My parents took me to Japan when I was little. I lived there for five years.1 I came back, my Japanese was very good. "Can I do something useful with my Japanese?" I asked myself.

    Then, one day last spring, I got a good opportunity(机会).

    Everyone was afraid of SARS, so I stayed at home with 2 to do.

    My father brought me a Japanese book. "Why don't you translate(翻译)it into Chinese? It will be better than3computer games all day."

    I promised (许诺)to do 2000 words each day. But 4 I found it was hard to keep the promise.

    One day in May, the weather was beautiful. But I couldn't go out. Those 2000 words were still5 me.

    After translating only three pages, I had already lost interest in the book.

    I looked at it for a long time. But I couldn't make myself turn the pages. How I6 I could just go outside and play football with my friends!

    I counted the words again and again .I just wanted to give up.

    I felt as if two people were fighting7 my mind. One said, "Don't give up! Keep working hard , and you'll do well!" But then the other one said ,"Go and play! It will be more 8 than translating. Do your work tomorrow. "

    I stood up and would9the computer.

    But then I remembered 10my parents had told me: "Whatever you do, don't stop halfway. " So I sat down and went on with it .

    A group of adults, highly succeeded in their jobs, went to visit their old professor. Soon they began to1 the stress in work and life.

    The professor went to the kitchen and returned2a pot of coffee and all kinds of cups —crystal (水晶), glass, plastic; some nice looking, some simple looking; some 3some cheap. And he told them to help4to the coffee.

    When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said, “I've noticed that all the nice looking expensive cups were 5 leaving behind the simple and cheap ones. While it is

6 for you to take only the best for yourself, that is the root of your 7 and stress.

    You know that the cup itself adds no quality (品质) to the coffee8 you really wanted was coffee, not the cup9 you went for the best cups without thinking.

    Now consider this: Life is the coffee. The jobs, money and 10 in society are the cups. They are just11 to hold life, and the type of cup doesn't change the quality of our life. Sometimes, by 12 attention to the cup only, we fail to enjoy the coffee that God has 13 us. God offers us the coffee, not the cup. Please enjoy your coffee!”

    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make 14 of everything. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak15 And leave the rest to the God.

    What comes to your mind when you hear the word "twins"? Born on the same day? Looking almost the same? Or having the same hobbies? I have a twin brother who was born on a1day from me. We do not 2very much alike and we are always3in different things.

    Twelve years ago, my brother, Wayne, was born at eleven fifty-eight4the night of May 28. Five minutes later, I was born—on May 29. Since the5we were born, I have always been heavier and6 than Wayne, so people usually think I am the elder brother.

    But Wayne is always smarter than I. He7reading and learns many things quickly. He knows a lot about animals, although he does not8much time playing with our9and birds. He knows a lot about10, but never likes to ride bikes as much as I do. Though we are very different, I love my brother very much. I hope both of us are having a happy life. We are sure we will have a good future.

My name is Jack. I am fourteen years old. I have many friends. Most of them are as old as me. Some are older than me and some are younger. 

My best friend is David. He is also fourteen and he comes from the countryside. We live in the same neighborhood now. We are in the same class. He sits behind me. David is good at math and he often helps me with my math homework. I often help him with his English homework. He is poor in English, because he never studied English before. 

David is 1. 7 meters tall. He is taller than me. I am only 1. 6 meters tall. We both have brown hair, but David's hair is longer than mine. 

David is a little thin, but I am heavy. I don't like sports, so I don't get much exercise. But David likes sports very much. He often asks me to play sports with him. 

After school, David and I play soccer for half an hour in our neighborhood. Thanks to(多亏) David, I am healthier than before. 

We help and learn from each other. We are good friends!