Dear Liz，

    My stay in Thailand has certainly been the experience of my life．

    Life is busy and exciting．Bangkok is just like any other big city with a population of 10  million and heavy traffic．I'm very lucky because my host family is in a nice quiet area outside the city．There are Mr. and Mrs. Phairat, their son Sanan, who is 18, the daughter Chinda, who is 16, and Grandpa and Grandma．

    I go to an international school with Sanan and Chinda．The school teaches about 70 percent in English，and 30 percent in Thai. I've learned some spoken language，but Thai writing is very difficult．The cooking lesson is my favourite．I'm learning all about Thai food and culture People don't use chopsticks here，but spoons and forks．When I come back，I'm going to cook you a real Thai meal．

    Last weekend we visited some temples．We also drove to Pattaya beach near Bangkok．I thought it was great，but Sanan and Chinda say that next month they're taking me to Phuket  Island，where the beaches are even more beautiful．The month after next，we're going to travel to Mr．Phairat's hometown in the north of Thailand．The Phairats own land there，and they have two elephants．I'm going to ride those elephants — and even wash them．Sanan and  Chinda say it's really fun．I'm amazed by everything in this country，especially by the elephants．Elephants are an  important pan of Thai culture and way of life．They have been a traditional symbol(象征)of Thailand for many years in times of war and peace．In the seventh century，a Thai king trained 20,000 elephants for battle．

    I'll tell you all about my Thai boxing(拳击)lessons next time I write．

Love,

Mandy

    Tom's father has a big farm. On New Year's Day, his father asked him, "Could you work on the farm when you're free this year, Tom?"

    "Farming is not my work, Dad. I have much school work to do," Tom wasn't glad at it.

    "If you help me work on the farm, I will give you anything you want."

    "OK," Tom agreed happily.

    So Tom gets up early and works hard on the farm in his free time this year, just like other farmers. His wheat grows very well.

    Time flies. Today is the last day of the year, December 31st. The father is talking with his son.

    "I'm happy to see you work hard on the farm. Tom, now tell me what you want as the gift(礼物)."

Tom shows his father a big piece of bread. He makes it with the wheat on his farm. "I have already gotten your gift, Dad. You're trying to give me a lesson— no pain, no gain.

    Right?"

    Bill is only fifteen years old，but he's already very rich．Two years ago，Bill began a football website（网站）for young people. "I became interested in computers when I was 8 years old  because my father's job is with computers．As a little boy，I also loved football and so I decided to make a website，especially for people of my age．"

    Bill started the "Football OK!" website two years ago，and now more than 20,000 people visit it every day．

    Bill is a schoolboy and a businessman as well．He usually gets up at six o'clock and looks at his e-mails．Then he goes to school from nine to four．In the evenings，he always works for about four hours on his website．

    Bill's next plan is a new website." At the moment I am thinking about a new website on American football，maybe for next year．"

    And is Bill the same person that he was three years ago? "'No，I am very different now．I have met a lot of interesting people on the website and I have traveled all over the world．" Bill doesn't know about the future．"Maybe I will sell the websites. I really don't know．I'll just wait and see."

    Some people say that when he is 21，Bill will be a millionaire（百万富翁). He always says, “Anything is possible”!

    Mrs. Brown lives in a small village. Her husband is dead. She has a son but no daughters. His name is John and he is twenty-five. After John finishes college (大学), he gets work in a big city, New York, and he lives there. It's quite a long way from his mother's home, and she is not happy about it. But John says, "There is no good work for me in this small village, Mother, and I can get a lot of money in New York. Then I can give much to you. "

    One day Mrs. Brown is very angry. She takes a train to her son's house in New York. Then she says to him. "John, why do you never call me?"

    "But mother," John laughs (笑) and says, "You don't have a telephone."

    "No," she says, "I haven't, but you have one."

    I have a good friend. His name is Jimmy. We do not live in the same flat, but we meet at school every day. We are not in the same class. Jimmy has a small puppy. Its name is Barley. I have a dog, too. But it is very big. Its name is Visa. His dog and my dog are good friends, too. After school I often play with Jimmy and our dogs often play together, too. All of us are very happy.

    Helen Keller lived in the U.S.A. She was a great woman.

    When Helen was a baby, she got very sick. After many weeks, the doctor said, "She is better, but now she can't see or can't hear." Her mother and father were very sad.

    After a few years, things got worse. There was no way for Helen to speak with other people. She heard nothing. She saw nothing. She didn't understand anything.

    Then one day a teacher came to live with Helen and her family. The teacher helped Helen learn about words. Helen was a very bright child and soon she learned to spell her first word. When she was older, she went to college.

    Helen was very famous. She helped many blind (盲) and deaf (聋) people. She traveled around the world and helped many people.

    Helen was a very old woman when she died. The world remembers her today as a brave and wonderful person. She was blind and deaf, but she found a way to see and hear.