What will you do when you have something difficult to do? I used to ask my mother for help. But she always said, "Do it yourself, dear." or "God helps those who help themselves , girl." I was not glad at all. I thought she was the laziest mother in the world.

For example, one day, I decided to invite some friends to my home. My bedroom was not in order. Books were everywhere. And I didn't make the bed. I asked my mother to help me to clean it, but she still said, "Do it yourself, girl."

Because of my "lazy mother", I have to wash my clothes and clean my room. I have to help my parents do some housework. I even have to go to the dentist by myself. It is really hard for me to do everything well, but I have learned a lot.

    As time goes by, I come to understand my mother. She makes me clever and active! What a great mother!

    On March 14, one of science's brightest stars went dark. Stephen Hawking, the world-famous British scientist, died at 78 in Cambridge, UK.

    Hawking is considered by many to be the greatest scientist in history since Albert Einstein. He came up with the theory（理论） that the universe (宇宙) began with the Big Bang and will end in black holes. His theories became the base for a lot of later research. He also wrote books to help common people understand the universe. His most famous book is A Brief History of Time, which has sold more than 10 million copies around the world.

    Besides his scientific achievements, Hawking was also someone who had a strong will. When he was 21, he got a serious illness that stopped him from walking and talking. Later in life, he had to sit in a wheelchair and “speak” using a computerized voice. But this didn't stop him from living a meaningful and colorful life.

    He celebrated his 60th birthday by going up in a hot-air balloon; when he was 65, he took part in a zero-gravity (零重力) flight to experience weightlessness. He hoped to travel into space one day. In 2015, Hawking spoke about how he felt life was unfair when he first knew about his illness. “But now, 50 years later, I can be quietly satisfied with my life,” he said.

Children are born with a natural interest in everything. And they always find certain activities more interesting than others. Here are some hobbies for you to choose from for your kids.

Reading is a must for all age groups. Reading is often viewed as boring, and now many children don't love it, but what one needs to understand is that reading is a learning experience and is a major factor in shaping children's life. There are plenty of books that can cater (迎 合) to children's different interests. If they are disinterested at first, you can give them books with a lot of pictures.

A coin collection is great to understand the fact that different countries have different currencies(货币). This hobby can really make kids realise the value of money and its importance. This hobby not only can help children develop the habit of saving money from an early age, but also is great to make them more responsible, as they need to keep their collections.

Let kids learn how to play a musical instrument. This will give them an advantage in their age group. It will add a great deal of confidence to their personality. Music has its way of calming down a person. So, this hobby will give kids something to do in their free time,

All in all, if kids develop useful hobbies, they'll help them pass their time nicely. They'll help them grow and develop in an amazing way.

My name is Henry Adams. When I was 27, I worked in New York. One Saturday afternoon, I sailed my small boat, but a strong wind pushed me into the Pacific Ocean. Luckily, a British ship going to London saved me.

I had only one dollar when I got to London. I was tired and hungry. Then, a man from a nearby house called me inside. I went into a nice room where two old men were talking. The two men were brothers. They had been arguing (争吵) for days about something strange. One brother said, "If an honest and smart stranger comes to London with no friends or money, with only a £1,000,000 bank note, he will die from hunger. If he tries to change this big note at the bank, the police will think he stole it and arrest (逮捕) him." The other brother disagreed.

The two men decided to solve their argument with a bet. They chose me because I looked honest and clever. Also, I was new to England. One of them gave me an envelope (信封) and told me not to open it until I was in my hotel room.

After leaving the house, I opened the envelope and saw money inside! I rushed to the nearest restaurant. After eating, I tried to pay with the money but found out it was a one million pound note! It made my head swim. No one could cash (兑现金) it. The restaurant owner said, "You can pay whenever you want, sir. I know you are a rich gentleman playing jokes by dressing like a poor man."

I quickly went back to the house but was told they had left for a trip. Then I remembered the letter in the envelope. It said, "In this envelope, you will find some money. It is yours for only 30 days. At the end of that time, return to this house. We have a bet on you." How strange! Then, I went to a clothes shop to buy a cheap suit. When I showed the shop owner the bank note, he got angry because the salesman (销售员) sold me such a bad suit.

(To be continued)