Hello! This Chinese boy is Li Lei. He's 12. He's in No.3 Middle School. He's in Class 2, Grade 1. His good friend is Jack. He's an English boy. He's in Li Lei's school. He's in Class1.Grade2. Mrs Read is an English teacher in their school. She's an English woman. Jack an Li Lei has a secret(秘密)—-Jack is their English teacher's son.

    For his eleventh birthday, Lin was given a gift that would shape his life. On that day his father took him to the Children's Activity Centre and said he could choose any course that interested him. There was just one

Requirement: Lin would have to promise to study it for at least one year.

    To that point Lin had had many hobbies, but none kept his interest for more than a week or two. His mum once gave him a bag of stamps to encourage stamp collecting. That hobby lasted a week. Then his father got him some paints hoping that Lin's artistic side would shine through. Those paints were now under his bed, still unopened. This time Lin's parents would let him decide.

    Lin's eyes moved down the noticeboard that listed all the courses on offer. He stopped at "Photography". He liked the idea of taking beautiful pictures but the notice said that each student needed their own camera. Although Lin's family weren't poor, they weren't rich either, and a camera cost a lot of money. He continued looking.

    The next course to catch his eye was "Language Art". He didn't even know what that meant. His father explained that it taught people how to make public speeches. Lin, a shy boy, could think of nothing worse.

    Then he saw it. "Cooking" sounded like something he'd like to do. It was inexpensive and convenient. It could be done alone and it was also creative.

    Based on Lin's hobby history, his dad had doubts, but he agreed. Much to his parents' surprise, Lin kept his promise. He studied cooking at the Centre every Saturday, and practised at home, making delicious meals for his family. Everyone looked forward to birthdays, when they could eat his cakes. Lin got great satisfaction from the pleasure his food brought to others.

    The months turned to years but his hobby never changed again.

    Now Lin is an adult and runs a successful restaurant. When customers say they enjoy his meal, he still gets the same pleasure he did as a child, and remembers the special gift he received "all those years ago.

    Barbara Finch, from England, started a friendship with Elizabeth Martin from New Zealand when the two were just 14 years old. And they have been penfriends for the past seventy years.

    "Seventy years is a long time and such a lot has happened," says Barbara. "I've lost my husband and my son, and she's lost her husband and her daughter. With things like that, her friendship means a lot to me."

    The two started writing letters to each other in November 1947. At that time, Barbara was a pupil. In her school. there was an exchange(交换) teacher from New Zealand. She helped her students to find penfriends from her country. Among the many penfriends, Barbara and Elizabeth were the only pair to form a long-term friendship.

    Now both 84, the pair continue to send weekly e-mails to tell each other about their daily lives. Barbara, who's a proud great-grandmother, has kept every single letter and card Elizabeth sent her over the years.

    "We e-mail each other now rather than write letters, partly because it's quicker but mostly because there's no cost," Barbara says.

    The pair not only write to each other, but they also meet face to face. They have visited each other 15 times. Barbara flying to New Zealand 10 times and Elizabeth flying to England 5 times.

    "Her family has become a second family to me. She says I am the sister she never had." Barbara says.

There are many holidays and festivals. Dads have Father's Day. Children have Children's Day. Is there a special day for old people?

Double Ninth Festival is a special day for old people in China. It started long ago. The festival is on lunar September 9th. On this day, people show love to their grandparents.

People do many different kinds of things on this day. They enjoy flowers, eat special cakes and drink wine (酒).

It's very interesting. The best way to celebrate it is climbing hills or mountains. People think climbing will bring them good luck and help old people live long lives. Double Ninth Festival is also a good time for a family get-together. And young people give their presents and best wishes to the old.

    Life comes in a package. Thispackage includes happiness and sadness, failure and success, hope anddespair.Life is a learning process. Experiences in life teach us new lessons and makeus a better person. With each passing day we learn to deal with varioussituations.

Love plays amain role in our life. Love makes you feel wanted. Without love a person couldbecome cruel. In the early stage of our life, our parents are the ones who showus with love and care. They teach us about what is right and wrong, good andbad. But we don't always care about it. It is only after marriage and havingkids that a person understands others' feelings.

Happiness canbring people a peaceful mind. No mind is happy without peace. Sadness is thecause of the death of a loved one or the failure. But all of these things willpass away.

Failure is thepath to success. It helps us to touch the sky, teaches us to survive and showsus a specific way. Success brings in money, pride and self-respect.

Hope is whatkeeps life going. Parents always hope their children will do well. Hope makesus dream. Hope builds in patience. Life teaches us not to despair even in thedarkest hour, because after every night there is a day.

Life teaches usnot to regret over yesterday, for it has passed and is out of our control. Tomorrowis unknown, for it could either be bright or dark.So the only choice is towork hard today, so that we will enjoy a better tomorrow.