Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin (小木屋) in Hardin County, Kentucky, on February 12th, 1809: When Abraham was young, his family was very poor. His mother, Nancy, died of "milk sickness" when Abraham was nine, and the family moved to Indiana. One year later, his father Thomas Lincoln married Sarah Bush Johnston, and she was good to him. Though Lincoln had little formal (正规的) schooling, he could read and write.

    In 1830, his family moved again, this time to Illinois, and Abraham decided to go his own way. Abraham joined the Illinois militia (民兵组织) during the Black Hawk War. In 1834 he was elected as a Whig and served for four terms(任期). After receiving his law license(执照) in 1836, Lincoln married Mary Todd on November 4th, 1842.

    In 1847, Lincoln was elected to and served one term in the US House of Representatives. In 1856, Lincoln changed his political alliance (联盟) to the Republican Party(共和党), but lost a Senate election to Democratic Senator Stephen A. Douglas. By 1860, Lincoln was a well-known presidential candidate (总统候选人). He was elected as the sixteenth President of the United States in November of 1860.

    An Englishman was showing a foreign visitor around London" What's that strange building?" asked the visitor. " That's the Tower(塔)of London" " I see. How long did it take to build it?" "About 500 years." "In my country we can build it in five months. "said the visitor. A short time after that they came to St. Paul's Cathedral (大教堂). "Very interesting!" said the visitor. "How long did it take to build it?" "Nearly forty years, "said the Englishman. "In my country we can finish it in forty days." said the visitor. This went on all day. They visited most of the best known buildings in the city. Every time they saw a new one, the visitor asked what it was and how long it took to build it. Then he said that they could do the same thing much faster in his country. At last the Englishman got angry with the visitor though he tried not to show it. A few days later they came to the House of Parliament(议会大厦)and the visitor asked his usual question. "What's that?" The Englishman answered, "I've no idea. It wasn't there last night. "

    As the taxi leaves, my father stands at the living room window looking out, watching me move off into the darkness, at 4:30 a. m. His grey hair is untidy from sleeping.

    Moments ago, he got up to carry my bag for me and went into the cold open air.

    He thanked me for a daughter's cooking and for having traveled so far to spend the holiday with him. I told him that I worried about he would feel lonely again in the empty house.

    "I have my plans," he said, in the moments before I walked out the door.

    When I arrived 10 days ago, I felt it was quiet and lifeless in the house. Then my brothers and I came and filled the rooms. But, now, they're gone, I am the last to leave.

    As the taxi began to move, I watched the lights go off, but my father didn't leave. Even though he couldn't see me in the dark, he stood by the window watching, beside the tree. It was a fresh tree. He buys one every year for the new year.

    The life is hard for my father: my mother died years ago, and now his children are far from home, our selfish choices taking us from one end of the country to the other, the life of the tree, cut for Christmas, is short; my father's is long and strong. But both of them are tall and straight.

    I leave behind two trees: one with silver-grey hair, the other still freshly green.

    After a serious earthquake happened, a father left his wife safely at home and rushed to his son's school, only to find that the building where his son studied had collapsed and looked like a pancake.

    He was shocked. He didn't know what he should do for a while, and then he remembered the words he had said to his son, "No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you!" And tears began to fill his eyes. He started digging through the ruins（废墟）.

    As he was digging, other helpless parents and the firemen arrived and tried to pull him off the ruins, saying, "It's dangerous here! There's nothing you can do!" To them he replied with one line," Are you going to help me now?" And then he kept on digging.

    He went on because he needed to know for himself, "Is my boy alive or is he dead?" He dug for 8 hours…12 hours…24 hours…36 hours… Then, in the 39^th hour, he pulled back a rock and heard his son's words. He shouted his son's name, "Armand!" He heard back, "Dad?! It's me, Dad! I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you'd save me, and when you saved me, they'd be saved. You promised, 'No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you!' You did it, Dad!"

    "What's going on there?" the father asked, "There are 14 of us left out of 33, Dad. We're frightened, hungry. Thirsty, but thankful you're here. When the building fell down, it made a triangle（三角形）and it saved us."

Come out, boy!"

    "No, Dad! Let the other kids out first, because I know you'll get me! No matter what happens, I know you'll always be there for me."