My name is Lisa. Because of my job, I often went to the United States. I often felt worried during my trip because I didn't speak English well. So I decided to learn English.

    I went to Mrs Brown's English class. Before I came to the class, I always walked away when I met any Americans. But now I try to talk to Americans in English. And I like going to supermarkets, cafes and restaurants to talk with local people.

    I learn English in four ways. First , I listen to the teacher carefully and keep speaking in class. Second, I do my homework after I get home. I learn at least five words every day. Third, I listen to American radio and watch American TV programs. Finally, I surf the Internet to talk with different people in English.

     To learn English well, I think you must learn to open your mouth. For me that is the key to opening the door of learning English.

    I live on the twelfth floor of a building. One afternoon I am coming home from a friend's house. It is just after four o'clock. I get quickly into the lift and press Button(按钮) 12.

    The lift starts to go up, but very slowly. And then, half way up, it suddenly(突然) stops between two floors. I couldn't understand it. I press(按)an all the buttons from 1 to 14. I call for help very loudly. But nobody answers.

    Then suddenly the lights go out, and I am alone in the dark. I start to cry and beat the walls of the lift. I cry and cry until I have no voice left. Then, I feel hopeless, and press all the buttons with my open hands. And all at the same time, there is a bell far away. It rings and rings. It is the fire alarm(火灾警报). I think the whole building is on fire. I say to the God quietly, “Just get me out of here. I'll never be bad again.”

    Just then, I realize the lift is moving very slowly. On the ground floor it stops, and the door opens. A man is standing there. “How long have you been there? It is good that you press the alarm bell. But haven't you learned to read at your school? ” He points at a small piece of paper on the wall beside the lift. It says： “Attention (注意)： This lift will be stopped for repairs between 4 pm and 5 pm on Thursday, March 13.”

    On Monday, I stopped my car in front of my daughter Juliet's middle school. She jumped in the front seat, feeling down. She asked me to help her study for her science test.

    "Dad I need to memorize a unit about the Reproductive Cycle of Plants. And I can hardly make it."

    "You know memorizing seems like the best way to study, but in fact you can do better in tests if you work on trying to understand the material."

    Juliet was open to my advice. It was Monday afternoon and we had two nights to study before the test on Wednesday. I suggested a plan. "Tomorrow night, you are going to teach the material to me. Tonight, read the unit. Prepare to teach."

    Asking her to teach me was an unusual idea but I was determined to do it. Studies show teaching somebody else is a very useful way to lean, Even if you don't do the teaching, the act of preparing to teach leads to more learning than just trying your best to memorize the material.

    On Tuesday afternoon, Juliet sat down with her Science book facing me said, "Okay Dad, let's study." I wanted her to teach me. But false starts happened. I couldn't be too hard on her. So instead we starred with me asking her some simple questions. She knew some but not other. When she didn't know the answers. I encouraged her to check the book.

    She started checking things that didn't make sense. And she was actively seeking to test her understanding. I was happy to see it. She wasn't memorizing, she was trying to make sense of things, which was exactly what I had hoped she would do.

    Terry Fox was only seventeen when he got a cancer (癌症). He must have felt hopeless when the doctor said his right leg would have to be cut off 6 inches above the knee.

    But to everyone's surprise, Terry Fox made up his mind to become a long-distance runner and do something about the cancer. What a dream!

    Although it seemed impossible, Terry decided to run across the whole country. He hoped to raise one million dollars for cancer research. Few believed he would make it. Anyway, on April 12, 1980, Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope. For the first days of his marathon, Terry Fox was alone. He started running at 4:30 am. Day by day, people began to realize that something big was happening on the lonely road. As people saw Terry, they stopped and donated (捐赠) money for cancer research.

    However, his health took a rapid turn for the worse several months later. He had to give up his marathon on September 1, 1980. Terry died three months later, at the age of 22. In his short life, he raised $24 million for cancer research—one dollar for each person in his motherland.

    Since his death, the yearly Terry Fox Run, first held in 1981, has grown to be the world's largest one-day fundraiser (筹资活动) for cancer research.

    You can always see some park workers dressed as movie or cartoon characters(角色) in some theme parks(主题公园）like Disneyland. We call them costumed characters. What is it like to be a costumed character at a theme park?

    Dave Jackson has this interesting job. He works as a costumed character in Disneyland. There are always so many visitors in this park. Every day Dave puts on a Mickey Mouse suit and plays with the visitors to make them happy. Many visitors, especially the young children, take photos with him.

    Some people may think his job is quite easy. But in fact, it's sometimes a little difficult. First of all, the costumes are very heavy. And it's difficult to go to the washing room with a heavy costume. Second, the space he works is very small, so he usually gets tired after standing there for a long time. What's more, the most difficult part is working in hot weather! He alwayssweats a lot, and the sweat can run into his eyes.

    "My job is not easy, but it is also great fun." says Dave. "Looking back, I must be in quite a lot of people's family photos. It is really cool.