When I was young, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn't look like any other doctor I'd ever known. He was very nice.

    In his spare time, he was always planting trees. The good doctor had some interesting views about planting trees. He didn't often water his trees and he often beat them with a rolled-up newspaper — to wake them up and push them to grow faster.

    I didn't understand why." Watering plants too often is bad for them," Dr. Gibbs explained when I asked him one day." You have to make things hard for them. Those trees that aren't watered enough will have to grow deeper into the ground for water, and then they will be strong."

    To be honest, I didn't believe what the doctor had told me. I planted a few trees several years ago. I still tried to water my trees and take good care of them every week. I wanted to make sure that my trees would grow much better than his.

    Twenty-five years later, when I came back to my hometown to check those trees, I was shocked. Dr. Gibbs' trees were extremely tall and big. My trees, however, were very weak. Dr. Gibbs' views suddenly came back to me. Hard conditions seemed to be good for Dr. Gibbs' trees.

    I used to try to make my sons' life comfortable and easy. Since then, I changed a lot. When children are growing up, they have to face lots of difficulties like Dr. Gibbs' trees, and difficulties can lead them to be strong and brave people to face everything.

    Once I went to a railway station near New York. I tried to take the night train there. Crowds of people were pushing into the 1 train. I found a railway official and asked him if I could get a place in the train, but he said sharply, "No, you can't. The train is full. Don't trouble me any more."

    I was very hurt indeed. I said to the friend who was with me. "They talk to me like this2they don't know that I am a famous writer. If they knew..."But before I could finish my sentence my friend said, "Don't be foolish. How could that help you? Whoever you are, there are no empty seats on the train." I was3he was wrong, so I went up to the same official again and told him that I was Mark Twain. But all he said was," I told you not to trouble me any more."

    Just then I4a young porter in a sleeping car looking at me. He whispered something to the train conductor, and that conductor came over to me and said very politely, "Do you need help, sir?" "I5do." I answered.

    The porter took our boxes and we got on to the train. When we were comfortably seated in our places, my friend said, "I am sorry I said those things to you just now..." Just then the porter came and said, "Oh, sir, I recognized you immediately." "Really?" I Said6. "Of course," he said, "I recognized you and told the conductor that you" are Mr Smith, the mayor(市长) of New York city.

Here are some students' New Year's resolutions of 2016.

Hi, my name is Selina. I'm going to do my best at school. I'm going to finish my homework on time. If I need some help with a subject, I'm going to ask my teacher for help.

My name is Dave. I'm going to eat fruit and vegetables every day. I'm going to drink more water and milk. I'm also going to brush my teeth after meals every day.

My name is Tina. I'm going to meet more people and make more friends this year. I'm also going to be friendly to other kids in my class. I'm going to be friendly to kids who need friends—like someone who is shy or new.

I'm Tony. I'll never give out personal information such as my name, home address, school name and telephone number on the Internet. Also, I'll never send a picture of myself to someone or talk with someone online(在网上).

When I was in Grade Eight, one thing made me sad. I could never get good grades in my1 exam.

One day, I talked to my mom about that. She asked me to think about the2 . I thought about it seriously. And then I3 what my problem was.

"Mom, the math questions are really4 . So I work them out quickly."

"Oh?" Mom listened carefully.

"Yes. They're so easy that I get careless. Sometimes I take notes （笔记）5 in class. And when I see them again, I can't understand them."

"I see," Mom said. "Good6 habits are important. Although you are clever and quick, you are not careful enough."

"You're right, Mom. I will try to be7 and careful, too."

"You cannot learn things well in a short time. You should keep on practicing it8 you use it easily."

"I will keep your word in my heart, Mom."

After that, I9 my learning habits. I studied as carefully as I could. When I did math exercises, I would read each word and find the key words. Then I connected （联系） them with what I learned, so I could do the exercises right.

You know what? A few weeks later, I did finally get a(n)10 grade in math! What a difference good habits make!

Silent and calm, 25-year-old Linda looks out of the window. She is smiling now, but she was unhappy for 1 long time. Today, she is the writer of a best-seller. And he is also one of 2 artists. She shares her experience in her book. 

Linda did not speak 3 she was two and a half years old. And she has autism(自闭症)and difficulty in talking with 4 . She never played with other kids, instead she just sat 5 and watched them. 

Growing up, her classmates bullied(欺凌) her. Some kids even stole 6 snacks. She tried changing schools,  7 her new classmates still didn't like her. The bullying went on. She 8 had trouble with study. But she didn't let them stop her. With the 9 of her parents, Linda could go to hospital to see doctors. 

   At last, doctors said that Linda 10 never succeed or finish her studies. But Linda's mother didn't give up on her daughter. Because she thought that 11 is impossible if she tried her best. So she made Linda know 12 interesting it is to paint beautiful paintings. When Linda was 13 , she went to art college to study painting. And later the local volunteers 14 her to join them. So she could tell her story to people. Now she is not sad any more. At the age of 25, Linda is able to sell her books and 15 of her paintings to help herself and her family. Linda's story is not only influencing others, but also changing their lives.