started yelling at us. I couldn't believe it! But my taxi driver just smiled at the guy. So I asked, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost sent us to hospital.”

This is when my taxi driver taught my what I now call, “The Law of the Rubbush Truck（垃圾车法则）.” He explained that many people are like rubbish trucks. They run around full of rubbish, full of anger and full of bad feelings. As their rubbish piles up, they look for a place to throw it away and sometimes they'll throw it at you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their rubbish and spread it to other people at work, at home or on the streets.

Successful people never let rubbish trucks change their moods. Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so love those who love you and pray（祈祷）for those who don't.

    One day, a young man was taking a walk with a professor(教授). As they went along, they saw a pair of old shoes lying on the road. They thought the owner of the shoes must be a poor man who worked on the farm nearby. The student said to the professor, "Let's take away his shoes, and hide (躲藏) ourselves behind those trees and wait to see what will happen when he cannot find them. That must be very interesting."

    "My young friend," answered the professor, "we should never make fun of others who are poor. But you can put a coin (硬币) into each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch what change (变化) will happen to him."

    The student did so, and they went to hide themselves behind the trees.

    The poor man soon finished his work, and came back. When he was putting on his coat, he put his foot into one of his shoes. He felt something hard and found the coin. Surprise was seen on his face. He found the coin and looked at it again and again. He then looked around, but there was no person. He now put the money into his pocket (口袋). When he put on the other shoe, he was surprised again to find the other coin. He fell on his knees (膝盖), looked up to the sky and said aloud some thanksgiving words to the person who gave him the coins.

    The student stood there, and his eyes were full of tears (眼泪),"You have taught me a lesson that I will never forget. Now I understand:      ▲       ,"he said.

    Our dog Abbey died last month. My 4-year-old daughter Lucy missed her a lot and asked if we could write a letter to God to make sure he could look after Abbey well. I told Lucy that I thought we could, and she dictated(口述) these words:

    We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Lucy and addressed it to God/Heaven. Yesterday, we received a package addressed "To Lucy" with this note:

    Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president, died on Decembr5, 2013 at 95.

    Mandela was born on July 18, 1918. He grew up in a poor village in South Africa. At school, Mandela learned about African history and the fight against racism(种族歧视).He wanted to help his countrymen. Later Mandela studied law at a university. He also joined a group that fought against apartheid(种族隔离).At that time, in South Africa, blacks were not allowed to use the same public toilets or chairs as whites, and they couldn't travel on the same buses as whites, either. Mandela hated this and he traveled all over South Africa and fought to end apartheid. As a result, he was put into prison(监狱) and stayed about 27 years there.

    On February 10, 1990, South African President F.W. de Klerk released(释放)Mandela from prison, and the two worked together to end apartheid. Three years later, they won the Nobel Peace Prize,

    In1994, Mandela became President of South Africa. One year later, he created the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, a charity that helps poor South African children." Children are the future of our country," he said in an interview in2002. "They must be given love."

    Mandela served as President until 1999. He worked to improve housing and education for the country's large black population.

    A farmer loses his watch in the barn (谷仓). He is worried because the watch has many stories for him.

    After looking carefully everywhere for a long time, he can't find it Then he asks for help of a few children playing outside the barn. He says, "If you find my watch, I can give you a lot of money."

    Hearing this, the children run into the barn to look for the watch, but they can't find it. Then, a little boy says he wants to look for it again.

    The farmer looks at him and asks him to look for it again. After a few minutes, the little boy comes out with the watch in his hand! The farmer is happy and surprised. He asks the boy about it.

    "I do nothing," answers the boy, "I just sit on the ground and listen. In the silence, I hear the ticking (滴答声) of the watch and then find it."

    John is thirteen now. He began to study in a middle school two years ago. His home is in a village and it's nearly five kilometres away from the school. He has to get up early in the morning. After quick breakfast he has to run to school and get there on time. His father hopes to borrow some money to buy a bike for him, but John knows his mother is always ill and that his father spends much money on medicine. He doesn't agree with his father and keeps running there every day. Now he's very strong. He is never late for class and his teachers often praise him.

    Last week there was a sports meeting in his school. John ran faster than any other boy in the boys' 800—metre race, 1, 500—metre race and 3, 000—metre race. The whole school knew him. He was happy. He told his grandma about the good news as soon as he got home.

    "I broke two school records today, Granny, "called out the boy.

    To his surprise, the old woman wasn't happy. She thought for a while and I'm sorry to hear that. But we have no money to pay for them, you know!