Mary loved small animals. One morning while she was walking in the forest, she found 1weak birds in the grass. She took them home and put them in a small cage. She cared them with love and the birds both grew2. They thanked her3a wonderful song every morning.

    But something happened one day. Mary left the door of the 4open. The larger bird flew from the cage. She thought that it would 5. As it flew close, she grasped (紧抓) it. She was very 6to catch it.7she felt strange. She opened her hand and looked sadly at the 8bird. Her great love had killed the bird!

    The other bird was moving back and forth (来回) in the cage. Mary could 9its great need for freedom (自由). It wanted to fly into the clear and blue10. At once, Mary took the bird 11the cage and let it fly away. The bird circled once, twice, three times…

    Mary enjoyed watching the bird flying and singing 12 Suddenly the bird flew13and landed softly on her head. It sang the 14song that she had ever heard.

    The easiest way to lose love is to hold it too tight. The best way to keep love is to 15it wings (翅膀).

Qu Juanru is the official inheritor(官方继承人) of Jiaxing City Tongxiang flower­drum opera. She began to be on the stage when she was a teenager. "My mother died when I was 14. I've lived with my father since then. In the old days, women were not allowed to perform opera. However, my father always supported me when I tried to sing," Qu said.

Qu started performing in the local troupe(剧团) called Aimin Flower­Drum Opera. Later, the troupe was disbanded(解散), and she went back to farming.

After that, the young girl tried to set up the troupe several times but failed. She really lived a hard life at that time. But she didn't give up.

In 2001, some developers planned to rebuild Wuzhen. They thought a place which has no culture is of little significance(意义). So they wanted to bring back local customs, including the Tongxiang flower­drum opera. Qu was their only hope.

Knowing she could sing again, Qu was so excited. Whether it's cold or hot, Qu always gives her everything on stage in Wuzhen. She has six rounds(场) of performing every day and each round lasts 30 minutes. In 2017, she was badly ill, yet it didn't stop her.

"I can still sing and perform. I'd love to be here," Qu said. In her opinion, opera life is a wonderful dream that can't be missed.

My favourite inventor is Wang Xuan. As we all know, Wang Xuan was one of the most famous computer scientists and inventors. He invented the technology for printing Chinese characters. As a result, he is known as "The Father of the Chinese Language Laser Typesetting (激光排版)". 

Since there is a big difference between Chinese and English writing systems (系统), laser typesetting for the Chinese language was a serious problem for scientists all over the world. For this reason, Wang Xuan decided to try to come up with a solution (解决办法). In 1975, he began researching laser typesetting and electronic publishing (电子出版) systems for Chinese. He was not afraid to try new technology, and although he didn't have success all the time, he never gave up. He is believed to be the second most important developer in printing Chinese after Bi Sheng. Now, Wang Xuan's amazing invention is used all over the world, and it has been especially helpful to the Chinese newspaper publishing industry. 

Wang Xuan was not only a great modern scientist but also a great role model for many young people. We middle school students should learn from him. His life story teaches us that a person should follow his own dream and try his best to make it come true. 

A student asked his teacher," Sir, I have a question. How many friends should a man have- one or many?"

" It is very easy," the teacher answered." Get me that red apple

from the highest(最高的) branch(树枝) of the tree." The student looked up and said," It's too high! I can't get it."

" Ask a friend to help." the teacher said.

 The student called a friend and stood on his shoulders(肩膀) for the branch.

"I still can't get it, sir," said the student sadly after the first try.

" Don't you have more friends?" the teacher smiled.

 The student asked more friends to come over. They stood on each other's shoulders, trying to make a pyramid(金字塔) to get higher. But the student still couldn't get the apple. Then one of the friends went home, brought a ladder(梯子) and the student finally picked the apple.

After getting the apple, the teacher asked," So, do you know how many friends a man needs?"

"I do," the student said." Many, so together we can work out any problem."

" Sounds good," the teacher said." You need as many friends as you can. Among (在…之中) them, there will be at least(至少) one clever man who can think of a good idea, like getting a ladder!"

I felt coming steps. She was coming to teach all things to me, and to love me. 

I still remember the morning my teacher came, she led me into her room and gave me a doll (玩具娃娃). When I had played with it a little while, Miss Sullivan slowly spelled into my hand the word "d-o-l-l". I was at once interested in this finger play and tried to imitate (模仿) it. When I succeeded in making the letters correctly, I was so excited and proud. I did not know I was spelling, even didn't understand everything has a name. 

 Once, as I was playing with my new doll, Miss Sullivan put my old doll onto my leg, spelled"d-o-l-l" and tried to make me understand they were both dolls. Another time, she tried to tell me that"m-u-g" is mug and that"w-a-t-e-r" is water, but I still mixed them up. Hopelessly, she had to teach me from the beginning.  ▲ , so I threw the new doll upon the floor. 

I was quite happy when I felt the pieces of the broken doll at my feet. I was neither sad nor regretful. In my still, dark world, there was no warmth or love. I felt my teacher sweep the pieces aside, and it seemed that my trouble moved away. 

Later, we walked down the path to a well house. Someone was drawing water(抽水) and she placed my hand under the spout. As the cool stream flowed over one hand, she spelled the word"w-a-t-e-r" into the other, first slowly, then rapidly. I stood still and paid my whole attention on her fingers. Suddenly I knew "w-a-t-e-r" meant the wonderful thing flowing over my hand. That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, and set it free!

I left the well house and wanted to learn more about the world. As we returned to the house, I remembered the doll I had broken. I picked up the pieces and tried to put them together. Then I cried, for I realised what I had done, and for the first time I felt sad and regretful. 

I learned many new words that day. I do not remember what they all were, but I do know that mother, father, sister and teacher were among them. It would have been difficult to find a happier child than I was. While lying in my bed at the end of that day, I hoped for a new day to come for the first time. 

(Adapted from The Story of My Life by Helen Keller)