Students in high schools can be cruel and we certainly refer to a young man named Matt who was in my class. We laughed at him about his1. He was at least fifty pounds overweight.

    One day he sat near me in a2. Someone pushed him and he3on me and hurt my foot quite badly. With the whole class 4, I had to choose either5 it off or have a fight with him. I chose to fight in order to keep my 6.

I shouted, “ Come on, Matt, let's fight.” He said he didn't want to. But peer pressure(同伴的压力)7 him into the fight whether he liked it or not. He came toward me with his fists(拳头) in the air. With one8I bloodied(弄出血) his nose and the classroom became9. No one dared to say a word. Just then the teacher walked into the classroom, He saw that we were 10 and sent us out to the playground.

    He followed us with a11on his face and said, “I want you two boys to go out there and run that mile holding each other's hands.” The room broke into laughter. The two of us were12, but Matt and I went out to the track and ran our mile 13.

During the course of our run, I looked at him, with blood still flowing from his nose and his14slowing him down. It hurt me that here was a person, not all that different from myself. I no longer saw Matt as fat. It was amazing what I learned I was forced to go hand-in-hand with someone for only one mile.

    For the rest of my life I have never15 a hand against another person. I know it is wrong to do so.

    It snowed again. My seventh Christmas was round the corner. I dreamed of getting the present from Father Christmas until my elder sister dropped the bomb (突然宣布). "There is no Father Christmas." 

    I ran to my grandmother's house, for she always told the 1. Grandmother was at home. I told her everything. "No Father Christmas?" she was a little 2. "Don't believe it. Put on your coat, and let's go."

    "Go? Where, Grandma?" I asked.

    "Kerby's Store. "

    As we walked through its doors. Grandma handed me the dollars and said. "Take the 3and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of the Kerby's.

    For a few seconds I just stood there, holding the money, wondering what to buy, and who to buy it for.

    I thought of everybody I knew, my family, my friends, my neighbours… I suddenly thought of Bobbie Decbar, a boy with bad breath (口臭) and messy (凌乱的) hair. He sat right behind me in Mrs Polack's class.

    Bobbie 4 went to any party during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, 5 we all knew that he didn't have a cough. In fact, he didn't have a 6. I decided to buy Bobbie a red warm coat that he would like.

    That evening, grandma helped me wrap (包裹) the coat in Christmas paper and ribbons (缎带), and write "To Bobbie. From Father Christmas" on it. Grandma told me Father Christmas never let people know that he 7 them. Then she drove me over to Bobbie's home, telling me that I was helping Father Christmas 8 the presents.

    Grandma parked the car along the street and we hid behind the trees near Bobbie's home. Then Grandma said to me. "All right, Father Christmas, get going."

    I took a deep breath, rushed to his front door, put the present down 9 the door, rang the doorbell and flew back to the safety of the 10 and Grandma. We waited breathlessly in the dark for the front door to open. Finally it did and there stood Bobbie.

    That night, I realized that Father Christmas was alive and well, and we were on his team.

    Bruce likes playing1a river（河）. But there2a river near his new house. He is not very happy.

    One day, he asks3mother,“4a river near here?”“No, there5”,his mother says, “But6new house has a garden.” “I don't like7”says Bruce.

    One morning, his mother says “8is a beautiful park near here. Bruce, and there9two pools(池塘) in it. We'll go there this afternoon.” Bruce is very happy.

    After lunch, Bruce and his mother10the park, and he plays in one of the pools. He has a very good time.

    Nasruddin(阿凡提) was a very clever man. When a nobleman named Shah heard Nasruddin's stories, he decided to ask some questions to puzzle him.

    On a sunny morning, Shah rode his horse and set off. When he got to a crossroads, he saw a man coming to him. He stopped his horse and asked,“I say, Mula（对有学问的人的一种尊称）. Do you know Nasruddin? Where does he live? Tell me.” Shah had a habit of asking the way when he saw every scholarly-looking man. Luckily, this man was Nasruddin.

    Nasruddin looked up at the nobleman on the horse and asked,“How did you know I was a Mula?”

    “How did I know?” he bragged（自夸）.“Well, I am a mind-reader. That's how.”

    “I am very pleased to meet you,” said Nasruddin with a smile,“I live in the next door to Nasruddin. I know his address. Since you are a mind-reader, read my mind and find the way to his house all by yourself.”

Comfort Zone

    I would never forget what I learned from the day when I left my junior high school. On the last day our teacher told us something1that I would like to share with you.

    He began by drawing a man standing in the middle of a circle. To make it more interesting, he drew things like a house, a car and a few friends inside the circle.

    He asked, "Can anyone tell me what this is?" In a long silence, one student decided to2his idea," The world?" The teacher said, "That's close. This is your Comfort Zone. Inside your circle you have all the things that are important to you. Your home, your family, your friends and your job. People feel that inside this circle they are safe from any3."

    "Can anyone tell me what happens when you step out of this circle?" A strong silence came over the room. The same student replied," You are afraid." Another student said, "You may make mistakes." The silence continued and our teacher smiled and asked," When you make mistakes, what can the result be?" The first student said," You4something."

    "Exactly, you are learning." Our teacher turned to the blackboard and drew an arrow（箭头）5from the man to the outside of the circle. He went on saying," When you leave your Comfort Zone, you put yourself out there, in a6that you are not comfortable with, The result is that you learn something that you did not know and you enlarge your knowledge to become a better person." He turned again to the blackboard and drew a bigger circle around the original（原来的）circle, and7a few new things like more friends, a big house, etc.

    A lesson from this story is that if you stay inside your Comfort Zone you will never be able to open your eyes to the outside world and learn, When you step out of your Comfort Zone, you will8make your circle bigger to challenge your mind and grow to be stronger, and all in all be a better person.

    This was a very interesting story. I 1 thousands of classes since I started school nine years ago. But one class was 2 of all.

    It happened last term just after I had got a bad result in 3 exam. I was sad and had lost my confidence. I decided 4 to a class 5 can tell me how to be successful. The speaker walked into the room. 6 he did not start talking like a teacher. Instead, he held up a twenty yuan note!

    "Who wants this?" he asked. Unsurprisingly, 7 of us in the class held up our hands. The speaker smiled. Then he put up the note on the blackboard and asked the same question. Again, we put up our hands. The speaker kept 8, but said 9 . Suddenly, he threw the note onto the floor! Then he asked the same question for  10time.

    I didn't understand the speaker. Why was he asking the same question again and again? I didn't know 11 to do. I wanted the note, so I put my hand up again. "You have all just told me how to become successful." He said to us 12 the note in his hand. "The note is worth twenty yuan. It is always worth twenty yuan, even though I throw it on the floor. You are like the note. No matter what happens to you, you still have your worth."

    Hearing those words, I 13 deeply. Suddenly, I realized I was worth a lot. I may have failed, but it doesn't mean I 14 do well in the future. If I believe in15I will be successful!