It's not easy to be an astronaut's son. Everybody expects you to be special or perfect. I often wonder how my father ever had a son like me. I mean he's so special and so good at everything he does. Even in middle school he was class president and captain of the football team.
    Well, to be honest, I often dream about being some kind of hero or doing something special—like saving a child from a burning building or discovering a new star. I was daydreaming at school one morning when my teacher said there would be a Father's Day writing competition for the whole school. “I hope we have a winner right here in my class.”
    When I got home, I started to think about what to write. My father is an astronaut. No, I wouldn't start like that．That was the way others saw him. How did I see my father? Hmm.
    I saw him sitting with me in the dark when I had a terrible dream. I remembered how he hugged me for hours when my dog Spotty was killed by a car. Yes, these were the things I was going to write. To me, he wasn't just a world—famous astronaut．He was my dad.
    My parents and I went to school on Thursday night. There were so many people in the big hall! My dad looked at me, and I shrugged(耸肩).
    The third prize was announced and it was not me. I was relieved(释然) and disappointed at the same time. The second prize was announced. It was me.
    I went up to the stage and read what I had written,“My father's son”. When I finished, the people stood up and cheered. I saw my father blowing his nose. Tears were running down my mother's face. Dad cleared his throat and put his hand on my shoulder. "Son, this is the proudest moment of my life."
    It was the proudest moment of my life, too. Maybe I'll never be a great hero or win a Nobel Prize, but it was enough just to be my father's son.

    Like most of her friends, Georgie Sanderson has 24-houpa-day access(使用权) to technology through her mobile phone, iPod Touch and home computer. But the 15-year-old girl says she is too busy to spend her days on Facebook. She only uses it once or twice a day. "The 10th grade is busy, and I have to work hard. Even when I'm not studying, I have better things to do with my time, such as being outside or spending time with my friends," she says. Georgie has a part-time job. She watches TV for a while in the afternoon and she helps with the housework.

    Georgie's words prove the findings of a new report. According to the report, teenagers today are not completely dominated(支配) by technology, although they have been into a digital(数字) world. They spend most of their time on their homework, TV, part-time jobs, hobbies, sports, friendship or reading instead of playing or chatting on the computer. But the report also finds that mobile phones are important to teenagers. 95 percent of 18 year-olds have got one mobile phone, and 82 percent sleep with their mobile phones on and beside them all night.

    For Georgie, sleep is more important than texting others. Georgie is also careful about the use of IT. She says, "Social media is helpful, but it is so distracting(使人分心的). I only use it when I do need to use it."

    I believe that we can have an important effect on anyone we meet. The right words at just the right time could change someone's life. When I was three years old, my parents discovered I was deaf. After asking many doctors and parents of other deaf children, they decided to put me in a normal school.

    On my first day in the school, the other kids made fun of me because of my hearing aid. And then I saw myself as an ugly kid.

    Mrs. Jordan, my teacher changed all of that with a simple three-word phrase. One morning, she asked the class a question. I read her lips（嘴唇） and raised my hand right away. She called me. I took a deep breath and nervously answered Mrs. Jordan's question.

    I will never forget what happened next. Mrs. Jordan pointed directly at me. With a big smile she cried,

    "That's right, Stephen! "For the first time in my young life, my confidence soared（剧增）.At that moment, I decided that no matter how many difficulties I may face, I can overcome（克服） them. Just from those three simple words, my life changed from that moment.

    When I was three years old, my parents discovered I was deaf. After asking many doctors and parents of other deaf children, they decided to put me in a normal school.

    On my first day in the school, the other kids made fun of me because of my hearing aid. And then I saw myself as an ugly kid.

    Mrs. Jordan, my teacher changed all of that with a simple three-word phrase. One morning, she asked the class a question. I read her lips（嘴唇） and raised my hand right away. She called me. I took a deep breath and nervously answered Mrs. Jordan's question.

    I will never forget what happened next. Mrs. Jordan pointed directly at me. With a big smile she cried, "That's right, Stephen!" For the first time in my young life, my confidence soared（剧增）. At that moment, I decided that no matter how many difficulties I may face, I can overcome（克服） them. Just from those three simple words, my life changed from that moment.

    An Englishman shows a foreign visitor around London. "What is that strange building?" asks the visitor. "That's the Tower of London." "I see. How long did it take to build it? ""About 20 years." "In my country, we can build it in 20 months," answers the visitor. A short time after that they come to St. Paul's Cathedral (圣保罗大教堂). "Very interesting," says the visitor. "How long did it take to build it?" "About forty years." "In my country we can finish it in forty days," says the visitor. This goes on all day. They visit most of the best known buildings in the city. Every time they see a new one, the visitor always asks the same question. Then he always answers that they can do the same thing much faster in his country. At last, the Englishman gets angry with the visitor but he tries not to show it. At last they come to the House of Parliament and the visitor asks his usual question "What is that?" The Englishman answers "I don't know. It wasn't there last night."

    It was Sunday. I had one last patient to see. She was an old woman, sting on her bed. trying to put socks on her swollen (肿胀的) ft. I walked in, spoke quickly to the nurse, and saw from her chart that she was in a good condition.

    She asked if l could help put on her socks. Instead, I started a monologue (长篇大论): "How are you feeling? Your sugars and blood pressure are also good today. The nurse said you're anxious to see your son who's visiting you today from far away. I believe you really look forward to seeing him.

    She stopped me with a serious voice. "Sit down, doctor. This is my story, not your story."

    I was surprised and embarrassed. I sat down. I helped her with the socks. She told me that her only son lived around the corner from her, but she had not seen him for five years. She believed that the big stress of this was a big reason for her health problems. After hearing her story and putting on her socks, I asked if there was anything else I could do. She shook her head and smiled. All she had wanted me to do was listen.

    Each story is different. Some are detailed; others are vague (含糊的). Some are true; others not. Yet all those things do not really matter. What matters to the storyteller is that the story is heard.