Mary is a girl. She is a middle school student. She is thirteen. She is in Class Three, Grade Two.

    There is a big picture in Mary's bedroom. It's the picture of the family. Mary's mother is a teacher of Chinese. She is a very good teacher. Mary's father is a worker. There is a big red flower on his black coat. He is at work from Tuesday to Sunday. Mary's brother is near her mother. He is a middle school student, too. He is fourteen. He is in Grade Three.

    Mary and her brother like books. They like school. They study hard. They are good students.

    Many years ago, I was a shy boy and lived a very peaceful life. I liked school but I felt bored.

    And then I started the fourth grade. My teacher, Mrs. Chen, was a young woman who was good at writing, art and music. Her class was very interesting. With her help, I started Fun Club with some boys in my class. I also wrote a book called Through the Forest. And lots of my classmates liked it.

    However, I was surprised when fifty years later I got a letter about a reunion (聚会). A few days later, we had a reunion at Mrs. Chen's home. Reconnecting with Mrs. Chen was a journey back in time. Fifty years have passed, but my teacher still remembers every student. She even doesn't forget the class bully (欺负) — a boy used to hit me with snowballs on my way to school. Lots of teachers thought bullying was nothing serious at that time, but Mrs. Chen didn't agree. She put a stop to it at once when she found out about it.

    Now, in my mid-fifties, I appreciate the gifts Mrs. Chen has given me even more. It's never too late to say thanks to this fantastic teacher. I hope you are lucky enough to have one teacher like Mrs. Chen.

    Kathy could still remember the night she had to leave her home Hungary in a hurry. It was the terrible beginning of World War Ⅱ and her family had to leave their country as soon as possible. She quickly filled a bag with a few pieces of clothing, her diary, and her treasure—a beautiful silk scarf (围巾).

    Kathy and her best friend, Monica, had asked their parents to buy them matching scarves. They each would wear the scarf as a symbol of their friendship. Kathy had no idea that she was going to America that night and would not be returning forever.

    Kathy kept that special silk scarf as a treasure for many years. One day she decided to give it to her granddaughter, Eliza, to wear to her first job interview for good luck. Kathy was afraid that Eliza would lose the scarf, but the granddaughter promised, "Don't worry, Grandma, nothing's going to happen to your scarf. You'll see. It is going to bring both of us good luck today." And with that, Eliza kissed her grandmother and left for the interview.

    That afternoon Eliza left the interview happily, feeling sure that she had got the job. So she decided to celebrate by going to a restaurant. As she was sitting at her table, she felt someone looking at her. An old woman sitting next to her could not take her eyes away from her.

    "I'm sorry, do I know you?" Eliza asked.

    "I'm sorry, dear, but you make me think of someone I once knew," the old woman replied. "My best friend looked just like you and used to wear a scarf just like the one you're wearing around your neck." Eliza listened carefully, with her eyes and mouth wide open. She had heard stories of her grandmother's best friend many times and knew the meaning of the scarf. Could this be Monica, her grandmother's childhood friend?

    Eliza introduced herself and waited to hear the name of the old woman.

    "My name's Monica, dear. I lived in Hungary as a child, but my family had to leave when I was fourteen years old. I've been living here in California ever since." said the old woman.

    Eliza could not believe her ears…

    Lisa has always been fat. She wanted to lose weight, not only because she wanted to look more beautiful and healthier, but also because it would make life easier.

    For example, it was difficult for Lisa to find ready-made clothes. She had to ask a tailor (裁缝) to make clothes that were large enough. In school, she needed a special chair that was bigger and stronger than other chairs. If she went for a walk, she got tired very quickly.

    She was also unhappy about the way people treated (对待) her sometimes. "People look at me and even make fun of me. It's true that I'm fat, but I don't think people should treat me differently. I can't enjoy having dinner with my friends because I'm afraid of getting fatter." Sometimes when Lisa was feeling sad, she didn't want to speak to anyone.

    But now things are quite different. Last month her classmates were preparing for the School Art Week. Someone advised Lisa to play the lead role (主演) of the proud Queen who was tall and fat. Lisa agreed and practiced a lot.

    Soon after the play, Lisa became a star! She did so well that everybody remembered the proud Queen. Best Actress Award for her wonderful performance (表演).

    Now Lisa doesn't worry about being fat any more. She believes in the English saying "Every dog has its day".

    Bill is a farmer. He can't write or read. One day he goes to the city {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (buy) something. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} noon, he bas lunch in a restaurant. He {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (sit) down at a table and looks around. He {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (see) some old people put glasses on before reading their books. "Oh I {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (know) why I can't read or write. I want to have a pair of glasses," {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (say) to himself. Then he doesn't {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (eat) anything and can't wait {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (go) to the shop. All the glasses {#blank#}9{#/blank#} very expensive. But he still buys a pair. When he puts on the glasses, he still can't read. He is angry and asks the salesman, "Why can't I read with the glasses? {#blank#}10{#/blank#} there anything wrong with your glasses?" "Excuse me, but can you read?" the salesman asks. "No, I can't." The salesman laughs and says nothing again.

    My father is tall and has short, gray(灰白的) hair. He wears glasses with heavy, black frames（框架）. But I just see a picture of him from 1968. What a surprise! In the picture, he's 15 years old. He's short and he has glasses with small, round frames. He has long, yellow hair and it's really straight. He's wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt with the word "Love". I'm 15 years old now. I'm medium height and I have short hair. My hair isn't yellow, it's blue. My dad thinks it's strange(奇怪的), but my friends think it's great. I wear glasses, but my glasses have bright red frames. They're so cool! I have an earring(耳环) in one ear, too. Dad really can't understand(明白) that, I never wear blue jeans. I like big, baggy(松的) pants and long T-shirts. Most of my T-shirts have pictures of my favorite rock bands(摇滚乐队) on them.