"Is it a Chinese school?" Mary asks.

      "Yes, it is." Her mother says.

      It is September(九月) and the new school year begins. Marygoes to school every day. She likes her lessons（功课） and her classmates(同学)very much.Her classmates like her, too. Mary can speak a little Chinese. She likes China.She likes the people of China and Chinese food very much. 

    An old man went to live with his son, his daughter-in-law, and a four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was very poor, and he couldn't walk steadily(平稳地). The family ate together nightly at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating rather difficult. Rice often dropped on the floor.

    The son and the daughter-in-law became angry with the old man, so they put a small table in the corner. There, the grandfather ate alone, while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner at the table. Since the grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

    The four-year-old son watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with a piece of wood on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?” The boy answered, “Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and mama to eat your food from when I grow up.” The four-year-old son smiled and went back to work. The words struck the parents so that they were in silence. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks（脸颊）. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.

    For years I went to school by bus, so I met many "familiar" strangers. We took the same bus but didn't know each other's names. I used to think it was impossible for us to be true friends. How wrong I was! Smiles from the "nameless" people have changed my thought.

    The first time on the bus, I saw different faces. As days went on, we hatted like old friends.

    But I felt it a pity that I was unable to set up the same friendship with a silent girl in the front of the bus. Her old clothing suggested that she didn't have much money, but she always took a cup of water for the driver. I guessed she was a kind girl. But why did she sit in silence instead of talking with us? Why did she never reply to our friendly greetings? Couldn't she smile?

    Then, one evening, I got the answer. I walked to the park nearby and found the girl sitting alone under a tree, lonely and sad. I greeted her with the same warm smile that had shown to her all these months, but this time her face turned red, then a shy smile appeared. As soon as she began her first words, I understood why she hadn't spoken to us before. Talking was hard for her.

    I heard her story. Her parents worked hard somewhere. She lived with her disabled grandparents. She said, "I can't express myself very well. Most of the time, I can't say what I want to say I have no friends but. You always smile at me like an angel… so I also want to smile." That evening, we exchanged our names and we said goodbye like old friends.

    The smile is the key to opening the door of heart; it can break the cold walls in front of us.

    Dale is seven. He can go to school. On the first day, his teacher teaches him three words "I, you, he". The teacher says, "I am your teacher. You are my student. He is your classmate, "After class, Dale goes home. His mother asks him, "What does your teacher teach you today?" Dale says, "Listen, mom, I am your teacher. You are my student." He points at(指着) his father and says, "He is your classmate." His mother says, "No, dear. You are not right." Then she says, "I am your mother. You are my son. He is your father. "The next day, Dale's teacher asks Dale to make sentences. Dale stands up and says, "I am your mother. You are my son. He is your father." All the students in Dale's class laugh.