One day I got into a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were1on the right side when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of 2 . My taxi driver stopped at once and missed the other 3 by just inches ( 英寸)！

  The driver of the other car turned his head quickly4 and started shouting at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really5. So I asked, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost broke your car and sent us to the 6!" This is when my taxi driver 7me what I now call “The Law of the Rubbish Truck”.

He explained that many people are like rubbish trucks. They run around of rubbish, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their rubbish grows, they need a place to empty it and 8they'll empty it onto you. Don't9it personally, just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take the rubbish and 10it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

    "What's the matter, mum?" As soon as I enter(进入) the door, I find that my mother is  1. It's unusual--she usually opens the door and welcomes me with 2.

     "She's dying," mum says sadly. I 3 what she says. The tulip(郁金香), mother's favourite, is dying.

    A month ago, we  4 into our new house and mum bought a very beautiful tulip. Mum liked it very much. 5 she was free, she would sit in her armchair beside the tulip and 6 its beautiful colour and inviting (诱人的) smell.

    She 7 it as a baby and looked after it 8. She put the tulip by window and moved it from one place to another to give the tulip enough 9. The first thing she did when she 10 every morning was to water the tulip. Mum also fertilized(施肥) it many times.

    She hoped that 11 great care, the tulip would become more and more beautiful and 12. But the tulip was dying because of  13  sunshine, water and fertilizer.

     It's 14 that mother loved the tulip. But this kind of love can be harmful. Love can sometimes 15 what you love.

     Mr. Green was unfriendly. Kids were afraid of going into his garden to pick an apple because he would run after them 1 with his gun (枪).

    One day, 12-year-old Janet walked out with her friend Amy. They had to 2 Mr. Green's house. 3 they got close, Janet saw him sitting at his front door. Like most kids, 4 was afraid of the old man. But Amy said, "Don't 5."

    When they got close enough Mr. Green took an unfriendly look 6, but when he saw Amy, he gave a big smile. Amy 7 back and told him that Janet was her best friend and they were going to listen to music and play games. Mr. Green said that 8 fun, and gave them each an apple.

Later, Janet asked Amy in 9, "Why was he so nice to us?"

    Amy replied "At first I was 10, too. But my grandma told me not to be afraid and to imagine that he was smiling at me."

    "11 a smile?" asked Janet.

    "Yes. If I smile back at 12, sooner or later he will really smile," continued Amy. "After some time, he started giving real smiles and 13 talked to me. Now, he always gives me a(n) 14, and is always very kind."

    If we remember to smile at others, most people can't 15 our smiles and they will smile back.

I'm Brain. I 1 a good friend. His name is Jack. He 2 from Canada. He likes brown best (最). What 3 Jack look like? He 4 cool. His eyes are big and blue. He has short, 5 hair, and it's his favourite colour. Jack is 6. He is just 1.4 metres tall. Jack likes to tell 7 stories (故事) and I like him very much. But I feel 8 today, because (因为) he feels9. I take him to 10 a doctor.

    Last year, I went to a summer camp in the United States with my classmates. It was my first time to go abroad.

    I lived with a host family in Los Angeles for five days. My host family was friendly and gave me lots of advice. For example, they said I should say "excuse me" if I have to interrupt (打断) someone or ask for directions.

    I also took some classes. They were different from the classes I had had back home. In the US, each class is like a seminar. Students join groups, speaking freely and creating a cheerful atmosphere (氛围). I had to work hard to learn more vocabularies, so I could better communicate with my international classmates. I used to pay little attention to my word usage (使用), but now I pay more attention.

    During my visit, I also went to some famous universities in Boston, New York and Washington, D. C. We learned about the history behind the universities. At MIT (麻省理工学院), we saw lots of names on a wall in the hall. The tour guide told us they were the names of students who had lost their lives during wars. I was inspired (鼓舞) by the fact that they fought for their country.

When was the last time you gave or received a hug（拥抱）？ Do your parents hug you before you go to school？ In Western countries, it is quite common to greet close friends or relatives with a hug.

You might hug your teammates after winning a basketball game. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Friends who haven't seen each other for a long time will usually hug each other when meeting.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} After coming to China, I've noticed that the Chinese seem unwilling（不愿意）to hug.

My Chinese friends tell me that hugging is considered to be very intimate （亲密的） in their culture. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Chinese people don't usually hug in public. But people's attitudes towards hugging can also change.

I remember watching a video story about a "hugging party" that was held in shanghai.. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The Chinese who took part in the party looked uncomfortable. However, after the party, several of them changed their minds. They found that hugging didn't have to be embarrassing and could actually be quite nice.So next time you see your parents, give them a hug and see how it makes you feel.