Once there was a young boy. He had no family except for an old llama. Each day the boy and his llama walked many miles, looking for a home. Each night they curled up (赌缩）and slept. But on one starry (满天星斗的）evening, the old llama died. The boy buried (埋葬）his friend next to a small icy river. Then he sat under a tree and cried. What would he do? He had no family and no home.

The boy cried for a very long time. But there was no one to comfort (安慰）him. There were only the stars in the sky.

Suddenly, the sky filled with bright light. The boy held his breath. He was afraid to move. One bright star fell to the ground. Slowly, the star took the shape of the old llama. She bent her head and drank from the river. She looked at the boy and smiled. As she jumped back into the sky, bits of llama wool fell. As the sun began to rise, the boy picked up the soft, warm wool. It gave out light in his hands like starlight. He carried the wool to the city and sold it. With the money, he bought a house. He bought two young llamas. He never forgot the star llama. And he was never lonely again.

    "Why do I live? Why do I wish for anything, or do anything? Is there anything in my life that will not be destroyed by my death?" Like Leo Tolstoy, the famous Russian writer, many people ask these difficult questions. Tolstoy spent his whole life trying to answer these difficult questions.

    As a young man, he thought people could achieve perfection if they tried hard enough. So he worked very hard to be the best in everything. He thought that he would find meaning and truth in success.

    In 1850s. Tolstoy wrote his first stories. He wrote about his life in the army. He also told stories about his childhood. These works were published and Tolstoy became a well-known writer.

    He earned the respect he always wanted. Many rich and smart men met and talked with Tolstoy. Some of them were writers like him. They talked a lot about faith (信仰) and the meaning of life. But soon Tolstoy recognized that these men were not perfect. Now he knew they could not answer his questions about faith.

    So in the 1860s, Tolstoy tried a different way to find the meaning of life. He opened a school for the children of his serfs-the people who worked on his land. These workers were very poor. He wanted to help them because he thought they were more honest than the rich people he knew.

    Tolstoy learned a lot from his workers. He understood how they worked hard to support their families. He began to believe that marriage and family would give his life meaning. So in 1862, Leo Tolstoy married a young woman named Sonya Behrs.

    The next 15 years were the best years of Tolstoy's life. It was during this time that he wrote his most famous books-War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Many experts say that War and Peace is one of the greatest books ever written. In these books, Tolstoy believed humans should live a simple life and take care of their families. Tolstoy thought this would satisfy him and bring him happiness.

    Leo Tolstoy is still a very respected writer today. His faith and writings have influenced many people all over the world.

It is necessary to share your feelings with others. Sharing your feelings helps you to get closer to people you care about and who care about you.

Sometimes it can be really hard not to tell anyone that you're feeling sad, worried, or upset. Don't keep feelings locked inside. If that, it can even make you feel sick!

But if you talk with someone who cares for you, like your mum or dad, you will not be all alone with your problems or worries. It doesn't mean your problems and worries go off, but at least someone else knows what your trouble is and can help you find ways to deal with it.

If the person doesn't understand what you mean right away, try explaining it in a different way or giving an example. Of course, there are many ways for you to share your feelings. If you think you'll have trouble saying what's on your mind, write it down on a piece of paper.

Some of us teenagers, just like some adults (成年人), are more private than others. That means some people will feel shy about sharing their feelings. A kid doesn't have to share every feeling he or she has, but it is important to share feelings when a kid needs help.

Do you know what a long friendship is like? Let's have a look at the following examples.

I met my best friend fifteen years ago in my middle school. Now we work in different cities. Besides preparing a gift for him, I also write a letter to him on his birthday every year. And we send wishes to each other every holiday. Although we are very busy with our work, we never forget the important days. —Peter

I've known my best friend for ten years. I always keep in touch with her in my life. It doesn't mean that we talk to each other every day. In fact, I only call her up once a week. But it helps me make sure everything is okay in her life. I think it's important because she can know I'm always there for her. —Amy

I met my best friend twenty years ago in my primary school. In our lives, we have conflicts sometimes. But we usually speak out our ideas and make compromises to reach an agreement (协定). I think proper communication plays an important part in our friendship. And we never cover up our care for each other. —David

Every Saturday evening, many people come to an open square in a small town in Xi' an. They want to watch Chen Kun and his friends put on a play. During the play, the audience （观众） can hear them, but they can not see them. That is because they are putting on a shadow puppet play （皮影戏）.

Shadow puppets are made of hard leather （皮革）. The leather is cut out in the shape of a person, an animal or an object. Each puppet is painted in bright colours and put on a stick. Some puppets have movable arms and legs.

During a shadow puppet play, Chen stands behind a white screen with lights behind it. The audience sit in front of the screen. Chen and his friends hold the puppets very close to the screen so the audience can see the puppets' shadows clearly. Then they move the puppets around and do the voices of the different characters.

Shadow puppet plays are a traditional Chinese art. Now with TV and films, shadow puppet plays are not as popular as before. To encourage more young people to learn the skills of shadow puppet plays, Chen provides training courses for students to teach them how to make shadow puppets.

Chen and his friends often work very hard for little money, but they do not mind. They want to keep this traditional art form alive.