C

    One little miracle (奇迹) has been happening to me recently, and it gives me a special joy.

    A few months ago, I was telling my daughter, Sally, some stories about my mother. My daughter was so young when my mother died that she doesn't remember her well. I told her all I could remember, like how wonderful my mother was and how much she meant to me.

    One day, Sally was sad because her grandmother was in heaven (天堂) and she couldn't see her. I explained that though her grandmother was dead, now she was still watching over us and could send us something to let us know she was there. She could be anywhere, even riding invisibly (看不见地) on the back of a butterfly (蝴蝶). Just after I said this, a butterfly flew down right by us, and we laughed happily.

    Now many people would say it was just luck that the butterfly flew down at that time. A funny thing, however, has happened since then. Every time I go out in any type of weather I see butterflies. Very often they fly right by my face to get my attention. I always say hi to Mom, send her my love, and thank God for little miracles.

    Everyone is always looking for some big miracles to come out and save them when they are in trouble, but they don't notice the little miracles that happen every day right in front of their eyes. I know what they really are, however. For me little miracles are the best kind. So many little miracles happen around me all the time that I know they are not just luck.

C

    My daughter Eyen is ten years old. She is in Grade Three in a primary school. She is a cute girl though(虽然) she has some strange ideas sometimes.

    One day she asks me, “Mum, what's your favourite subject?” I think for a while(一会儿) and answer，“It is difficult to tell. I love singing, so music is my favourite. And I am good at English. My history teacher also says I am excellent. Well, I can say I don't like science. But science is important for us, you know. So you must do well in it. What is your favourite subject, Eyen? Tell me something about your subject, dear.”

    “I like Chinese. It is easy. I like English because my English teacher likes me very much. I can't stand maths. It's serious and sad(悲哀的).”

    “Do you mean(意味)your maths teacher is serious and sad?”

    “No, it is maths, not the maths teacher.”

    “Why do you think so?”

    “Because maths has so many problems! Isn't it sad all day?”

    Jane Austen(1775-1817), an English novelist, started writing from an early age and completed six major novels in her life. Today Austen's books are more popular than ever. Some of her novels have been made into films while her books continue to be best-sellers

    Richard Jenkyns, a professor of English from the University of Oxford says that her novels are about marriage, friendships and the family, which are still with us today." The stories are timeless," Jenkyns says.

    Pride and Prejudice(《做慢与偏见》)(1813) is Austen' s most famous work. It is a love story about Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. At first, they dislike each other. Elizabeth is pretty, smart and lively. She is proud because Mr. Darcy doesn't know about her and her family. Mr. Darcy is handsome, rich and has a better family background. So, he is proud as well. At the same time, Mr. Darcy holds a prejudice against the Bennet family. He has no understanding of why the family, especially the mother and daughters who try so hard to find wealthy and powerful husbands. He thinks they are vulgar. Anyway, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy finally fall in love and become a romantic couple but their families don't want them to do so.

    In Pride and Prejudice, some of the main things that Jane Austen wanted to teach people are as follows. Opposites can attract each other. Lovers should not only make each other feel relaxed or comfortable, but also educate and improve each other.

    Austen is often called the greatest romantic writer, so it is surprising she remained unmarried. "Maybe she was too romantic, waiting for the perfect man," Jenkyns says.

    Grandfather always tells Jane stories before she goes to bed at night. Soon, her love for reading grows. She starts borrowing books from the school library.

One day, Grandfather told Jane, "Here, my dear, your birthday is coming. This is a very special book and I want you to have it as your birthday present. I am sure that you will enjoy reading it."

    Jane was excited to get the book. She put down all the other books she had and started reading it day and night. The more she read the book, the more she liked it.

    Soon, she finished the book. She thought it was a great book so she asked Grandfather who the writer was.

    "I wrote the book, my dear," Grandfather said with a smile.

    "This is really a great present!" Jane thought. "I will take good care of it and show it to Baby John when he grows up."

An old carpenter was ready to retire. His boss was 1 to see the good worker go. He asked the carpenter 2 he could build one more house. The carpenter said yes, but his mind was no 3 on his work.

    He used poor materials and worked on the house 4. When the carpenter finished his work, the boss 5 the front-door key to him. "This is your house," he said. "A 6 for you."

    What a surprise! What a 7! If he had known he was building his 8 house, he would have done it differently. Now he had to live in the house he had poorly built.

    9 it is with us. Sometimes we build our 10 carelessly. At important points we do not try our best. Then with a pity we look at the situation we had 11. We find that we are now living in the house we have poorly built. But we don't have a 12 to make it all over again.

    Think of 13 as the carpenter. Think about your life. Build it 14. It is the only life you will ever build because life is a do-it-yourself project.

    Your life today is the 15 of your attitudes and choices you made in the past. Your life tomorrow will be that of your attitudes and choices you make today.