Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers. But last summer, Joanna Henry noticed a change in their older son: suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his friends than to his parents. “The door of his room is always closed,” Joanna noted.

    Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14-year-old daughter. “She used to cuddle up (蜷伏) with me on the sofa and talk,” said Mark. “Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something. Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady. The problem is to find out which time is which.”

Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what's on their minds. “In fact, parents are first on the list,” said Michael Riera, writer of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers. “This completely changes during the teen years.” Riera explained. “They talk to their friends first, then maybe their teachers，and their parents last.”

Parents who know what's going on in their teenagers' lives are in the best position to help them. To break down the wall of silence, parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to find ways to talk and write to them. And they must give their children a mental (精神的) break, for children also need freedom, though young. Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager(管理者), with their children is a better way to know them.

When I was in the third grade，I watched a video that showed the discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb（陵墓）.I remember Carter，going through a narrow hole in the tomb with a candle.A workman asked what he could see."Wonderful things!"Carter said.From that moment，I knew what I wanted to do with my life.

So I decided what I wanted to be at the age of nine，and I made it happen.Seems easy，right？Not quite!The road wasn't easy!I did my studies—university（博士）.But along the way I was told many things，"Shawki was too young and she had no experience.She should get married and have kids".I also needed money（申请补助金）.The first five replies I got said no.Six months later the last reply came and I was excited about it.Finally，I could start my own digging.

Today，I'm lucky to work as an archaeologist（考古学家）.I study the lives of people who lived in Egypt's Nile Delta（埃及的尼罗河三角洲）

For anyone thinking about a job，I would say：Never give up.If you want to do something.keep trying.If people tell you"no"，use that—it will push you.At the beginning

Second，focus on your goals.You don't have to follow people.If they say something has never been done，make it happen.You may be the first to do it!There are always challenges

Every kid in my neighbourhood knew about the Christmas Witch (女巫). She was an old woman who left her Christmas decorations(装饰) up all year long: a twinkling tree in the living room, a plastic wreath on the front door, and…

I was told the decorations were meant to get kids closer to the house so the Christmas Witch could take them, and I promised myself I would never go near that place. But when I turned fourteen, I got a newspaper road map and found I'd have to deliver(投递) papers to the Christmas Witch. 

My first day of delivery was a dark, cold March morning. The sky was just turning pink as I got close to the last house on my road map— that of the Christmas Witch. I walked up the stairs quietly and placed the newspaper by the door. Then I quickly turned around. Just then I fell down the stairs. I hurt my ankle(踝关节), unable to walk. 

The light was on. The door opened. Someone came out. It was the Christmas Witch. 

"Dear me, " said she. "Are you all right?" Speechless, I pointed at my ankle. "Come in; make sure you're okay, " she smiled, not a wicked- witch smile, but a nice smile. I had no choice. Holding her hand, I got into her house and was placed in a chair. "Relax. " She hurried into the kitchen and returned a moment later, handing me a cup of hot tea. "I call your parents, " she said. 

I told her my mother's number. She got through, told my mother everything and turned, "Your mother will be here shortly. ""Thank you, Mrs Wright. ""You're welcome. " She sat down across from me, smiling. "You don't have to call me Mrs Wright; you can call me Christmas Witch. "

I was a bit embarrassed (尴尬的). "It's alright. I hear what people say, " she smiled. "You do have lots of decorations, "I said. "I think it's pretty, " she replied. "But people think it's… strange, "I said. "They don't understand why I leave up my decorations, " answered she. 

Like most teenagers, I just asked the next question, "Why?"

"It was because of my son, Anthony, " said Mrs Wright. "Anthony planned to come home before Christmas. He called me on New Year's Eve, telling me to leave up the Christmas decorations. But three days later, Anthony died because there was something wrong with the plane. My boy never made it back home. Even though I know it doesn't change anything, I won't take down those decorations, even after all these years. " Mrs Wright wasn't a witch. She was a sad, lonely mother fighting with a terrible sadness. 

The doorbell rang and my mother arrived. Held by my mother, I went home. My hurt ankle healed (康 复 ) quickly. Since then, whenever I delivered newspapers to Mrs Wright, she smiled, saying how much she enjoyed my visit. I didn't think of her as the Christmas Witch any more.