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    One night, when I was eight, my mother gently asked me a question I would never forget. "Cindy, my company wants to promote (升职) me but needs me to work in Brazil. This is like your teacher telling you that you've done well and allowing you to skip (跳) a grade, but you'll have to leave your friends. Would you say yes to your teacher?" She gave me a hug and asked me to think about it. I was lost in thought. The question kept me wondering for the rest of the night. I had said "yes" but for the first time, I realized the difficult decisions adults had to make.

    For almost four years, my mother would call us from Brazil every day. Every evening I'd eagerly wait for the phone to ring and then tell her everything happened during the day. A phone call, however, could never take her place and it was difficult not to feel lonely at times.

    During my fourth-grade Christmas break, we flew to Rio to visit her. Looking at her large empty apartment,   ▲    It was then I started to understand the difficult choices she had to make. She needed to think about both family and work. Faced with difficult decisions, she used to tell me, you wouldn't know whether you make the right choice, but you could always make the best out of the situation, with a positive attitude.

    Back home, I reminded myself that what my mother could do, I could, too. If she managed to live in Rio all by herself, I, too, could learn to be independent. I learn how to take care of myself and set high but achievable goals.

    My mother is now back with us. But I will never forget what the experience has really taught me. I've learned a lot because of this separation. There are lots of difficult decisions that we have to face in our life. We need to have a positive attitude no matter what happens.

    The Kennedy Elementary school band(乐队)is special. That's because Tony Boland, a member of it, is a 79-year-old flute(长笛)player. His story tells us that you're never too old to toot the flute.

    After working at the school for more than ten years, Tony joined the fifth graders in the band. His grandchildren were at the school. He help with reading.

    He started tooting the flute many years ago, when his wire tried to throw away(扔掉)their daughter s flute.

    "You will play better if you play with others," he told a reporter.

    Brian Enabnit thought Tony would make a difference to the band. "He's great. He's helping the students around him, "Enabnit said.

    Tony practises with the students once a week and performs with them. They played at the Dubuque Community School District's Band Festival earlier this month.

    Fifth-grade student Courtney Less thought her older classmate was successful. "He's an excellent player," Courtney said. "All of us are afraid when giving a performance, but he isn't."

    Hello, my name is Lucy Green. I have a big family. My favorite number is seven. My Wechat number is 7790-2728. I have a blue skirt. I like the skirt very much.

    My parents are in Shanghai. My Grandma's telephone number852770.She has a grey skirt. My grandpa Jill doesn't have a phone. My sister Mary and I live in Hangzhou with our parents. This is Mary's pencil. It is red. Her QQ number is. 790723674

When I moved to America in the 7th grade, I did not speak any English. I had no choice but to keep working hard. Although I made 1 when I reached the 9th grade, people still found it difficult to understand me because of my accent (口音).

One day, at a party, I was invited to play a guessing game. When it was my turn, I tried to 2 the object that I had in mind. Suddenly someone said with a laugh, "What did she say?" I felt 3 . Out of kindness, a girl gently advised me to repeat it, but I got stuck on the word "purple"—I couldn't 4 it. This time, everyone laughed while I was trying hard to get the word out of me. This 5 had its own influence on me. When opportunities were opened up for the summer program I had been looking forward to, I 6 to attend (参加) the interview. Luckily, I got tons of encouragement from people around me. So I decided to 7 .

At the interview, the other students in my group spoke very 8 but I didn't speak that much. I knew that I could hardly be understood because of my accent. Besides when I was nervous, it would be even more 9 for me to pronounce words clearly. After the interview, I stayed, said "10 " and explained to the teachers. I didn't want them to think I wasn't interested or I was being unfriendly. But they appreciated (欣赏) that I expressed 11 . "It's OK. You don't have to say sorry. Your accent does not make you less than others," said one of the teachers.

Surprisingly, I was accepted into the 12 . Imagine how I felt!

Up to now, I still feel 13 that I took that step. It is a sign that I have changed. I did not let my accent 14 me. I'm sure I will continue to feel nervous about speaking English with strangers. 15 that's OK. It will not stop me from trying to be better.

My favorite thing from childhood is a doll. I 1 it from my aunt on my 5^th birthday. 2 then it has been always on my bed and I can't go to sleep 3 kissing it at night. When I went to a boarding school, I took it with me. My roommates (室友) used to 4 at me about it, but I still kept it beside my pillow (枕头). 

I love it so5 because it gives me comfort (安慰) whenever I feel bad. 

Wangari Maathai, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was born on April 1, 1940, in Kenya. Growing up in the countryside, Wangari was deeply connected to the land from an early age. This early experience with the environment later inspired her life's work, which has left an unforgettable mark on the world. 

With the help of a program, Wangari received her university education in the United States. After graduation, she returned to Kenya. In 1971, she got a doctor's degree from the University of Nairobi, becoming the first woman doctor in East and Central Africa. But her greater achievement was outside the university. In 1977, Wangari set up the Green Belt Movement, an organization focused on tree planting, environmental protection, and women's rights. She called on Kenyan women to plant trees in their hometown. This simple act not only helped to protect the environment but also made women powerful economically and socially. 

Wangari focused not only on environmental problems. She made great efforts to fight for democracy （民主）, human rights, and social fairness. Her activism（激进主义） often put her in disagreement with the Kenyan government. As a result, she was put in prison several times, but she kept fighting bravely. It was because of her tireless work that she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. She became the first African woman to receive the award. 

Wangari passed away on September 25, 2011, but her spirit continues to inspire a worldwide movement towards environmental protection and social fairness. Her book, Unbowed, records her life journey and the challenges she faced, offering an inspiration to countless people worldwide. Her story lives on through the millions of trees planted by the Green Belt Movement and the countless lives she touched through her hard work. It serves as a reminder that even the smallest actions, like planting a tree, can have a great influence on the world.